The Wayne State College RHOP program is welcoming 52 new students for the fall 2025 semester, as well as adding two new programs.
The Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP) is a partnership with the University of Nebraska Medical Center that offers benefits to incoming freshman to help them on their path to becoming rural healthcare professionals. Participants benefit from early registration privileges and specialized academic advising, which prepares them for the rigorous curriculum ahead.
According to the WSC website, students from rural Nebraska are selected to receive a full tuition scholarship at WSC, where upon completion of their undergraduate studies, they have guaranteed admission into the program of their choice at UNMC.
RHOP is always looking for new ways to support aspiring students and healthcare providers.
Ron Loggins, dean of the School of Science, Health and Criminal Justice at WSC said that a public health track and a new Biomedical Science program have been added this year.
Students pursuing studies in physical therapy, dentistry and physician assistant will be enrolled in the Biomedical Science program, which offers more in-depth research labs and access to state-of-the-art equipment.
The 2025 RHOP cohort includes students from across the state, each selected for their academic excellence and commitment to rural healthcare. The fields of study offered to the recipients are dental hygiene, dentistry, medical laboratory science, medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant, public health and radiography.
Rylin Hall, an RHOP recipient and Wayne resident, said that her interest in rural healthcare was sparked when she received healthcare from the Providence Medical Center in Wayne following a knee injury during her freshman year of high school.
“I’m just looking forward to meeting new people and making new friends, especially people in the RHOP program,” Hall said.
To prepare for the selection process, students and incoming freshmen can make themselves stand out by shadowing a healthcare professional and taking extra math and science classes. Hall said her involvement in clubs like FFA and FCCLA helped her job and interview skills, which made the interview process easier.
For more information about the RHOP program and its impact on rural healthcare in Nebraska, visit www.wsc.edu/rhop.