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Centra’s Office of Medical Education & Student Affairs (OMESA)

Educating the next generation of healthcare professionals in our community, for our community.
A class of enthusiastic nursing students.

About OMESA

Centra's Office of Medical Education & Student Affairs (OMESA) acts as an administrative center for student relations and onboarding within Centra. The OMESA team works on behalf of multiple academic partners to place medical learners within Centra's teaching practices and throughout the extended medical community. OMESA partners closely with Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) and the University of Lynchburg Master of Physician Assistant Medicine (MPAM) programs as well as other local academic programs in an effort to train here, stay here, and advance here.

Our Staff

Dean Gianakos, MD 
Chief Academic Officer

Brittney Aagaard, MHA 
Director of Student Affairs

Morgan McDowell, DNP, AGPCNP-BC, WHNP-BC 
Director of APP Education

Aly Vanbenschoten 
Student Education Coordinator

Kaitlyn Bosley, M.Ed.
Student Education Coordinator

Alex Sayer, MS
Student Education Specialist

Brittany Hammersley 
Student Education Coordinator

Caregiver Quote
“I receive far greater returns from teaching than I ever invest. At the end of our careers, I’m sure none of us will ever wish we had invested less in the next generation.”
— Thomas Forsberg, MD