Program Overview

University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine

The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med) offers a four-year M.D. program curriculum designed to integrate biomedical science with clinical practice through a systems-based block format.

M.D. Program Curriculum

The curriculum is divided into four years, with the first and second years focusing on classroom instruction and community-based preceptorships. The third and fourth years are predominantly clinical, with students immersed in clinical experiences and clinical reasoning practice throughout the community and surrounding areas.

Year 1 Structure - Blocks

The Year 1 curricular structure includes 40 weeks of instruction, with five blocks:

• Block 1: Foundations and Principles of Medical Science I (MED 631) - 8 weeks
• Block 2: Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Renal Systems I (MED 632) - 10 weeks
• Block 3: Gastrointestinal, Endocrine and Reproductive Systems I (MED 633) - 8 weeks
• Block 4: Musculoskeletal and Integumentary Systems (MED 634) - 6 weeks
• Block 5: Nervous System and Human Behavior I (MED 635) - 8 weeks
• Practice of Medicine - Fall (MED 621) - 18 weeks
• Practice of Medicine/Preceptorships - Spring (MED 622) - 22 weeks

Year 2 Structure - Blocks

The Year 2 curricular structure includes 31 weeks of instruction, with five blocks:

• Block 6: Foundations and Principles of Medical Science II (MED 636) - 7 weeks
• Block 7: Whole Body (MED 637) - 4 weeks
• Block 8: Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Renal Systems II (MED 639) - 7 weeks
• Block 9: Gastrointestinal, Endocrine and Reproductive Systems II (MED 640) - 6 weeks
• Block 10: Nervous System and Human Behavior II (MED 638) - 6 weeks
• USMLE Independent Study - 7 weeks
• Advanced Clinical Skills/Preceptorships - Fall (MED 623) - 19 weeks
• Advanced Clinical Skills - Spring (MED 624) - 12 weeks

Year 3 Structure - Clerkships

Clerkships mark the transition to the predominantly clinical component of the medical education program. Students are immersed in clinical experiences and clinical reasoning practice throughout the community and surrounding areas.

• Context of Patient Care (MED 641) - 4 weeks
• Clinical Reasoning in Medicine (MED 651O) - 36 weeks
• Required Clerkships:
  • Internal Medicine (IMED 651M) - 8 weeks
  • Family Medicine (FCM 651M) - 6 weeks
  • Neurology (NEUR 651M) - 4 weeks
  • OB/GYN (OBGY 651M) - 6 weeks
  • Pediatrics (PEDI 651M) - 6 weeks
  • Psychiatry (PCHY 651M) - 6 weeks
  • Selectives Clerkship (Selectives 651M) - 4 weeks
  • Surgery (SURG 651M) - 8 weeks

Year 4 Structure Electives

Students complete a minimum of 32 weeks of electives in addition to a required four-week advanced clinical rotation in rural health.

• Explore our electives
• Electives are taken in Reno, Nevada and at accredited residency programs across the country.

Electives

• Emergency Medicine
  • Emergency Medicine
• Family and Community Medicine
  • Family & Community Medicine
  • Advanced Public Health
  • Primary Care Sports Medicine
  • LGBTQ+ Healthcare
  • Wilderness Medicine
  • Clinical Physical Therapy
  • Family Med Scholar
  • Community Outreach Clinic
  • Independent Study or Research in FCM
• Internal Medicine
  • Cardiology
  • Neurology Sub-I
  • General Internal Medicine Sub-Internship
  • Dermatology
  • Endocrinology
  • Hospital Med Sub-I
  • Hematology/Oncology
  • Intensive Care
  • Medical Consultation in Post-Acute Care
  • Nephrology
  • Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
  • Pulmonary Medicine
  • Hospice & Palliative Medicine
  • Radiation Oncology
  • Nutrition & Metabolic Disorders
  • Vascular Medicine and Preventative Cardiology
  • Independent Study or Research in Internal Medicine
• Medicine
  • Advanced Clinical Experience in Rural Health Care
  • Teaching & Learning in Medicine
  • Pack Mentorship
  • Radiology
  • Spirituality in Medicine
  • Clinical Ethics
  • Culinary Medicine
  • Supplemental Instruction for Clerkships
  • Medical Spanish
  • Transition to Residency
  • Independent Study or Research in Medical Education
• Microbiology and Immunology
  • Problems Infect & Immunology
• Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Basic Colposcopy
  • Clinical Gynecology
  • Clinical Obstetrics
  • Reproductive Endocrinology
  • General OBGYN
  • Intro to Gyn Oncology
  • Female Pelvic Reconstruction Surgery
  • Maternal Fetal Medicine
  • Independent Study or Research in OBGYN
• Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
  • Forensic Pathology
  • Independent Study or Research in Pathology & Lab Medicine
• Anatomy
  • Selective Topics in Anatomy
  • Readings in Anatomy
• Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
  • Adult Psychiatry
  • Child Psychiatry
  • Geropsychology
• Pediatrics
  • Adolescent Medicine
  • Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Pediatric Hemat/Oncology
  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Pediatric Outpatient Clinic
  • Pediatric GI/Nutrition
  • Pediatric Critical Care
  • Pediatric Inpatient
  • Independent Study or Research in Pediatrics
• Pharmacology
  • Problems in Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics
• Surgery
  • Anesthesiology
  • Pediatric Surgery
  • General Surgery Sub-Internship
  • Neurosurgery
  • Ophthalmology
  • Orthopedic Surgery
  • Urology
  • Independent Study or Research in Surgery

Rural Rotation

The required rural rotation emphasizes the importance of health care in small, rural, and frontier communities. This part of the curriculum allows students to experience clinical immersion in these settings, where they tackle complex medical issues with limited resources.

Co-Curricular Activities: Summer Preceptorships and Observerships

Preceptorships offer students an opportunity to gain additional clinical experience and training with a practicing physician for the purposes of career exploration.

• Students may participate in non-curricular preceptorship experiences provided they are in good academic standing.
• Preceptorships with UNR Med, Renown-affiliated or community faculty will need to be requested a minimum of 4 weeks prior to the start of any proposed preceptorship experience.
• Clinical experiences with providers who are not current UNR Med faculty carry the risks of additional liability.
• Failure to follow this policy is a professionalism concern that will be reported for further action.