Nonprofit Spotlight: UNR Med celebrates 50 years of excellence in education, research

A legacy of serving Nevadans

In 1969, the state legislature established the University of Nevada School of Medicine with the goal of educating primary care physicians to serve rural Nevada. Originally established as a two-year medical school, students had to transfer elsewhere to complete their third and fourth years of clinical training.

In 1977, the Nevada legislature approved the school’s conversion to a four-year medical degree-granting institution that included the creation of a Las Vegas-based clinical campus. For more than 30 years, medical students completed two years of basic science education in Reno and much of their two years of clinical training in Las Vegas.

In 2017, with the opening of a school of medicine in Las Vegas, the University of Nevada School of Medicine was renamed “University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine” (UNR Med) with a close alignment with the University of Nevada, Reno and a renewed focus on northern and rural Nevada.

A growing Nevada deserves a growing medical school

In the past year, UNR Med launched several new programs including new departments of surgery and obstetrics and gynecology, a Physician Assistant Studies Program and major research programs in cardiology, neuromuscular diseases, reproductive endocrinology, and infectious diseases, among many. The school continues to emphasize rural outreach and health care access for rural Nevadans with statewide telehealth programs and a new Elko-based clinic and residency program.

In 2018, UNR Med received full accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) through 2026. The designation confirms that UNR Med’s programs, faculty, resources and partnerships are meeting or exceeding national standards for medical education.

Committed to a healthy Nevada

UNR Med is vigorously building upon its rich history as the state’s first public medical school. Its mission of excellence in education, research and service, and a fundamental commitment to a  culture of diversity and inclusion, continues to enhance the quality of life in northern Nevada.

• Nearly 40% of actively practicing physicians in Nevada graduated from UNR Med.

• UNR Med is the leading biomedical research institution in Nevada, ranking among the top 100 best in the country for research, according to US News and World Report (2018).

• UNR Med ranks as the No. 13 most affordable medical school in the U.S., according to a 2017 study released by USA Today.

• UNR Med generated $153.3 million to the northern Nevada economy and employed nearly 1200 northern Nevadans in 2016.

• UNR Med has been awarded $25 million in biomedical research grants in the past year and $238 million over the past ten years.

Home means Nevada

UNR Med is the primary source of physicians across the state. Many graduates are dedicating their careers to primary care and practicing in traditionally underserved and rural areas, where health care access is limited. Out of UNR Med’s class of 2018, 49 percent of graduates matched to residencies in primary care and 34 percent have remained in Nevada for residency training.

From Nevada-based learners to Nevada-based doctors

• Over the years, a graduate of UNR Med has a 35 percent likelihood of practicing in Nevada.

• Students who come from outside medical school to complete a residency or fellowship in Nevada have a 55 percent probability of practicing in Nevada.

• And for those who complete both medical school and post graduate training in Nevada, the probability of practicing in Nevada is 77 percent.