Why Practice Rural Medicine? Why Winnemucca?

• Winnemucca is primarily a mining town and a remnant of the old west. The hospital and clinic are pretty much the only game in town, so the patient population includes everyone from an approximately 100-mile radius. Reno is the nearest referral center, and that's a 2.5 hour drive, so you have the opportunity to see all kinds of pathology because you’ll be much more involved in all levels of a patient’s care. You'll be managing trauma, rheumatologic diseases, advanced heart failure, schizophrenia - the whole gamut!
• Wonderful opportunities to become involved in a vibrant rural community through recreational events, local athletic events, and school physicals
• You will receive hands on teaching in a quiet, beautiful rural community with great opportunities to be directly involved in multiple OB deliveries, be first assist on surgeries, and get plenty of hands on experience with procedures such as intubations and central line placement if you show interest in receiving that exposure
• Humboldt General Hospital is a newly renovated hospital with new clinical facilities such as an orthopedic clinic and a nursing home and memory care unit as well as state-of-the-art technology including a full service laboratory and imaging suite
• Opportunity to attend annual Nevada American Family Practice (AFP) Conference in Lake Tahoe

Program Faculty

Aron Rogers, DO

Program Director

Elissa Palmer, MD, FAAFP

Las Vegas Site Director

Lacy Fettic, MD

Winnemucca Site Director

All first-year candidates are accepted via the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Applications are accepted through the Electronic Residency Application Services (ERAS) only. Look up Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Rural Program 1203100700 Specialty Family Medicine.

Please note: Although connected to the main Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine family medicine program, the rural program is its own separate program to apply for on ERAS. The official name is the Family Medicine Rural Residency Program, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV. It is fully-accredited by the ACGME.

Selection and Interview Process

• To be eligible, candidates must have graduated from an accredited MD or DO school by the time of their proposed residency start date. At this time, we are not accepting international medical graduate (IMG) candidates.
• Applicants must be a U.S. Citizen or Green Card holder.
• We will not consider applications where an applicant has failed any STEP or COMLEX more than twice.
• We require either USMLE or COMLEX, Steps 1 and 2 (both parts) be passed before we will review an application.
• We will only consider applicants that have graduated from medical school or held a license to practice medicine in the U.S. within the last three years.
• A complete application packet must include the following items posted to ERAS before we will review the application:
  • ERAS application
  • Personal statement
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Medical school transcript
  • USMLE/COMLEX Scores (Step 1 and 2)
  • Photograph
  • Three letters of reference (at least one letter must be from a family physician)
  • ECFMG Certificate (if applicable)
• For interview consideration, we review applications on a first-come, first-served basis. We stop reviewing applications when we run out of interview slots, which is usually by the end of December or early January.

Selection Process

• All candidates are reviewed through ERAS. Documents sent through email are not considered part of the application.
• An Application Review Committee considers ERAS applications for interview selection. They decide suitability of applicants for interview by ranking them based upon academic, personal, and reference credentials.
• Selected candidates are interviewed by the program director, department chair, faculty and program residents. Candidates will have "separate time" with residents throughout the course of their interview day.
• When all interviews are complete, the faculty and residents meet to rank all applicants with final approval by the program director. Critical determinants for selection are academic accomplishments, attitude, personal and communication qualities, enthusiasm, interest and knowledge about the program, and experiences and interests outside of medicine.
• The program utilizes the NRMP exclusively.

Other

• Applicants will be interviewed virtually via Zoom.  Login information will be sent by our residency coordinator once you are scheduled to interview.
• Interviews are typically in November and December and run from 1 p.m. - 5p.m. Lunch will be provided at the end of day one of the interview in Las Vegas. Breakfast will typically be provided prior to the start of day two of the interview in Winnemucca.
• The program observes the affirmative action/equal opportunity and anti-discrimination policies of UNLV in the selection process.