Overview
The rheumatology fellowship training program at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV was approved by the ACGME in January 2024 with the training of fellows initiated in July of 2024, becoming the first such program in the state of Nevada. With the intended goal of addressing the significant unmet need for rheumatologists in the Intermountain West, the program focuses on preparing trainees to attend to the care and needs of the uniquely diverse patient population served by the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine and its affiliated training hospitals in Southern Nevada and the greater Las Vegas area. Training at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine offers the opportunity to master the challenges of both diagnosis and management of autoimmune and rheumatic disorders in a patient population highly enriched for patients with admixtures of Native American/Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, African and/or European ancestry. Clinical and research interests focus on disorders prevalent or severe in the community including systemic lupus, Sjogren’s syndrome, autoimmune inflammatory muscle and lung disease, and patients with autoimmune disorders overlapping with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or axial spondylitis.
Mission
Our mission is to provide a supportive and safe learning environment with opportunities to engage in high-quality scholarly investigation, education, and patient care in rheumatology.
Program Aims
- Graduate trainees with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to provide the highest quality of care for their patients and to maintain their professional satisfaction.
- Recruit and maintain a diverse workforce in which all members feel valued and respected.
- Develop a clinical learning environment that monitors and supports the well-being of fellows, faculty, residents, and other members of the healthcare team.
- Promote participation in quality improvement and patient safety activities to achieve safe and high-quality patient care. The curriculum includes weekly conferences that cover case discussion, journal club, patient safety discussions, ethics, and legal aspects of health care.
- Develop a culture that promotes the participation in and dissemination of scholarly activity.
- Promote a learning environment that identifies and addresses healthcare disparities.
Program Director
Mitchell D. Forman, DO
Rheumatology Fellowship Program Director
Training Sites
The Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV serves as the official site of the rheumatology fellowship with a very active clinical rheumatology service, and is the primary site for the academic educational program provided to the fellows on a weekly basis. The program utilizes four training sites that offer complimentary clinical experiences including outpatient clinics, inpatient follow-up care, and hospital consultation services.
Rotation Structure and Curriculum
Fellows alternate three month blocks at the Las Vegas Medical District (LVMD) attending faculty supervised clinics at the UNLV Health Clinic and seeing inpatient consults at UMC, with three month blocks at the Las Vegas Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center attending VA Rheumatology Clinics as well as the respective radiology, rehab medicine, dermatology, and orthopaedic venues there. During one month of each year while on one of the three month blocks at the LVMD campus, fellows do a pediatric rheumatology rotation with Dr. Lowe at Kids Arthritis Care.
Structured thematically around recently encountered cases in the clinic or hospital, one-half day each week is reserved for faculty-led didactic sessions with fellows covering topics in the rheumatology fellowship core curriculum, review of informative journal articles presented by fellows, and fellow presentations of instructive cases from their clinical portfolio with summary teaching points derived from their relevant literature review that inform diagnosis and/or management of the patient presented.
How to Apply
Our program participates in the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). Applications are accepted through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) only. No faxed or mailed applications will be accepted. Eligible candidates for this position should have completed three years of post-graduate training in an ACGME accredited U.S. Internal Medicine residency internal medicine and be eligible for board certification in internal medicine by the ABIM at the time of starting.
Application requirements are listed below:
- ERAS application
- Updated curriculum vitae
- Personal statement
- Medical school transcript
- Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)
- USMLE or COMLEX official transcript
- 3-4 letters of recommendation including one from the Internal Medicine residency program director and one from a Rheumatologist
Applicants needing J1 visa sponsorship are accepted. Gap years of clinical practice, dedicated research, or other meaningful experience/service since completion of IM training will only enhance and not detract from the consideration of your application, but a letter of recommendation from someone familiar with your activity during this time is recommended.
Meet Our Fellows
Medical School: Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency Program: Creighton University School of Medicine/Maricopa Integrated Health System
Medical School: Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University