Student Mistreatment

The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine is committed to an environment of mutual respect. All members of the medical school community are expected to maintain a positive learning environment in which students, faculty, staff and residents treat each other with respect. Members of the community, including institutional leaders, will not tolerate harassment, intimidation, exploitation and/or abuse.

The Student Mistreatment Policy is intended to define inappropriate conduct in relationships with students. It also describes the mechanism through which medical students can report violations without fear of retaliation. This policy ensures access to educational programs that prohibit student mistreatment. For the purposes of this policy, community is defined as all sites where University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine students receive training. Mistreatment of students may occur in many forms and can seriously impair the educational experience. The complete definition of mistreatment is available in the policy link above. Examples include:

  • Yelling or verbally berating a student
  • Actions interpreted as punishment of the student by assignment of duties
  • Exclusion from learning opportunities
  • Requiring student complete "chores"
  • Physical hitting, slapping, pushing

Reporting Student Mistreatment

Students have several options available including informal and formal processes and are encouraged to document mistreatment using the confidential online reporting form.

Informal processes

Include direct discussion between the student and the person who subject the student to mistreatment; discussion with the clerkship director and one of the Assistant or Associate Deans; discussion with the Assistant to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs or the Director of Student Affairs; or using the faculty and resident evaluation process to report mistreatment concerns.

Formal processes

  • Student to student mistreatment concerns are routed to the Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs for review and action.
  • Resident to student mistreatment follow the process outline in the UNR Med Resident Handbook
  • Faculty/staff to student mistreatment follows the process outlined in the administrative code for the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE)
  • Affiliated faculty/staff at non-UNR Med partners to student mistreatment goes to the Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs