Co-Curricular Activities
Student Outreach Clinic
Under the direct supervision of licensed faculty and community physicians, medical students from UNR Med offer monthly Student Outreach Clinics providing free care to the medically uninsured.
Student Research
Research opportunities are available with a number of faculty members. Students are encouraged to take advantage of this added dimension of medical education. Nevada students often have the opportunity to coauthor a paper with faculty members with whom they have worked. A number of students have presented research findings at regional and national meetings. A list of student research activities for the past five years is posted at the Office of Medical Research. For more information, contact the Office of Medical Research at omr@med.unr.edu.
Summer Preceptorships
There are other educational opportunities for students, including summer preceptorships in clinical, community, and research settings. Summer preceptorships are coordinated through the Office of Medical Education. Students are discouraged from arranging clinical experiences with physicians on their own, due to a potential risk of liability. The School of Medicine's liability insurance covers students only when they are engaged in clinical activities that have documented approval from the Office of Medical Education.
Student Shadowing Experiences
The primary purpose of shadowing is to observe a physician or healthcare provider performing his or her duties. This excludes the student from engaging in any activity, physically or verbally, that may be considered the practice of medicine. Shadowing is encouraged prior to matriculation for pre-med students. The following outlines the guidelines for UNR Med students regarding shadowing experiences:
- Observerships or shadowing experiences are prohibited for first and second-year medical students during the academic year.
- Shadowing is an activity outside the UNR Med curriculum, therefore the liability policy (malpractice insurance) may not cover students who engage in shadowing activities
- During the third year, any clinical activities must be approved by the applicable clerkship director and must align with the goals and objectives of the applicable clerkship.
- All clinical activities in the fourth year must be part of a UNR Med-approved course/elective and must be included in the student's fourth-year schedule.
Students will be permitted to participate in shadowing experiences during non-curricular times (winter, spring, or summer break), but only with prior approval from UNR Med. Students must make any requests for approval a minimum of two months prior to the start of any proposed shadowing experience. Only medical students in good standing (not on probation) will be permitted to participate in non-curricular shadowing experiences. Students can make request shadowing by filling out the Shadowing Experience form.
Student Volunteer Experiences
Students wishing to volunteer in any experience where patient care is provided must have a signed memorandum of understanding between UNR Med and the event organizer in order to participate in the role of a UNR Med medical student.