Third-Year Clerkships and Fourth Year Electives for Medical Students
It is the policy of UNR Med that all students complete their third-year clerkships in Reno.
In the fourth year, electives are chosen by the student with guidance from their clinical advisor, to develop depth and breadth in their clinical training. As it is the goal of UNR Med is to provide a diverse and well-rounded clinical experience throughout the medical education curriculum, fourth year elective schedules submitted for approval must be well balanced. Clinical Career Advisors are available to help achieve this goal. The Clinical Career Advisors and the Associate Dean for Medical Education reserve the right to deny approval of unbalanced or otherwise inappropriate schedules These choices are based on student interest, potential strengths and desire to enhance clinical skills. The fourth year student must complete 36 weeks of electives as describe below:
- A required four week Advanced Clinical Experience in Rural Health Care (rural rotation - MED 608)
- At least 32 weeks of electives
- Up to 12 weeks of electives may be scheduled out-of-state, and, in some cases, out of the country.
- No more than 6 of the required 36 weeks may be taken in non-clinical electives.
Basic information concerning the fourth year electives are included in the Elective Course Catalog It is the intent of the School of Medicine that the majority of elective courses are taken during the fourth year of medical school. Fourth year electives may be taken in any medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). Other elective experiences may be arranged with the Associate Dean for Medical Education. Students must have written departmental approval for an elective from UNR Med; specifically, approval from the department elective director and department administrator for that specialty. The elective schedule must be approved by the Associate Dean for Medical Education prior to beginning elective rotations.
Although evaluations are distributed by the Office of Medical Education, it is the student's responsibility to confirm that he or she has been evaluated appropriately and in a timely fashion for the student to receive credit towards graduation. Evaluation forms are generated through the ONE45 system and distributed via e-mail.
Out-of-Country Electives and International Travel
The Office of Medical Education maintains a list of resources and must approve in writing and be included in the coordination of all out-of-country electives. Students must provide information on housing, curriculum, evaluation, supervision and local contacts for the elective. Students requesting to travel abroad must abide by UNR International Travel Policy (UAM 1,404) and will be Students on rotation out of the country are not covered by the UNR Med liability insurance policy. Students must obtain travel insurance that includes emergency evacuation services.
Military Electives
On occasion, some students request authorization to take senior electives in medical facilities in other states, including those operated by the United States Armed Forces. At times students are required to do so as part of their military obligation. The prohibition against receiving payment for training is waived in the case of students on military scholarships.