Family Medicine Residency Program
Program Overview
If there is one thing all family medicine residents have in common, it's that they are a close-knit group of individuals who are all passionate about the health and wellbeing of their community. Staff and residents support each other while teaching and working to ensure an optimal work/life balance. Most residents agree the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV's residency program provides a manageable schedule with fantastic educational opportunities. Faculty members are accessible to advise and mentor residents.
The three-year residency in family medicine is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Dedicated faculty are board-certified mentors and offer a broad range of interests and experience since the program's inception in 1989. All family medicine residents receive Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO), and neonatal training/certification, sponsored by the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV.
Contact
Please contact us about questions you may have regarding your application to the program and interview.
Phone: 702-992-6888
Education
Residents receive a diverse, integrated education, which combines the learning and experience of patient care with dedicated time learning from procedural workshops, objective-structured clinical examination scenarios, board review didactics and quizzes, and a journal club that incorporates the review of important American Family Physician article reviews. Our dedicated didactic and morning report education is resident-driven and evolves each year to cover topics that need more attention according to resident requests and the results of the in-training exams done annually to assess resident progression. We try to provide a fun, interactive, and engaging atmosphere with our education to promote the continuation and application of evidence-based medicine.
Work-Life Balance
At the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV’s residency program, we strive to a strong work-life balance. We have a monthly support group that is done with mental health professionals outside our institution that come to support the residents with wellness activities and a support group to deal with the stressors of patient care, resident life, and balancing your professional obligations with your personal life. Our residency program has retreats once or twice a year to celebrate the residents and their hard work as well as provide a protected platform to give the residency feedback on the different aspects of the program.
Community Outreach
Our program likes to develop and encourage a strong sense of community, respect, and trust amongst each other and the members of the community. Our program is involved with multiple community outreach projects and clinics such as Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada, Harry Reid International Airport, the Boys and Girls Club, and help with medical care of the Olympic athletes that participate in the Special Olympics to name a few. During the October 1 Shooting and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our residency has played a big role in addressing the needs of our community and will continue to find more opportunities to do so.
Highlights
- Strong sense of community, respect, and trust among the residents and faculty
- Supportive environment from faculty to mentors and career advisors to fellow residents
- Strong commitment to work/life balance
- Manageable schedule
- Innovative curriculum tailored to each resident’s career ambitions
- Strong emphasis on community outreach
- Clinical opportunities with urban, underserved patients
- 100% Board pass rate of all graduates
Curriculum
Family physicians strive to make people whole by humanizing medicine and providing quality primary care. The Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Family Medicine Residency curriculum emphasizes the acquisition of skills and attitudes directed towards these goals. We adhere to the standards of the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the special requirements of the Residency Review Committee for Family Medicine, which mandate balanced experiences in medicine, surgery, reproductive care, behavioral science, the care of children and adolescents, orthopedics, sports medicine, procedural skills, practice management, and information mastery. Our competency-driven curriculum promotes compassionate patient care, acquisition of medical knowledge, practice-based learning, communication and interpersonal skills, professionalism, and responsiveness to the healthcare system. Elective time for special interests is provided during years two and three.
PGY-1
- Community Medicine - 1 month
- Critical Care Unit - 1 month
- Emergency Room - 2 months
- Family Hospital Service - 3 months
- Obstetrics - 2 months
- New Born Nursery - 1 month
- Pediatric Inpatient - 1 month
- Pediatric Outpatient - 1 month
- General Surgery - 1 month
PGY-2
- Dermatology - ½ month
- Electives - ½ month to 1 month
- Geriatrics - ½ month
- Gynecology - 1 month
- Hematology/Oncology & Rheumatology (longitudinal) - 1 month
- Family Hospital Service - 3 months
- Intensive Care Unit - 1 month
- Orthopedics - 1 month
- Psychiatry - 1 month
- Sports Medicine - 1 month
- Urgent Care - ½ month
- Volunteers in Medicine - ½ month to 1 month (longitudinal)
PGY-3
- Allergy/Immunology & Neurology - (longitudinal) - 1 month
- Ear, Nose and Throat - ½ month
- Electives - 2 months to 2½ months
- Endocrinology - ½ month
- Family Medicine Inpatient - 3 months
- Ophthalmology - ½ month
- Pediatric ER - 1 month
- Pediatrics (Sr.) - 1 month
- Practice Management - ½ month
- Nephrology - ½ month
- Volunteers in Medicine - 1 month
- Geriatrics - ½ month (longitudinal)
Program Leadership
Resident Life
Graduates
- David Kuykendall, MD, faculty physician, Department of Family & Community Medicine, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV
- Kevin Mailland, DO, faculty physician, Department of Family & Community Medicine, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV
- Katrina Mercado, MD, outpatient practice with the Dignity Health Group, Las Vegas
- Deepa Kordick, MD, outpatient practice with the Dignity Health Group, Las Vegas
- Jillian Scott, MD, outpatient practice with the Dignity Health Group, Las Vegas
- John Cox, DO, outpatient practice at the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System
How To Apply
Only applications submitted through will be reviewed and a complete application is required to be considered for an interview (see below). Interviews are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning in late September. Due to the high volume of applications received each year, applicants will only be notified if they are offered an interview or placed on a waiting list for an interview. Interviews will be held remotely for the 2023-2024 interview season.
Minimum Application Requirements
- Three letters of reference (at least one letter must be from a family physician)
- Dean's letter
- Medical school transcript
- United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) or Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX) transcript - must have taken Steps 1 and 2, preference given to those with passing scores on record for both
- Personal statement
- Curriculum vitae (ERAS CV) with explanation of any gaps in timeline
- U.S. citizen or permanent resident status. We are unable to accept applications with any Visa requirements at this time.