The Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, officially established in 2014 with its charter class matriculating in 2017, is the younger of Nevada's two public MD-granting institutions and was purpose-built to address the severe physician shortage in Clark County and the greater Las Vegas metropolitan area. The school offers a four-year MD curriculum grounded in interprofessional education, community health, and early clinical immersion. Its downtown campus is adjacent to University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, a major Level I trauma center serving a highly diverse and socioeconomically complex patient population.
What makes it different
Among Nevada's newest medical schools; specifically designed to train physicians for Las Vegas and Southern Nevada, one of the most medically underserved large metros in the US. Embedded within the UNLV health sciences campus with close ties to University Medical Center of Southern Nevada. Strong focus on health equity and culturally competent care for a highly diverse patient population.
Course & teaching
Integrated curriculum. 4-year MD. Pre-clerkship phase uses an integrated organ-system curriculum with early clinical skills labs and standardized patient encounters. Clerkship phase begins in Year 3 across UMC Southern Nevada and affiliated clinical sites. The curriculum embeds health equity and social medicine threads throughout all four years.
Research strengths
Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV (MD) has notable research strength in Health equity and social determinants, Emergency and trauma medicine, Chronic disease in underserved populations, Medical education innovation, Addiction medicine.
Interview
Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV (MD) interviews via MMI (multiple mini-interview, approximately 6–8 stations). UNLV Kerkorian uses a multi-station MMI where applicants rotate through timed scenarios assessing communication skills, ethical reasoning, collaboration, and motivation for medicine in the Las Vegas metro context. Each station typically lasts 8–10 minutes with a brief preparation period. Scenarios often reflect urban health challenges, social determinants, and Nevada's unique demographic and healthcare shortage context. The interview day includes a welcome session, student-led tour, and opportunity to meet current students and faculty informally.
Intake
Approximately 60–70 students per year.
At a glance
Founded in 2014, based in Las Vegas, NV. Programmes offered: Urban Health & Health Equity, Primary Care, Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Community Medicine.
