Office of Diversity
Joining Communities to Increase Access and Reduce Disparities
New Mexico Clinical Education Program
The New Mexico Clinical Education Program is a summer program for pre-professional
students who wish to apply to the UNM School of Medicine. The program provides
experiences in rural, clinical settings by placing students in primary care facilities
and community health centers throughout New Mexico. Students shadow physicians and
participate in all aspects that the clinic and the community offer. The
program is offered every summer to students that are serious about
pursuing a career in medicine. The goals of the
program include:
- Providing a practical health care experience in under-served areas
- Showing how pre-med coursework applies to real life situations
- Pre-med and admissions advisement
- Offering a mentor relationship with a healthcare professional
- Exposing the need for doctors in underserved communities
- Demonstrating the benefit of health care professionals returning to their
communities to practice
The first few days of the program prepare participants for a rural clinic
assignment. The training includes, but is not limited to:
- Basic Life Support CPR Certification
- First Aid and Vital Signs
- Patient Intake Procedures: patient history, common diagnostic tests, infection
control and charting
- Ethics and medicine
- Cultural diversity and competency
The remainder of the program will be spent at the clinic site, rotating through
various departments, while observing and assisting healthcare personnel in a broad
range of duties. Students volunteer for a regular 40-hour week during which they
are exposed to:
- Community outreach and patient education
- Intake procedures, physical exams, diagnoses, and treatments
- Emergency medical services and treatments
- Laboratory, pharmacy, and x-ray
- Administration, business management, and medical records
Eligibility
Each participant must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- New Mexico resident
- College junior, senior, or graduate
- Financially and/or educationally disadvantaged background
- 3.0 Science GPA
- Desire to attend UNM School of Medicine
