Professions in Medicine Honors, Certificate

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Students select the Professions in Medicine Honors Certificate Program to demonstrate a notable commitment to preparing for a profession in medicine. This multi-year program includes an intentional “pre-year” that begins in the first year of undergraduate study, during which students complete two foundational courses and meet a minimum GPA requirement to formally be invited to the program.

By offering a structured pathway that does not extend time to degree completion to develop academic, personal, and professional competencies, this program is for students seeking to distinguish themselves and thrive in a rigorous medical education and careers.

Through completion of the Honors Baccalaureate and the certificate-specific coursework, students will be prepared to navigate the medical school application process and to thrive as future medical students, doctors, and healthcare professionals.

NOTE: Students who are only enrolled in this program (not degree-seeking) are not eligible for Federal Financial Aid.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of fundamental scientific concepts, applied through experiences, enabling them to excel in advanced healthcare/medical education.
apply critical thinking and analytical skills to evaluate complex medical scenarios, facilitating effective decision-making in diverse healthcare settings.
exhibit essential professional behaviors, including ethical responsibility, cultural humility, and effective communication, preparing them for collaborative practice in the medical field.
demonstrate a commitment to being a lifelong learner in healthcare professions through utilization of reflective practices in order to adapt to the evolving landscape of healthcare professions.
be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue various medical professions, including but not limited to, roles beyond the MD degree, thereby addressing the healthcare needs of the community.

Contact Information

UNR Med
PMB Suite 029
officeofadmissions@med.unr.edu
https://med.unr.edu/

Honors College
CE, Mailstop 0112
honors@unr.edu
https://www.unr.edu/honors

I. Program Requirements (23-24 units)

To complete this certificate, students must complete 11-12 credits of required courses and 12 credits of electives. These requirements are in addition to completion of the Honors Baccalaureate requirements.

A. Required Courses (11-12 units)

Required Courses (8 Units)

ACE 101 - Pre-Health Professions Preparations (1 unit)
PBH 101 - Foundations of Public Health (3 units)
HON 130 - Professions in Medicine: Foundations (1 unit)
HON 230 - Professions in Medicine: Honors Experiential Learning (1 unit)
HON 330 - Professions in Medicine Practicum (1 units)
HON 399 - Honors Experiential Learning (1 to 3 units)

Required Upper-Division Biology Course (3-4 Units)

Select one:

BCH 405 - Molecular Biology (3 units)
BCH 417 - Metabolic Regulation (3 units)
BIOL 304 - Molecular Genetics (4 units)
BIOL 315 - Cell Biology (3 units)
BIOL 323A - Human Anatomy and Physiology for Pre-Professionals I (3 units) AND
BIOL 323L - Human Anatomy and Physiology Lab for Pre-Professionals I (1 unit)
BIOL 324A - Human Anatomy and Physiology for Pre-Professionals II (3 units) AND
BIOL 324L - Human Anatomy and Physiology Lab for Pre-Professionals II (1 unit)
BIOL 453 - Immunology (3 units)

B. Elective Courses (12 units)

NOTE: Students must choose one course from 4 of the 5 categories below. Students are strongly encouraged to take a course from each category.

Additional electives will be added.

CATEGORY 1: CULTURAL AWARENESS ELECTIVES
GRI 103 - Power, Identity, and Social Justice (3 units) CO6, CO10
GRI 418 - Global/Local Inequalities (3 units) CO11, CO14
PBH 405 - Spirituality and Health (3 units) CO13
PBH 474 - Social Psychology of Public Health (3 units) CO10, CO13
PHIL 210 - World Religions (3 units) CO10, CO11
SOC 230 - Introduction to LGBTQ Studies (3 units) CO10
WLL 280 - Developing Intercultural Competence (3 unit) CO6
CATEGORY 2: COMMUNICATION SKILLS ELECTIVES
ENG 205 - Introduction to Creative Writing (3 units) CO7
PBH 473 - Epidemiology (3 units) CO9
COM 113 - Fundamentals of Speech Communication (3 units) CO6
PBH 211 - Technical Writing in the Health Sciences (3 units)
CATEGORY 3: ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY ELECTIVES
PHIL 135 - Introduction to Ethics (3 units) CO12
PHIL 244 - Bioethics (3 units) CO9, CO12
PHIL 245 - Contemporary Moral Issues (3 units) CO10, CO12
CATEGORY 4: PROBLEM SOLVING, CRITICAL THINKING AND REASONING SKILLS ELECTIVES
APST 270 - Introduction to Statistical Methods (4 units) CO2
APST 463 - Design and Analysis of Experiments (3 units)
APST 467 - Applied Data Analysis and Visualization (3 units) CO14
HON 235 - Discovering Research Across the Disciplines (3 units)
PHIL 114 - Introduction Symbolic Logic (3 units)
PHIL 224 - Science, Mind, and Philosophy (3 units)
PHIL 434 - Philosophy of Cognitive Neuroscience (3 units)
PHIL 480 - Science, Technology and Society (3 units) CO9, CO13
PSY 240 - Introduction to Research Methods (3 units) CO12
SOC 240 - Introduction to Research Methods (3 units)
STAT 152 - Introduction to Statistics (3 units) CO2
CATEGORY 5: INTERPERSONAL SKILLS AND INTERPRETING THE BEHAVIOR OF OTHERS ELECTIVES
PSY 205 - Elementary Analysis of Behavior (3 units)
PSY 234 - Psychology of Adolescence (3 units)
PSY 407 - Applied Behavioral Analysis (3 units)