University of Nevada - ridiculous

[grotto]

First off, I'm currently an active duty line officer finishing up a few required courses before I apply to Med school next year.

Having already served almost 5 years (completing my commitment) my first choice for school is USUHS, but I plan on applying to other schools as well. My home state is Nevada, but talking with their admissions personnel over the last few days it is clear that they not only do not consider me a resident (although it is my home of record, where I have my drivers license, and where I vote) but they basically told me not to bother applying.

I find this pretty interesting, because not only do my parents live in Nevada but I attended high school there. Considering that Nevada arguably has the worst health care in the nation, I understand that they want to train physicians that will stay in the state - but it leaves me at a loss for where exactly my home is and what schools will consider me an in-state resident. The admissions department official, who was very helpful, told me that they currently do not take students on HPSP - i am skeptical of this, but I guess I have to take her word.

Now I am considering switching my home of record and tax burden to a state with more medical schools. My worry is that I will not be considered a resident anywhere... I could switch my residentcy to Maryland (where I went to school and currently work) but frankly, there is only one medical school here and I don't really want to pay the taxes.

Anyone in a similar situation have any advice?

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[SgtDoc]

Try these people:

The University of Nevada Residency Information phone number is: 775.784.4700 ext. 2802

15. "Resident" means a person who has established a bona fide residence in the State of Nevada with the intent of making Nevada the person's true, fixed and permanent home and place of habitation, having clearly abandoned any former residence and having no intent to make any other location outside of Nevada the person's home and habitation. The term also includes a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who has previously established a bona fide residence in the State of Nevada, but who has been transferred to a military posting outside of Nevada while continuing to maintain a bona fide residence in Nevada. When residence for a particular period is required under these regulations, this shall mean that the person claiming residence for the period must be physically present and residing in Nevada during all of the period required, excluding temporary, short-term absences for business or pleasure.

...

3 A former member of the Armed Forces of the United States who was relocated from Nevada as a result of a permanent change of duty station pursuant to military orders will be considered a Nevada resident for tuition purposes under the following conditions:

a. He/She was a resident of Nevada prior to leaving the state as a member of the Armed Forces;

b. He/She maintained his/her Nevada residency while a member of the Armed Forces; and

c. He/She returns to the State of Nevada within one year of leaving the Armed Forces.

http://system.nevada.edu/Board-of-R/Handbook/Title-4/T4-CH15.doc_cvt.htm

 

[The White Coat Investor]

Pricks. I'd call your state senator/representative. It's one thing to claim you're a Nevada resident because you were stationed at Nellis for two years; its totally different when you lived there prior to your military service. P.S. I wasn't all that impressed with UNR when I interviewed there but I may end up in Reno when I get out.

 

[Heeed!]

How'd you find that info??? That's pretty sweet. I'd print that stuff out and walk into the office demanding to speak with the boss!

 

[IgD]

Does it really matter what state you are a resident in? I think its more about GPA, MCAT score, letters of recommendation and the interview.

 

[SgtDoc]

Does it really matter what state you are a resident in? I think its more about GPA, MCAT score, letters of recommendation and the interview.

Nevada is weird about that, they only admit 1-2 OOS each year.

 

[IgD]

I would just submit your application. Maybe the secretary is giving you misinformation?

 

[elderjack21]

Does it really matter what state you are a resident in? I think its more about GPA, MCAT score, letters of recommendation and the interview.

It does matter for state schools who only accept a few OOS students...it means you have a statistical advantage applying to your state school.

They have to take HPSP...you get accepted first, then you take the HPSP scholarship later...so I would worry about that, but it sounds like they are screwing you on your residency status.

On that note, even if they consider you a resident for application purposes, they may not think you are committed enough to the state to accept you anyways...that is what happened to me at my state school...I think. I had been living out of the state while on active duty, getting sent all over the world, but kept paying taxes in AZ...then they didn't even waitlist me despite my stats being higher than their average acceptee...I think not living there for so long really hurt my application for their purposes.

That said, apply to many schools who accept plenty of OOS residents or who give preference to military vets.

For residency purposes you usually need to establish residency 1 year before you matriculate...just keep that in mind.

 

[The White Coat Investor]

In my experience admission committees are constrained by the state legislature to admit a certain percentage of in-state students. They generally admit no more than the minimum because the OOS applicants they can get are usually stronger (they admit 25 of the 500 out of state but 75 of the 250 in state applicants for example.)

If they can call you an in-state student, that allows them to save their 25 OOS slots for even stronger applicants.

 

[mohody]

I am from Northern Nevada also, and went through the same thing 5 years ago. UNR is one of the hardest med schools to get accepted to in the country, because of their small class size. They usually only take OOS residents of states without medical school. They have this small class size to limit physician competition, and this has helped lead to the dr. shortage in the state. Oh and don't forget about the hardest licensing requirements out of any state.

They usually won't take a HPSP or ROTC student unless you have connections because they want you to stay in the state after graduation.
I was in UNR ROTC and the med school didn't like the commitment afterwards to the military. UNR accepts students in April, so I would wait until acceptance to take the scholarship. I would do this with any school you apply to. I ended up going to a nearby private DO school. They didn't care about HPSP because they knew they were going to get paid.

As long as you have a Nevada driver’s license and your W-2 for the last year states you are a NV resident they can't deny that.

Good Luck

 

[NAVYLABTECH08]

Does it really matter what state you are a resident in? I think its more about GPA, MCAT score, letters of recommendation and the interview.

GA, Fl, and Tx are very picky about their in state applicants. Their goal is to train docs to provide rural healthcare in that state

 

[SgtDoc]

That said, apply to many schools who accept plenty of OOS residents or who give preference to military vets.

Do you know which schools give preference to vets?

 

[Milamber]

Do you know which schools give preference to vets?

PCOM, they have the most students on average joining the military after graduation. Heck one of my interviewers told me that he was former Navy when I interviewed.

Also while unofficially LECOM doesn't factor in military service one of the admissions people told me quietly that being former military really does make you stand out.

Other schools no clue but I know it didn't help at CCOM those rat bastards

 

[grotto]

Thanks for all of the information guys (and ladies), very helpful overall. I think I am going to just switch over to Maryland and forget about Nevada, but of course I will give it more time to research before I pull the trigger.

Pardon the stupid pun, but the different requirements of these med schools is really a minefield. I am taking a few final pre-reqs that I didn't get at undergrad at UMD and they are very cool about in-state for military - all I had to show them was my LES with Annapolis in the BAH block and a electric bill from BG&E and I was in at the lower rate. Plus UMD med, GW, and Georgetown have a great relationship with the school where I went and currently teach (I bet you can guess which one that is) so it makes more sense to apply heavily in the area.

I am most likely going to apply to PCOM and DMU on the osteopathic side. Part of me wants to stick it to Nevada and raise a stink with my congressman and senator (not that anything would really happen), that was the first thing I thought about. Correct me if I'm wrong, but UNR's clinical years are in Las Vegas - which is very appealing to me due to the proximity to family and support on that little HPSP stipend.

 

[Handsome1]

On the MD side of things Georgetown has a pretty strong military presence. There are a bunch on HPSP but a good number of prior service and academy. There are 4 academy grads in one of the years alone and a bunch of the faculty from ENT to the Dean of the Med School are prior service mil med docs. The only issue would be that 3.5% acceptance rate. From what I gather, the military is very respected among the admissions community. But, it is not going to save an otherwise lackluster application.

 

[kwc1979]

I'm currently a student at Nevada so I hope I can help a little....

1. I know for a fact that Nevada takes HPSP students. There are two in my class right now and at least one in the class below me. So who ever told you that either didn't understand what you were asking or was misleading you.

2. The school is VERY strict with the policy of taking only Nevada students. They have an agreement to take a very small number of students from Idaho, Wyoming, Montana,and Alaska each year but that is basically it as far as out of state kids go. Obviously though, this doesn't affect you because you should be considered a Nevada resident. As for the residency proof, I am a little less sure. It seems like the school's policy may be more limiting than the Board of Regents (the politicians who run the higher education system in Nevada). I think the argument can be made that the B of Rs are responsible for defining "resident".

According to the school website they consider someone a resident if:

They reside in Nevada for a minimum of 12
months prior to November 1 of application
year.
· Their parents are current Nevada residents and
the applicant is under 27 years of age.
· Non-U.S. citizens must have permanent resident
visas and be Nevada residents to be considered.

However, the the Board of Regents have made exceptions for people precisely in your case. Here is a link to the handbook (see page 382): http://system.nevada.edu/Board-of-R/Handbook/COMPLETE-HANDBOOK.pdf I would send a formal email to the school with this section of the handbook cited and see where it goes. The fact that you have a driver's license and voter registration card should only help plead your case.

I really hated the admissions people when I applied. They consistently provided wrong information then later denied that they did. You can talk to many people in my class and find that this is a consistent theme. The current admissions director is leaving so things may improve in the next year.

If I were you, I would make sure you get everything they tell you in writing (over the email opposed to over the phone). I would start emailing other people at the school with the information you have been given (like the lack of HPSP scholarships and a residency requirement that contradicts the Board of Regent's policy) and work other avenues at the school before you abandon ship. Here is a link of some staff members who you can try. (I recommend first trying Pat Romney, the new admissions director, and then using Ann Diggins and Dr. Hug-English). http://www.medicine.nevada.edu/dept/asa/prospective_applicants/fac_staff_home.htm

3. You can do your entire 3rd and 4th year in Vegas. Everyone does ObGyn and Surgery in Vegas but you can choose to do everything else as well. A little less than half of the class does so each year.

Anyway, good luck! I hope this helps!!!

 

[almostfamous]

Thanks for all of the information guys (and ladies), very helpful overall. I think I am going to just switch over to Maryland and forget about Nevada, but of course I will give it more time to research before I pull the trigger.

Pardon the stupid pun, but the different requirements of these med schools is really a minefield. I am taking a few final pre-reqs that I didn't get at undergrad at UMD and they are very cool about in-state for military - all I had to show them was my LES with Annapolis in the BAH block and a electric bill from BG&E and I was in at the lower rate. Plus UMD med, GW, and Georgetown have a great relationship with the school where I went and currently teach (I bet you can guess which one that is) so it makes more sense to apply heavily in the area.

I am most likely going to apply to PCOM and DMU on the osteopathic side. Part of me wants to stick it to Nevada and raise a stink with my congressman and senator (not that anything would really happen), that was the first thing I thought about. Correct me if I'm wrong, but UNR's clinical years are in Las Vegas - which is very appealing to me due to the proximity to family and support on that little HPSP stipend.

Touro is a new DO school in Vegas. Not bad for a fairly new school.

I think there is a "choice" for UNR clinicals. Reno doesnt have the capacity to have both classes of 50+ MS3/4 in town, so some do their clinical in Vegas. I've heard that some go by choice, and some are assigned.

 

[SgtDoc]

According to the school website they consider someone a resident if:

They reside in Nevada for a minimum of 12
months prior to November 1 of application
year.

I have a question about this. I also go to UNR but am a CA resident. Will the med school consider me in state? My address and everything is in Reno, as are my bank accounts, etc., but I still have a CA driver's license. I'm guess not...but boy wouldn't it be nice if CA and NV both considered me in state...