Almost a year ago, four pediatric residents came to Reno, Nevada, to be part of the inaugural class of a three-year pilot program between the ÍƼöÐÓ°ÉÔ´´ School of Medicine (UNR Med), and Renown Health. This July, the next cohort of four recently graduated medical students will join the program, bringing the state closer to creating a pipeline of much-needed pediatricians, especially in underserved and rural areas, to provide high-quality, affordable care to vulnerable children and families.
“It's just been an amazing year seeing this program develop, seeing all the new residents go through, and just hearing how happy they have been. It’s been very rewarding,” said Natalie Nessler, M.D., who served as fourth-year chief resident during the program’s first year.
Residencies are training programs for newly graduated doctors to gain experience in a specific field of medicine. They are mandatory to become a licensed physician in the U.S. and play a key role in determining where a doctor decides to live and practice. According to the , more than 50% of practicing physicians stay in the state where they completed their residency.
Physician retention is crucial for addressing Nevada's doctor shortage, as the state ranks 45th for active physicians per 100,000 population, 48th for primary care physicians per 100,000 population, and 49th for general surgeons per 100,000 population, according to . However, more than three out of four physicians who completed their undergraduate and graduate medical education, including residency, in Nevada are actively practicing in the state.
There are only 71 licensed pediatricians in Washoe County despite the continued growth in population. However, UNR Med and Renown’s Pediatrics Residency Program will increase the region's pediatric providers by a minimum of 17% when the program reaches its full complement of 12 residents in 2026.
“Our new pediatric residency program is a tremendous step forward for the UNR Med and Renown Health affiliation — and our entire community,” said Paul Hauptman, M.D., dean of UNR Med, . “It advances a mutual commitment to recruit and retain skilled and compassionate physicians and health care professionals, improves access to health care, and invests in clinical research that improves the health of this generation and the next.”
“I'm grateful that this opportunity came to fruition and that we're all here together and doing good for the community by being here as a resident,” said first-year resident Megan Dinges, D.O.
The program’s 2023-2024 cohort included six doctors: first-year residents Dr. Dinges, Jason Lundy, M.D., Krista Luntsford, D.O., and Erin Whepley, M.D., second-year resident Gianni Perano, M.D., and Chief Resident Dr. Nessler.
“I have been very much enjoying this program, and a big reason is that everybody's been wonderful, from my co-residents to the faculty and staff,” Dr. Lundy said. “It's been a great learning environment. I've enjoyed our patient population. I've also been enjoying living and working here in Reno.”
The residents train and practice in Northern Nevada and complete a primary care-focused clinical program with rotations that allow them to learn while caring for children in inpatient and outpatient settings. The program includes all Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) required rotations, weekly lectures, seminars and skill-building initiatives.
“Starting residency is hard in itself because you're taking a big leap from being a student to being in charge of people,” Dr. Dinges said. “There was a bit of nerves going into it, but those were quickly gone by the time I started working with the faculty, nurses and students.”
For Dr. Luntsford, nervousness came from moving to Reno, a city she had never visited.
“I thought it was just going to be the desert,” she said. “But there are trees, and it's beautiful, and it rains a lot less than it does in Washington state. So, I love it.”
Coming in as the first group of residents for the program also offered them significantly more flexibility than entering an established program, Dr. Whepley said.
“There are shorter intervals between when feedback is given and when it's acted on, so we're able to make adaptations much faster than I think I've seen at many other programs,” Dr. Whepley said.
The leadership team regularly checks in with all the residents, Dr. Dinges said, asking “what's going well, what's not going well, what could we do better, and getting our input on how we could better shape the program or help it get to that next level too.”
While Drs. Dinges, Lundy, Luntsford and Whepley joined the program as first-year residents, freshly graduated from medical school, Dr. Perano completed his residency in family medicine in 2023 with UNR Med,  so he joined the program as a first-year pediatric resident and was promoted to second year in January 2024. Like the other residents, he emphasized the benefits of the UNR Med-Renown affiliation.
“It has given both Renown and UNR more resources,” Dr. Perano said, citing additional learning opportunities and guidance that are available due to the partnership.
A few residents described how the program helped them reimagine the purpose of pediatric work while establishing their passion for it. Dr. Dinges originally wanted to specialize in obstetrics and has brought that interest into pediatric work.
“I think I put women's health care as one of my interests in my bio because I originally thought of becoming involved in adolescent women's health care,” Dr. Dinges said. “But I'm learning more and more that I love talking to brand-new moms. I feel like that kind of flipped a switch for me.”
Patients are the ones who help flip that switch for the residents. Working with people who have otherwise had minimal access to child health care showed them the immediate impact of their work. Giving people comfort, helping them create healthy habits, and setting children up for success helps motivate these doctors to continue the work.
“I went into pediatrics because I want kids to do well, and I want to help care for them,” Dr. Whepley said. “And while Nevada needs way more pediatricians, kids need a whole community to thrive.”
