UNR Pre-Health Advising

PharmCAS is now open! Meet with staff pre-professional advising to review your application before you submit! We can help discuss program selection, discuss the secondary application and get you interview ready.

So proud of our lead ACE 101 TA, Simone Jacot for her acceptance into Yale’s Interdisciplinary Bioethics Summer Institute, an intensive program for both professionals and students attended by only 65 U.S. and international professionals and graduate students (along with a select number of undergraduates). Participants from recent years are from China, Romania, Argentina, Japan, Australia, Spain, France, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, the U.S., and Canada.

One of its learning objectives is to understand how professionals can use bioethics (or bioethical arguments) in their careers. Wrapping up an intensive 2 month study, Simone completed a poster presentation on the ethics of feeding the world - aid or autonomy?

Midway through the program, Simone received word that she was accepted to Yale’s “Program to Advance Training in Health & Sciences” (PATHS), a 10-month program that provides undergraduate students or recent graduates with a transformative learning experience to support their goal of applying for and earning an MD, MD/PhD, or PhD in the biomedical sciences. With this, Simone has been selected to participate into their MD track!

Exciting journeys await Simone next year when she graduates from UNR. In the meanwhile, we have her for one more year as she returns next month to TA in ACE 101!

30 individuals entered the John R Lewis’s Summer Public Health Scholars Program at Columbia University this summer who have different areas of interest and passion related to public health. From Epi, to Bio, to Social Determinants, to Health Policy, to Environmental Sciences, to Population Health. These scholars are showing promise and potential more and more by the day with each question asked and each conversations had.

With just under 2 weeks remaining in the program, we are so proud of our peer advisor, Seamus McCarthy for being selected to join in its 2026 cohort. Can’t wait for him to return in August to hear all about his experience! Go Seamus!!

Warmest birthday greeting to our staff advisor, Josh Deason. Our office is so lucky to have you. Hope you’re enjoying a well-deserved rest for your birthday!

Students are not the only ones who need to learn and build core competencies, but so do our staff advisors, Josh Deason and Grace Leal to keep updated on important admissions expectations for prehealth students.

Both have returned from their National Associations of Advisors for the Health Advisors (NAAHP) Conference in New Orleans, making new connections with colleagues across the nation as well as our western region advisors, getting to know what works on their campus and what challenges they face working with prehealth students.

Our staff advisors also need to know what programs are looking for and to seek best practices in advising to assist their students become competitive applicants in their respective fields.

Their conference sessions were packed with informative workshops, most notably, how AI is changing the environment of pre-health advising and admissions. They got the latest info on MCAT preparation success, personal statement approaches and new programs opening for enrollment!

Our staff advisor, Grace Leal was also recognized as the western region’s Carol Baffi-Dugan award winner for service and leadership.

Grace and Josh are confident that UNR Pre-Health Advising Office stands as Nevada’s premier Dream Team in the Mountain West region!! Given our advising delivery system, ACE 101, and our national outcomes, we are happy you decided to join Nevada to reach your goals!!

Another future physician right here! Congratulations to Marlee Comba who was accepted to UNR Med!

Marlee graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology & Immunology with a minor Nutrition.

Marlee’s meaningful experiences were:
REMSA for 3 years as an Advanced Emergency Medical
Technician, a public education instructor and working at Charles River Laboratory as a laboratory sciences intern.

Other activities include leadership within her sorority and women’s health.

A solid foundation and preparation for medicine, Marlee is “over the moon” about starting med school this fall. Congratulations!! We are !

Another med school acceptance right here! Congratulations to Sierra Wilson who was accepted to UNR Med and Kirk Kerkorian School at UNLV!

Sierra graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Public Health with minors in Analytical Organic Chemistry and Biology, Summa Cum Laude.

Committed to UNR Med, Sierra enjoys volunteering with Amplify Life, helping run programs for children, teens, and adults with developmental and/or emotional disabilities.

She is also published with a research on Health Advocacy Strategies in the Pan American Journal of Public Health.

She won the Senior Scholar Award from the Nevada Alumni Association and UNR SPH Academic Achievement Award.

An accomplished student, Sierra is excited to join UNR Med this fall. We are proud of her achievements and wish her best of luck ahead. Congratulations!!

Celebratory congratulations to Olivia Banbury, who got accepted to UNR Med and UNLV-SOM!!

During her second look visits to both programs, Olivia decided to stay closer to home and be a part of the community that she wants to serve which is here in Reno where she was born and raised! UNR Med is her dream school and is grateful for the opportunity to join the next cohort of MS1s.

As a high school graduate from McQueen, Olivia earned her Bachelors of Science in Public Health with a minor in Analytical Organic Chemistry from UNR in 2025, graduating Magna Cum Laude.

Our best wishes for continued success ahead to Olivia! We are proud of your accomplishments and can’t wait to celebrate with you during your white coat ceremony in the fall!