School of Medicine

Patricia W. Finn, MD, Dean
School of Medicine
Health Sciences and Services Building
MSC09 5399
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
(505) 272-5849
https://hsc.unm.edu/medicine/

The establishment of a school of basic medical sciences was authorized by the Regents and the faculty of The University of New Mexico in 1961. The first entering class was enrolled in September 1964, and progress to the full four-year program was approved by the New Mexico State Legislature in 1966. Full accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education was granted in 1968.

The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center was created in 1994 by bringing together The University of New Mexico’s existing health care teaching and treatment organizations. Individually, these components have a legacy of contributions to the educational, research and patient care missions of The University of New Mexico. Collectively, they are the largest health care teaching, research and patient care organization in the state.

The strength of the Health Sciences Center lies in the interdependence of its education, patient care and research programs. This atmosphere of continuous exploration, coupled with a “hands on” approach to learning, has improved the quality of care to all New Mexicans.

The four academic strengths of the Health Sciences Center include 984 faculty members and more than 2,000 students in the School of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Center Library.

The six clinical facilities serving the state treat more than 120,000 patients each year. These include: Children’s Hospital of New Mexico, Children’s Psychiatric Hospital, Cancer Research and Treatment Center, Carrie Tingley Hospital, Mental Health Center and University Hospital.

The Health Sciences Center is committed to developing solutions for New Mexico’s health problems through expanding its interdisciplinary, programmatic research in addition to its educational and community service programs. The Health Sciences Center provides a vital support network, i.e., continuing professional education, the Locum Tenens service, Health Sciences Center library services, etc., that serve the needs of New Mexico’s widely-dispersed health professionals. This statewide role for the Health Sciences Center requires a strong interdependence of education, research and patient care.

The academic programs at the Health Sciences Center are of the highest quality. For example, the School of Medicine has been recognized as one of the top ten schools in the country in primary care, rural medicine and family medicine. The clinical service programs at the Health Sciences Center are recognized for their comprehensive approach to health care. The Health Sciences Center has also responded to many requests from the state and local communities to address problems in health professions manpower and service provisions in rural communities. This tremendous array of services and accomplishments make the Health Sciences Center a recognized resource for the entire state.

Health Professions and Public Health Programs

The University of New Mexico School of Medicine offers a number of paramedical health professional training and educational programs in the Health Professions and Public Health Programs (HPPHP), ranging from certificate to the Master’s degree.

Health Professions and Public Health Programs play an important role in the health care delivery system and have opportunities for challenging careers in hospitals, physicians’ offices, nursing homes, extended care facilities, rehabilitation centers, clinics, industry and other health-related agencies.