LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Medical students nationwide found out where they will spend the next several years training to become doctors on Match Day, a critical event for Southern Nevada as the region faces one of the most severe physician shortages in the country.
WATCH | Las Vegas medical students stay local to combat doctor shortages
Keeping medical talent local is a priority, and students at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV and Touro University Nevada are helping to strengthen that pipeline.
For many in UNLV’s class of 2026, the priority was staying in Las Vegas.
"I am so happy to be staying in Las Vegas. I was born and raised here. It was my number one choice. I've always wanted to help my community, so I'm super excited to be staying," Michelle Perez said.
Perez is headed into psychiatry at UNLV, determined to address one of the valley’s most pressing needs.
"I think that we need more access to mental health, especially in Las Vegas, and there’s so many people that need resources," Perez said.
Perez is one of 22 UNLV medical graduates, about 42 percent of the class, staying in Nevada to train at hospitals like UMC, Sunrise, and MountainView. That is a small increase from last year’s 41 percent, but far from the 57 percent in 2024, which was the school’s highest retention rate.
Charlton Bassett is staying at UNLV for diagnostic radiology to make a difference locally.
"Yeah, absolutely. There’s a shortage of a lot of physicians, but especially radiologists. The demand for images keeps going up, and there’s just not enough physicians that are willing — or able — to read them," Bassett said.
"I’m super happy to be here in Las Vegas. I feel like it’s a really underserved area… it could use a lot of help," Bassett said.
Touro University Nevada is also strengthening the local pipeline of medical workers, with 72 out of 172 students staying in the state. The majority of those students are going into primary care.
Sunrise Health System added 114 new residents and fellows this year, joining the 186 already training at MountainView and Southern Hills hospitals.
"This is my opportunity to pay it forward… helping my community has been a lifelong dream of mine, so I couldn’t imagine anything better than this," Perez said.
I reported yesterday on changes at Boulder City Hospital that could send more patients into valley facilities. With Southern Nevada already facing a shortage of medical personnel, that overflow could mean longer emergency room wait times, delayed appointments, and stretched-thin specialty care. This makes keeping more graduates in the area on Match Day critical.
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