University of Nevada Reno BSMD Pathways Program DDx Pilot
See how UNR's MD Pathways Program used DDx to scale clinical reasoning training and bridge gaps in hands-on clinical exposure.
Overview
Scaling clinical reasoning practice in a volunteer-driven pre-med program
The University of Nevada, Reno partnered with Sketchy to pilot DDx within its MD Pathways Program — a one-year, post-baccalaureate initiative designed to support and prepare students for entry into medical school. The program relies significantly on volunteer medical school faculty, making consistent and scalable clinical reasoning practice a persistent challenge. DDx was introduced to address this gap — providing an interactive, case-based tool to simulate clinical encounters that are difficult to deliver consistently given the program's structure.
Overview
The challenge
When faculty availability limits clinical reasoning practice
The program sought a scalable case-based learning solution that would allow MD Pathways students to practice clinical reasoning and diagnostic decision-making through realistic patient encounters regardless of volunteer faculty availability
The UNR MD Pathways Program relies on volunteer medical school faculty to introduce students to clinical reasoning and decision-making — a model that brings real expertise to the program but also creates natural limitations around consistency, availability, and scale. Without a reliable, scalable tool to supplement faculty-led instruction, students risked leaving the program without the depth of clinical reasoning exposure they would need to succeed in medical school.
The solution
Why DDx by Sketchy?
Introduced DDx as a scalable, supportive clinical reasoning practice tool for MD Pathways students; Cases simulated real clinical encounters not always accessible through the program's volunteer-faculty model; The interactive, gamified format — including gold stars and progress mechanics — held student attention and encouraged deeper engagement; Simulated time constraints created constructive pressure, approximating real clinical thinking conditions
Dr. Kaitlin Ochsenrider — Program Director, UNR MD Pathways Program
DDx's interactive case-based design provided a scalable, supportive tool to help simulate the kinds of clinical encounters that are often difficult to deliver consistently due to the program's structure and staffing realities. The simulated time constraint was seen as a constructive pressure, encouraging deeper engagement and closer approximation of real clinical thinking.
How did DDx by Sketchy fit?
Clinical reasoning DDx cases (specific titles not reported)
The results
Clinical reasoning practice made accessible and equitable
The successful pilot demonstrated how DDx can serve as a powerful support tool in non-traditional medical education pipelines — making clinical reasoning exposure more equitable and efficient. Student participants praised the experience as engaging, immersive, and genuinely useful for developing the diagnostic thinking they would need for medical school.
Testimonials
What did students say?
Clinical reasoning practice starts with DDx
The UNR MD Pathways pilot demonstrated how DDx can be a powerful support tool in non-traditional medical education pipelines — making clinical reasoning exposure more equitable and efficient. By providing students with realistic, gamified clinical case practice regardless of faculty availability, DDx helped ensure that every MD Pathways student had the foundational clinical thinking skills they would need from day one of medical school.
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