College of Medicine

- Admissions Overview
- - MD Program
    UNMC's rigorous academics, diverse clinical experiences and supportive environment put you on the path to becoming a skilled, compassionate physician.
  - How to Apply
    UNMC prepares medical degree students to meet the needs of patients through clinical practice, biomedical science and research, problem-solving and compassion.
  - Contact Us
    Review contact information for the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs in the College of Medicine at UNMC.
  - Verification and State Licensure
    Review opportunities for state licensure following completion of the MD program in the College of Medicine at UNMC.
- - MD-MBA Program
    A combined MD-MBA degree equips you with the tools you need to become highly skilled in both management and medicine.
  - MD-MPH Program
    Pursue your passion for public health and medicine with a combined MD-MPH and help solve complex health problems.
  - MD-PhD Program
    Do you have a passion for caring for patients and for research? Consider the dual MD-PhD degree.
- Education Overview
- - Curriculum
    Our curriculum produces physicians whose foundation in basic, clinical, and health systems sciences prepare them to promote health and reduce patient suffering.
  - Graduation Requirements
    Review requirements for students pursuing an MD at the UNMC College of Medicine to graduate and receive their degree.
  - Objectives
    The objectives of UNMC's medical degree program are to prepare you for success in primary care or specialty fields.
  - Service Learning
    Active participation in community service provides critical opportunities to apply skills and knowledge gained in medical school and develop a sense of empathy.
- - Enhanced Medical Education
    Enhanced Medical Education Tracks offer medical students an opportunity to perform an in-depth study of an interdisciplinary field of medicine.
  - MD Honor’s Thesis Program
    The MD honors thesis encourages students to engage in scientific research during medical education and become eligible to graduate with honors.
- Research Overview
- Internal Grants
  The College of Medicine has a variety of research-related grant and award opportunities available to UNMC faculty.
- Comparative Effectiveness Research
  The Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) program identifies knowledge gaps in the effectiveness of clinical care and improves CER in these areas.
- Great Plains IDeA-CTR
  The Great Plains IDeA-CTR is a collaborative effort between nine regional institutions that provides training, resources. and funding to regional researchers.
- Research and Development Committee
  The Research and Development Committee handles funding opportunities for faculty, including the Bridge Funding program, and student research opportunities.
- Student Opportunities
  The College of Medicine provides a variety of research opportunities for both current and prospective UNMC students.
- Residencies & Fellowships Overview
- Graduate Medical Education Programs
  UNMC's dozens of programs--including nearly 20 in internal medicine--allow residents and fellows a variety of specialties.
- House Officer Resources
  Find information for residents and fellows, including salaries, benefits and nearby housing.
- House Officer Wellness
  Wellness resources for residents and fellows include an assistance program and a private wellness lounge.
- Research
  We aim to facilitate house officers’ involvement in research in the areas of patient safety, quality improvement, healthcare disparities and education research.
- Salary and Benefits
  Paid vacation and professional leave, health insurance and meal allowances are just a few of the benefits residents receive in addition to their yearly salary.
- Contact Us
  Reach out to the Graduate Medical Education office for information about benefits, contracts, orientation or graduation.
Departments

Nicolas Cortes-Penfield, MD, FACP, FIDSA

Assistant Professor, UNMC Division of Infectious Diseases
Director, Orthopedic Infectious Diseases Service Line
Medical Director, Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy Program

Phone: 402-559-8650
Fax: 402-559-5581

Nicolas Cortes Penfield

Nicolás “Nico” Cortés-Penfield is an assistant professor of internal medicine and infectious diseases at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

He completed his medical degree, internal medicine residency and adult infectious disease fellowship at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas before joining the UNMC Division of Infectious Diseases in 2019. He is board certified in internal medicine and infectious diseases.

Dr. Cortés-Penfield's clinical and research interests focus on the management of complicated orthopedic and other device-related infections, the optimal use of intravenous antibiotics outside of the hospital, and how advances in evidence-based medicine drive (or fail to drive) practice change in infectious diseases. He frequently staffs UNMC's Orthopedic Infectious Disease inpatient team and also maintains an outpatient clinic dedicated to treating patients with bone and joint infections.

Passionate about mentorship and teaching, Dr. Cortés-Penfield is active in the Infectious Disease Society of America's Medical Education Community of Practice, part of the ID fellowhip's core clinical faculty, and has co-authored more than a dozen manuscripts and numerous presentations with house staff mentees since joining UNMC.

Education

Medical School: Baylor College of Medicine, 2013
Residency: Internal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, 2015
Fellowship: Infectious Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, 2019

Patient Care

Clinic Locations: Internal Medicine Clinic at Durham Outpatient Center; Specialty Care Center

Hospital Appointments: Nebraska Medicine, Nebraska Medicine-Bellevue, OrthoNebraska

Research

Bone and joint infections
Device-related infections
Medical education

Honors, Awards and Achievements

Top Teacher Award, UNMC Infectious Diseases Fellowship program (2021, 2023, and 2025)
Clinical Research Award, UNMC Department of Medicine (2024)