House officer professional liability is regulated by the New Mexico Tort Claims Act. Professional liability insurance is provided by the respective hospital for each program in accordance with the act for physicians engaged in training. This coverage does not extend to moonlighting using a training license. The New Mexico Board of Medical Examiners issues a training license to house officers to participate in residency programs. No fee is charged to the resident for this permission to practice with the residency programs.
Meals are available in the cafeteria free of charge when on call at some hospital sites.
Uniforms are not required. However, white coats and coat laundry are provided in the Albuquerque and Roswell programs. Residents are given free palm pilots, e-mail accounts and Internet access. In addition, the School of Medicine Computer Services provides top-quality instruction and support. At the Health Sciences Center Library, residents have access to on-line bibliographic services.