Students in the four-year MD, MD-PhD or other dual degree curricula have the option to explore and further develop their interests by engaging in a Certificate of Distinction (COD) track offered by the school. This longitudinal extracurricular activity requires completion of all requisites established by the COD director, under the aegis of the Office of Educational Affairs. Each COD has requisites for acceptance and continuation in the program. Established criteria must be met for inclusion of COD information in the Medical Student Progress Evaluation (MSPE) report submitted via the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) in the MS 4 year. Due to curricular demands, students in the 3 yr Primary Care Accelerated Pathway MD program are ineligible for enrollment.
Global Health COD
The Global Health introduces students to health care service under the constraints of a developing nation. By sharing their knowledge and learning from colleagues abroad, students return to Arizona better prepared to provide care to patients and communities on the domestic scale. Through this program, students are eligible to earn a Global Health COD, which consists of five educational components, including: externships, courses, participation in seminars, a scholarly project and a preceptorship abroad.
Healthcare Leadership in Medicine COD
The Healthcare Leadership in Medicine COD is a four-year extracurricular program that fosters the development of knowledge and skills required to lead within complex healthcare systems. Students explore various topics including healthcare finance, operations, strategy, quality improvement, organizational change, and communication. This is accomplished through seminars, group presentations, case discussions, literature reviews, class projects, and a practicum.
The program emphasizes practical leadership development, systems thinking, ethical decision-making, and professional growth. Students learn to analyze healthcare challenges, collaborate with peers and faculty, and apply leadership concepts to real-world scenarios. These experiences are intended to connect leadership theory with organizational practice in academic medicine and health systems.
Health Humanities COD
The mission of the Certificate of Distinction in Health Humanities COD is to educate and empower students and health care providers to value and employ humanistic approaches to patient care as informed by the disciplines of bioethics and medical humanism, narrative medicine, the arts and health humanities.
Research COD
Research COD is a four-year extracurricular program that recognizes students who show a strong commitment to clinical and translational research throughout medical school. Through structured mentorship, workshops, and longitudinal scholarly training, students develop essential and advanced skills in research design, data analysis, scientific communication, and sharing original research. Students accepted into the program complete a series of educational modules, scholarly outputs, and professional development activities, culminating in conference presentations and manuscript submissions. This program prepares students to become physician-scholars and future leaders in academic medicine and research.
Service and Community Health COD
The Service and Community Health COD is intended to increase familiarity with underserved patient populations in the urban setting and to enhance student involvement within the Phoenix community. As a program dedicated to the creation of community-responsive physicians, it offers participants additional opportunities for mentorship, community service and scholarly work. Students who pursue this certificate of distinction will be prepared to address the many unique factors which affect the health and well-being of underserved populations and will be recognized for their commitment and devotion to service.
