Third-Year Medical Student Adina Greene Recognized for her Outstanding Leadership

Adina Greene, a member of the Class of 2025, is driven to improve health outcomes by elevating person-centered approaches to medical care. She has carried this passion since her time in high school, and it was a catalyst in her receiving the University of Arizona Graduate and Professional Student Council’s Outstanding Graduate/Professional Student Achievement Award.

Jennifer Hartmark-Hill, MD — director of the Health Humanities Certificate of Distinction (COD), which Greene is a part of — recommended her for the award. "Adina has demonstrated outstanding leadership in our COD [certificate of distinction],” she said. “And she has contributed significant research, presentations and publications in areas that promote compassionate and person-centered approaches to care at the local and national level."

The distinction and recommendation were well earned. In her time at the U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix, Greene has made the most of her opportunities to be involved. She served as a co-leader for both the Integrative Medicine and Dermatology Student Interest Groups; she currently is a co-leader of Sun Heroes — an extension of the Community Health Initiative – Phoenix, where she and fellow medical students teach local youth about sunscreen safety — and she co-leads the Jewish Medical Student Association.

Greene noted how exciting it has been to see the Sun Heroes program grow. “At first, we were only teaching at local elementary schools, but now, I have spearheaded creating local partnerships to expand the Sun Hero curriculum to the wider Phoenix Community. We have new partnerships with the Phoenix Children's Museum, Phoenix Downtown Farmer’s Market and soon, the Desert Botanical Garden,” she explained.

In addition, she served as a STAR Ambassador and tour guide for the college — where she actively participated in applicant visit days, demonstrating the ideal attributes of a student, future physician and member of the community — and currently serves as a pre-health mentor for Arizona State University undergraduate students. Greene wants to inspire other students to see themselves making an impact through careers in health care. “My leadership motto has always been to lead by example,” she said.

The chance to pay it forward to future medical students has been a role she has relished. It is reflective of the gratitude she has for her own mentors, such as Dr. Hartmark-Hill. “She [Dr. Hartmark-Hill] has been a wonderful role model for me,” Greene said. “She has inspired me a lot in her leadership — such as serving as the Arizona Medical Association president last year — and shown me how leadership can continue to be integrated in my future career in medicine.”

Most importantly, for Greene, opportunities to lead are about so much more than just padding a resume. “Taking on these larger projects and being able to work more closely with my community has given me a newfound passion for leadership as a medical student. Leadership is not defined as providing others with directions. It is about getting involved in an organization and inspiring yourself and, therefore, others to contribute meaningfully to whatever passion they have!”

*Outside of her roles with the college, Greene also serves as the program director for the Dermatology Interest Group Association Western Conference and as a donation volunteer coordinator for the Melanoma Research Foundation.