University of Arizona College of Medicine
Throughout the College’s journey of creation, we have held and continue to have an expansive vision for the future. We value our past, are proud of our accomplishments to date and believe that collectively, our future is framed by how expansive our vision is and limited only by boundaries we place on these dreams.
The College of Medicine – Phoenix is committed to four pillars that empower its mission and vision for the future. The Education Pillar, Research Pillar, Clinical Pillar and Community Service Pillar converge in many areas and synergistically form the foundation of the College.
Education Pillar
The College is committed to providing an environment that motivates and encourages excellence — one where every student can thrive. Innovations in our curriculum prepare a growing body of diverse students to be physicians for tomorrow. By utilizing simulation technology and advances in medicine, the college offers students a rich, varied experience working in a distributed clinical partnership model.
Key Aspirations:
- Leverage clinical partners to expand training opportunities.
- Continue to create an inclusive and diverse culture on campus.
- Improve and grow the graduate medical education programs to meet the health care needs of Arizonans.
Research Pillar
The College will maintain and grow collaborative research relationships locally, nationally and globally to accelerate discovery and to advance health and health care for all. Research partners provide opportunities to collectively advance the breadth and complexity of medicine.
Key Aspirations:
- Development of multidisciplinary centers of excellence (big data health care analytics, precision medicine, neurosciences) translated to improved patient care.
- Create and grow core Research labs that will leverage the college and partners.
- Expand focus on the research enterprise.
- Collaborate with community and industry partners to expand resources and maximize partnerships.
Clinical Pillar
The college has developed an integral network of clinical partners in the Phoenix area, exposing students to a diverse cross-section of patients while in training. The network is anchored by the Banner Health System. The university and Banner Health have enhanced their partnership, which includes further developing the academic mission at Banner’s flagship Banner University Medical Center – Phoenix.
Key Aspirations:
- Further developing the partnership with Banner Health to create opportunities to advance teaching and research at the college.
- Integrate educational and research expertise of the college into existing centers at Banner Health.
- Pursue creation of more graduate medical education opportunities in the Phoenix area.
- Develop innovative partnerships with affiliates throughout the region to increase opportunities for students and transform health care.
Community Pillar
Community organizations and partners look to the college to lead efforts aimed at improving the health of our population. The college was built as a result of extraordinary collaboration within the community, and so it aspires to continually give back by making a real difference as an exceptional servant and partner.
Key Aspirations:
- STEM education in elementary schools.
- Public education programs.
- Community service projects.
- Collaborative efforts with hospital and community partners.
We can and will harness energies at our disposal to drive our economy, our national status, and critically, avail world-class health care to the citizens of our state.
We have an expansive vision for the future, valuing all of our resources and believing it is critical to meld with partners to form a collective force for health care in Arizona.
Doctor of Medicine (MD) Program
The first two years of the College of Medicine – Phoenix MD program* are structured in integrated blocks that focus on organ-systems in addition to courses focusing on basic doctoring skills and early exposure to patients. The second two years consist of required clinical clerkships in key disciplines and significant time for elective work. Basic and clinical sciences are interwoven with themes: public health, prevention and population medicine, ethics, biomedical informatics and behavioral science. In addition, other topics are integrated across the curriculum, including cultural competency; aging; interprofessional education; and diagnostics.
The first two years of medical school are assessed and graded on a Pass or Fail system. Student anonymity with peers and faculty is a key part of the first two years. The third and fourth years are assessed and graded on an Honors, High Pass, Pass or Fail system. Learning resource specialists, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, and the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs have access to grades in order to identify students at risk of academic difficulty and will decide the best resources for these students to receive the necessary help.
Related Links
*The UA College of Medicine – Phoenix MD program is fully accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). This is the U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting body for programs leading to an MD degree in the United States.
Source: https://phoenixmed.arizona.edu/