More than a Business - University of Arizona, College of Medicine - Phoenix is Safeguarding a Community
In our rapidly evolving medical landscape, University of Arizona College of Medicine—Phoenix is positioning itself at the forefront of change by integrating cutting-edge tools like personalized medicine, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and data analytics into its curriculum.
The College of Medicine—Phoenix envisions a future where physicians are not merely practitioners but leaders, synthesizing vast amounts of information while maintaining their irreplaceable role as patient-centered caregivers.
For Dean Frederic Edward Wondisford, MD, MS, MBA, the mission of the College of Medicine—Phoenix also extends far beyond producing skilled physicians. It is about cultivating a commitment to the calling of medicine—a responsibility that transcends business models and embraces a profound social mission.
SERVING A COMMUNITY
A medical school may not be a directly externally-facing organization, but the College of Medicine—Phoenix is very aware of their role and responsibility to the people and society they serve.
“The school exists in a community,” Dr. Wondisford stated. “We have communities all around us.”
Arizona ranks among the bottom 10% nationally in primary care physicians per capita, with critical shortages in nearly all counties. Rural areas are disproportionately affected by these shortages, and training and pathways to pull in new providers are few and far between.
Arizona already faces a lack of funding for residency opportunities. To combat this, the College of Medicine—Phoenix is introducing a three-year medical curriculum tailored for students pursuing careers in primary care. The innovative program integrates clinical training in rural settings with guaranteed residency placements in those same communities.
“The studies have shown that if you spend more than three years at a place, you’re more likely to stay in that place,” said Dr. Wondisford.
By embedding medical students in underserved regions early in their training, the program aims to create a pipeline of physicians committed to these areas long-term. The initiative also offers financial and logistical incentives, such as scholarships and accelerated graduation, to address the financial barriers often deter students from primary care careers. Dr. Wondisford envisions this program as a cornerstone for future expansion, potentially establishing regional campuses in underserved communities like the Gila River Indian Community.
These efforts reflect the College of Medicine—Phoenix’s commitment to serving the “four corners” of Arizona and ensuring that healthcare is accessible to all, not just those in urban centers. The College of Medicine—Phoenix also serves its student community, taking steps to combat the threat of professional burnout later in their careers.
University of Arizona, College of Medicine - Phoenix
by the Numbers
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Founded in 2007
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1,200 full time faculty, 83% physician
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Faculty partnerships
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Banner Health, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Phoenix VA Health, HonorHealth, Mayo Clinic, Valleywise Health, Abrazo Health, and Hospice of the Valley
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502 Current Medical Students
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350 Resident/Fellows
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130 New medical students each year
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910 Graduates so far
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Research focus areas:
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Bioinformatics, Cardiovascular Disease, Cognition, Diabetes, Fibrosis, Genomics, Metabolomics, and Neurosciences Research Grants
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Centers of Excellence
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Center for Applied Nano-Bioscience and Medicine, Center for Simulation and Innovation, Phoenix Children’s Research Institute, and Translational Cardiovascular Research Center.
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Other Important Info:
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To help address the significant physician shortage in Arizona’s rural and underserved communities, students may train in these areas through the Rural Health Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship, the Rural Health Professions Program Certificate of Distinction and the new three-year MD curriculum, which launches in 2025.
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​Visit University of Arizona, College of Medicine - Phoenix at phoenixmed.arizona.edu or call (602) 827-2002​
Wellness is in many ways a buzzword of the day. But it also represents a growing issue as more and more physicians are overwhelmed by issues in reimbursement, documentation, administrative duties, and huge patient loads due to the national shortage of providers.
“The most important thing we can do is make it easier for physicians to do their job,” Dr. Wondisford said.
Simplifying medical school curricula by reducing nonessential repetition and reducing administrative burdens are central to these efforts.
“But our wellness includes not just our medical students, it includes our staff, our faculty, and our residents,” he said. To this end, the College of Medicine—Phoenix is working on plans to establish a dedicated Office of Wellness on campus. It’s a big undertaking, but this holistic approach aims to create a culture of wellbeing that extends from the classroom to the clinic.
The College of Medicine—Phoenix is also seeing a surge in psychiatry and mental health as an area of study. “I think last year it was our second most popular residency choice,” Dr. Wondisford said. A positive development since communities across the country need practicing psychiatrists. The increasing need for fully staffed mental health services also highlights the vital role that primary care and family medicine physicians play in addressing mental health concerns. As providers with some of the greatest access to their patients they often serve as the first line of defense, identifying and addressing symptoms, recommending follow-ups to specialists, and checking in during regularly scheduled physical exams to help monitor medication and treatment efficacy and be on the lookout for adverse effects or worsening symptoms.
Another essential community tie is with the medical and healthcare community surrounding the College of Medicine—Phoenix.
“We could not have a medical school here without volunteers,” Dr. Wondisford said. In addition to dedicated full-time college employees, medical schools rely on the connections, experience, facilities, generosity, and specialized knowledge of currently practicing healthcare providers. This network of professionals supports medical students on their journey in countless ways: guest-lecturing, mentoring, opening their facilities for student volunteers, workshops, networking and job-shadowing programs, providing clinical and research experiences, and dozens of other invaluable opportunities students rely on to enrich their education and prepare them for the profession of medicine.
NOT A BUSINESS
As the healthcare landscape evolves, Dr. Wondisford and the College of Medicine—Phoenix remain steadfast in their mission to uphold the integrity of medicine by instilling values of service, fostering a love for learning, and advancing evidence-based and patient-centered practices. This starts all the way back at the beginning at the admissions process—and perhaps even before.
“We are always looking for good people,” says Dr. Wondisford, and “motivated students who understand the mission and calling of medicine are key.”
“We’re also considering the way we admit those students,” he says.
Finding and admitting the best candidates includes efforts to ensure talent, experience and passion are not being overlooked due to lack of opportunity or over-emphasis on metrics alone.
One initiative in place to further this goal is the College of Medicine—Phoenix’s Pathway Scholars Program, which provides academic support and community for students who have experienced unique challenges in preparing for medical school. The program has seen great success and Dr. Wondisford is enthusiastic about expanding. Patient needs are best met by physicians who respect the wealth of values within their community and identify with patients’ individuality.
“Because this is a service business—it’s about taking care of people, and providing care regardless of social status, ability to pay, and so on,” he said.
He shared a poignant experience he had many years ago while trying to describe the ideals of medical education to his father—he had recently started a new job as a young assistant professor and described the role and operations of a prominent academic medical center. When he concluded, his father said simply, “Look, Fred, if that were a business I would close it.”
The story perfectly illustrates the social mission Dr. Wondisford feels is the particular custody of medical schools, precisely because medicine is not a business, despite having business elements. If it were a business, he asked, would we do research the way we do? Would we educate the way we do? The answer is probably no.
“We have to guard those values carefully, so our graduates understand what they signed up for. Because people depend on you, people want you to help them, and they trust you—with their lives.” he said. This philosophy informs how the College of Medicine—Phoenix approaches teaching, training, and research. Patient-centered care is the cornerstone of a physician’s responsibility, and the curriculum reflects this obligation.
Research is an integral part of patient care, Dr. Wondisford emphasizes, because all care, diagnosis, medication, treatment, and therapies are built on a foundation of evidence, the evidence that comes from research. Work being done in the College of Medicine— Phoenix’s labs show this integration in real-time.
Researchers like Dr. Shirin Doroudgar are pioneering personalized-medicine approaches for treatment, transforming stem cells from a patient’s blood to test specific heart medications and tailor treatments.
BEING ACTIVE IN THE FUTURE
As medicine ventures into uncharted territory, the University of Arizona College of Medicine—Phoenix is ensuring its graduates are ready to lead with both technological fluency and the human touch that remains central to the art of healing.
“We don’t need to be acted upon by the future,” he said. “We need to be part of it.”
Dr. Wondisford emphasizes the exponential growth of medical knowledge and the necessity for physicians to adapt to this influx of information. To meet this challenge, the College of Medicine—Phoenix is reinvigorating its biomedical informatics department.
Dr. Wondisford agrees with the College of Medicine—Phoenix’s founding Dean and pioneer in biomedical informatics Edward Shortliffe, MD, PhD, MACP, FACMI, who predicted that being able to use data effectively in all its forms was going to be the future of medicine.
The partnership with Banner Health underscores this commitment, particularly in areas like AI-assisted diagnostics and patient care improvement. As Dr. Wondisford notes, integrating AI into medical education ensures future physicians will be adept at using these tools not just for efficiency, but as an extension of their clinical judgment.
However, while AI has the potential to offer invaluable background support, it cannot replace the nuanced understanding
that comes from patient interaction.
“Ninety-five percent of all diagnoses are made by the history and physical, not by lab tests,” he explains.
The College of Medicine—Phoenix’s unique approach to training reflects this philosophy. Its doctoring program provides
students with a structured yet adaptable framework for engaging with patients, helping them build the skills needed to extract meaningful stories from even the most challenging interactions. Similarly, its innovative simulation-based education integrates AI, allowing students to encounter realistic scenarios where they must balance technical knowledge with human interaction and communication. â–
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dominique Perkins serves as Associate Editor for Arizona Physician.
