The KU School of Medicine Certificates of Distinction offer students the opportunity to pursue scholarship outside of the medical curriculum. These tracks represent ways our students explore interests beyond basic science and clinical knowledge. Achieving distinction is noted in a student’s Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) Letter, recognized at graduation, and included on their final transcript.

To complete a track, each track director has established specific requirements that must be fulfilled to receive the distinction mentioned on the transcript and MSPE. These requirements vary depending on the track, so please ensure you pay attention to your specific track and feel free to ask questions if you need clarification. We look forward to working with you.

For additonal information regarding the certificates, please contact Tara Shirley, tshirley@kumc.edu.

Bioethics and Humanities

The Certificate of Distinction in Bioethics and Humanities is designed for students who want to enhance their experience and exploration in these fields. Participants will develop insights and skills that apply to medicine, health and healing. The program covers a range of topics and methods, including literary studies, anthropology, philosophy, creative arts, ethics and history. Students will have the opportunity to design a personalized path with a choice of applicable courses and activities. The program will build continuity through these choices by preserving a focus on the values of justice, integrity and self-determination in medicine and healing. Historical perspectives, materials and methods relevant to these values will be integrated throughout the curriculum. These discussions and the promotion of such values existed long before the emergence of modern medicine.

Global Health

The Certificate of Distinction in Global Health equips students with a deep understanding of how historical, social, political and economic forces shape global health systems and disparities. Through the lens of Fair-Trade Learning and Partnerships, students critically examine global health challenges, emphasizing equity, cultural humility and structural awareness. They engage in immersive, cross-cultural experiences that foster collaboration and self-reflection while analyzing global health care access and the responsibilities of high-resource systems. Graduates emerge with the skills to ethically and effectively address complex global health issues as outcomes of systemic inequalities.

The Global Health Certificate requires participation in global health coursework, educational sessions, professional chats and local or international experiences. Students must also complete a capstone project, including a proposal, progress reports and a final presentation on a global health issue.

Community Health and Service

Community Health and Service, led by the American Medical Association, is a national curricular movement focused on promoting systemic change within the medical field to address health disparities and achieve greater equity across communities by integrating education on social determinants of health, cultural competency and anti-bias practices into medical training programs.

Health Systems Science

Health Systems Science is a national curricular movement led by the American Medical Association (AMA). As the AMA states, HSS “involves understanding how care is delivered, how health care professionals work together to deliver that care and how the health system can improve patient care and health care delivery."

Students encounter Health Systems Science principles in the curriculum in several threads:

• Epidemiology
• Ethics
• Health Policy and Management
• Population Health
• Social Determinants

Leadership and Education in Medicine

The Leadership and Education in Medicine curriculum seeks to provide medical students with fundamentals in leadership and teaching to prepare them for their future careers as health care leaders. Time is spent understanding the integration between health care systems and education systems as well as the core skills needed to be a competent leader. Learning occurs through multiple avenues including interfaces with leadership, interactive book clubs and a variety of curated, self-selected activities. 

Lifestyle Medicine

The Lifestyle Medicine Certificate of Distinction equips future physicians with the skills to champion healthy lifestyle behaviors in their patients and communities. Through the practical application of Lifestyle Medicine principles, students will learn to utilize evidence-based approaches to prevent and manage chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer. 

Research

Research provides an opportunity for medical students to ask and answer questions that are meaningful and move the field of medicine and science forward. Medicine relies on research to improve care for patients.   

Students can pursue research in multiple ways.  However, pursuit of the Research Certificate of Distinction is especially encouraged for those with experience in research, those genuinely interested in pursuing research as part of their medical practice (as opposed to only seeking to enhance residency application), and those who want to ask research questions of their own creation and lead projects to answer those research questions. The criteria for being awarded the Research Certificate are ambitious; to meet these criteria, consistent effort throughout the student's M1, M2, and M3 years will be necessary. 

The Research Certificate recognizes excellence in research, as determined by the process of peer review. It focuses on specific competencies in four domains:

• Practice-Based Learning and Improvement
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills
• Professionalism
• Interprofessional Collaboration

Rural Medicine

The mission of KU's Rural Medicine Distinction Program is to recognize medical students who show a commitment to actively seeking experiences in rural medicine and to help them prepare for careers in rural medicine in the state of Kansas.

The Rural Medicine Distinction Program highlights rural education opportunities throughout all four years of medical school. Research shows that the total time of exposure to rural education opportunities is the most influential factor in nurturing and maintaining the desire to practice rural medicine.