The School of Medicine offers graduate certificate programs to its Doctor of Medicine (MD) students who wish to gain focused expertise in a specific area. Each program has its own admission and completion requirements. MD students must submit an “Intent to Enroll” form to document their intention to pursue a certificate, as well as other documentation as needed. Permission of the degree program director and the certificate program director are required to pursue a certificate.
The Vanderbilt University Graduate School offers a certificate in Global Health that is open to students in all Vanderbilt graduate and professional degree programs, including MD students.
Note: School of Medicine graduate certificate programs, below, are open to Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) students only.
Biomedical Ethics
This certificate is designed to enable MD students to graduate with a high level of competence in analyzing and resolving ethical issues that they will face in practice and equip them to provide leadership to their colleagues, to the profession, and to the public in biomedical ethics.
Health Equity
If society is to make progress toward achieving health equity, a cadre of physician leaders must be cultivated that understands these factors and forces, and possesses skills to intervene at the individual, system, and/or community level to impact meaningful change. The VUSM Certificate in Health Equity is offered for MD students who wish to deepen their knowledge and expertise in order to embark on leadership careers in this area.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Health
LGBTQ patients experience disparities in access to and quality of care, leading to preventable, adverse health outcomes including elevated risk for specific chronic diseases and increased rates of suicide and depression. The Certificate in LGBTQ Health is designed to teach MD students how to address these disparities, improve the health of LGBTQ patients, support education around LGBTQ health, and foster research on the optimal ways to care for LGBTQ patients and families.
Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (NDD)
The Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (NDD) certificate program provides an opportunity for Vanderbilt MD students to receive substantial education and training in the field of neurodevelopmental disabilities. As participants in the Vanderbilt Consortium LEND program (VCL), medical students will work with graduate students, residents, and fellows from up to fourteen other professions as they receive training to provide culturally sensitive, patient- and family-centered, interprofessional care to children and youth with special health care needs, including autism, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, behavior problems, and genetic syndromes that are associated with NDD.