Fri May 1, 2026: Ask the Deans of Admissions Leaders: How to Get Into UArizona College of Medicine–PHX

Mira Milas, MD, FACS joined the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix (UACOMP) and Banner Health in August 2015. She was recruited to “help build the 1^st academic department of surgery in the 1^st allopathic medical school in the 5^th largest city in the USA,” a mission that  continues to inspire her. Dr. Milas is Professor of Surgery and serves in the following leadership roles:  Chief of Endocrine Surgery (2015), Vice Chair of Academic Affairs in the Department of Surgery (2018) and Associate Dean of Admissions at UACOMP (2024).
Dr. Milas received her medical degree from the University of Texas – Houston McGovern Medical School. She completed her internship and residency in General Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. She then continued her training with fellowship programs in Endocrine Surgery at Emory University and Surgical Oncology Research at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. She is board-certified and an elected member of many prestigious medical organizations including the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, The Endocrine Society, American Thyroid Association, and American Surgical Association. Her clinical expertise focuses on surgery for endocrine disorders of the thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands.
With years of experience as a nationally/internationally recognized academic surgeon, recognized educator and leader,  Dr. Milas has contributed >500 publications, scholarly works and innovations, including to the fields of ultrasound, thyroid/parathyroid genetic markers, medical education, and the building of new programs, most recently APEX Aerospace Medicine and Surgery at UACOMP. She is the first woman Professor of Surgery  at UA – Phoenix and likewise held that rank while faculty at Oregon Health Sciences University and Cleveland Clinic. 
Dr. Milas is inspired to contribute to UA-Phoenix, the city’s first ever LCME-accredited medical school, and Banner Health, Arizona’s largest employer, by advancing knowledge and advocating for the good of both patients and peers. Guiding values shaped by her family fuel her life purpose: excellent and compassionate patient care, teaching, innovative research, and living with faith. Dr. Milas embraces the vision and the perspective that leadership and success in surgery, and life in general, work best when rooted in gratitude, with devotion each day to making a difference for the better, and serving to leave a legacy that prospers future generations.

Nafis Shamsid-Deen, MD, FCCP is a pulmonary and critical care physician, clinician-educator, and academic leader triple board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, and Critical Care Medicine. He serves as Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine and Assistant Dean for Admissions and Recruitment at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix (UA COM-P). Additionally at the college, he leads the Pathway Scholars Early Assurance Master of Medical Science curriculum as Director of the program. On the graduate education and clinical side, he serves as an Associate Program Director for the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship. Dr. Shamsid-Deen practices as a pulmonologist and intensivist at Banner University Medical Center Phoenix and is the Associate Director for Pulmonary Hypertension within the Banner Lung Institute’s Advanced Lung Disease Program.
Dr. Shamsid-Deen’s clinical and research focus centers on pulmonary vascular disease and advanced lung pathology. His work emphasizes pulmonary arterial hypertension with specific emphasis on chronic thromboembolic disease, portopulmonary hypertension, and toxin-associated pulmonary vascular disease. His scholarly interests include advanced hemodynamic assessment, exercise physiology in pulmonary hypertension, disease modeling, and improving diagnostic and risk stratification strategies for complex pulmonary vascular conditions. He is actively engaged in clinical research collaborations and national society initiatives aimed at advancing therapeutic strategies and health equity in pulmonary vascular disease. He is an active member, speaker, and Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians (FCCP).
A nationally recognized medical educator, Dr. Shamsid-Deen has led major curricular innovations in graduate and undergraduate medical education. He has developed structured curricula on health disparities, structural competency, and bias-conscious medical practices. He previously served as Graduate Medical Education Director for Diversity and Chair of the GME Subcommittee for Diversity, where he authored and launched the institution’s inaugural GME Health Care Disparities curriculum. He is widely invited to speak on topics including structural inequity in medicine, professional identity formation, leadership development, and equity-responsive medical practice. He has delivered keynote addresses, including for the Black Men in White Coats Annual Southwestern Education Summit. 
He was the first African American faculty member appointed within the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at UA COM-P. His contributions to advancing equity, leadership development, and academic excellence have been recognized with multiple institutional awards. Dr. Shamsid-Deen has been a visible leader in expanding inclusive recruitment and holistic admissions practices. As Assistant Dean for Admissions and Recruitment, he oversees initiatives that strengthen pipeline programming, early assurance pathways, and mission-aligned admissions strategies. He serves as a faculty advisor to the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) and has mentored numerous students and trainees pursuing careers in academic medicine and pulmonary vascular research.
Through his clinical care, scholarship, and educational leadership, Dr. Shamsid-Deen continues to shape the next generation of physicians while advancing innovation in pulmonary vascular medicine.