He earned his medical degree in Lima, Peru, trained as a general surgery resident at Lahey Clinic, and served as chief resident at Henry Ford Hospital. He completed a clinical fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a research fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, presented at national and international conferences, and earned multiple teaching and research awards. He has hernia surgery training from Ohio State University and Duke University. Dr. Cordova is also fluent in Spanish. He is a member of the American Hernia Society, the European Hernia Society, and participate in the American Hernia Society Quality Collaborative.