Dean's Message
Richard S. Baker, M.D.
Dean, College of Medicine
The College of Medicine vision is to establish a 21st century mission-based medical school recognized for academic excellence and for producing physician leaders who improve health outcomes in diverse and underserved communities. The College seeks to establish the premier mission-based medical school in the nation by building upon an effective and highly successful 30 year medical education partnership between Charles Drew University (CDU) and UCLA in order to develop an even more comprehensive program that will educate a diverse workforce and increase the pool of physicians who are both committed and uniquely trained to provide high quality patient-centered, culturally-sensitive, evidence-based care to diverse populations and underserved communities.
The strategic objectives of the CDU College of Medicine are:
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To enhance and expand the Charles Drew/UCLA medical education program.
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To establish a geographically distributed network of clinical education affiliations.
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To re-establish a full spectrum of residency training programs.
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To determine feasibility and initiate planning for the four year medical school.
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To establish a robust clinical enterprise in support of financial sustainability of the College of Medicine and other University programs.
The CDU/UCLA medical education program has been demonstrated to be highly effective in fulfilling its mission and in achieving UC quality academic excellence. Graduates of the CDU/UCLA program are two to three times more likely to practice in diverse and medically underserved communities than physicians trained in traditional (non mission-based) medical schools. In addition, the CDU/UCLA program has graduated the highest proportion of underrepresented minorities (African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans) of any medical school or program in the UC system. In fact, it is estimated that one third of all minority physicians practicing in Los Angeles County are graduates of either CDU medical school or residency training programs.
UC quality academic excellence among CDU medical students is supported by highly selective admissions, a rigorous course of study and demonstrated achievement. Twenty four students are selected from over 1700 applicants annually. In addition to a rigorous program of medical study, first at UCLA and then at CDU, each CDU/UCLA medical student is also required to complete a research thesis prior to graduation. CDU is one of less than a dozen medical schools requiring a formal medical thesis and the only one that focuses on translational research and health disparities. Finally, the proportion of CDU students elected to the national medical honor society (AOA) is comparable to UCLA and UCSF. Moreover, CDU graduates are routinely recruited to primary care and specialty residencies at the best Academic Health Centers and hospitals in the country including UCSF, UCLA, Harvard, Stanford, USC, Mayo clinic, Cedar Sinai, and Children’s Hospital.
In response to the abrupt loss of CDU’s primary clinical training site (the Los Angeles County owned and operated Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital) the College has embarked upon the establishment of a new geographically distributed model for the clinical training of physicians. Through the expansion of existing partnerships and the addition of new ones, a distributed clinical model that focuses on establishing academic partnerships with local hospitals, physician practices, and community clinics provides clinical education venues for CDU medical students, physician residents and fellows. A CDU distributed clinical education network provides our trainees with access to diverse patient populations, diverse clinical settings, and a broad range of clinical education experiences in the context of fulfilling the mission and the educational goals of the institution. The choice of clinical partners is driven by national standards for clinical education, alignment of the partnering entity with the mission and the educational goals of CDU, the stability of the partnering institution, the economic feasibility, and the availability of excellent clinical faculty at the various sites.
In less than a year, CDU has made substantial progress in identifying new clinical sites for core medical student clerkships as part of establishing its geographically distributed educational model. The College of Medicine plans on continuing this work by creating formal affiliation agreements with hospitals, health systems and physician offices throughout Los Angeles County. Moreover, the College has initiated the first phase of the four-phase plan to re-establish sixteen residency training programs in primary and specialty care.
In accordance with its transformation to a 21st Century mission-based medical school, the Charles Drew University College of Medicine is implementing a modern educational model that is unique to its mission; integrated with the community it serves, responsive to the forces that shape health and well-being in today’s urban environment, and committed to taking full advantage of modern educational tools and approaches. Major emphasis for successful implementation will be comprehensive faculty development program, a focused student learning skills development program, and a high quality innovative curriculum.
Key elements of the CDU Educational model going forward will be:
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A geographically distributed clinical education network
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A single inter-disciplinary biomedical sciences department whose primary focus is pre-clerkship medical education and translational sciences
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An integrated curriculum
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The use of Information Technology to optimize medical education opportunities, to accelerate translational and clinical research and to support high quality, cost effective, coordinated care
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Multidisciplinary and inter-professional team teaching and team learning
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Incorporation of translational research at every level of medical education process, and
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Pipeline programs and community engagement
Overall, planning continues for the eventual expansion of the medical college to a four-year independently LCME-accredited school. CDU will continue in a funding and resources partnership with the UC System as CDU will be a key regional partner in advancing the health of diverse and underserved communities.
You may contact the Dean at richardbaker@cdrewu.edu
