activities · 15
what they do
direct service · 10
- Deliver medical and health sciences education programs Comprehensive Health Professions EducationOffers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs in nursing, psychology, biomedical sciences, radiologic science, public health, medical imaging, physician assistant, genetic counseling, and medicine, including one of only four MD programs at a Historically Black institution in the U.S.
- Delivers healthcare education programs for underserved communities Comprehensive Health Professions EducationOffers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs in nursing, public health, physician assistant studies, radiologic science, medical imaging, psychology, and biomedical sciences, specifically designed to prepare students to address healthcare needs in underserved populations. Includes one of only four MD programs in the U.S. hosted at a Historically Black institution.
- Host academic and clinical professional development events Health Professional Continuing Education & ConferencesConducts regular educational forums including Medical Grand Rounds, Psychiatry Grand Rounds, Tumor Board reviews, Multidisciplinary Journal Club, Primary Care Conference, and a Friday Noon Lecture Series focused on improving clinical practice and addressing health disparities.
- Host interprofessional student research and education eventsOrganizes Students Research Day as an interprofessional education series focused on addressing high-impact health problems in underserved communities.
- Operate community healthcare programs for vulnerable populationsRuns community healthcare programs providing clinical services to underserved communities in south Los Angeles, integrating care with education and community engagement.
- Operates community healthcare programs in South Los AngelesProvides clinical services and community engagement through university-affiliated programs, delivering care to vulnerable populations in South Los Angeles as an integral part of the educational and service mission.
- Provide clinical training for medical students and residents Graduate Medical Education Residency & Fellowship ProgramsDelivers required clinical training for medical students at six clinical partner institutions and provides residency and fellowship training across multiple healthcare facilities in Los Angeles County.
- Provides clinical training and medical education for students and professionals Vitreoretinal Surgery Education & TrainingConducts required clinical training for medical students at six clinical partner institutions and provides clinical training for residents across multiple healthcare facilities in Los Angeles County. Offers continuing medical education through accredited conferences, lecture series, journal clubs, and specialty-specific Grand Rounds including Psychiatry, Medical, and Tumor Board sessions.
- Recruits prospective students through campus engagement activities Campus Tours and Information SessionsHosts weekly guided campus tours, in-person open houses, Coffee Chat events with senior leadership, and live virtual information sessions to support prospective student recruitment and application guidance.
- Support prospective student recruitment and engagement Campus Tours and Information SessionsOffers weekly guided campus tours, in-person open houses, virtual information sessions, Coffee Chats with enrollment leadership, and a globally accessible virtual tour to support prospective student engagement and application guidance.
research · 2
- Conduct research on health disparitiesConducts community-focused research on cancer, HIV/AIDS, cardiometabolic conditions, mental health, and health services/policy, funded by competitive grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense.
- Conducts community-focused research on health disparitiesPerforms research on health disparities with funding from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense, focusing on cancer, HIV/AIDS, cardiometabolic conditions, mental health, and health services/policy. Hosts Students Research Day as an interprofessional series addressing high-impact problems in underserved communities.
capacity building · 3
- Educate and train healthcare professionals through degree and certificate programs Graduate Medical Education Residency & Fellowship ProgramsGraduates healthcare professionals through accredited programs, awarding 450 degrees and certificates in 2023, with demonstrated success such as a 100% first-time pass rate on the Radiologic Technology exam in 2020.
- Offers residency, fellowship, and professional certification programs Graduate Medical Education Residency & Fellowship ProgramsProvides residency and fellowship training in multiple medical specialties and awards degrees and certificates, including achieving a 100% first-time pass rate on the Radiologic Technology exam in 2020. Accredits continuing medical education conferences for professional development.
- Provide continuing medical education (CME) Health Professional Continuing Education & ConferencesOffers accredited half-day and full-day CME conferences annually and delivers continuing education programs to enhance the knowledge and practice of faculty and community physicians.
strategies · 13
how they think
Theories of action extracted from this org's own source material. Click any to see the full field of orgs running the same approach.
- Community-Centered Medical Training for the Underserved community-centered medical trainingTrains physicians to deliver care and advocacy specifically for medically underserved communities, particularly communities of color, by embedding service, social justice, and community context into medical education and residency training.
- Community-Focused Health Education Pipeline community-focused health educationPrepares students for healthcare roles in underserved communities through targeted educational programming that aligns institutional training with community health needs.
- Deliver experiential, patient-centered clinical training experiential-educationProvides hands-on medical education through a simulation center and clinical skill development within an organ-based curriculum, emphasizing evidence-based medicine, cultural humility, and patient- and family-centered holistic care.
- Expand access to medical education through multi-modal recruitment and engagement multi-channel recruitmentEngages prospective students through both in-person and online channels, emphasizing campus visits and direct interaction with faculty and staff to build connection to the institution’s mission and programs.
- Experiential and Simulation-Based Medical Education experiential-educationEmploys hands-on learning through a state-of-the-art simulation center and direct campus engagement to train clinical and surgical competencies and support recruitment and education.
- Integrate social justice and health equity into medical education health-disparities-focused-educationDelivers mission-driven medical education that weaves health disparities, social justice, health policy, and research into the core curriculum to produce leaders committed to equity and systemic change in healthcare.
- Integrated Curriculum Combining Clinical and Social Determinants of Health organ-based curriculum with social determinants integrationUses an organ-based curriculum that weaves in clinical skills and deep education on social determinants of health to prepare culturally competent, evidence-based practitioners equipped to address root causes of disparities.
- Mission-Driven Health Professions Education with Equity Focus mission-driven medical educationDelivers medical and graduate education rooted in social justice, health equity, and leadership, integrating training in health disparities, policy, and research to produce diverse health leaders committed to underserved populations.
- Multi-Channel, Access-Oriented Recruitment multi-channel recruitmentExpands access to medical education by offering multiple pathways—online and in-person—for prospective students to connect with the university, emphasizing inclusivity and mission alignment.
- Patient-Centered, Holistic Clinical Training patient-centered_carePrepares physicians to deliver patient- and family-centered care grounded in cultural humility, evidence-based medicine, and clinical excellence, ensuring responsiveness to individual and community needs.
- Prepare diverse health leaders through equity-focused training and support diversity_and_equity_in_health_professions_educationDevelops diverse health professions leaders by combining targeted scholarships, research on health disparities, and strengthened educational programming with a mission of advancing social justice and health equity.
- Prepare health professionals for service in underserved communities through targeted education community-focused health educationEquips students with the knowledge and skills to serve in healthcare roles within underserved communities via curriculum and training designed around community needs and public health realities.
- Train physicians in community-embedded, social justice-oriented care community-centered medical trainingTrains physicians to serve medically underserved communities—particularly communities of color—through a curriculum and clinical training model that integrates social determinants of health, advocacy, and community context, using South Los Angeles County's public health landscape as a living learning environment.
named programs · 9
what they call their work
CDU MD MD Program
Doctor of Medicine program training future physicians with a focus on serving underserved communities and addressing health disparities
CDU MD Program
Doctor of Medicine program training physicians with a focus on serving underserved populations and addressing health disparities
College of Nursing Programs
Offers BSN, MSN, DNP, and post-graduate certificate programs training nurses to deliver compassionate, culturally competent care
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program
Terminal nursing practice program preparing advanced practice nurses to improve health outcomes in underserved populations
Graduate Medical Education Program
ACGME-accredited residency and fellowship programs including Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Psychiatry, and PM&R, training physicians in community-focused, culturally sensitive care
Master of Public Health (MPH) in Urban Health Disparities
Graduate program focused on understanding and eliminating urban health disparities through public health research and practice
Postbaccalaureate Leadership Program in Pre-Medicine
Program supporting first-time and re-applicant students in gaining admission to medical school, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds
Research Centers and Institutes
Conducts research in cancer health disparities, HIV/AIDS, mental health, and cardiometabolic conditions with community impact
Summer Research Program
Program providing students with hands-on research experience in areas related to health disparities and biomedical sciences
relationships · 25
who they work with
- Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education Government — Accredits Charles R. Drew University to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
- Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Government — ACGME accredits CDU's College of Medicine residency and fellowship programs.
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Partner — Training site for CDU residency programs.
- Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles Partner — Clinical training site for medical students
- Community College Partnerships Partner — Collaborates with community colleges to support student transfers.
- Community College Partnerships Partner — Collaborates with community colleges to support transfer student admissions.
- Department of Defense Government — Funder of research on health disparities.
- Department of Mental Health (DMH), Los Angeles County Partner — Training site for CDU residency programs.
- Dignity Health – Saint Mary’s Medical Center Long Beach Partner — Clinical training site for medical students
- Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Partner — Clinical training site for medical students
- Kedren Community Health Center Partner — Training site for CDU residency programs.
- LAC-Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center Partner — Training site for CDU residency programs.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital Partner — Clinical training site for medical students
- Martin Luther King Jr. Outpatient Center Partner — Clinical training site for medical students
- Martin Luther King Jr. Outpatient Center Partner — Hosts Multidisciplinary Journal Club, Tumor Board, and Primary Care Conference in partnership with CDU.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Outpatient Center Partner — Training site for CDU residency programs.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital Partner — Hosts Grand Rounds with CDU to improve patient care in a community hospital setting.
- National Institutes of Health Government — Primary source of competitive grant funding for research on health disparities.
- Office of Strategic Advancement Partner — Contact point for advancement and sponsorship engagement
- Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center Partner — Hosts Medical Grand Rounds in collaboration with CDU.
- Sutter Health Partner — Clinical training site for medical students
- UCLA Partner — Collaborates on the CDU/UCLA Medical Education Program.
- UCLA Partner — Partners with UCLA in a medical education program leading to an MD degree.
- VA Long Beach Health Center-Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center Partner — Training site for CDU residency programs.
- Watts Health Center Partner — Training site for CDU residency programs.