Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science

Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Name	Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Established	1966
Type	Private, non-profit
President	David M. Carlisle
City	Los Angeles
State	California
Country	United States
Campus	Urban
Colors	Maroon and Gold
Mascot	Ambassadors

Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science is a private, nonprofit medical and health sciences university located in the Willowbrook neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded to address disparities in health care access for underserved communities, it maintains close ties with community hospitals, civic organizations, and historically Black institutions. The university emphasizes primary care, public health, biomedical research, and workforce development through partnerships with hospitals, foundations, and government agencies.

History

The institution traces its origins to the mid-1960s, when community leaders, civil rights activists, and health advocates responded to health crises in South Los Angeles following events such as the 1965 Watts riots and broader urban unrest. Key figures and organizations involved in the founding included local clergy, members of the NAACP, representatives of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and affiliates of historically Black colleges such as Howard University and Meharry Medical College. In 1966 the Medical Educational and Research Institute evolved into a formal medical training effort, with early support from the National Institutes of Health and philanthropic foundations such as the Rockefeller Foundation.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s the institution expanded clinical training programs in collaboration with Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center, Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital (formerly known as the King/Drew Medical Center partnership), and community health centers funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The legacy of physician and surgeon Charles R. Drew—noted for work on blood banking and the American Red Cross—inspired the university's name and mission when it received its charter and degree-granting authority. The 1990s and 2000s saw curricular reform influenced by national reports from Institute of Medicine and accreditation processes through agencies associated with the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. Legal and administrative changes involving county hospitals and state agencies shaped clinical affiliations into the 2010s, culminating in modern agreements with systems such as Kaiser Permanente and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Campus and Facilities

The urban campus occupies land in Willowbrook, adjacent to community organizations, municipal offices, and clinical partner sites. Core facilities include classrooms, simulation centers, and laboratories outfitted for biomedical training consistent with standards from the Association of American Medical Colleges and facilities modeled after academic centers like UCLA and USC. Clinical simulation suites replicate inpatient wards and outpatient clinics used by students rotating through partner hospitals such as Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital and community clinics supported by LA County Department of Health Services.

Research infrastructure includes wet labs and bioinformatics resources aligned with programs funded by entities like the National Science Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The campus hosts community meeting spaces for collaborations with organizations such as the Urban League and the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, and cultural programming linked to institutions like the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Academics and Programs

The university offers professional degrees and graduate programs in fields including medicine, nursing, public health, and biomedical sciences, following curricular models referenced by the American Medical Association and the Council on Education for Public Health. The Doctor of Medicine program emphasizes primary care and community medicine, with clerkships arranged through partners like Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Graduate programs in public health incorporate practicum placements with agencies including the California Department of Public Health and municipal health offices.

Continuing education, physician assistant training, and allied health certifications are delivered in collaboration with organizations such as the California Nurses Association and the American Public Health Association, while pipeline programs for students from schools like Dorsey High School and colleges including Morehouse College and Spelman College support workforce diversity initiatives. Accreditation relationships include regional bodies such as the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Research and Partnerships

Research at the university targets health disparities, chronic disease, maternal and child health, and translational medicine, often funded by agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. Collaborative projects have involved academic partners including UCLA, USC, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and historically Black research networks linked to Meharry Medical College. Community-based participatory research engages local organizations like Community Health Councils and national advocacy groups such as the American Heart Association.

The institution participates in multicenter trials and epidemiologic studies on conditions including diabetes, hypertension, HIV/AIDS, and sickle cell disease, coordinating with federal programs administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Technology transfer and translational partnerships have connected investigators with biotechnology firms and incubators comparable to Biolabs and university-affiliated startup ecosystems.

Community Engagement and Clinical Services

Community engagement is central, with mobile clinics, vaccination drives, and health education campaigns conducted in partnership with local entities like the Los Angeles Unified School District and faith-based networks including the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Clinical services are provided through affiliations with hospitals such as Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital and federally qualified health centers supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration, delivering primary care, behavioral health, and maternal health services tailored to South Los Angeles populations.

Workforce development programs recruit students from underserved neighborhoods and collaborate with incubators and training programs modeled on initiatives by the Urban Institute and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, while community advisory boards include representatives from neighborhood councils, labor unions like the Service Employees International Union, and nonprofit providers such as AltaMed.

Governance and Administration

The university is governed by a board of trustees drawn from academic, philanthropic, clinical, and community sectors, some members having affiliations with institutions such as UCLA, USC, Howard University, and local government offices like the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Administrative leadership includes a president and provost, with academic deans overseeing schools of medicine, nursing, and public health; administrative functions coordinate with accreditation bodies including the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and regional agencies like the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Financial oversight, fundraising, and strategic planning involve partnerships with foundations such as the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and healthcare systems, while legal and compliance matters interface with state regulators including the California Department of Consumer Affairs and federal agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services.

Category:Medical schools in California