BACKGROUND
Charles R . Drew University of Medicine and Science ( CDU ) is a private , nonprofit , community-founded , student-centered University committed to cultivating diverse health professions leaders who are dedicated to social justice and health equity for underserved populations through outstanding education , clinical service and community engagement . CDU is also a leader in health disparities research with a focus on education , training , treatment and care in cancer , diabetes , cardiometabolic diseases and HIV / AIDS .
The University was established in the wake of the Watts Rebellion in 1965 after the McCone Commission , established to investigate the causes of the unrest , determined that poor health and lack of access to quality education , healthcare , employment , and safety contributed significantly to the uprising .
CDU was seen as part of the solution , a responsibility we take as our highest priority , as we continue to work for health equity to this day .
In the five decades since the school was incorporated in 1966 , CDU has graduated more than 700 physicians , over 1,270 physician assistants and over 1,700 other health professionals , as well as training over 2,700 physician specialists through its sponsored residency programs . Our
Mervyn M . Dymally School of Nursing has graduated over 1,400 nursing professionals , including more than 1,000 family nurse practitioners in the ten years since its founding .
CDU has earned designation as a minority-serving institution by the U . S . Office for Civil Rights , and is recognized by the Department of Education ( DOE ) under Title III B as a Historically Black Graduate Institution ( HBGI ). The University is a member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities .
CDU is an exceptionally diverse institution . Over 80 percent of students and 71 percent of faculty are from communities of color . CDU is the second most diverse four-year private nonprofit college in the nation , according to The Chronicle of Higher Education ( August 2017 ). The Chronicle for Higher Education Almanac lists CDU as the top private , four-year , nonprofit university in the country in terms of faculty diversity . The Greenlining Institute recognized CDU as the most diverse medical education program in the University of California system . A California Wellness Foundation report estimated that one‐third of all minority physicians practicing in Los Angeles County are graduates of the CDU medical school and / or residency training programs . More than 85 percent of CDU College of Medicine students report that they intend to practice and provide much-needed care in underserved communities following graduation .
Academic quality is further validated by prestigious regional and national institutional / programmatic accreditations .
CDU was first accredited in 1995 by the WASC Senior College and University Commission . The MD degree for the Charles R . Drew / UCLA Medical Education Program is granted by the University of California , through UCLA , and is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education . The Associate degree of the Radiologic Technology Program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology , and also certified by the California Department of Public Health . The Master and Bachelor of Science of Public Health ( MPH and BSPH ) Programs in Urban Health Disparities are accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health , and the Master of Health Science , Physician Assistant Program is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant . The Bachelor of Science in Nursing ( BSN ) and Master of Science in Nursing ( MSN ) Programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing . The MMDSON also offers postmaster certificates in Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric / Mental Health Nurse Practitioner . All of the degree programs at the University have earned the maximum duration of national programmatic accreditation .
Rendering of planned Independent Medical Education Program building
CDU 2021-2026 STRATEGIC PLAN | PG . 05