COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND HEALTH
CDU ' s Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences Program Ranked Best in the Country
CDU ' s Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences program was named the best in the country . The evaluation , conducted by Best Value Schools , looked at the graduation rate and curriculum depth of programs across the country and determined that CDU had earned the top spot . CDU edged out big-name programs like those from John Hopkins University and George Washington University .
“ We are very pleased with the success of our students in achieving their professional goals , and we feel proud that we are providing excellent education and fulfilling the CDU mission ,” said Monica Ferrini , Chair of the Department of Health and Life Sciences . “ Our graduates have been very successful in obtaining acceptance in professional schools such as medical , D . O ., pharmacy , physician assistant , and dental schools . They have also obtained positions in research , biotech , and clinical laboratories such as Amgen , Pfizer , LabCorp , among others .”
CDU ' s Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences has graduated more than 100 students since its inception in 2016 . It is a one-year degree program designed to give students a solid command of biomedicine , medical informatics , and translational science , as well as ensure that they ' ll be well versed in the challenges posed by domestic and international health disparities .
Through hands-on experience , students gain the skills and habits of mind required to excel at biomedical research . Best Value Schools , which published the results on their website , is an online resource that researches thousands of colleges and universities to find the very best schools that meet the most important needs of prospective students for the best possible price .
Physician Assistant Program Garners a Pair of Grants
CDU ’ s Physician Assistant ( PA ) program provides students who believe in the importance of sharing medical knowledge to benefit the global community with the skills necessary to become exemplary medical providers . The program recently scored a pair of wins in the form of two grants .
First up , Assistant Professor Samuel Paik was awarded the Physician Assistant Education Association ’ s Don Pedersen Research Grant . CDU is the first minority serving institution to ever receive this grant .
“ The Don Pederson grant from PAEA allows us to look at retrospective data using the centralized PA application database and analyze a couple of main questions . Who are we missing ? Why are we missing them ?” shared Paik . “ We are looking to address that with our research and ultimately our goal is to create a bridge program to get more Black men into white coats . It might not be the solution in addressing health inequity , but we can at least do our part .”
Paik said that his mentor and PA Program Director , Dr . Lucy Kibe played a vital role in the project , as she brought up the idea of researching Black men in the PA profession and gave him free run to develop the research .
“ Representation and diversity are becoming buzz words but in our profession , we are looking at just 3 %,” said Paik . “ 3 % of the entire PA workforce are Black men . It ’ s no wonder why Black men have one of the highest morbidity and mortality rates in this country .”
The PA Program has also been selected as a recipient of $ 120,000 Song Brown Grant from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information . Accredited family practice residency programs , physician assistant / family nurse practitioner programs and registered nurse programs can apply for funding . Applicants are evaluated on a range of criteria , including the percent and number of graduates in medically underserved areas , underrepresented in medicine graduates , and clinical training sites in medically
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