California medical schools tailor programs for diverse populations

Ten percent of the schools' slots will go to students dedicating their careers to the medically underserved.

By Myrle Croasdale, AMNews Staff. Jan. 14, 2008.

The University of California is in the midst of rolling out new educational avenues geared to produce physician leaders for communities that historically have had poor access to health care.

The effort is part of an overall expansion of the university's five medical schools.

Cathryn Nation, MD, academic health sciences director for the University of California, said the university needed to address a physician shortage.

"Not only should we grow to address this issue, but we need to grow in ways that are in line with what the public needs," Dr. Nation said.

Each of the university's medical schools will add a five-year MD/master's degree program aimed at specific medically underserved populations.

For example, the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine will focus on the Latino community. Urban underserved are the center of the San Francisco program. The Davis program will emphasize rural and telemedicine.

San Diego will have a flexible program that matches students with their area of choice, such as the city's large deaf community, nearby American Indian communities or other area ethnic and racial groups. Los Angeles' program will focus on equipping medical students to manage health systems and clinical operations with large financially disadvantaged and multicultural populations.

Each school's track will be limited to 12 to 15 students per class.

The University of California's approach has many unique aspects, said M. Brownell Anderson, senior associate vice president of the Assn. of American Medical Colleges' medical education division. However, it is not unique in its mission.