California’s newest medical school opens doors to first class

The new California University of Science and Medicine, School of Medicine (CUSM School of Medicine) welcomes its inaugural class of 64 future physicians with the start of medical school classes this July.

CUSM students participated in a “White Coat Ceremony” on July 22 to mark the beginning of their medical careers as they take their Hippocratic Oath. As a group, the incoming class holds an outstanding average MCAT percentile ranking of 89% and are in the top quartile of their respective graduating classes from top universities in the nation. With a goal to provide opportunities for students from underserved areas, the class includes 20% of students from the Southern California Inland Empire community.

“To shape the future of medicine and to make a lasting impact for generations to come, we must focus on those who are the future of medicine,” said Dr. Prem Reddy, CUSM Founder and Chairman of the CUSM Board of Trustees. “CUSM will help students learn the art and science of medicine as they answer their calling to this noble profession.”

CUSM’s innovative, student-centered curriculum was developed from the ground up and is centered on training physicians in a participatory way that will prepare them to be innovative thinkers, collaborative clinicians and critical problem solvers. The curriculum was developed by a majority of MD and MD/PhD instructors who connect every lesson with its clinical application in a case-based, presentation model. The university will provide a strong medical education that will expose students to areas of focus for the medical profession as it evolves with advancements in technology, including biotechnology, biorobotics, immunotherapy and genomic medicine.

The university will also uniquely offer its curriculum to other medical schools around the globe, at no cost, to share knowledge, develop connections and improve healthcare in communities around the world. The curriculum will be the first globally shared medical curriculum.

“Our new school will have a lasting impact not only on the current shortage of physicians and limited medical school slots in our state, but also on the wellness of those in our community and, through our global sharing, potentially around the world,” said Dr. Dev GnanaDev, founding president of CUSM. “The medical school’s affiliation with Arrowhead Regional Medical Center and Prime Healthcare provides an exceptional clinical training ground for future physicians. I thank Dr. Reddy, Prime Healthcare Foundation, the County of San Bernardino and our talented faculty for making all of this possible.”

Dr. Reddy, through the Prime Healthcare Foundation and his family foundation, has committed more than $60 million towards the establishment of CUSM. Dr. Kavitha Bhatia, Chair of the Prime Healthcare Foundation and Vice Chair of the CUSM Board of Trustees, recently unveiled a rendering of CUSM’s future campus which will be constructed adjacent to its teaching hospital, 456-bed Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, in Colton, CA. Through a partnership with the Prime Healthcare Foundation, CUSM students will also train within some of the 45 Prime Healthcare community-based hospitals across the nation. Prime Healthcare is an award-winning health system recognized for its clinical excellence, and students can experience the practice of evidence-based medicine delivered in community hospitals.

“We are honored to be part of the mission of CUSM to make lasting contributions to the advancement of medicine and improve healthcare for all,” said Dr. Bhatia. “CUSM’s dedication to addressing health disparities and the underserved, sharing its curriculum globally to benefit the world, and its commitment to training physician leaders who are dedicated to compassionate service is truly remarkable.”