Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science: A Legacy of Addressing Health Disparities

Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) stands as a beacon of hope and progress in medical education and healthcare. Named in honor of Dr. Charles R. Drew, a pioneering African American surgeon renowned for his groundbreaking work in blood preservation, CDU was founded with a clear mission: to address medical education and health care disparities. The university has remained focused on training health professionals committed to serving underserved communities. Its inception was driven by the need to provide opportunities for minority students and to improve health outcomes in minority and urban populations. Over the years, the university has developed programs emphasizing both biomedical research and community-oriented medical education. This focus aligns with its foundational goal of bridging gaps in health care access and fostering a diverse health workforce.

The Genesis of CDU: Responding to Community Needs

The story of Charles R. Drew University begins in the mid-1960s, a period of significant social and political upheaval in the United States. The Watts community of Los Angeles, California, experienced a civil disturbance in August 1965, later known as the "Watts Rebellion" or "Watts Revolt." This event, along with similar racial tensions in 265 American cities before the decade's end, highlighted the urgent need for improved medical services in underserved urban areas.

Following nearly a decade of community-based advocacy for improved medical services, the University was incorporated in August of 1966. In response to the lack of adequate medical facilities in the area, the institution later became a University and changed its name in 1987 to reflect its expanded academic role and identity. The citizens of South Los Angeles confronted and fought the same battles that were being fought in the deep South. Racial discrimination and civil tension extended all the way to the far west end of the nation. African-Americans in California lived through the same hatred, biases, racial discrimination, indignities and poverty as our brothers and sisters from the South.

In October 1968, Mitchell Spellman, MD, PhD, began his tenure as the founding Executive Dean of the Charles R. Drew Postgraduate Medical School. This marked a crucial step in establishing the institution. The following year, in November 1969, M. Alfred Haynes, MD, MPH, was appointed as the first department chairman, further solidifying the academic foundation of the school.

The formal opening of the offices of the Charles R. Drew Postgraduate Medical School and the Watts-Willowbrook Regional Medical Program (RMP) at 120th St. and Compton Avenue in January 1970 marked a pivotal moment. Mrs. The first contract between Los Angeles County and the Charles R. Drew Postgraduate Medical School occurred in July 1971. Charles R. Drew Postgraduate Medical School was established in June 1972.

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Honoring a Legacy: The Namesake of the University

Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science is named in honor of Dr. Charles R. Drew, a brilliant African-American physician, famous for his pioneering work in blood preservation. His dedication to learning and the sharing of knowledge to benefit mankind is the inspiration for the University. Dr. Charles Richard Drew broke barriers in a racially divided America to become one of the most important scientists of the 20th century.

Charles R. Drew was born June 3, 1904, in Washington, D.C. He attended Amherst College in Massachusetts, where his athletic prowess in track and football earned him the Mossman trophy as the man who contributed the most to athletics for four years. He went on to teach biology and served as coach at Morgan State College in Baltimore before entering McGill University School of Medicine in Montreal. As a medical student, Drew became an Alpha Omega Alpha Scholar and won the J. Francis Williams Fellowship, given annually to the top five students in his graduating class. He received his MD degree in 1933 and served his first appointment as a faculty instructor in pathology at Howard University from 1935 to 1936. In 1938, Drew was awarded a two-year Rockefeller fellowship in surgery and began postgraduate work, earning his Doctor of Science in Surgery at Columbia University. His doctoral thesis,“Banked Blood,” was based on an exhaustive study of blood preservation techniques. But his accolades continued. The NAACP awarded him the Spingarn Medal in 1944 in recognition of his work on the British and American projects. Virginia State College presented him an honorary Doctor of Science degree in 1945, as did his alma mater Amherst in 1947.

Drew’s interest in transfusion medicine began during his internship and surgical residency at Montreal Hospital (1933-1935) working with bacteriology professor John Beattie on ways to treat shock with fluid replacement. Drew aspired to continue training in transfusion therapy at the Mayo Clinic, but racial prejudices at major American medical centers barred black scholars from their practices. In 1938, while earning a doctorate at Columbia University, Drew won a fellowship to train at Presbyterian Hospital in New York with eminent surgeon Allen Whipple. Instead of following the traditional path of residents to gain experience in surgical pathology and bacteriology, surgical laboratory research, outpatient clinic, operating rooms and surgical wards, Whipple assigned Drew to work under John Scudder, who was granted funding to set up an experimental blood bank. Drew and Scudder focused their research on diagnosing and controlling shock, fluid balance, blood chemistry, preservation, and transfusion - the work on which he based his seminal dissertation, "Banked Blood: A Study in Blood Preservation." The thesis also made him the first African American to earn a medical doctorate from Columbia.

During World War II, as casualties mounted, the need for blood increased. As the leading authority in blood transfusions, Drew was recruited to be the medical director of the Blood for Britain project, and was tasked with creating a blood bank for British soldiers and civilians. Based in New York City, Drew set up a system for recruiting volunteers to donate blood, which would be shipped overseas. Drawing on Drew’s research, the project separated the plasma, stored and tested it, and then shipped it to Britain through the Red Cross. federal government asked the National Research Council and the American Red Cross to establish a blood program, and Drew became the director of the new American Red Cross Blood Bank.

Ironically, the Red Cross excluded African Americans from donating blood, making Drew himself ineligible to participate in the very program he established. Drew continued to support the war effort by participating in Office of Civilian Defense (OCD) drills.

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While Drew may be best known for his groundbreaking research in the development of blood plasma, one of Drew’s major legacies was teaching and training Black medical students and advocating for more opportunities for Black medical students and surgeons.

On April 1, 1950, Drew was driving with three colleagues to the annual meeting of the John A. Andrews Association in Tuskegee, Alabama, when he was killed in a one-car accident. The automobile struck the soft shoulder of the road and overturned. Drew was severely injured and rushed to nearby Alamance County General Hospital in Burlington, North Carolina. In the words of his widow, “everything was done in his fight for life” by the medical staff. At his untimely death, Drew left behind a devoted wife, Lenore, four children and a legacy of inspirational, unstinting dedication to service for all people. One of Drew’s daughters, Sylvia Drew Ivie, currently works at the university that bears her father’s name as Senior Special Assistant to the President and CEO for External Affairs.

Key Milestones in CDU's Development

Throughout its history, Charles R. Drew University has achieved several significant milestones that have shaped its identity and mission:

June 1973: The MEDEX Physician Assistant Program of the Charles R. Drew Postgraduate Medical School, the first such training program in California, graduates its first class of 21 students.
October 1973: Passage of California State Senate Bill 1026, the “Dymally Bill,” releases $1.2 million for Charles R. Drew Postgraduate Medical School programs through an affiliation with the University of California.
June 1974: Dedication of the Dr. Julius W. Hill Intern and Resident Physician Building, named after the founder of the Golden State Medical Association and former member of the Charles R.
May 1977: Publication of the Heller Committee Report by the UC Board of Regents, which described a proposed preclinical/clinical undergraduate medical education program between UCLA Medical School and Charles R. Dr. Over 100 community leaders and residents attend the initial Drew Community Leadership Luncheon.
August 1979: M. Alfred Haynes, MD, MPH, is formally inaugurated as the Dean of Charles R. Drew Postgraduate Medical School in traditional cap and gown faculty exercises. NAACP National President W.
September 1980: Dedication ceremonies are held for the Dr. Leroy R. Weekes, Jr. Medical Support Building. The building was named in honor of Charles R.
May 1980: The Charles R. Drew Postgraduate Medical School Foundation is incorporated. Dr.
May 1981: The $20-million Augustus F. Hawkins Mental Health Center opens.
September 1983: Harry E.
February 1984: The Clinical Sciences Research Facility is established in the Augustus F.
November 1984: The first permanent building on the Charles R. Drew Postgraduate Medical School campus, the W.
April 1987: Under the leadership of Walter F.
October 1987: W. Benton Boone, MD, MS, is elected Chairman of the Board of Directors.
September 1988: Allied Health Sciences faculty, staff and students moved into the newly completed W. M.
September 1991: Reed V.
June 1994: Harry E. Harry E. M.
July 1998: Charles K.
May 2002: Marcelle Willock, MD, MBA, is appointed Dean, College of Medicine.
January 2004: Harry E.
July 2005: Thomas T. July 2005: Thomas T.
July 2007: Richard S.
June 2009: Keith C.
January 2010: Gloria J. McNeal, PhD, MSN, ACNS-BC, FAAN, is appointed Founding Dean of the Mervyn M.
August 2010: The first cohort of students matriculates into the Mervyn M.
August 2010: The $43-million Life Sciences Research and Nursing Education (LSRNE) Building is officially opened to house the Mervyn M.
September 2010: M. Roy Wilson, MD, MS, is named Acting President, CEO and Chairman, Board of Trustees.
November 2010: Richard S.
July 2011: David M. Carlisle, MD, PhD, is named President and CEO.
January 2012: Degree-granting ceremony is held for the inaugural Family Nurse Practitioner Program from the new Mervyn M.
November 2012: The Mervyn M.
June 2012: First official graduation ceremony of the Mervyn M.
February 2014: Official bust unveiling is held for Mervyn M. Dymally, PhD.
January 2015: Sheldon D. Fields, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, AACRN, FNAP, FAANP, is appointed Dean of the Mervyn M. Steve O. Margaret Avila, PhD, PHN, APRN, is named Dean of the Mervyn M. Ms. Sylvia Drew Ivie, JD, and daughter of Dr. Charles R.
2016: A Brookings Institute college evaluation system ranks CDU third nationally for providing the greatest value-added boost to alumni in occupational earnings power.
2018: CDU signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Southwest College, Compton College, the East San Gabriel Valley Regional Occupational Program and Technical Center and the YouthBuild Charter School as part of continued efforts to establish direct pipelines for highachieving students in the L.A.
2018: The new Bachelor of Science in Nutrition Science and Food Systems Program matriculated its inaugural class. CDU signs a Memorandum of Understanding with West Angeles Church of God in Christ (C.O.G.I.C.), Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM), AltaMed, and Green Dot Public Schools California, as part of continued growth efforts. The signings with West Angeles C.O.G.I.C. For the first time in the University’s history, the Mervyn M.
The California State Legislature includes a one-time $7.5 million allocation in the 2019 state budget for Charles R.
The new Student Center at CDU opens at 1656 E.
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science is a recipient of a Josiah Macy Jr.
The Saturday Science Academy-II at Charles R.
The Mervyn M.
The Mervyn M.
CDU President and CEO Dr.
Dr. Gail Washington is named Dean of the Mervyn M.
July 2023: after receiving provisional accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science officially announced that it would be opening its own independent medical school.

Academic Programs and Focus

Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science offers a focused selection of academic faculties designed to prepare students for careers in health and science. Through its three colleges, the College of Medicine, the College of Science and Health, and the Mervyn M. Dymally College of Nursing, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science offers 18 academic programs focused on health professions and health equity. The university confers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, as well as certificate and postbaccalaureate training programs. Doctoral degrees offered include the Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), and doctoral-level training in biomedical and health sciences fields. Master’s programs are available in disciplines such as Nursing, Public Health, Physician Assistant Studies, Genetic Counseling, and Biomedical Sciences. Bachelor’s degree programs include Nursing, Public Health, Biomedical Sciences, Radiologic Sciences, and Psychology with an emphasis in Community Counseling.

The university is best known for its medical school designed to train physicians interested in working in urban environments, and founded in the response to the 1965 Watts riots to train minority doctors who would serve the poor of the South Los Angeles area. The following other academic programs are offered: Master's of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner Master of Science, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Pre-Medicine, General Studies, Master's in Urban Public Health, Phlebotomy, Life Sciences, Health Information Technology, and Radiography.

The College of Medicine emphasizes training physicians equipped to serve diverse communities, integrating clinical practice with community health principles. Additionally, the university supports departments and divisions specialized in areas such as biomedical sciences, public health, and nursing, contributing to a multidisciplinary approach to medical education.

Research at CDU focuses on ways to address health disparities within the state of California, nationally, and globally. Research is organized around several health pillars, including cancer, cardiometabolic disease, HIV, mental health, and health services/health policy research. Research areas such as biostatistics and biomedical informatics cut across the five research pillars. The Physician Assistant program at the Charles R.

Location and Facilities

Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science is located in the Willowbrook neighborhood of South Los Angeles, on an 11-acre urban site adjacent to the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital. The main campus includes classrooms, laboratories, the Gladys L.

Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science is located in Los Angeles, California, specifically at 1731 E. 120th Street in the West area of the city. The university's location is accessible via major nearby airports including Los Angeles International and Long Beach, which may be convenient for students and visitors traveling from outside the region.

A cornerstone of the university's hands-on clinical training is the Gladys L. Dymally Simulation Center, a 7,000-square-foot facility that serves students from all three colleges. The center provides a realistic environment where students can develop and practice clinical and decision-making skills without risk to patients. It features a range of simulated healthcare environments, including an intensive care unit, operating room, labor and delivery suite, and clinical exam rooms.

In 2024, the university marked the topping off of the Health Professions Education Building, a 100,000-square-foot facility that will serve as the new home of the College of Medicine. The building, scheduled to open in 2026, will contain classrooms, anatomy laboratories, and collaborative spaces to support more than 240 medical students. Funded in part by a $50 million investment from the State of California, the project is expected to generate more than 700 jobs and over $80 million annually in economic activity for the surrounding community.

Across the street from the main campus, CDU and Los Angeles County are also developing the Wellness and Education Campus, a 12.8-acre mixed-use project on the site of the former Lincoln Elementary School. Planned to open in phases beginning in 2025-2026, the Wellness Campus will provide housing for graduate and undergraduate students, as well as affordable and workforce units, alongside an office building for nonprofit and educational use.

CDU maintains clinical partnerships throughout Los Angeles County, including rotations at Martin Luther King Jr.

Commitment to the Community and Student Body

CDU has a total enrollment of 949 students, the majority of whom are at the graduate and professional levels. The student population is divided among its three colleges: 471 in the College of Nursing, 306 in the College of Science and Health, and 122 in the College of Medicine. The university's student body is predominantly drawn from the local community, a key part of its mission to serve the surrounding area. 92.2% of incoming students are from California, with 69.9% coming from Los Angeles County specifically. Reflecting its focus on training practicing professionals, the student population is older on average than at traditional universities, with an average undergraduate age of 29 and an average graduate student age of 35. The university's commitment to social justice and health equity is evident in its student outcomes; more than 85% of students report they intend to practice in underserved communities following graduation.

CDU is a designated Minority-Serving Institution (MSI) and recognized as a Historically Black Graduate Institution (HGBI). Its Medical Education program is one of only four Historically Black medical colleges in the nation. Founded in 1966 by local activists and organizers in the aftermath of the Watts uprising, CDU is located in the heart of the Watts-Willowbrook neighborhood of South Los Angeles. Students come to CDU, and graduate from it, with a shared purpose: to close the health disparity gap by serving medically underserved communities. A true community institution with a cradle-to-career pipeline, CDU is situated within a 1-square-mile zone that includes the MLK Medical Campus and King/Drew Medical Magnet High School.

Challenges and Transformations

Charles R. Drew University has faced its share of challenges throughout its history. The closure of Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital in 2007, after a loss of accreditation and longstanding quality-of-care problems, forced the end of several residency programs and severed the hospital’s affiliation with Charles R. Drew University.

However, the university has demonstrated resilience and adaptability in the face of adversity. In 2015, the new Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital opened on the same hospital campus, operating under a new governance model as a private, nonprofit institution. This marked a significant step forward in restoring healthcare services to the community.

Vision for the Future

Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science is dedicated to educating health professionals who will advance the quality of healthcare, particularly in underserved communities. The university's vision centers on becoming a leader in health science education and research that transforms the lives of individuals and communities affected by inequities.

David M. Carlisle has served as President and CEO since 2011.

In September 2020, Bloomberg Philanthropies made a $100 million donation to the four historically black medical schools in existence in the United States: Charles R. In February 2022, MacKenzie Scott made a $20 million, unrestricted donation to Charles R.

Looking ahead, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science is poised to continue its vital work in addressing health disparities and training the next generation of healthcare leaders. With its unwavering commitment to community engagement, academic excellence, and social justice, CDU remains a beacon of hope for underserved populations and a testament to the enduring legacy of Dr. Charles R. Drew.

Notable Figures at CDU

Notable past and present Charles R. Drew University faculty members include Patricia Bath, an ophthalmologist and the first black female doctor to receive a medical patent, for inventing a laser treatment for cataracts and Deborah Prothrow-Stith, a pioneer in addressing youth violence as a public health issue and the first woman commissioner of public health for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

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