Community college pathway expands and diversifies physician pipeline

California is taking a major step to address its physician shortage and improve access to healthcare in underserved communities through the California Medicine Scholars Program (CMSP), a statewide initiative that helps community college students pursue careers in medicine, reports a paper published in the journal Academic Medicine. UC Riverside's Daniel Teraguchi and Teresa Cofield are coauthors on the paper along with several other researchers.

Launched following the passage of Senate Bill 40 in 2021, CMSP is designed to expand opportunities for students from underrepresented and first-generation backgrounds by creating a clear, supported pathway from community college to medical school.

The state faces a growing healthcare challenge, with many physicians nearing retirement and the current workforce not reflecting the racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity of California - gaps that can limit access to care, particularly in rural and low-income communities. The Inland Empire region, where UCR is located, has one of the lowest ratios of primary care and specialty physicians in California - roughly 41 doctors per 100,000 people.

The authors report that CMSP addresses this issue by recognizing community colleges as a critical starting point for future doctors. The program brings together community colleges, four-year universities, medical schools, and healthcare systems through regional partnerships known as Regional Hubs of Healthcare Opportunity (RHHO), which provide students with academic advising, mentorship, and early exposure to healthcare careers.

Most funding for CMSP's four RHHOs comes directly from the state. The Inland Empire RHHO is led by the UCR School of Medicine, with the other three RHHOs led by the UC Davis School of Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, and UCSF School of Medicine-Fresno.

"CMSP is about investing in local talent where, in many cases, community colleges are their first opportunity for local students to pursue their dreams and we want to help them achieve their dreams of becoming a physician in our region," said Teraguchi, who directs the Inland Empire RHHO and the executive associate dean for student affairs in the UCR School of Medicine. "By meeting students where they are - at community colleges - and surrounding them with mentorship and institutional support, we are building a physician workforce that truly reflects and can better serve California's diverse communities."

Teraguchi and his colleagues note that early results from the CMSP are promising. Since the 2022-2023 academic year, 399 students enrolled across four regions, with strong representation from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups and first-generation college students. During the 2023-2024 academic year, 150 students transferred to four-year universities, marking a key milestone on the path to medical school.

The UCR School of Medicine welcomed its first class of California Medicine Scholars in 2023. Scholars have been provided a range of advising, internship, and volunteer healthcare experiences. They also received support such as mentoring and networking opportunities with medical professionals and medical school students.

Even before the School of Medicine opened its doors in 2013, UCR had several pathway programs to provide opportunities and support the interest of local talent to be competitive applicants to medical school. These programs strengthened the university's community college outreach over several years, including piloting a community college mentorship initiative with medical students in 2021-2022.

"While CMSP is gaining momentum, challenges remain," said Cofield, the director of the Pathway Programs at UCR. "Expanding the program to additional regions will require increased funding and stronger partnerships with community colleges across California."

Next steps for the CMSP include targeted outreach to new campuses and continued evaluation of student experiences and outcomes to strengthen the program's impact.

"By investing early in students and creating clear, supported pathways into medicine, the CMSP helps ensure all Californians have access to high-quality, culturally responsive healthcare," Teraguchi said.

Besides Teraguchi and Cofield, researchers at UC San Diego, UC San Francisco, Foundation for California Community Colleges, and UC Davis are coauthors on the study.

The title of the paper is "The Community College Path to Medicine: An Untapped Resource to Diversify and Improve the Future Physician Workforce."