Serving the underserved.

There is a continuing shortage of primary care physicians in this country, creating an urgent need for more family practitioners, general internists, pediatricians and obstetricians/gynecologists in many communities. The shortage of African-American, Hispanic, Native Americans and other underrepresented medical professionals in inner-city areas is particularly acute. Thus, recruiting and training a diverse workforce that represents the diversity of the patients being served in such communities is of utmost importance and ensures health equity across the continuum of care.

Over forty years ago, CUNY and City College decided to make a difference by developing the most unique physician and physician assistant training programs in the nation – The Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education. Since its founding in 1973, The Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, now known as the CUNY School of Medicine/Sophie Davis Biomedical Education Program continues its original mission to recruit underrepresented populations into medicine, increased medical services in underserved areas, and increased the availability of primary care physicians and physician assistants that reflect the diversity of our surrounding communities. This mission is currently served with an 85% enrollment rate of students from backgrounds that are Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM; e.g., African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American), greatly exceeding the current U.S. medical school average of 43%.

The CUNY School of Medicine encompasses an innovative accelerated BS/MD program that combines a Bachelor of Science degree and an M.D. degree in seven years and a 28-month Physician Assistant Program that leads to a Masters degree in P.A. Studies and eligibility to take the physician assistant national certification examination (PANCE).

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