THURS-043 - UC Davis School of Medicine: On a Mission to Transform the Primary Care Workforce
Thursday, April 23, 2026
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM PST
Location: Plaza Foyer, Plaza Level
Area of Responsibility: Area I: Assessment of Needs and Capacity Keywords: Health Equity@@@Workforce Development, Subcompetencies: 1.1.2 Identify priority population(s)., 4.5.2 Disseminate findings. Research or Practice: Practice
Workforce Program Coordinator UC Davis School of Medicine
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Describe the CHS pathway model and identify at least two strategies it uses to recruit and train students for rural and underserved clinical care.
Discuss at least two ways medical school pathways prepare future primary physician workforce to meet the needs of the nation’s diverse population.
Brief Abstract Summary: Learn about the UC Davis School of Medicine’s five Community Health Scholars (CHS) pathway programs which seek to address physician shortages, especially in primary care, in California’s rural, Central Valley, urban, and tribal communities. CHS programs are undergraduate medical education (UME) pathway programs focused on health equity, cultural humility, the clinical care of underserved communities, and providing individualized clinical experiences, mentorship, and leadership development for students.
Detailed abstract description: California faces a critical shortage and maldistribution of physicians, especially in primary care, fueling persistent health disparities across urban, rural, and underserved regions. This poster will demonstrate how mission-driven undergraduate medical education (UME) pathway programs can directly address this crisis by building a diverse, health equity-focused primary care workforce.
Attendees will gain insight into UC Davis School of Medicine’s Community Health Scholars (CHS) programs, which intentionally recruit and train students with a strong interest in caring for underserved communities. About 78% of CHS participants come from disadvantaged backgrounds, and 54% are first-generation college graduates. Through a longitudinal health equity curriculum, immersive clinical training in rural and underserved communities, and mentorship from a diverse faculty, CHS equips future physicians with the leadership skills, community engagement strategies, and resilience needed to serve where they are most needed.
We retrospectively reviewed Match specialty and location for CHS graduates. From 2011–2024, CHS produced 286 graduates, 65% of whom matched into primary care—defined as Family Medicine (33%), Internal Medicine (23%), or Pediatrics (9%). Importantly, 84% of graduates stayed in California for residency, contributing directly to the state’s physician workforce. Medical board data from 2021 further showed that CHS graduates are not only training in California but are also establishing practices in underserved regions, helping reduce inequities in access to care.
At a time when the primary care workforce shortage continues to worsen, medical schools need to be proactive in their approach. This poster offers examples for how UME pathway programs can be transformative – reshaping not only how students are trained, but also specialty match and where they practice. This poster will also provide tools for medical schools to advocate for and build similar programs within their own institutions, ultimately advancing health equity and strengthening the primary care workforce for the communities most in need.
