A new era for medical education

The KGI School of Community Medicine (SOCM) intends to build an innovative, integrated program that prepares physicians and other healthcare professionals to care for underserved and underrepresented communities. We will provide students with the skills to reduce disease burden, improve health, and prepare students for the significant scientific and technological changes already underway in healthcare itself. Our program is also a radically different approach to the education of healthcare professionals and physicians.

Partnering with L.A. Care Health Plan

L.A. Care Health Plan, the largest publicly operated health plan in the country, has long recognized the critical need for more health care professionals in Los Angeles County. In 2018, a shortage of primary care physicians working in the safety net led the health plan to launch Elevating the Safety Net.

The five-year, $155 million initiative is designed to help address the physician shortage through provider recruitment grants, a physician loan repayment program, and medical school scholarships. Since the launch, the initiative has grown to include support for new residency positions and various training programs. Through Elevating the Safety Net, L.A. Care is proud to offer financial support for Keck Graduate Institute’s new medical school and is excited about the new Master of Science in Community Medicine program.

KGI’s plan to recruit students from underserved communities will ultimately lead to more physicians and other health care professionals practicing in similar underserved communities all across L.A. County. These scholars will become culturally competent physicians who will one day provide high-quality health care to the communities where L.A. Care members live.