Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) is a private, nonprofit, nonsectarian, medical and health sciences institution.  Located in the Watts-Willowbrook area of South Los Angeles, CDU has graduated more than 550 medical doctors, 2,500 post-graduate physicians, more than 2,000 physician assistants and hundreds of other health professionals.  CDU has earned designation as a minority-serving institution by the U.S. Office of Civil Rights, and its College of Medicine (COM) is recognized by the Department of Education (DOE) as a Historically Black Graduate Institution (HBGI as designated by Title III B). The University is a charter member of the Hispanic Serving Health Professions Schools, a national nonprofit dedicated to improving the health of Hispanic people through research initiatives, training opportunities, and academic development. CDU’s mission is to conduct education, research and clinical services in the context of community engagement to train health professionals who promote wellness, provide care with excellence and compassion, and transform the health of underserved communities.

CDU has evolved and grown, shaped by the needs of the community it serves.  The institution benefits from its location and the corresponding diversity and complexity of its population by creating an academic environment unlike any other.  Following nearly a decade of community-based advocacy for improved medical services, Charles R. Drew Postgraduate Medical School 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 in1987 to reflect its expanded academic role and identity. The University 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 sharing knowledge to benefit mankind is the inspiration for the University.