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Leadership Education to Advance Diversity–African, Black and Caribbean (LEAD-ABC)

Lead-ABC group

Leadership Education to Advance Diversity–African, Black and Caribbean (LEAD-ABC) is a UCI School of Medicine mission-based program aimed at producing future physicians who are committed to addressing the health needs of African, Black and Caribbean communities in California, the United States, and beyond.

LEAD-ABC is the first medical school program in the nation designed to specifically develop physician-leaders who will serve the unique health needs of ABC communities. The program was founded by Dr. Carol Major, Assistant Dean for Student Inclusive Excellence, Dr. Khanh-Van Le-Bucklin, Vice Dean for Medical Education, and Kaosoluchi Enendu, UC Irvine School of Medicine medical student (Class of 2021), and its core objectives are driven by the following:

Vision: To develop the next generation of physician-leaders who are committed to public service, social justice and advocacy within ABC communities.

Mission: To train and support students in medicine as they become medical professionals who will work to reduce healthcare disparities in ABC and other underserved communities.

Listen to an episode of the UCI Podcast with Dr. Carol Major and Kaosoluchi Enendu to learn more about the origins of the LEAD-ABC program and its sucesses so far.

 

How to Apply​ »

To apply to the LEAD-ABC program, you must first apply to the UCI School of Medicine MD program through the AMCAS application system.  If invited for a secondary application, you will have the option to express your interest in LEAD-ABC and complete the program supplementary questions.

For more information, please contact LEADadmin@hs.uci.edu

Program Goals and Objectives »

Upon graduation, students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate knowledge of the unique health concerns affecting ABC communities
  • Conduct culturally sensitive history and physical exams of patients from an ABC community
  • Develop a service-learning project that examines and addresses health disparities that disproportionately affect ABC communities
  • Serve as mentors and future leaders who will advance the provision of quality care to ABC communities
Curriculum Schedule »

Lead-ABC practiceFirst and second years

In the first and second years of medical school, students enroll in LEAD ABC courses designed to expand students’ knowledge, abilities, and confidence in addressing the needs of ABC patients and populations in clinical and community settings.

LEAD-ABC scholars will gain from interdisciplinary partnerships with the Department of African American Studies, UC Irvine Schools of Nursing, Public Health and Pharmacy as well as UC Irvine Health patients, and other volunteer faculty and community content experts. Representative topics include:

  • Imposter Syndrome
  • Community Engagement and Capacity Building
  • Health Disparities
  • Public Speaking Skills 

In addition to the above sessions, LEAD-ABC scholars will engage in a longitudinal clinical clerkship as a part of the Patient Centered (PACE) Clerkship, which begins in the second half of the first year, at a site that serves patients from ABC communities, and/or a provider from an ABC community.

Third and fourth years

In the third year, LEAD-ABC medical scholars’ rotations are primarily in Long Beach hospitals and clinics, and students continue to attend community experiential learning lessons (CELLs) and evening reflection sessions as their schedule permits.

In the fourth year, LEAD-ABC scholars spend at least four weeks at a healthcare site that serves ABC patients or communities.

Faculty mentors linked to LEAD ABC scholars as early as their first year provide career guidance and shadowing opportunities, and learning support is available as needed.

Program Directors »

Carol A. Major, MD 
Program Co-Director, LEAD-ABC
Assistant Dean for Student Inclusive Excellence
Director, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine
Clinical Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology

Candice E. Taylor, MD, MPH
Program Co-Director, LEAD-ABC
Associate Program Director, UCI-CHOC Pediatric Residency Program
Associate Clinical Professor, Pediatrics

Program Advisors »

Khanh-Van Le-Bucklin, MD
Program Advisor, LEAD-ABC
Vice Dean, Medical Education
Clinical Professor, Pediatrics

Douglas M. Haynes, PhD
Vice Provost for Academic Equity, Diversity
and Inclusion
Director, ADVANCE Program
Director, Medical Humanities Inter-School Excellence Initiative 
Professor, History

Melitza J. Cobham-Browne, MD
Division Chief, General Pediatrics
Clinical Professor, Pediatrics

Program Faculty and Mentors  »

Douglas M. Haynes, PhD
Vice Provost for Academic Equity, Diversity
and Inclusion
Director, ADVANCE Program
Director, Medical Humanities Inter-School Excellence Initiative 
Professor, History

Melitza J. Cobham-Browne, MD
Division Chief, General Pediatrics
Clinical Professor, Pediatrics

Autumn Ivy, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Physiology/Biophysics
Fellow, Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory

Nakia Best, PhD
UCI School of Nursing

Tiffany Willoughby-Herard, PhD
UCI African American Studies
School of Humanities

John Murillo III, PhD
UCI African American Studies
School of Humanities

Rajagopalan Radhakrishnan, PhD
UCI African American Studies
School of Humanities

Oladele Ogunseitan, PhD
UCI Program in Public Health

Carol A. Major, MD 
Program Co-Director, LEAD-ABC
Assistant Dean for Student Inclusive Excellence
Director, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine
Clinical Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology

Candice E. Taylor, MD, MPH
Program Co-Director, LEAD-ABC
Associate Program Director, UCI-CHOC Pediatric Residency Program
Associate Clinical Professor, Pediatrics
Khanh-Van Le-Bucklin, MD
Program Advisor, LEAD-ABC
Vice Dean, Medical Education
Clinical Professor, Pediatrics
Medical Student Representatives  »
  • Kaosoluchi Enendu
  • Kelley Butler

For more information, please contact us at:

LEAD-ABC
UCI School of Medicine
Medical Education Building
836 Health Sciences Road
Irvine, CA 92697-4089
Phone: 949-824-4614
Email: SOMDiversity@hs.uci.edu