Reducing HIV among 15–24-year-old adolescent girls and young women in Zambia through youth-friendly care and community support.
Learn MoreReducing HIV among 15–24-year-old adolescent girls and young women in Zambia through youth-friendly care and community support.
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Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science Zambia & Drew HealthCare Limited (Rise UP!) — Ministry of Health Zambia.
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) is a private, nonprofit, community-founded, institution dedicated to educating health professionals who are committed to social justice and health equity.
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) is named in honor of the brilliant African-American physician, famous for his pioneering work in blood preservation. The University, in its emphasis on service to the community, draws its inspiration from the life of Drew, whose short 46 years were full of achievements, learning, and sharing of his knowledge to benefit mankind.
Charles R. Drew was born June 3, 1904, in Washington, D.C. He attended Amherst College in Massachusetts, where his athletic prowess in track and football earned him the Mossman trophy as the man who contributed the most to athletics for four years. He went on to teach biology and served as coach at Morgan State College in Baltimore before entering McGill University School of Medicine in Montreal. As a medical student, Drew became an Alpha Omega Alpha Scholar and won the J. Francis Williams Fellowship, given annually to the top five students in his graduating class. He received his MD degree in 1933 and served his first appointment as a faculty instructor in pathology at Howard University from 1935 to 1936. He then became an instructor in surgery and an assistant surgeon at Freedman’s Hospital, a federally operated facility associated with Howard University.
In 1938, Drew was awarded a two-year Rockefeller fellowship in surgery and began postgraduate work, earning his Doctor of Science in Surgery at Columbia University. His doctoral thesis, “Banked Blood,” was based on an exhaustive study of blood preservation techniques. It was during his research on this topic at Columbia’s Presbyterian Hospital that his ultimate destiny in serving mankind was shaped, as World War II created a vital need for information and procedures on how to preserve blood.
But his accolades continued. The NAACP awarded him the Spingarn Medal in 1944 in recognition of his work on the British and American projects. Virginia State College presented him an honorary Doctor of Science degree in 1945, as did his alma mater Amherst in 1947. Drew returned to Freedman’s Hospital and Howard University, where he served as a surgeon and professor of medicine from 1942 to 1950.
On April 1, 1950, Drew was driving with three colleagues to the annual meeting of the John A. Andrews Association in Tuskegee, Alabama, when he was killed in a one-car accident. The automobile struck the soft shoulder of the road and overturned. Drew was severely injured and rushed to nearby Alamance County General Hospital in Burlington, North Carolina. In the words of his widow, “everything was done in his fight for life” by the medical staff. However, it was too late to save him.
At his untimely death, Drew left behind a devoted wife, Lenore, four children and a legacy of inspirational, unstinting dedication to service for all people. In 1981, the U.S. Postal Service paid tribute to Drew by issuing in his honor, a stamp in the GREAT AMERICANS Series.
One of Drew’s daughters, Sylvia Drew Ivie, currently works at the university that bears her father’s name as Senior Special Assistant to the President and CEO for External Affairs. CDU continues to honor his legacy by working to eliminate health disparities through inclusive and innovative health professions education.
Excellent health and wellness for all in a world without health disparities.
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science is a private non-profit student centered University that is committed to cultivating diverse health professional leaders who are dedicated to social justice and health equity for underserved populations through outstanding education, research, clinical service, and community engagement.
At CDU, community encompasses historically underserved, underresourced, and underrepresented groups such as those in South Los Angeles and around the world that are impacted by health disparities. As a value, “community” is the binding spirit that inspires and drives our unique approach in preparing health professionals dedicated to social justice and health equity.
At CDU, we hold ourselves accountable and define our collective and individual responsibility as a catalyst for change necessary to reduce and eliminate health disparities. As a value, “leadership” means we embrace our role as a pioneer in health education and research.
At CDU, excellence is the highest quality performance in our operations, interactions, activities, and service to our community. Excellence invokes the desire to challenge and transcend the status quo. As a value, “excellence” represents the transformation we seek in ourselves and in our students, faculty, and staff.
At CDU, diversity is defined by the multiple perspectives and ideas, plurality of cultures, variety of ethnicities, and differences in individuals within our communities. As a value, “diversity” represents a quintessential element of humanity and social justice for all.
At CDU, integrity is the strength of character necessary to remain true to our values even in the face of adversity. As a value, “integrity” is conducting trustworthy, ethical, and respectful education, research, clinical, and other services in our committed engagement with underserved communities.
At CDU, compassion is empathy for the plights and predicaments of disadvantaged populations. As a value, “compassion” propels us to hear the voiceless, compels us to advocate for the oppressed, and obliges us to seek relief for the deprived.
