Now in its third year, Sutter Health’s multiyear academic partnership with Charles R. Drew University is helping medical students grow through compassionate patient care, research and mentorship.

When Kendal Reed began her first clinical rotation, she expected to be challenged by complex cases and unfamiliar environments. What she didn’t expect was a lesson that would shape the kind of physician she hopes to become.

While training alongside Sutter physicians in Northern California, the third-year Charles R. Drew University medical student saw firsthand that exceptional care is about more than clinical expertise. It is about the small moments that matter to patients and families.

“My mentors created a highly collaborative, respectful learning environment where knowledge gaps were viewed as valuable opportunities to learn rather than shortcomings,” Reed said. “Instead of feeling intimidated, I felt empowered to ask questions and stretch my clinical reasoning.”

One experience stayed with her.

“Seeing the physicians I trained with focus on the little things, like remembering a patient’s pet’s name or collaborating to get a patient healthy enough to make a cherished summer trip, demonstrated the kind of physician I strive to be.”

Reed is one of eight CDU students who completed clerkships this summer at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, and Sutter Roseville Medical Center. Their experiences reflect a growing collaboration between Sutter and CDU that helps prepare the next generation of physicians through hands-on patient care, mentorship and research opportunities.

The collaboration, now in its third year, is creating pathways for future doctors while reinforcing a shared commitment to compassionate, community-centered healthcare.

Making a Physician

Led by Dr. Peter Broderick, director of undergraduate medical education at Sutter and physician site director, the clerkships immerse students in patient care while helping them translate classroom learning into clinical practice across multiple specialties.

This year, clerkship students trained in neurology, pediatrics, surgery, family medicine and internal medicine. Building on last year’s rotations in neurology, pediatrics and surgery, the program expanded to include family medicine, internal medicine and a fourth-year surgery elective.

For CDU student Wanjiku Wambaa Dyer, the family medicine rotation cemented her decision to pursue a medical career in primary care.

“What stood out most was how welcoming and collaborative everyone was,” explains Dyer. “Seeing family medicine practiced across different environments gave me a new appreciation for the specialty. The experience gave me a clearer sense of the kind of physician I want to become.”

“Clerkships are where medical students begin turning classroom knowledge into patient care,” Dr. Broderick said. “By learning alongside physicians across a variety of specialties and care settings, they build the confidence they’ll carry into residency.”

Dr. Broderick is especially grateful to the excellent clinician-educators who volunteer their time to make this program such a success.

A Summer of Curiosity

The collaboration also introduces first-year CDU students to research through the CDU Scholars Program and Sutter’s Alliance for Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation.

Over eight weeks, eight students worked alongside Sutter physician-scientists and PhD research scientists on projects focused on clinical outcomes, chronic disease, quality improvement and other questions aimed at improving patient care. The summer concluded with oral presentations where students shared their findings with Sutter and CDU leaders.

Among the student researchers was Rivesto Lopez, who worked with Dr. Rashon Lane, senior health equity researcher, on a project examining how insurance status may influence outcomes for patients with heart failure.

His project is one example of how students are contributing to research that helps improve patient care.

“I am so honored to be working with Sutter,” Lopez said. “I’m unbelievably grateful because I know that investment isn’t just in me. It’s an investment in the people in my community. My goal is to return to the Central Valley as a physician and make a difference.”

Investing in What’s Next

“The strongest physician education doesn’t separate clinical care from research. It brings them together,” said Leon Clark, vice president of academic affairs at Sutter Health. “When students have the opportunity to care for patients, ask questions and pursue those questions through research, they develop the curiosity, critical thinking and compassion that will shape the future of healthcare.”

The CDU collaboration is one part of Sutter Health’s broader investment in academic medicine. Alongside the launch of the Mark and Mary Stevens School of Medicine and the continued expansion of graduate medical education programs, these efforts reflect a long-term commitment to developing physicians who will care for patients, serve their communities and inspire those who follow.