Grant will help CSUSB set up MD assistant degree

Cal State San Bernardino has received a $2 million grant that will help launch a program that will award a master’s degree in physician assistance.

The money, designated for teaching and laboratory equipment, is part of the appropriations package in the 2022-’23 U.S. fiscal year budget signed by President Biden in December, according to a statement on the university’s website.

Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-San Bernardino, and State Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Los Angeles, helped secure the funding. The program is expected to begin with 40 students in August 2025.

The Inland Empire has only 35 primary care physicians per 100,000 patients, well below the recommended 60 to 80 primary care physicians per 100,000 patients, according to the statement.

Recruiting for faculty and staff positions is expected to begin this month. The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant must still approve the program, according to the statement.