Launched in 2022, AvenueM is a collaborative community college to medical school pathway program focused on supporting students who are traditionally underrepresented in medicine (URiM) and increasing representational diversity among physicians in California. This new state initiative developed a transfer partnership between 13 participating community colleges, three four-year institutions, and the UC Davis School of Medicine to provide a guided transfer process and reduce barriers to the health professions for Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Hispanic or Latino, Filipino, Hmong, Cambodian, Lao, Mien, Vietnamese, and other URiM students. Starting at the community college level, accepted students—known as AvenueM Scholars—join a cohort of like-minded students and receive academic support and mentorship at every academic stage. Academic support or wraparound services offered by the program include professional development workshops, internship and clinical opportunities, specialized academic advising, summer residential bridge programs, Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) preparation courses, priority application review at UC Davis School of Medicine, and peer mentorship throughout the medical school application and matriculation processes.
