Rooted in Purpose

Rising in Medicine

The 2026 Southern California Medical Student Summit will take place from Friday, September 25th through Sunday, September 27th, 2026. The second annual gathering will feature educational workshops focused on health equity and professional development, while fostering a collaborative space for community-building across Southern California medical schools. By creating infrastructure for connection and fellowship, participants will engage in meaningful discussions on navigating and overcoming challenges as individuals underrepresented in medicine (URiM). Attendees will also have the opportunity to network with peers, physicians, and residency program representatives from across the country. In addition, the summit will host a research poster session showcasing student-led projects aimed at addressing health disparities and expanding educational opportunities for those underrepresented in medicine. This year’s theme, Rooted in Purpose, Rising in Medicine: The Next Generation of Physician Leaders, reflects the summit’s commitment to aligning purpose across institutions while empowering future physicians to rise as impactful leaders in medicine.

As a sponsor or exhibitor you have a unique opportunity to engage directly with a talented and diverse community of emerging physician leaders in Southern California. The Summit provides a powerful platform to build meaningful connections, elevate your brand, and actively contribute to advancing equity in healthcare. Whether your goal is recruitment, outreach, or strategic partnership, your presence will not only position your organization at the forefront of change, helping to shape the future of medicine.

BACKGROUND

In 2024, students from Charles R Drew University (CDU) and Science, University of California, UC Riverside School of Medicine, USC Keck School of Medicine, UCLA/Drew, and Kaiser Permanente Bernard J Tyson School of Medicine (KPSOM) banded together to establish an inaugural two day summit for Black medical students in Southern California. This summit highlighted a number of workshops and opportunities for community-building and professional networking. The cross-institutional summit hosted forty-six (46) Medical Student Attendees across the six institutions in Southern California.

Additionally the summit highlighted notable keynote speakers speakers;

Day 1 - Building Our Community 

Student Dialogues 

Claudia Fegan, MD - Journey to Singlepayer

Town Hall Forum 

Day 2 - Building a Plan of Action

Fireside chat w/ Tamia Jones

Aboubacar Kaba, MD and Asha Ayub, MD - Labor in Medicine: Advocacy Through CIR/SEIU

Vickie Mays, PhD - If Black Lives Matter Show Me Through Your Policies: Inclusive Policy Development Does Matter

Bita Amani, PhD - Beyond the Biomedical: Reproductive Justice and the Fight for Black Self-Determination

Cortez Johnson - Let's Talk About Sex: Sexual Health  Communication from the Classroom to the Clini

Ndindi Kitonga, PhD - Abolitionist Networks & Liberatory Approaches to Community Care

LaShyra Nolen, MD and David Turner III, PhD - Unpacking Black Excellence in Medicine - Accessing Power or Power Accessing You?


ABOUT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA…

There are currently eleven (11) medical schools in Southern California: David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine, California University of Science and Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, UC Irvine School of Medicine, UC Riverside School of Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, USC Keck School of Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences – College of Osteopathic Medicine.


Our Team

Nnenna Obih

Summit Chair

Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine

Kristina Foreman

Summit Chair

Keck School of Medicine, USC

Eunice Lamothe

Finance

Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine

Nnenna Obih

Summit Chair

Medical Student; Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine

Nnenna Obih

Summit Chair

Medical Student; Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine

Kristina Foreman

Summit Chair

Keck School of Medicine, USC

Nnenna Obih

Summit Chair

Medical Student; Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine

Eunice Lamothe

Finance

Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine

Nnenna Obih

Summit Chair

Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine

Nnenna Obih

Summit Chair

Medical Student; Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine

Nnenna Obih

Summit Chair

Medical Student; Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine

Nnenna Obih

Summit Chair

Medical Student; Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine