Message from the President

California University of Science and Medicine (CUSM) Community and Friends, 

Welcome to the 2025-2026 academic year. We are so excited to welcome our new MD students and Master of Biomedical Sciences Students. CUSM is a unique institution as our focus is 100 percent on education in the health sciences. The students in our MD and MBS programs receive the full attention of our growing number of faculty members. Our goal is to teach both the art and science related to healthcare, which can only be achieved through a personal, connected approach. 

The homebase for students is our modern campus in Colton, Calif. It houses a state-of-the-art modern research lab, an anatomy lab, a clinical skills and simulation center, a digital library, two lecture halls, classrooms, a study lounge, a fitness center, and student break areas. The newly built facility supports a world-class medical education. Additionally, we are steps away from our primary teaching hospital, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC), a designated Level I trauma center. ARMC operates a burn center, a primary stroke center, a behavioral health center, five primary care centers, four off-site Family Health Centers and more than 40 outpatient specialty care services. Our third- and fourth-year MD students spend much of their time in hands-on training at ARMC gaining exceptional skills they will take with them into their residency and long-term careers. 

CUSM has graduated four MD classes with all graduates receiving residency placements in coveted programs across the country. The Inland Empire is home to most of our students, faculty, and staff. I am thrilled that 33 percent of our recent graduates will perform their residencies in the Inland Empire.  

Our MBS program continues to draw highly qualified students from across southern California. The 10-month program provides a robust educational foundation for a variety of healthcare careers and enhances a student’s qualifications for medical programs such as a MD, DO, DDS, PhD, or other essential professions such as nursing, pharmacy, physician assistant, and biomedical technology. 

CUSM is poised for continued progress and achievement this year and into the future. We are on a solid path to full accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) during this academic year. We have recently launched the Center for Brain and Behavioral Health, opened the CUSM Health Clinic focused on neurological patient care, and continue to host the largest university-led research symposium in the Inland Empire. (I’m validating this statement with Hani and Wafa) 

I look forward to sharing the accomplishments of our students and faculty throughout the year as we continue to do what we do best: Educating and empowering the next generation of healthcare leaders for the Inland Empire, California, and beyond our state and national borders.  

I invite you to explore CUSM and engage with us as a student, donor, employee, and community member. 

Dr. Paul Lyons 
President and Dean