An exhibition at the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California in Riverside celebrates the UC Riverside School of Medicine’s PRIME African, Black, and Caribbean Exhibit and the Black physicians who have worked to shape healthcare in the Inland Empire.

The institute held a grand opening reception on Thursday, March 26, that was attended by students, faculty, staff, and community members.

The UCR SOM Program in Medical Education (PRIME) is designed to produce physicians who are specifically trained to address the healthcare needs of the African, Black, and Caribbean (ABC) communities of Inland Southern California. It admits six students per year who begin with a two-week summer immersion program, then partner with ABC clinicians and organizations to gain experience throughout the course of their medical education.

The exhibit was created by Michelle Burroughs, DHA, MPH, who is an assistant clinical professor and director of community engagement in the Department of Social Medicine, Population, and Public Health and part of the PRIME administrative team. As part of the PRIME summer program, she began bringing students to the institute and it was during one of those visits that she was encouraged to create an exhibit to raise awareness about the PRIME program.

The exhibit includes photos and biographies of the four cohorts of students, personal reflections, and information about the impact of the PRIME Program in the local ABC community.

“They will learn the history of and see the amazing cohorts of students who have come into PRIME, and they will learn a little bit about their story, why representation matters, and how the School of Medicine is fulfilling our mission of creating the diverse workforce that is so needed in the Inland Empire,” Burroughs said.

“I hope they'll be inspired to see that the UCR School of Medicine is doing great things to cultivate future physicians who really care about the community, who want to make an impact, and who want to come back and serve their community members with high quality care,” she added.

Fourth-year medical student Brooke Malone, a member of the inaugural cohort who will be graduating in June and then going to Harbor UCLA in Torrance for her residency on obstetrics and gynecology, spoke at the event.

“This exhibit means so much to me,” Malone said. “The mission is what originally drew me to the program, having the opportunity to serve the ABC community. This program has exceeded my expectations, learning about the history of the African Black community within the Inland Empire as well as the community that we formed among our PRIME members as well.”

“Seeing this exhibit and reading about the dreams and the aspirations of my fellow cohort members, seeing the background of all of the members of the PRIME cohort, will truly inspire others who want to strive for this dream, and give them the confidence to know that they can do it too,” she added.

The exhibit is open on Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 5 pm through June 12. The institute is located at 3933 Mission Inn Ave., Suite 103 in Riverside. The Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California (CRIISC) is the marquee component of a 92,000 square foot project that also provides 72 units of urban workforce housing and a new home for the offices of the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County.