Innovative Pathways to Primary Care and Psychiatry
UC Davis School of Medicine partners with Kaiser Permanente Northern California and the County Medical Services Program (CMSP) to offer accelerated, community-centered medical education pathways designed to address California’s urgent need for primary care physicians and psychiatrists.
Message from the Executive Director
Alicia Gonzalez-Flores, M.D.
Executive Director, Accelerated Competency-based Education in Primary Care
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Executive Director, Rural Accelerated Competency-based Education in Primary Care & Psychiatry
Dear future student:
Your journey to becoming a primary care doctor begins here. Building long-lasting relationships with patients, understanding their needs, and providing essential care throughout their lives is incredibly fulfilling, and we are here to support you and guide you as you embark on this journey.
Our program is committed to excellence in medical education and patient care. We provide a rigorous academic curriculum, early hands-on clinical training with a longitudinal primary care preceptor, and a nurturing environment to help you develop the knowledge and skills necessary to become a compassionate primary care doctor.
Our mission is to address primary care physician shortages by training future primary care doctors who are committed to providing excellent and compassionate care for California’s diverse communities. Thank you for considering our program as the anchor for this next chapter in your journey to becoming a doctor. We are excited to welcome you to our family!
Accelerated Competency-based Education in Primary Care
3-Year Medical School with Primary Care Focus
The Accelerated Competency-based Education in Primary Care (ACE-PC) program allows a select cohort of students to complete their medical degree in three years instead of four, entering primary care practice one year earlier than traditional pathways.
The program recruited its first students in 2014.
Rural Accelerated Competency-based Education in Primary Care & Psychiatry
In the News: Recruiting Medical Students from Rural Areas
The Rural Accelerated Competency-based Education in Primary Care and Psychiatry (Rural ACE-PCP) initiative, launched in partnership with CMSP counties in 2025, focuses on preparing students from rural Northern California to serve their home communities as primary care physicians or psychiatrists through an accelerated three-year pathway.
The program is currently recruiting its first cohort of students for matriculation in 2026.