The Story Behind COMET
Our History
From COMPADRE to COMET
COMET (California Oregon Medical Education & Training) Collaborative grew from a shared commitment to addressing physician workforce shortages and health inequities in rural, tribal, and underserved communities across California and Oregon.
Our story began in 2019 with COMPADRE, a regional medical education partnership that brought together medical schools, residency programs, community health centers, and community partners around a common goal: preparing and supporting physicians to serve the communities that need them most.
Six years later, that foundation of relationships, shared learning, and collaboration evolved into COMET—a growing, cross-sector collaborative connecting people and organizations across undergraduate and graduate medical education, public health, health systems, community health centers, and community-based organizations.
2019 — Where It Began
COMPADRE
COMPADRE emerged out of our concern to address persistent physician shortages in underserved urban, rural, and tribal communities that result in health disparities due to community members' limited access to adequate health care.
Funded by an AMA Reimagining Residency Initiative in 2019, COMPADRE aimed to transform the physician workforce by training physicians who are better prepared, more equitably distributed across the region, and deeply connected to underserved communities.
We share early lessons from COMPADRE: Training More Physicians for Medically Underserved Communities: The Power of Regional Medical Education Collaboratives Across the Training Continuum.
Learn more about the initiative through the AMA On24 Website.
Data source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation County Health Rankings: County Health Rankings
COMPADRE: Regionally-Focused Medical Education in California and Oregon
2019–2025
Six Years of Partnership and Progress
COMPADRE set out to break down historical silos, shifting the center of gravity in medical education from large academic institutions to the communities that need physicians the most.
Over six years, partners built a foundation for regional collaboration across the medical education continuum, creating shared resources, clinical training opportunities, mentorship, and relationships.
Additional Accomplishments
- Built a robust repository of shared resources for educator development, curriculum, admissions, and well-being.
- Developed and maintained a COMPADRE Community of Practice.
- Created new clinical rotations for students committed to underserved communities.
- Expanded participation to more than 150 medical students.
- Matched 19 students—approximately half of the first three graduating classes—into COMPADRE residency programs.
Lessons From COMPADRE
COMPADRE helped demonstrate the value of regional partnerships connecting medical schools, residency programs, community-based training sites, and the communities they serve.
Read the Published COMPADRE ArticleSeptember 2025
From COMPADRE to COMET
As COMPADRE's grant funding concluded in September 2025, partners recognized that the relationships, shared purpose, and collaborative infrastructure built over six years were worth sustaining.
That recognition marked the beginning of COMET—the California Oregon Medical Education & Training Collaborative.
The transition represented more than a new name. It created an opportunity to build on COMPADRE's accomplishments while welcoming additional partners, expanding cross-sector participation, and imagining new ways to work together.
COMET reflects movement, momentum, and a continued commitment to innovation in medical education and health equity.
COMET is both a continuation of COMPADRE's legacy and an opportunity to build something new, together.
Change Med Ed Spotlight: Melody Tran-Reina, MD, on COMPADRE
February–July 2026
Co-Designing COMET's Future
Building on six years of partnership, COMET entered a six-month co-design phase focused on collective learning, shared leadership, and intentional growth.
Following conversations with stakeholders, the collaborative invited partners to explore what COMET could become and what would be needed to support a sustainable, long-term collaborative.
The process emphasized listening, identifying shared priorities, assessing available resources, and creating opportunities for faculty, learners, and community partners to shape the future together.
COMET also welcomed new institutions, organizations, learners, and community voices beyond those previously involved in COMPADRE.
The Mothership + Pods Model
During the 2026 co-design phase, COMET used a collaborative structure designed to encourage meaningful participation without overburdening partners.
The Mothership
A small coordinating group supporting communication, alignment, and shared decision-making across the collaborative.
The Pods
Four topic-focused working groups bringing together faculty, learners, and partners from across institutions to explore opportunities and priorities.
The Four Co-Design Pods
Community & Connection
Annual conferences, communities of practice, and relationship-building across the collaborative.
Education & Training Opportunities
Rural and underserved clinical rotations, specialty exposure, and resources for learners and training sites.
Mentorship & Pathways
Mentorship across the student-to-resident- to-faculty continuum and sustainable health career pathways.
Scholarship & Visibility
Collaborative scholarship, shared projects, dissemination, and broader visibility.
Pods were co-led by faculty and learners, reflecting COMET's commitment to shared leadership and mentorship.
Goals of the Co-Design Phase
- Identify priorities for the next 6, 12, and 24 months.
- Assess feasibility, capacity, and resource needs.
- Develop actionable recommendations for future initiatives.
- Clarify the role of centralized coordination and shared infrastructure.
- Evaluate collective readiness for longer-term implementation.
Rather than assuming what the collaborative should become, COMET created space for partners to shape its direction together.
Looking Ahead
Continuing the Journey
Today, COMET builds on COMPADRE's foundation while bringing together a broader community of people and organizations committed to strengthening the physician workforce in rural and underserved communities.
Our work is rooted in the understanding that no single institution, program, or organization can address physician workforce shortages alone.
By connecting people, sharing resources, elevating community knowledge, and creating opportunities for collective action, COMET seeks to strengthen the partnerships that make sustainable change possible.
Be Part of What's Next
Whether you're a learner, educator, clinician, community organization, health system, or workforce partner, there's a place for you in the COMET community.
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