Campus to Welcome Students from UCSF Fresno Doctors Academy

Nearly 35 graduating students in the Doctors Academy Program at Sunnyside High School in Fresno are headed to UCSF on Wednesday. Campus to Welcome Students from UCSF Fresno Doctors Academy The UCSF School of Medicine will welcome a cadre of high school seniors who have completed a challenging four-year program designed to pique their interest in pursuing health sciences professions. Nearly 35 students will be participating in a day of seminars and recognition by UCSF for their completion of the program, which works to create a strong educational pipeline within the public schools in Fresno County by recruiting, mentoring and tutoring Latino students and other educationally disadvantaged students. The Doctors Academy is now in its eighth year at Sunnyside High School. Currently, about 160 students are enrolled in the program. The Doctors Academy, a UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program offering from the Latino Center for Medical Education and Research, seeks to increase the number of students who graduate from high school and to help them become competitive college applicants to health professional schools.

Sunnyside High School students learned about pathology during their visit to UCSF last year.

As part of the day, students will participate in a "Tension and Stress Relief for the College-Going Student" seminar, followed by a lesson on the causes of disease by Henry Sanchez, MD, professor of pathology. Through this hands-on lab experience, each student will have the opportunity to look at diseased organs and to learn about the ethical values and responsibilities of those who work in pathology, as well as the reverence that is provided to those individuals who donate their bodies to medicine and science. Alma Martinez, MD, a clinical professor of pediatrics, will meet with the students during a luncheon and congratulate them for their hard work in completing the seminar and continuing their pathway in the health care field. Martinez, who directs student outreach for the medical school, is herself a beneficiary of programs targeted to students. "As a young student, I was fortunate to participate in a program that motivated me to pursue a career in medicine," she says. "From my past experiences, I know these programs make a big difference for students. Anything I can do at UCSF to encourage students to consider careers in science and medicine is personally very satisfying." Doctors Academy graduates also will have an opportunity to meet UCSF medical students, who will share their own personal experiences. The event has been made possible by UCSF and the California Wellness Foundation. For more information, please contact Diana Cantu, Doctors Academy Program coordinator, at 559/253-6715. Photo/Christine Jegan Related Links: UCSF Students in the Valley: UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program
UCSF Today, December 13, 2006 UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program: Helping Disadvantaged Students Achieve Their Potential
UCSF Today, May 30, 2006 UCSF Fresno Sunnyside High School Doctors Academy