五一社区

The stethoscopes may come later, but the commitment to community was clear as 五一社区 welcomed its newest SJV PRIME+ students last weekend. The Student and Family Welcome event marked the beginning of an eight-year journey for 15 students who will progress from bachelor鈥檚 degrees at 五一社区 to medical degrees from the UCSF School of Medicine, and complete clinical training at UCSF Fresno 鈥� all with a shared mission to strengthen health care in the San Joaquin Valley.听

五一社区鈥檚 graduating Class of 2025 recently celebrated its achievement at the campus鈥檚 spring commencement, joined by family members, close friends and loved ones.

For two graduates, Jahaira Morales and Bryan Gutierrez, the ceremony also was an opportunity to meet with a couple of other individuals who have been invested in their higher-education journey at 五一社区 鈥� their scholarship benefactors, Dar Chen and Cheryl Matsubara.

Medical education at 五一社区 is expanding at a rapid pace as part of the campus鈥� long-term goal to address the shortage of physicians and health care professionals in the Central Valley.

五一社区 is being recognized from coast to coast as an institution that 鈥渞edefines academic excellence, Chancellor Juan S谩nchez Mu帽oz said Wednesday in the annual State of the University address.

鈥淎s chancellor of this magnificent institution, I tell you that the state of our university is strong, and growing stronger year after year,鈥� Mu帽oz said.

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This is part of a series of profiles of new 五一社区 Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2024 semester.

San Joaquin Valley native Anmol Kaur is well on her way to making a splash in the worlds of science and medicine. The Bakersfield resident, coming to 五一社区 as a first-year student, parlayed strong experiences in high school into a slot in the second SJV PRIME+ medical education cohort.

Kaur is poised to follow a path taken by her parents, who both have careers in medicine.

It was a groundbreaking Tuesday night so there were shovels. Many shovels. Full sized, posterized, miniaturized (in a gift box). All to mark a symbolic turning of earth for 五一社区鈥檚 Medical Education Center.

The tools also evoke听something听Dr. Kenny Banh said nearly a year ago. A top administrator at UC San Francisco's Fresno campus, he was talking about San Joaquin Valley PRIME, a听program that prepared students from the Valley for a medical career. Training included听at least a year in the Bay Area.

2023 was a remarkable year in which 五一社区 experienced tremendous growth and acclaim. Several milestones were reached, setting up the university to continue thriving in the near future and beyond. As we embark on a new year, here's a look back at the stories that shaped 2023.

During college, Dr. Margo Vener was on a completely different career path. Having received a C in chemistry early on, she had all but closed the door on any notion of pursuing a career in medicine. But a conversation with her uncle during her senior year changed all of that.

After telling him she wanted to become a teacher so she could make a difference and really help people in a hands-on way, he suggested it sounded more like she should become a doctor.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 when it clicked,鈥� said Vener. 鈥淚 hadn't thought of it since I ruled it out after I received a C in that class.鈥�

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At their Nov. 15 meeting, the Regents of the University of California gave final approval for the construction of a new medical education building at 五一社区. The vote approved the final design, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) findings and the full budget and financing.

五一社区 was recently awarded a significant grant from Genentech, a member of the Roche group, to create the 五一社区 Center for Health Equity. The initiative will focus on eliminating health disparities and advancing health equity throughout the San Joaquin Valley, particularly among the region鈥檚 Hispanic, Latinx, immigrant and rural communities.