LIFE Program

The Longitudinal Integrated Fresno Education program is a fully integrated 6 month clinical clerkship provided for UCSF third year medical students. This clerkship was designed to address the core competencies for Family and Community Medicine, Internal Medicine, Neurology and Psychiatry. The course design addresses state licensure requirements for specific disciplines. LIFE students will reside in Fresno for the entire 6 month block, excluding a 2 week vacation, intersession, and holidays including Thanksgiving.

Mission:

To provide medical students with educational experiences which adapt to the changing healthcare delivery systems, underserved populations, evolving health information systems, and increase focus on patient-centered illness models.

The overarching goals of the program are to expose students to the unique blend of rural and urban underserved patient population that exists in the Central Valley. The students will be expected to gain an appreciation of the socioeconomic diversity of the area, and the impact this can have on health care delivery. Finally, additional experiences will be offered in Wilderness medicine, homeless shelters, and other unique opportunities available in the community.

Goals and Objectives:

Develop and explore longitudinal relationships between patients, students, teachers, and healthcare systems.
Experience the course of chronic illness, complexity of medical problems, impact of the patient’s socioeconomic experiences on their health and wellness.
Development of clinical reasoning skills through early introduction to patients with undiagnosed illnesses.
Explore the skills multi-dimensional skills needed to provide competent, compassionate, professional patient-centered care.
Individualize learning through close relationships with preceptors and perpetuate personal growth through relationships with advisors.

LIFE Testimonials

Link to Fresno Student Orientation site for additional information while in Fresno

http://www.fresno.ucsf.edu/medical-student-programs/orientation-to-fresno-outline/

Testimonials from LIFE School Students at the Annual End Dinner:

More Comments from our first LIFE graduates:

“We worked in the intern clinic and ran it the same way– seeing a few less patients–but staffed by the same preceptors. We made the plans. We wrote the prescriptions.”

“I really have felt part of a community here. A community with program directors with staff and also with the attendings and then the part that I am most proud of is that I became a community with Fresno.”

“I enjoy the underserved population in Fresno. I feel like I functioned as their doctor and I was contributing to that community.”

“It’s exceeded all our expectations in all aspects.”

“Definitely for people who want to develop medical Spanish, I highly recommend the LIFE program.”

“We were able to work with all the different attendings in neurology so we were able to see so many neurological diseases during our six months.”

“You learn a lot more about rapport with your patients, building relationships with attendings, staff, everyone else. In Family Medicine where there are OB and pediatric patients you get to see the kid kind of grow up a little bit. Selma is such a great site. I was able to see the moms before they had their baby and then I was able to see the baby when the baby was born and that was great…”