FRESNO – The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC), California State University, Fresno, University of California, Merced, and UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program are teaming up to help future doctors achieve their educational goals.
The Fresno State Foundation, on behalf of CVHEC, was selected recently to receive a Health Careers Training Program (HCTP) Mini-Grant through the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD). The $12,000 HCTP Mini-Grant enables CVHEC, Fresno State, UC Merced and UCSF Fresno to hold “Reaching Out to Aspiring Doctors (ROAD) for the San Joaquin Valley,” a comprehensive premedical conference, on Sept. 27, 2014, at the UCSF Fresno Center for Medical Education and Research. Up to 80 students from Fresno State and 80 students from UC Merced will be accepted to attend.
“This is a perfect example of higher educational institutions coming together to help students succeed as well as respond to a critical regional issue – in this case, the shortage of physicians that exists in the San Joaquin Valley,” said Barbara Hioco, executive director of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium. “The ROAD conference is a highly comprehensive and collaborative learning opportunity for students that will provide them with information, networking and experiences essential to becoming primary care physicians. The long-term aspiration is that the students will complete their medical education and provide culturally responsive medical care in the San Joaquin Valley.”
All students who are on the premedical tracks at Fresno State and UC Merced will be invited to apply to attend the ROAD conference. Students who are underrepresented in medicine in particular will be encouraged to apply.
A number of institutions, programs, departments and organizations are supporting the effort. ROAD partners include:
- Central California Center for Health and Human Services at Fresno State
- Central California Faculty Medical Group
- Central Valley Health Network
- Central Valley Higher Education Consortium
- College of Health and Human Services at Fresno State
- College of Science and Mathematics at Fresno State
- Educational Employees Credit Union
- Fresno-Madera Medical Society
- Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation at Fresno State
- Merced-Mariposa County Medical Society
- UC Davis School of Medicine
- UC Merced Health Sciences Research Institute
- UC Merced San Joaquin Valley Program in Medical Education
- UC Merced School of Natural Sciences Pre-Health Advising
- UCSF Fresno/Fresno State Health Careers Opportunity Program
- UCSF Fresno Latino Center for Medical Education and Research
- UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program
- UCSF Fresno Undergraduate Medical Education
CVHEC is one 24 organizations to receive an HCTP Mini-Grant. The purpose of the program is to strengthen the educational and social foundations for underrepresented and educationally disadvantaged students to pursue careers in the health industry. The Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development awarded more than $300,000 in the current HCTP Mini-Grant request for applications. For a complete list of funded projects, please visit: http://www.oshpd.ca.gov/hwdd/2014/HCTP/Intent_to_Award_Memo_134161.pdf
