UCSF Fresno celebrates 35 years of training pediatricians

FRESNO – UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program celebrates 35 years of training pediatricians this year. Many of the pediatricians trained at UCSF Fresno – about 42 percent - remain in the Valley to care for local infants, children, teens and young adults.

The 35-year anniversary will be recognized with a reception and awards ceremony Friday, Sept. 25 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the UCSF Fresno Center for Medical Education and Research (155 N. Fresno St.) in Fresno.

Alumni of the UCSF Fresno Pediatric Residency Program and current residents will attend the reception. UCSF Fresno Associate Dean Joan Voris, MD; Robert Dimand, MD, chair of the UCSF Fresno Pediatric Residency Program; and Robert Kezirian, MD, program director of UCSF Fresno Pediatric Residency Program, also will participate.

Distinguished alumni will be honored. UCSF Fresno leadership also will share plans to grow the residency program in the near future and address how pediatric residents will continue to serve the community.

Over the course of the three-year training program, pediatric residents participate in various community outreach programs, including working with local schools to provide free healthcare and sports clinics. Residents also provide home healthcare visits alongside the Fresno County Health Department and they promote early literacy through the “Reach Out and Read” program among many other activities.

UCSF Fresno, in partnership with Children’s Hospital Central California and Community Medical Centers, trains a total of 30 pediatric residents each year. The program emphasizes hands-on clinical training and community experiences that encourage research projects exploring local health issues such as Valley Fever and pediatric poisonings