UCSF Fresno Doctors Academy Programs Celebrate Graduating Students

FRESNO – Sixty‐four Doctors Academy students will graduate this June from the University of California, San Francisco Fresno Doctors Academy programs at Caruthers, Selma, and Sunnyside high schools. Twenty‐one students make up the graduating Doctors Academy class at Caruthers, 19 students will graduate from the program at Selma, and 24 students will graduate from the program at Sunnyside High School.

All graduates will continue their education at post‐secondary institutions in the fall. Nineteen percent will enter a University of California campus; nine percent will enter a private university; 55 percent will enter a California State University campus, with 89 percent of those students planning to attend Fresno State. Seventeen percent of graduates will enter a local community college with the intent to transfer to a four‐year university.

Awards ceremonies will be held at each Doctors Academy campus to honor the graduates and to announce the recipients of various awards. Ceremonies will be held:

Wednesday, May 10, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
Selma High School, Dining Hall, 3125 Wright Street, Selma

Thursday, May 18, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
Caruthers High School, Gymnasium, 2580 W. Tahoe Street, Caruthers

Wednesday, May 17, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
Sunnyside High School, Theater, 1019 S. Peach Avenue, Fresno

The following awards will be announced:

  • UCSF School of Dentistry Pre‐Dental Scholars Award: Recipients will be eligible to receive special consideration for an admissions interview at the UCSF School of Dentistry, if at the time of college completion, the student meets the minimum standards that include a 3.6 cumulative grade point average (GPA); a minimum 18 score on the Dental Admissions Test, and a complete application to the UCSF School of Dentistry.
  • UCSF School of Medicine Scholars Award: Recipients will be included among the select group of applicants who are invited for interviews with members of the UCSF School of Medicine Committee on Admissions, if upon completion of college, they meet the minimum 3.5 GPA in undergraduate course work, the composite score of 30 or more on the Medical College Admissions Test, with a score of at least 9 on each subsection, and a complete application to the UCSF School of Medicine.
  • Scholarships from Local Community Sponsors: Select Doctors Academy students will receive scholarships from local community sponsors who continue to support the Doctors Academy and its students’ academic accomplishments and service to the community.
  • “Selma’s” Doctors Academy Scholarship Award: Hande Ozdinler, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, bestowed a scholarship to the Selma High School Doctors Academy in honor of her late mother Mrs. Selma Ozdinler. “Selma’s” Doctors Academy Scholarship” was inspired by a family trip to Los Angeles during which Dr. Ozdinler noticed the City of Selma, Selma Park and Selma Street, all of which share her mother’s name. Ozdinler dedicated the scholarship in remembrance of her mother who passed away two years ago and the kindness she demonstrated throughout her life. Three $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to three 12th grade students at Selma High School who are currently enrolled in the Doctors Academy.

“The dedication and commitment from our school sites and community partners are the catalysts that allow us to offer students and their families a wide range of services and opportunities for academic excellence and clinical mentorship experiences,” said Katherine A. Flores, MD, director of the UCSF Fresno Latino Center for Medical Education and Research. “It is because of the collaborative efforts of these strong partnerships that the Doctors Academy students continue to attain their academic goals and are successful applicants to colleges and universities, most with continued aspirations to enter a health profession. We are extremely proud of all our students’ accomplishments and look forward to having them join our Central Valley’s health care provider team in the future.”