More than 100 physicians graduated recently from UCSF Fresno. About half are staying in the Valley. Some of the graduates overcame obstacles, found love and planted roots, literally.
Andres Anaya, MD, a Fresno native, Hoover High School alum and graduate of the UCSF School of Medicine is among the new physicians. Dr. Anaya’s path to becoming a physician was anything but typical. Both of his parents are deaf and at the age of five, he began translating for the family. American Sign Language was his first language. In high school, he was told college wasn’t for him. Fast forward to today, Anaya is completing residency training in emergency medicine and will stay in Fresno to care for patients.
Jaimie Brandley, DO, graduated from Marin High School in Novato, went to UC San Diego and graduated from medical school at Touro University. A love for science and teaching and a desire to merge the fields motivated her to become a physician. Dr. Brandley completed medical student rotations at UCSF Fresno and returned for residency. She is completing residency training in pediatrics and will join UCSF Fresno as faculty to teach future doctors. While in Fresno, Brandley met the “love of her life” and married him. Husband Kelty Lanham is an F-18 pilot currently stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore.
Karndeep Samran, MD, graduated from Madera High School, attended UC Berkeley and earned a medical degree from Michigan State. Dr. Samran grew up on his family’s small vineyard in Madera and originally planned on a career in agriculture. He soon learned he preferred working with people and switched to medicine, specializing in psychiatry. Throughout residency training, he tended plants on the family vineyard each morning then headed to Fresno to care for patients. Samran will grow his roots locally by working in the substance use department at the VA Central California Health Care System in Fresno.
UCSF Fresno has been training and retaining physicians in California’s San Joaquin Valley since 1975.
