Dozens of rising seniors in the UCSF Fresno Doctors Academy (DA) programs at Caruthers and Sunnyside high schools in Fresno County spent five weeks of the summer shadowing physicians in the San Joaquin Valley.
The Summer Health Career Mentorship Program is intended to nurture the development of participating students to one day become health care professionals who will ultimately return to the San Joaquin Valley to provide culturally competent health care services.
Antonio Toribio, MD, a UCSF associate professor in the UCSF Fresno Department of Medicine mentored, 17-year-old Camila Hernandez from Caruthers High School. “I think it's very important to give back to the community, and the way I like to give back is through mentoring,” Dr. Toribio said. “If someone could learn through my experiences, that means the world to me because I feel like the more people see their faces in physicians, the easier it is for them to follow that path.”
Camila is enthusiastic about pursuing a career in health care and is grateful for the opportunity to shadow Dr. Toribio, and she accompanied UCSF Fresno medical residents on rounds at Community Regional Medical Center (CRMC) and checked up on patients.
“I've also been exposed to guest speakers and opportunities to visit campuses and programs that have inspired me to continue pursuing a career in medicine for sure,” Camila said. “It's been amazing. I've seen a lot of cool things and heard encouraging words from Dr. Toribio himself, and I'm just incredibly grateful for this opportunity.”
The Doctors Academy five-week summer clinical mentorship program is offered by the UCSF Fresno Office of Health Career Pathways (OHCP). The summer program includes workshops and hosts guest speakers to give students an in-depth study of health professional careers, college readiness, social justice, and hands-on skills development.
This year, 48 students and 10 UCSF School of Medicine faculty at the Fresno regional campus were matched. The students were placed at several health institutions including CRMC, Inspire Health Medical Group locations, Adventist Health, Kaiser Permanente, Valley Children’s Healthcare, Fresno Economic Opportunity Commission, and some private offices.
Stephanie Huerta Alvarez, manager of the UCSF Fresno OHCP department and a DA alumna herself, said her summer mentorship (years ago) was an inspiration to pursue a career she would not have otherwise been exposed to.
“We often hear from mentors themselves that they would have loved to have gotten this experience or simply had a mentor during these formative years of their lives,” said Huerta Alvarez. “Many of our mentors come from the same community as these students, look like them, and speak their languages.”
UCSF Clinical Professor of Family and Community Medicine at UCSF Fresno Arlin Venturina, MD, enjoyed mentoring Lykamae Alacar from Sunnyside High School, and in Lykamae, she saw herself when she was in high school.
“Many dream about going to college and becoming a physician, however when you actually see or step in that environment, it becomes more real,” Dr. Venturina said. “This experience gives the students the opportunity to be in that space where they are able to see the interactions in the medical field and they can envision themselves in those roles in the future.”
Dr. Venturina and Lykamae discovered they have a lot in common like raised by parents who were immigrants from the Philippines.
“Dr. Venturina is amazing. Her first approach to me was so warm and kind. I felt like she taught me every detail. Even when I didn’t ask a question, she would explain everything to make sure I was learning,” Lykamae said.
Drs. Venturina and Toribio hope to stay connected with their mentees and continue to provide mentorship if they desire.
The Doctors Academy program was founded in 1999 by Katherine Flores, MD, as a partnership between UCSF Fresno, Fresno Unified School District, and the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools.
Since 2003, 1,146 students have completed the program. Alumni from the DA are either working on their baccalaureate or master’s degrees, in medical school, completing a doctorate program, or practicing health professionals.
While DA serves only high school students, the OHCP has pathways and programming that also serve middle school, community college and university students.
For more information about the UCSF Fresno Doctors Academy, click here.
