The UCSF School of Medicine’s San Joaquin Valley Program in Medical Education (SJV PRIME) seeks to recruit and train future physicians to address the unique health needs of the region’s diverse and underserved populations. Students admitted to the program spend their first 18 months of medical school in San Francisco, then transition to the Fresno regional campus for the remainder of their education. SJV PRIME’s curriculum is tailored to address health issues prevalent in the Valley and encompasses community engagement programs, core seminars, clinical immersion experiences, and robust mentorship and support. SJV PRIME incorporates the unique expertise of UCSF, UC Merced, and UCSF faculty at UCSF Fresno, as researchers, educators and leaders in the field of health care in the Valley.
All SJV PRIME medical students come from or possess close ties to the Valley, so they are particularly motivated to ensure that high-quality, comprehensive, and well-distributed medical care is available to every patient, regardless of geographic location, socioeconomic level, or life circumstance. SJV PRIME helps us “grow our own” by training students from the Valley, in the Valley, and for the Valley.
One of our exceptional students is Alyssa Marie Rivera from Fresno. Alyssa just completed her first year in SJV PRIME and is grateful for scholarship support from generous donors like you. In the following Q&A, she shares more about herself and the impact of scholarship support.
Please tell us a little about yourself and how you first became interested in medicine.
My mother was diagnosed with leukemia when I was young, and she received the best care at Cleveland Clinic Hospital. When we moved to Fresno, a severely medically under resourced community, my mother no longer had access to the specialists she required for her health. We had to travel three hours north for checkups, and I would often miss school. In college, I started learning more about the social determinants of health and challenges to care, which prompted my interest in medicine.
Why did you choose UCSF and what are you looking forward to training here?
I chose UCSF specifically because of SJV PRIME. This program allows me to go back to my home in Fresno for the second half of the program to complete my clinical rotations and help address the unique needs of my community as a physician.
What are your career goals or interests in medicine?
My current interest is in emergency medicine, pediatrics, and pediatric emergency medicine. I also hope to engage in public health work.
How would you describe the impact of your financial aid?
My financial aid has been a tremendous help. It has allowed me to focus on my school work and becoming the best physician I can be. Pursuing this profession has been rewarding, but also costly, especially coming from a family with only one working parent and two of us currently in medical school.
If you could thank donors personally, what would you say?
Thank you for investing in my future and the future of my community! I have dreams of reshaping health care and improving my hometown community of Fresno. You are not only helping one person become a physician, you are also helping support the future of an entire community! I intend to pass on the same kindness that you have shown me to others – now and in the future.
Establishing a new scholarship or giving to one that already exists lets you make a difference in the life of a talented, purpose-driven student who shares UCSF Fresno’s mission and culture of innovation, service, compassion, and collaboration. Your generous support helps ensure that the highest-quality medical education remains accessible to the most exceptional Valley students that mirror the diversity of the communities they will one day serve.
To learn more about how your gift to UCSF Fresno can help us continue the important work of educating the next generation of physicians for the Valley, contact Kathleen Smith, assistant director of development, UCSF Fresno, at (559) 499-6426 or [email protected].
