FRESNO – UCSF Fresno recently received approval to begin two new internal medicine fellowship training
programs in cardiology and pulmonary medicine. The fellowships, which begin in July, will expand the local
medical education program’s ability to address the shortage of physicians, particularly specialists, in the San
Joaquin Valley.
Fellowships offer specific training in an area of expertise beyond residency training and generally last two to
three years in length. Cardiology and pulmonary medicine are the areas of medicine that deal with the
conditions and diseases of the heart and lungs respectively – two health indicators prevalent in the Valley.
Previously, physicians completing the UCSF Fresno residency program had to go elsewhere for training in
these two subspecialties.
Adding to the good news and important to the approval of the new fellowships, UCSF Fresno’s internal
medicine program recently received a five-year accreditation, the highest level of accreditation available to a
residency program. Only 20 percent of residency programs receive the five-year accreditation cycle.
“UCSF Fresno is extremely pleased that our fellowships were accredited and we appreciate the confidence
that the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has placed in us to run a high-quality
educational program,” said Michael W. Peterson, MD, chief of medicine and endowed professor of medicine
at UCSF Fresno. “We also would like to thank Community Medical Centers and the Veterans Affairs Central
California Health System for their contributions to making these fellowships possible.”
The cardiology fellowship will be three years in length, with three fellows taking part each year. The
pulmonary program consists of two years with three fellows participating. Training will include inpatient
hospital care, ambulatory care, consultative care, and research time. Training will take place at Community
Regional Medical Center, the VA hospital in Fresno along with outpatient locations affiliated with UCSF
Fresno faculty members.
Potential fellows, some of whom currently are participating in UCSF Fresno’s residency program, will submit
paper applications this year. Next year, applicants will apply through the Electronic Residency Application
system, a web-based, nationwide application system.
To gain and maintain accreditation, residency programs and sponsoring institutions such as UCSF Fresno and
its seven residency programs must meet certain standards and requirements set by the Accreditation Council
for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The accreditation process takes place every two to five years,
depending on the strength of the residency program. A review committee determines the appropriate
accreditation based on a site visit and supporting documentation provided by the program. While accreditation
is voluntary, programs must be accredited to receive federal funds. In addition, medical residents must graduate from ACGME-accredited programs in order to take their board certification examinations. Furthermore, many states, including California, require physicians to complete an ACGME-accredited residency program to receive their medical license.
