San Francisco may be one of the world's most beautiful cities, yet, for a UCSF medical student, there are good reasons to abandon the main campus for a time -- and not just to escape the chilly summer fog. A different kind of California can be found in the Central Valley, where the regional community of Fresno offers both rural and urban settings and a unique mix of underserved patient populations, ranging from Latino to Hmong. Students participating in the UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program also discover modern facilities, such as the state-of-the-art UCSF Fresno Center for Medical Education and Research, and a dedicated UCSF Fresno faculty, teaching hands-on medicine in small groups.

As many as 20-30 undergraduate medical students can be accommodated at any given time to explore opportunities such as:

Medical Spanish and Clinical Skills
• Available to first or second year medical students
• Scheduled for four weeks in the summer
• Provides practical conversational medical Spanish structured around basic skill building in physical examination
For more information, please contact Linda Alvarez

Four-Week Summer Rural Preceptorships
• Opportunities for first or second year medical students
• Gain full-time clinical experience in a preceptor's private practice
• Housing is provided. Student is awarded a $1000 stipend

Summer Research Program
• Summer research opportunities for medical students between their first and second year.
• The program lasts for eight weeks
• Students to work with a research faculty mentor on an area of need for improving the health care status of patient populations in the Central Valley.
• Housing is provided. Student is awarded a $2500 stipend

For more information on these two programs and on Model Fresno, please contact Sharon McClain

Model Fresno -- the Next Generation
For students who are serious about diversifying their medical education and broadening their horizons by learning about rural and urban underserved health care in the Valley. Model Fresno offers an outstanding opportunity for a more in-depth experience. The program includes:

• 6 months between August and February -- Blocks 3, 4 & 5
• Top Priority for 3 core clerkships in Fresno's popular "hands on" training programs, including surgery, pediatrics, OB/Gyn, FCM and
Psychiatry/Neurology
• Weekly Seminar and Experiential Series,patient-centered and student-focused, focusing on practical topics beneficial to a future career in rural or urban underserved medicine
• Work and care for diverse populations that have difficulties with access to health care
• Student housing in one of Fresno's most popular apartment complexes
• Travel allowance; meal allowance for "On Call" Nights

For those who would like to learn more about Model Fresno, there is a Fresno Information Meeting scheduled for:

Monday, January 8, 2007
11:00 am to 12:00 noon
Room HSW-300