On June 29, 2022, UCSF Fresno Associate Dean Michael W. Peterson, MD, and Assistant Dean Kenny Banh, MD, announced the development of an Office of Health Career Pathways within the Department of Undergraduate Medical Education to better coordinate and increase the success of existing and future pathway programs. Developing a high-quality undergraduate medical education for the San Joaquin Valley and a future medical school requires that enough highly qualified students from the region are available to be recruited into the program. Given the socio-economic challenges in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV), intentional programs are needed to help prepare students for careers as physicians and other health care roles. Emy Lopez Phillips, EdD, was appointed the inaugural Director to provide administrative oversight to all UCSF Fresno pathway programs. For more information, see press release.
The Health Career Pathways Office was established to:
- Improve efficiencies and financial stability by appropriately sharing resources across multiple domains focused on career pathways
- Develop a focus for philanthropic fundraising to support health career pathways for students from the San Joaquin Valley
- Improve our ability to do strategic planning and develop a sustainable financial model for this important work
- Provide a single point of contact within the UCSF Fresno regional campus to coordinate with area programs to enhance educational opportunities and increase economic impact in the region
- Better coordinate programs throughout the educational spectrum through four-year universities to support students interested in health careers.