This summer, our rising senior Doctors Academy students engaged in hands-on training, interactive simulations, and professional development activities designed to prepare them for both their final year of high school and future careers in healthcare. Over the course of six unique sessions, they connected with healthcare providers, practiced real-world clinical skills, and explored multiple medical fields. In addition, students received Narcan training, completed Teen Mental Health First Aid, and shadowed a healthcare provider for 10 hours each week over five weeks.
June 13 | Kick Off Day
Your journey to a medical career starts here.
We launched the summer with professional preparation activities including “forced networking,” handshake practice, and senior year expectation setting. Students learned the importance of first impressions and began building connections with peers, mentors, and staff.ched the summer with professional preparation activities including “forced networking,” handshake practice, and senior year expectation setting. Students learned the importance of first impressions and began building connections with peers, mentors, and staff.
June 16 | Fresno City College Nursing Day
Infection control, critical thinking, and no missed details.
FCC nursing day gave students a taste of clinical precision — practicing infection control, donning and doffing PPE, taking vitals, and navigating the “room of errors” where nothing was as it seemed.
June 23 | Family Medicine Day
From prevention to delivery and beyond.
Students rotated through stations on preventative care, breath sounds, injections, childbirth simulation, and even learned fire safety — reinforcing the idea that healthcare professionals care for patients in all settings.
June 27 | Kaiser Permanente Day
Mapping the road to medicine.
Students toured the Kaiser Permanente facility, learned about safety protocols, and explored the steps and dedication required to navigate the path to medical school.
June 30 | Emergency Medicine + Narcan Training Day
When every second counts.
In this high-intensity day, students participated in emergency simulations including running cardiac codes, intubation, ultrasound, and backboarding. They also learned how to recognize and respond to opioid overdoses with hands-on Narcan administration training.
July 7 | California Health Sciences University Day
A different lens on patient care.
Students explored osteopathic techniques, anatomy through augmented reality, and gained insights into medical school life from DA alumni now in their 4th year at CHSU.
July 14 | UCSF Fresno ASPIRE Medical Students
New skills and Teamwork under pressure.
In their final session, students learned suturing skills and collaborated in a medical escape room — putting critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork to the test
Thank you to all the hospitals, clinics and private offices that allowed Doctors Academy students to shadow and observe:
UCSF Fresno Faculty
Adventist Health (Caruthers East, Fowler, Hanford, Selma, Selma Central, and Riverdale)
Clovis Pediatric Group
Community Pediatric Specialists
Community Regional Medical Center
Costanzo Orthodontics
Fresno Dental Surgery Center
Fresno Economic Opportunity Commission
Inspire Health Medical Group
Kaiser Permanente (Fresno, Clovis, and Selma)
Robert Pauline Physical Therapy
South County Animal Hospital
Toribio Psychological Services
Valley Children's Hospital
Mentor Feedback
"It's important to give back." Brian Chinnock MD
"I love spreading awareness about the various professions within healthcare wot our your generation, and to give them a chance to explore early on, if they choose to pursue anything in healthcare." MP, NP
"I would like them to have the opportunity to experience day to day work of heatlhcare professionals and be able to makt the right decisions for their future." Dr Fard
"It seemed like a great opportunity for both the student and myself. I love providing a rewarding experience for students. I had a great experience and was thoroughly impressed with the program." Anonymous
"I want to inspire the next generation of mental health providers who may be interested in returning to practice in the Central Valley. I received lots of mentoring during my journey and am now wanting to pay it forward by mentoring others. " Dr. Toribio, Toribio Psychological Services
"I liuke being a positive influence iwth the younger generation. I look forwars to repeating this experience next year." Dr. Paul Ayson, Fresno Dental Surgery Center
Student Voices
Quotes from our students reflecting on their summer experience, what inspired them most, and how this program shaped their vision for the future.
This experience gave me a lot of insight as to how it is in direct patient care. As well as gave me more motivation to help others just as Dr Hinduja did for his patients. Sunnyside Student (Placement: Community Regional Medical Center)
It has meant the world to me. Coming into this experience I didn't know what could happen or what I was about to learn. They showed me lots of interesting things that I never thought I would experience. Working with these nurses, doctors. It has made me want to be in the medical field even more than I wanted to. Caruthers Student (Placement: Adventist Health)
The shadowing / mentoring experience meant to me an opportunity to get exposure into the medical field early on. It helped me open my eyes to the different medical career paths that they can have and the difference between a specialist and a primary doctor and the differences between them and their responsibilities that they have. My mentor was a great mentor. She encouraged me through my interested medical field. She was so proud that I was doing this, and I felt proud that I was I kept going and beyond. If the mentorship was longer, I would have been happy. I loved my mentor. Sunnyside Student (Placement: Kaiser)
It was such an eye-opening experience because healthcare isn’t just about medicine but it’s about meeting families where they are and helping everyone out. This is one memorable experience because it’s the start to the beginning of my journey of saving someone’s life. Caruthers Student (Placement: Community Regional Medical Center)
This shadowing experience truly has inspired me to continue with my dream to become a future medical physician. It has shown me what it means to have patients relying on you for their health. Another key thing that I’ll take from this experience is the education that each doctor provides to their patient. It was an eye-opening experience to see that doctors are not only medical professionals but they are also educators. Sunnyside Student (Placement: Community Regional Medical Center)
It has meant so much to me. My mentors taught me a lot and helped me out so much. I’m extremely grateful for them and I thank them for letting me shadow them. Caruthers Student (Placement: Adventist Health)
The shadowing experience will forever be a memorable event in my life. It truly helped me understand what pharmacy was and made me realize the different types of pharmacy there are in healthcare. I learned so much about the life of pharmacy, the connections with patients and the connection between co-workers! During my shadowing I felt so supported and well informed and never felt left out because of the mentors. They made me further want to pursue pharmacy in the future. The experience was like a push into healthcare and meant the world to me but most importantly it was all due to the people involved in my shadowing. Sunnyside Student (Placement: Community Regional Medical Center)
Because of this experience I was able to take a real-life glance into my future and for that I'm very thankful. Caruthers Student (Placement: Private Office)
My mentoring experience exposed me to not only the health disparities prevalent in the Central Valley but also how doctors can use their power in the medical field to help get rid of these health disparities by educating their patients so that the problems are prevented before they happen. Sunnyside Student (Placement: Community Regional Medical Center)
The shadowing experience will forever be a memorable event in my life. It truly helped me understand what pharmacy was and made me realize the different types of pharmacy there are in healthcare. I learned so much about the life of pharmacy, the connections with patients and the connection between co-workers! During my shadowing I felt so supported and well informed and never felt left out because of the mentors. They made me further want to pursue pharmacy in the future. The experience was like a push into healthcare and meant the world to me but most importantly it was all due to the people involved in my shadowing. Sunnyside Student (Placement: Community Regional Medical Center)
It helped expose me to things I never considered before, like actually seeing disparities instead of just hearing about them. Caruthers Student (Placement: Adventist Health)
I believe that this experience was very helpful to me. I gained a lot of resources and experience that will help me in the future. Sunnyside Student (Placement: Private Office)