UC Davis School of Medicine

It’s mid-June at the UC Davis School of Medicine, which means the first group of students has arrived!

These six impressive students will attain their MD degree in just three years through ACE-PC, the Accelerated Competency-based Education in Primary Care. This is the only accelerated program of its kind on the West Coast. Its purpose is to more quickly prepare primary care doctors, so they can enter the workforce sooner.

During their first week of medical school, the future physicians learned how to perform physical exams from their internal medicine mentors, Alicia Gonzalez-Flores, Marisol Solis and Mark Henderson. They’ll put those skills to use sooner than most traditional students as they begin caring for patients at outpatient clinics in Sacramento under the guidance of Kaiser Permanente and UC Davis Health physicians.

This year's cohort also marks an exciting milestone: ACE-PC now includes two students committed to practicing in rural areas, part of the Rural ACE-PC pathway.

We wish a warm welcome to the ACE-PC Class of 2029: Aileen Kimm, Jenny Luu, Lin Nash, Bryce Nguyen, Abigail Smith and Charlotte Zhang.

We’re so glad you’re here!

Image description: Six students stand side by side in a clinical room, posing for a photo while wearing their white coats for the first time.

Thank you to the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center for hosting the UC Davis School of Medicine’s Office of Wellness Education’s (OWE) convening in Bellagio, Italy, focusing on “Food is Medicine” in promoting well-being and resilience in April.

Scott Fishman, OWE executive director, Emily Sheldon, OWE director, and their team led an assembly of global experts on food, health and curriculum in aligning a shared vision of well-being and well-care within whole health care, and the wide-reaching role of food.

For over 60 years, The Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center has brought together a multifaceted group of trailblazers, changemakers and champions from around the globe to turn bold ideas into lasting impact. We are grateful to join them and our international partners in efforts to create healthier communities worldwide!

Image description: A group of 19 people stands in two rows in front of a historic stone building at the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center in Bellagio, Italy. The building behind them features a textured stone facade, dark green shutters, and a dark green door.

Our fourth-year medical students are bringing skin cancer prevention straight to local classrooms!☀️

Linh Tran and Conan Lee, rising MS4's and co-founders of the School of Medicine UV&Me chapter, visited Arthur A. Benjamin Health Professions High School in Sacramento to talk with students about protecting their skin. They covered the risks of UV exposure and tanning, how to spot concerning skin changes and simple ways to stay safe in the sun.

“As someone who grew up in a community where preventive skin health education was not always emphasized or presented in an accessible way, it means a lot to me to help bring this information directly to students. Through UV&Me, I hope to make sun safety feel practical and empowering while also showing students that medicine can extend beyond the clinic through education, prevention, and community outreach," said Linh, Class of 2027 medical student.

UV&Me's local chapter, founded by Linh, Conan and recent graduate Aneri Patel, is a part of a national initiative focused on early education and prevention. This visit marked their first school event, with plans to expand to more Sacramento-area schools this academic year.

Their goal is to make sun safety education accessible, interactive and relevant to students’ everyday lives, while increasing awareness about skin cancer prevention at an earlier age.

Image description:
1: Two people in red shirts stand at the front of a classroom with a presentation.
2: A wider view of the classroom shows students in their seats, facing the front of the presentation.
3: A person in a red shirt stands at the front of a classroom.

Did you know that in addition to our regular curriculum, our School of Medicine offers several unique Community Health Scholars Pathways, each with a specific focus?

These innovative initiatives in medical education are designed to improve the health of California’s diverse communities, especially in rural areas or historically medically underrepresented communities experiencing physician shortages.

Here’s a quick look at the pathways:
• ACE-PC: a 3-year accelerated track for students committed to primary care
• REACH-PRIME: expands care and training opportunities in the Central Valley
• Rural-PRIME: focuses on training physicians for rural communities
• TEACH-MS: prepares students to serve urban underserved populations
• Tribal Health PRIME: dedicates caring for California’s tribal communities
• ARC-MD program: a 5-year pathway program designed to prepare physician scientists
• M.D./Ph.D. program: combines medical training with advanced research

These different pathways were well represented at the commencement ceremony on 5/16, celebrating the Class of 2026!

Read more about the impact from the School of Medicine's 55th commencement: https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlines/uc-davis-school-of-medicine-celebrates-its-largest-graduating-class/2026/05

Image description:
1: Three people in the ACE-PC program in academic regalia and gold stoles stand, posing for a photo in front of a brick wall.
2: A group of REACH program graduates in academic regalia and gold stoles stands, posing for a photo in front of a brick wall.
3: A group of Rural-PRIME program graduates in academic regalia and gold stoles stands, posing for a photo in front of a brick wall.
4: A group of TEACH-MS program graduates in academic regalia and gold stoles stands, posing for a photo in front of a brick wall.
5: A group of ARC-MD program graduates in academic regalia and gold stoles stands, posing for a photo in front of a brick wall.
6: Two people in the MD/PhD program in academic regalia and gold stoles stand, posing for a photo in front of a brick wall.

"Stop asking yourself, 'Am I doing good enough?' and start asking yourself, 'Am I doing enough good?' One is about your ego, and one is about your impact," said pediatric gastroenterologist and commencement speaker, Paul Tran, at the 55th Commencement Ceremony this past Saturday.

What's next for our doctors? 91% of them will remain in California, many planning to care for underserved and vulnerable populations. Exactly half of the 121 who matched into residency programs in March will go into primary care fields, such as internal medicine, pediatrics and family medicine. Nearly a quarter of them will stay at UC Davis Health for residency, which starts on July 1.

We can't wait to see the impact our Class of 2026 makes in the world!

Read more about this year's commencement: https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlines/uc-davis-school-of-medicine-celebrates-its-largest-graduating-class/2026/05

Image descriptions:
1: Three graduates in dark blue academic regalia smile and hug.
2: Four graduates stand side by side, smiling at the camera, wearing academic regalia and colorful stoles that say "Class of 2026."
3: Mustafa Saleh Jundi, who was selected by classmates to deliver the student address, speaks at a podium on stage.
4: A graduate in the middle of two loved ones smiles for a photo outside the Mondavi Center.
5: Dr. Paul Tran, commencement speaker, stands behind a podium while wearing academic regalia.
6: A group of six, standing side by side around a graduate, poses for a photo.
7: Five people stand close together, posing for a photo with the graduate in the middle.
8: Two graduates pose for a photo outdoors.
9: A wide view of the Mondavi Center stage shows people in the audience, graduates on risers, faculty sitting in the front two rows and a speaker at the podium. In the background of the stage is a large presentation with the UC Davis School of Medicine logo.