UCSF Fresno

UCSF Fresno celebrated the completion of training of more than 100 residents and fellows at a commencement ceremony last night at Fresno City College’s Old Administration Building Auditorium.
Approximately 40% of the UCSF Fresno graduating residents and fellows are remaining in the Central Valley, and about 70% are staying in California. The San Joaquin Valley faces a dire shortage of physicians, and as the population grows and ages, the gap between the need for health care and practicing physicians continues to widen. As a regional campus of the UCSF School of Medicine, UCSF Fresno is the largest contributor to the regional physician workforce. UCSF Fresno is addressing physician shortages by training residents, fellows, medical students and preparing high school and community college students to be competitive applicants to medical school and other health professional schools through a variety of pathway programs.

The winner of the 2026 UCSF Fresno Commencement Photo Contest is Andrea “Drea” Long, MD, FACS, FAWM. Dr. Long took the winning photo, “Spring in Yosemite,” with a Nikon Z8.

“Spring is so fleeting here that any time I get to see the beautiful blooms, I try to capture a picture to help me through the agony of summer,” said Dr. Long. “And bonus, waterfall!”

Yosemite National Park attracts over 4 million visitors each year and is about one and a half hours away from Fresno by car.

UCSF Fresno will celebrate approximately 100 residents and fellows completing their training with us during a commencement ceremony this week. We started a commencement photo contest in 2020 to develop a keepsake program that uniquely reflects the graduates, their professional and personal experiences at UCSF Fresno, our campus community, and the surrounding area. In keeping with the tradition, we sought photos from faculty, residents, fellows, medical students, and staff.

Dr. Long is an Associate Clinical Professor in the UCSF Fresno Department of Surgery. She is the current Director of Opportunity and Outreach, and SJV PRIME Assistant Director, Physician Identity Weeks.

“I love helping each new class of learners become skillful and inspiring physicians,” Dr. Long said.

Originally from Kansas City, MO, Dr. Long earned a medical degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
In her spare time, she enjoys hiking and amateur photography.

Congratulations Dr. Long, on your winning photo!

The photo “Helipad at Sunset” by Matthew Woodle, MD, PGY-4, UCSF Fresno Department of Emergency Medicine Residency Program, was selected as a runner-up in the 2026 UCSF Fresno Commencement Photo Contest. He took the picture using his iPhone.

Community Regional Medical Center is home to one of the busiest Emergency Departments in the state and houses the region’s only Level 1 Trauma Center and Burn Center. Community Regional is UCSF Fresno’s primary clinical partner. The helipad is a critical component of the hospital’s emergency response infrastructure, facilitating rapid transport and lifesaving care.

When asked why he submitted the photo, Dr. Woodle simply said, “I thought it was a good picture.”

UCSF Fresno will celebrate approximately 100 residents and fellows completing their training with us during a commencement ceremony this week. We started a commencement photo contest in 2020 to develop a keepsake program that uniquely reflects the graduates, their professional and personal experiences at UCSF Fresno, our campus community, and the surrounding area. In keeping with the tradition, we sought photos from faculty, residents, fellows, medical students, and staff. ��Dr. Woodle is completing residency training in Emergency Medicine at UCSF Fresno and will be among the graduates. He says some of the best aspects of the program include the faculty and patient population.

In his spare time, Dr. Woodle enjoys running, swimming, backpacking, snowboarding, playing chess, and tending to bonsai.

Dr. Woodle calls San Luis Obispo home. He earned an undergraduate degree from Cal Poly and graduated from the Keck School of Medicine at USC. After graduation, he plans to work in the San Francisco community.

Congratulations, Dr. Woodle on your upcoming graduation.

The photo “Watching Over the Valley,” by Kayla Torrez-Chang, MD, PGY-5, UCSF Fresno Department of Surgery Residency Program, was selected as a runner-up in the 2026 UCSF Fresno Commencement Photo Contest. Dr. Torrez-Chang took the picture of Pincushion Peak with a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

When asked why she took the photo, Dr. Torrez-Chang said, “It captured a sliver of the beauty and peace of the Central Valley that is so easy to forget when we spend all day under fluorescent lights. I hope we can also see ourselves reflected in my dog Tango and his love for the Valley, even after a long steep hike in the heat.”

Pincushion Mountain Peak is a popular 2.8-mile loop trail near Friant just outside of Fresno that offers stunning views and challenging incline.

UCSF Fresno will celebrate approximately 100 residents and fellows completing their training with us during a commencement ceremony this month. We started a commencement photo contest in 2020 to develop a keepsake program that uniquely reflects the graduates, their professional and personal experiences at UCSF Fresno, our campus community, and the surrounding area. In keeping with the tradition, we sought photos from faculty, residents, fellows, medical students, and staff.

Dr. Torrez-Chang is completing residency training in General Surgery and will be among the graduates. She says the variety of training, and the complexity and volume of cases are what she likes best about the training at UCSF Fresno.

Dr. Torrez-Chang earned a medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. After graduation, she will report to the USS Abraham Lincoln for duty as its surgeon.

Congratulations on your graduation and thank you for your service, Dr. Torrez-Chang.