September 16, 2024

California Health Sciences University celebrated our full accreditation status for the university and all programs on September 10th at our campus.

The Accreditation Celebration brought together over 300 people on the medical school campus in Clovis, including CHSU medical and pre-medical students, alumni, administration, faculty, staff, trustees, founders, elected officials, and community partners.

Thank you to our Presenters pictured above (from left to right): Lynne Ashbeck, Mayor of Clovis; Courtney Dunbar, District Director for Congressman Vince Fong; Dr. Flo Dunn, Founding President of CHSU; Jim Patterson, CA State Assemblyman; Nathan Magsig, Fresno County Supervisor; Jenna Welch, Field Representative for Senator Shannon Grove; Dr. John Graneto, Founding Dean of CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine; Dr. Ronald Llenado, Resident Physician at UCSF Fresno Family Medicine Program and CHSU-COM Alum (2024).

You can watch a short video recap, see photos, and read more about the celebration on our website, see button below!

CHSU COM’s Overdose Prevention Task Force is hosting an on-campus talk with Fentanyl Subject Matter Expert, Detective Dean Cardinale on

October 3, 2024 at 12:00 pm. Lunch will be provided.

Detective Cardinale is a seasoned law enforcement professional with over 28 years of experience serving the City of Fresno. He will speak about his experience in investigating fentanyl overdoses and educating on the dangers of drugs.  

Contact OPTF Internal Events Coordinator Subchair Mariya Leshchuk leshchuk2734@chsu.edu with questions.

Please RSVP below to attend the presentation.

CHSU-COM Student Doctor Featured in KevinMD.com

On September 9th, the Overdose Prevention Task Force (OPTF) delivered their first-ever presentation at the Fresno State campus aimed at equipping staff to become more familiar with identifying and managing an opioid overdose. 

Aicha Naouai, CHSU-COM Class of 2027 medical student and OPTF Chair, provided an overview of the CHSU-COM, highlighted the significant physician shortage in the Central Valley, and core principles of Osteopathic Medicine that CHSU upholds.

Mariya Leshchuk, CHSU-COM Class of 2027 medical student and OPTF Internal Events Coordinator Subchair, led an educational workshop on the pharmacology of opioids and naloxone, signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose, how to administer naloxone, and caring for a patient post-naloxone administration.

Andrew Insco, CHSU-COM Class of 2027 medical student and OPTF Community Outreach Subchair, demonstrated how to use Dosetest fentanyl test strips.

Stephanie Garcia, Substance Use-Sexually Transmitted Disease Navigator at Community Regional Medical Center, discussed her role as a navigator and naloxone distributor project manage.

The presentation was under the guidance of OPTF’s Faculty Advisor, Francisco Ibarra, PharmD, BCCCP, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Biomedical Education at CHSU-COM, OPTF

The CHSU Health Sciences Library invites students, faculty, and staff to its 30-minute webinar series to advance their research skills and support their scholarly activities.

Cochrane Systematic Reviews: An Introduction to Searching the Cochrane Library

Monday, Sept. 23, 2024 | 10:30 - 11:00 PDT

Trying to figure out what the best treatment plan for your patient is? Check out the Cochrane Library. Cochrane offers peer-reviewed, systematic reviews to minimize bias and produce more reliable findings to inform decision-making. Attend this Scholarly Snippets session and learn how to use the Cochrane Library.

Presented by:

Meghan Di Rito Wegendt, MLIS 

Education and Outreach Librarian

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Georgia Campus 

Registration is open to anyone interested in attending. All sessions are recorded, posted on our YouTube channel, and emailed to all registrants (so we encourage you to sign-up even if you can’t attend live!).

Maria Torres, MS, RDN, Culinary Medicine Instructor for Biomedical Education and Sara Goldgraben, MD, MPH, MBA, Assistant Professor for Specialty Medicine co-authored an article titled, "Integrating Nutrition and Culinary Medicine into Preclinical Medical Training," in BMC Medical Education.

According to the article's abstract, poor nutrition is a leading cause of preventable death, but is inconsistently taught in medical education and inadequately discussed in medical care. To overcome this problem, we developed a hybrid nutrition team-based learning/culinary medicine approach to integrate practical nutrition knowledge and basic cooking skills into the training of future health professionals.

Maria Torres, MS, RDN

Sara Goldgraben, MD, MPH, MBA

The CHSU-COM Overdose Prevention Task Force (OPTF) organized an interactive discussion led by Dr. Jonathan Terry (Psychiatrist and Assistant Dean of Community Clinical Education) on the benefits of motivational interviewing. The event provided attendees with a valuable opportunity to deepen their understanding of patient-centered communication, particularly in dealing with complex and sensitive issues.

Throughout the session, participants practiced and refined their motivational interviewing skills, with a strong emphasis on real-world application. Dr. Terry guided the group through a series of mock interview scenarios, where attendees simulated patient interactions and received feedback. These scenarios focused on effectively engaging patients struggling with difficult issues including substance, opioid, and alcohol abuse; challenging topics often difficult to address during a standard 15-minute patient interview.

By working through these mock interviews, attendees gained hands-on experience in conducting empathetic and supportive conversations. Attendees learned how to navigate these complex discussions with greater confidence and skill, ultimately enhancing their ability to provide patient-centered care in real clinical settings.

Upcoming Events and Observance Awareness

• CHSU-COM White Coat Ceremony - Sep 28

COM Office of Admissions Events

• Campus Tour - Sep 20
• GEAR UP - Sanger - Sep 20
• Latino Medical Student Assoc. National Conference - Sep 20
• OMED Conference - Sep 20
• GEAR UP - Avenal - Sep 25
• Choose DO Medical School Virtual Expo - Sep 25
• CSU San Diego Graduate & Professional School Fair - Sep 26

• MSBS Midterms Begin - Sep 23
• Berkeley Community College Transfer Day - Sep 26
• Last day of MSBS Midterms - Oct 4
• MSBS Students participate in Virtual Mock Interviews - Oct 7
• MSBS Student Affairs Monthly Update - Oct 10
• Pepperdine Pre-Health Expo - Oct 16
• MSBS Student Activity: Class Potluck and Games - Oct 17
• Personal Statement Workshop - Oct 14
• MSBS Virtual Info Session - Oct 26
• Critical Review and Scientific Article - Oct 28

Health and Wellness

Benefits of Whole Grains

There are several health benefits in whole grains such as high fiber content and decreased risk of heart disease.

Yet most people have only tried oats, quinoa, and brown rice.

Here’s a list of whole grains and examples of how you can include them in your diet. 

• Amaranth: add to smoothies, yogurt, granola bars, or prepare like a porridge or polenta. 
• Barley: With its chewy texture and mild, nutty flavor, try barley in grain bowls, salads and entrees, including casseroles and stuffed peppers.
• Buckwheat: cook similarly to oatmeal and use in the same way as rice. Also look for buckwheat flour and use for muffins, pancakes, breads and other baked goods.
• Farro: As a staple food in ancient Rome, farro is especially delicious in dishes with Italian flavors including hearty salads and as a substitute for rice in risotto. Try farro in grain bowls, soups, side dishes, pilafs and casseroles.
• Fonio: Similar to quinoa and couscous in appearance and texture. Try fonio in pasta, wraps, grain bowls, soups, and mix with herbs and spices for a side dish. 
• Sorghum: Has a chewy texture and nutty flavor. Cook similar to quinoa and use in grain salads or popped into a type of popcorn. You can also find sorghum flour for gluten-free baking.

Column courtesy of Maria Torres, MS, RDN; Culinary Medicine Instructor, Biomedical Education (COM).

The CHSYou Wow Program gives you the opportunity to show your appreciation for employees, students, and colleagues and acknowledge them for their hard work.

Mia Munoz

Thank you to Mia Munoz for organizing the CHSU Accreditation Celebration. This important event brought together our campus community and partners to celebrate our recent milestones. Mia and her team transformed the Teaching Kitchen into a beautiful event setting!

Submitted by Richele Kleiser

Desiree Landano

Thank you to Desiree for helping organize the CHSU Accreditation Celebration. Desiree made the floral bouquets and provided beautiful decor, transforming the Teaching Kitchen into a beautiful event setting! She helped set up and clean up, we appreciate your time and talent!

Submitted by Richele Kleiser

Monique Islas and Laura Gutierrez

Monique and Laura did a great job helping prepare for the CHSU Accreditation celebration. They helped set up and worked the event by welcoming guests. They did this while juggling a lot of other high-priority projects and deadlines. Thank you!

Submitted by Richele Kleiser

Nanami Yoshioka, Cathy Burford, Anand Purewal, Mia Castro, Jake Kleiser, Brandon Kangdouangnhot, Laura Stidham

A big thank you to Nanami Yoshioka and the wonderful Simulation Center team for providing tours of the Simulation Center during the Accreditation Celebration. We appreciate you working after hours and impressing our partners with our technology.

Submitted by Richele Kleiser

Dr. Flo Dunn and Dr. John Graneto

Thank you to President Flo Dunn and Dean Graneto for providing inspiring remarks at the CHSU Accreditation Celebration. Our campus community, partners, and guests shared our pride in these major accomplishments.

Submitted by Richele Kleiser

Dr. Ronald Llenado

Thank you to CHSU-COM Alum from the inaugural class of 2024 for delivering a very powerful talk at the Accreditation Celebration. We appreciate your time and talent, especially since you've been working 16-hour days in your UCSF Fresno Family Medicine residency. We loved hearing about your residency, how CHSU has prepared you for your residency, and what accreditation means to you.

Submitted by Richele Kleiser