August 18, 2025

Submitted by Jessie Hernandez, COM Student Services Specialist

On the final day of Orientation, the CHSU-COM Class of 2029 medical students were given a task to make Hygiene kits and fill back packs with school supplies for a service project.

After a few hours of hard work, the students had completed 100 Residential Hygiene Kits, 100 Community Hygiene Kits, and 50 Back packs filled with school supplies! The items were then boxed and donated to the Fresno Mission.

First-year medical students Elijah Sepulveda, Ryan Cometa, Kendall Fischer, Crystal Hammond, Harkiran Bhasin, Pehr Williamson, and Diya Bhandari attended the drop-off at Fresno Mission.

Thank you to the students of COM Class of 2029 for putting in the work and providing for others who would have gone without.

MSBS Program Hosts First BioBash on Campus

The MSBS Team hosted its first BioBash, a dynamic welcome event designed to engage prospective MSBS students.

The day began with a campus tour led by MSBS alumni, followed by interactive introductions with faculty and staff.

Students participated in hands-on activity stations, including an operation relay, Anatomy Pictionary, and the Germ Toss Challenge, each aimed at strengthening teamwork and program knowledge.

The event concluded with a Q&A session, lunch, and closing remarks that set the tone for a collaborative and inspiring academic journey.

See more photos online, click Read More below.

Invite a Friend to Explore Our Medical School from Anywhere!

CHSU-COM Virtual Open House

Friday, August 29, 2025

2:00 - 4:30 PM

Guests can enjoy a virtual experience and explore what the CHSU-COM medical school is all about!

• Meet CHSU Student Ambassadors, Admissions Advisors, Faculty, and Staff
• Break out rooms: HoloAnatomy, Simulation Center, Curriculum & Board Prep, GME & Residency, and Faculty & OPP Q&A

RSVP or Download the Virtual Open House Flyer to share today! 

CHSU-COM's 24-25 Student Association of American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (SAACOFP) was recently awarded the 2025 Program of Excellence Award by the American Academy of Family Physicians. It was one of 23 medical school Family Medicine Interest Groups recognized for exemplary efforts to grow and support interest in family medicine.

Medical students and faculty were honored on August 1st at FUTURE, the AAFP National Conference for the future of family medicine in Kansas City, Missouri.

Third-year medical student Valerie Domingo, 24-25 SAACOFP President, and the advisor, Carleen de Leon, MD, were in attendance to accept the award. Congratulations! 

Submitted by Dayanidh “Joga” Singh, Second-year Medical Student at CHSU-COM and President of the CHSU-COM Student Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (SAMOPS)

Second-year medical students Dayanidh “Joga” Singh, Madelyn Kidd, and Zach Yamada from the CHSU-COM recently completed the U.S. Army Direct Commission Course (DCC) and Basic Officer Leader Course (BOLC), a combined six-week training experience.

Their journey began at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where they completed DCC—an intensive introduction to Army leadership, customs, and military operations designed for newly commissioned officers. From there, they traveled to Fort Sam Houston, Texas for BOLC, where they participated in advanced hands-on training, including land navigation, weapons qualification, and tactical medicine.

Over the course of these six weeks, the trio gained not only technical skills but also invaluable experience in teamwork, adaptability, and readiness—qualities that will serve them well as future Army physicians.

If you want to learn more about military medicine or opportunities in the armed forces, or if you are considering joining the CHSU-COM SAMOPS, contact the chapter president, Dayanidh “Joga” Singh at singh3011@chsu.edu.

CHSU Class of 2025 alumni Natalie Peña-Brockett, DO; Sameera Malepati, DO; and Joshua Valenzuela, DO with their UCSF-Fresno Family Medicine residency class on the last day of their orientation. 

CHSU alum Varsha Swamy, DO (2024) at her residency program's end-of-the-year celebration. Dr. Swamy received the 2025 "Intern of the Year" award, which is voted on annually by Sutter Health Internal Medicine residents and faculty. 

Dr. Swamy also serves as Co-President for the CHSU Alumni Association.

CHSU Class of 2025 alumni Fahad Molla, DO; Daniel Bandak, DO; Parmveer Kaloty, DO; and Daniel Amaya, DO at their white coat ceremony for the Kern Medical residency programs, including Psychiatry and Internal Medicine.

CHSU alum Michelle Tan, DO (2024) at her C4 training. This is a combat casualty care course at Camp Bullis that includes different military branches and medical specialties in conjunction with other international allies, all working together to tackle massive casualty and trauma simulations.

CHSU Class of 2025 alumni Megan Holm, DO; David Holm, DO; Joshua Cho, DO; and Alvin Wong, DO on their first day of Internal Medicine Residency at UC Riverside.

All students are invited to register and attend the:

CHSU-COM Residency Programs Fair

Saturday, October 18, 2025

9:00 am - 1:00 pm

CHSU-COM Classrooms 150-A & B

Lunch will be Served

Come network and learn about our local and regional residency programs as you advance in your medical school training. Dress in Professional Attire.

Institutions Attending - more to come!

• Adventist Health Hanford
• Adventist Health Tulare
• John Muir Health
• Kaweah Health Medical Center
• Mercy Merced Family Medicine Residency Program
• Morehouse School of Medicine/Bakersfield Memorial Hospital
• Osteopathic Medical Board of California
• Saint Agnes Medical Center
• Sierra View Medical Center
• St Joseph’s Medical Center
• Sutter Health/Memorial Medical Center
• UCSF Fresno
• Valley Children’s Hospital
• Valley Health Team

Register Today! For more information, contact the GME Department at GME@chsu.edu.

Upcoming Events and Observance Awareness

Aug: National Minority Donor Awareness Month

Sep: Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15)

• National Senior Citizen Day - Aug 21
• National Women’s Equality Day - Aug 26
• Labor Day - Sep 1 (Campus Closed)
• World Suicide Prevention Day - Sep 10
• Patriot Day - Never Forget 9.11 - Sep 11
• International Day of Democracy - Sep 15
• Constitution Day and Citizenship Day - Sep 17
• National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day - Sep 18
• International Day of Peace - Sep 21
• Bisexual Awareness Week (#BiWeek) - Sep 16-23
• Celebrate Bisexuality+ Day - Sep 23
• Mabon/Alban Elfed/Autumnal Equinox (Druid, Pagan, Wiccan) - Sep 22
• Allyship Week - Sep 24-30

Find information on our website about multicultural events and traditions, gender identity, religious and faith-based holidays and traditions, and awareness observances of diverse members of our campus community.

COM Admissions Events

• Lakewood University Virtual Fair - Aug 21
• Madera Community College Transfer Day - Aug 26
• COM Virtual Open House - Aug 29
• Bakersfield College Transfer Day - Sep 8
• Kern County College Night - Sep 8
• COM Virtual Interview Day (invite only) - Sep 9
• COS Transfer Day - Sep 9
• Tulare County College Night - Sep 9
• Fresno City Transfer Day - Sep 10
• Fresno Area College Night - Sep 10
• ChooseDO Virtual Event - Sep 10
• COM In-Person Interview Day (invite only) - Sep 15
• COM Virtual Interview Day (invite only) - Sep 16
• Loyola Marymount University Graduate School Expo - Sep 16
• CSU Los Angeles Graduate & Professional School Fair - Sep 17
• UC Merced Growing Health Leaders Conference - Sep 18
• Bakersfield College Visit - Sep 19
• Wonderful College Prep Academy Presentation - Sep 19
• HEAL Conference - Caruthers High School - Sep 20
• COM Virtual Interview Day (invite only) - Sep 30

• MSBS Class of 2026 Orientation - Aug 25-26
• MSBS Class of 2026 First Day Class - Aug 26

Health and Wellness

Staying Hydrated in the Summer Heat

It is important to stay hydrated, especially during the summer heat.

Higher temperatures raise your risk of dehydration, making it especially important to monitor your hydration habits.

Tips to Stay Hydrated

Try to always have a water bottle on hand (extra points if it’s reusable). It can serve as a reminder to keep hydrated.

Try Infused Water

If you’re not a fan of water, try infusing your water with a splash of juice or a few slices of fresh fruit, such as lemons, oranges, or berries. Fresh herbs are also refreshing additions. A little extra flavor can be a simple yet effective way to motivate yourself to hydrate more.

Eat Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Certain fruits and veggies can also help with hydration. Summer fruit including cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, and peaches have high water content. Fruits and veggies also provide us with the essential nutrients our bodies need to stay healthy. 

Avoid Drinks that Dehydrate You

Watch out for liquids that work against hydration. Drinks like coffee, sugary sodas, beer, wine and hard liquor, lemonade, sweet tea, energy drinks, smoothies, and flavored milk are loaded with sugar, sodium, and other ingredients that remove water from your tissues. Consider swapping some of these out daily or rehydrating with more water for each dehydrating drink you consume.

Try Coconut Water

You can also give coconut water a try. This mineral-rich liquid is packed with potassium, magnesium, sodium, and calcium, so it replenishes lost fluids and electrolytes from exercise and hot climates quickly. Coconut water generally has fewer calories and added sugar than fruit juices, so it’s a great alternative to sugary beverages like juices and soda.

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.

Due to technical difficulties, check the next Insider for WOW submissions!

Email your WOW submissions to communications@chsu.edu and include:

Name of Individual Being Recognized:

Department of Individual Being Recognized:

Please explain why you are recognizing this individual in 2-3 sentences.

Name of Nominator (Your Name):