Sunnyside High grad heading to inaugural UC Merced program to generate doctors
Sunnyside High School senior Joslyn Conchas is headed to UC Merced in the fall as part of the inaugural cohort for the San Joaquín Valley PRIME+ BS/MD program.
The eight-year program, which focuses on high school students who are committed to pursuing a career in medicine and are dedicated to serving the San Joaquín Valley’s unique needs, is a collaborative effort among UC Merced, UCSF School of Medicine and UCSF Fresno.
“I’ve always been interested in medicine. I didn’t have an interest in helping people until my grandpa and grandma got sick. So, I think that kind of inspired me and motivated me to pursue medicine and helping people,” said Conchas, adding that her grandfather has a heart disease while her grandmother has diabetes.
“But I think I’ve always had an interest in the medical field just because I’ve seen how it affected my community, so I wanted to be a part of that change,” said Conchas, who was born and raised in Fresno in a single-parent household.
Conchas, who graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 4.32 GPA June 6 at the Save Mart Center with the Sunnyside High School Class of 2023, was accepted for the 15-student cohort out of hundreds of applicants.
“We are proud of Joslyn, we are so proud of her,” said Sunnyside High School Principal Michele Anderson.
Anderson said for Conchas to earn one of the spot is “amazing. We are so very proud of her accomplishments.”
Conchas will be majoring in biological sciences with an emphasis in human biology.
The 17-year-old Conchas joined the Doctor’s Academy he freshman year, after taking part in the Junior Doctors Academy in seventh and eighth grade.
Conchas said applying to the UC Merced program was a rigorous process, but she never got discouraged.
“It was a pretty rough process. But I’m so thankful to have been selected,” said Conchas.
For Conchas having a straight path to medical school is reassuring.
“It’s so relieving just because I know I worked so hard to get here and to know that my hard work paid off and I’m going to have a clear path to becoming a doctor and helping my community. It feels amazing”, said Conchas.
While Conchas was in shock and disbelief when she opened the email letting her know she was accepted, she was proud of herself for what she accomplished.
While the new pathway aims to educate and support San Joaquin Valley’s future physicians in serving the need of the community, Conchas said that was something she had always planned to do.
“I’ve grown up in the Central Valley my whole entire life, and I’ve seen the struggles that a lot of people here have faced, and I just want to help that, and I want to contribute to something bigger,” said Conchas who wants to work in pediatrics.
During her summer internship, Conchas job shadowed pediatricians at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno.
Conchas, the second youngest of four siblings, is not the first one in her family to pursue higher education.
Her mother, who is a medical assistant, when to college and graduated with an associate degree. Her brother went to Fresno City College before he dropped out. Her oldest sister is currently going to Fresno Pacific University to become a child psychologist.
At a glance
Sunnyside High | June 6, 2023
Graduates: 642
Latino enrollment: 70.3%
Valedictorians: 74
Highlight: Four Sunnyside High School students – Kristen Laus, Delia Rodríguez, Destiny Lor and Riebab Moflehi –welcomed the audience at the Save Mart Center in four languages: English, Spanish, Hmong, and Arabic.
Quote: Principal Michele Anderson: “Learning does not end here. Continue to be curious, to question, and to seek knowledge wherever you go. Remember that success is not solely defined by titles or material wealth, but by the impact you make on the lives of others. ...Go forth, embrace the ‘wildcat way’ and continue to make us proud.”
This story was originally published June 6, 2023 at 11:16 PM with the headline "Sunnyside High grad heading to inaugural UC Merced program to generate doctors."
