Graduation ceremony for UCSF Fresno medical residents

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A special graduation ceremony was held Thursday evening for close to 100 medical residents at UCSF Fresno.

The ceremony was held at the Saroyan Theatre in Downtown Fresno.

Before treating patients on their own, students undergo training at the facility which is critical for the Central Valley.

Of those who graduate the valley retains nearly 50% of its physicians, which has the lowest ratio of licensed medical doctors per 100,000 people in California.

UCSF's Dominic Dizon said, "We all share an ambition of not just teaching but also providing specialized care, care for patients that are underserved in our population, providing a safety net for those patients."

Tonight was the 43rd graduation of the UCSF Fresno teaching program and one of the largest graduating classes on record.