Academic Research Associates

Offered in association with the UCSF Fresno Medical Education  Program, the Academic Research Associates (ARA) Program offers premedical undergraduate students a unique opportunity to observe clinical medicine and participate in biomedical research. The program takes place within the Emergency and Surgery Departments at Community Regional Medical Center, and participants may join the program through Fresno State as an elective course.

Our program was developed by Dr. Greg Hendey and Brandy Snowden and has been revamped by Jannet Castaneda. The ARA program is based on a similar program designed by Dr. Judd Hollander at the University of Pennsylvania in the mid-1990s.

The Academic Research Associate position is an important responsibility requiring maturity, initiative, diligence, and excellent interpersonal skills. In addition to gaining experience in conducting medical research and acquiring familiarity with how the emergency department functions, associates can learn about careers in Medicine from the doctors, nurses, and medical students.

The data collected by the Academic Associates are analyzed by the faculty doctors and their associates in support of many ongoing clinical research studies. Our goal is to publish each study in a medical journal, with the hope of increasing medical knowledge and improving patient care.