Medical Student Program

“URI allowed me to envision myself, a first-generation Salvadoreña, as a doctor.”
— Estephannie Alvarez (Cohort 2019)

“The URI program emphasized the significance of a supportive community and motivated me to carve out my own unique path towards a fulfilling medical career.”
— Eemai Holt (Cohort 2022)

 

          

 

      

 

       

 

 

In 2025, the UCSF/Kaiser Permanente Undergraduate Research Internship (URI) Program will embark upon its SEVENTEENTH YEAR.  As a part of this monumental milestone, URI Leadership has decided to enact the MCAT Preparation Protocol for URI alumna.  The MCAT Prep Protocol will provide alumna with a MCAT prep course whereby the goal is to move institutional barriers to standardized test preparation.  Please consider giving to this important initiative below.

The UCSF/ Kaiser Permanente Undergraduate Research Internship (URI) was created to build a supportive pathway for premedical students at the University of California, Berkeley to pursue careers in medicine. Annually, URI engages 16 interns in a meaningful summer research project, clinical shadowing at UCSF and Kaiser Oakland, didactics, leadership training, and extensive mentoring during the 8-week paid internship program. The program directors also offer mentoring through the medical school application process.

In 2021, the program was expanded to include two specific programs that doubled the number of students who could participate. The traditional program continued with the research internship, clinical shadowing, academic mentoring and didactics, with the addition of a didactic certificate program that included the didactic series and academic mentoring for an additional 16 students. The graduation surveys of summer 2021, indicated that the new program was full of impact on the new didactic certificate students! This expansion of URI, as well as the continuation of our traditional program, would not be possible without the support of our donors and volunteer time from many including the research mentors, for whom we are so grateful.

Over the last 17 years, we have provided a supportive pathway for over 250 students from the University of California, Berkeley, most of whom are first-generation to college and are from groups underrepresented in medicine. We are also proud that we are a safe haven for Dreamers in our program. Today, we have 30 URI alums enrolled in medical school, 22 in residency and fellowship programs, 10 in Nursing school/ practitioner programs,  and 8 MD and 3 NP URI alums in practice. Many of our URI alums have also earned their MPH (11), MPP (1) and MEd (1) some while in medical school, and some on an independent track. We offer mentoring to URI alums for more than ten years.

We hope to continue our tradition of inspiring smart, motivated, diverse and dedicated young adults to pursue careers in the medical field. A gift of any amount will contribute and impact URI’s mission.

 

To make a gift online, please click here. If you prefer to make a gift by check, please contact [email protected], 415-502-6437. Thank you again for your consideration and partnership in fostering the next generation of leaders in medicine!

 

We thank you! You are making a difference in whichever way you contribute to URI!

Sincerely,

 

Patricia Robertson MD
Associate Chief of Academic Affairs
Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences
Inaugural and Sustaining Member, Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators
Co-founder of UC/Kaiser Undergraduate Research Internship
University of California at San Francisco

UCSF/Kaiser Permanente Undergraduate Research Internship (URI), Co-Director

 

Professor
Director of Medical Student Education

Acting Chief for Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery/Urogynecology Division
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences
University of California, San Francisco

UCSF/Kaiser Permanente Undergraduate Research Internship (URI), Co-Director

Assistant Professor

Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences

Associate Director, SJV Prime

UCSF Fresno

UCSF/Kaiser Permanente Undergraduate Research Internship (URI), Executive Mentorship Team

University of California at San Francisco

 

Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
University of California, San Francisco | Department of Medicine

UCSF/Kaiser Permanente Undergraduate Research Internship (URI), Executive Mentorship Team

University of California at San Francisco