CHSU in Clovis welcomes 162 new medical students, largest Central Valley share yet

California Health Sciences University in Clovis welcomed 162 new medical students Monday, and 44% of them came from the Central Valley, the highest local share the school has recorded for a cohort. The incoming class, the seventh osteopathic medicine cohort at CHSU, is the Class of 2029.

The new students give Fresno County another marker to watch in the region’s physician pipeline. CHSU said about 90% of the class is from California, a mix that keeps most of the next generation of doctors tied to the state while giving the Central Valley its biggest slice yet of any incoming group at the school.

CHSU also said more than 630 new and returning medical students were on campus that week, underscoring how quickly the Clovis campus has grown. In July 2023, the university said class was in session for more than 500 medical students, showing how the College of Osteopathic Medicine has expanded in just a few years.

That growth matters in a county and region where access to physicians remains a pressing issue, especially for underserved communities that depend on more local training and recruitment. CHSU’s own milestones show it has moved from a new medical campus to one producing graduates: the College of Osteopathic Medicine held its inaugural commencement and hooding ceremony for the Class of 2024.

The university is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission, a key credential for a medical school trying to build credibility with students, patients and health systems across the Central Valley. A 2024 Central Valley Higher Education Consortium post also pointed to CHSU as an accredited medical school opportunity in the Central Valley, reinforcing the school’s role as part of the region’s long-term workforce strategy.

For Fresno County, the central question is how many of these 162 students will ultimately stay in the Valley after training and where they will practice. This latest class gives the local pipeline more homegrown students than any before it, but the real test will be whether that record turnout translates into more doctors for Clovis, Fresno and the broader Central Valley.