UCSF is an important community resource and it influences the lives of many thousands of San Franciscans and Californians on a daily basis. It plays a major role in the health care delivery system in the Bay Area and Northern California. In addition to the teaching and research facilities on campus, UCSF has satellite programs at San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center, San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center, Mt. Zion Medical Center, and in the Fresno-San Joaquin Valley, as well as more than 500 affiliated programs througbout the state.
The campus is in the center of San Francisco, adjacent to the Sunset, Cole Valley, and Haight Ashbury neighborhoods. Golden Gate Park, with its array of exotic plants, gardens, museums, and recreational facilities, is just a few blocks away. The campus is served by several streetcar and bus lines.