MIND&BODY
FOOD
Tips on treating plantar fas ciitis » PAGE 8
Parents of UCSF student serve up home-style Punjabi meals » PAGE 9
Ouch! Why Does My Foot Hurt?
IN THIS ISSUE
Great Indian Food
News Briefs » PAGE 3 Journal Club » PAGE 5 Puzzles » PAGE 11
Synapse The UCSF Student Newspaper
Thursday, October 10, 2013
synapse.ucsf.edu
NEWS
Volume 58, Number 5
NEWS
Life of a Grad Student
The "Life of a Grad Student" series offers a glimpse into what it means to be a graduate student at UCSF. Grad students from all walks of life and all stages of their education have agreed to anonymously, candidly speak with us. They’ve shared stories about the difficulties they’ve encountered as well as the great passions driving their work.
Entering Class of 2009: Fifth Year
IPE Kick-Off Event Emphasizes Teamwork
By Angela Castanieto Associate Editor
STUDENT 1 FEMALE MISSION BAY
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ell me about your experience starting out at UCSF. I never originally intended on going to UCSF. I had actually wanted to go over to the East Coast, but I distinctly remember my interview weekend, and after being here, I just couldn’t imagine going anywhere else. The facilities were amazing; the people were so smart, so friendly, so approachable. Nothing else could compare. You’re going into your fifth year now. How has this attitude changed, or is it the same? Somebody told me when I started that graduate school isn’t a test of intelligence; it’s a test of endurance. I didn’t really understand that in my first year, or even in my third year. But as you hit the fourth year, you realize that everybody comes in with approximately the same level of raw intelligence, but the con-
GRAD STUDENT 1 » PAGE 6
STUDENT 2 FEMALE PARNASSUS
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ell me about your general experience at UCSF. It’s been really positive. The people here really make the place, not just the PIs, but the other students. I really like the people I’ve been working with, and the experience has generally been really positive. I would say it’s varied throughout the years in terms of the positivity, and there have been a lot of highs and lows, but I would say overall it’s been a positive experience. What were those highs and lows, specifically in lab? It was hard for me in the beginning because — not having a research background with a very independent project — coming here was a big transition, and the project in the lab that I ended up joining wasn’t a readymade project.
GRAD STUDENT 2 » PAGE 6
Silent Disco at Saunders Court
Photo by Paul Day Silent disco is a unique way of experiencing music. On Oct. 4, guests in Saunders Court wore wireless headphones and transformed the space into a high-energy dance performance.
Photo by Susan Merrell/UCSF Students from the various professional schools split up in teams and began working on their group vision for UCSF at the IPE kick-off event held Monday, Oct. 7 in the Millberry Union Gym.
By Steven Chin Managing Editor
U
CSF held its Interprofessional Education kick-off event this week, with Kevin Grumbach, MD and Chair of Family and Community Medicine in the School of Medicine, setting the tone for the day — that high-quality health care requires collaboration. “You took a very individualistic road to get here,” said Grumbach. “But that won’t suffice here. You’re going to find out that you will need to work with a team.” Furthermore, Grumbach reminded the students: “You are not going to be the most important player in the health care system. Who is the most important player? The patient is.” More than 475 first-year professional students attended the Interprofessional Education (IPE) kick-off event, held Monday, October 7, in the Millberry Union Gym, where they were introduced to the concepts and importance of interprofessional education. This year's event included a keynote address from San Francisco Fire Department Chief Joanne Hayes-White, who focused on the importance of teamwork during the Asiana crash at the San Francisco International Airport in July. She advised the first-year students to become “a contributing member of the team,” and urged the students to be willing to take risks. “There is nothing wrong with thinking outside the box, if it is done
in a respectful way,” said Hayes-White. After the presentations, the students gathered in small group breakout sessions, where they met for the first time the IPE group they will collaborate with throughout the year on various projects. “It was such an enlightening experience to meet and work with such a diverse group,” said first-year nursing student Sarah Kahn. “I didn't realize there were so many subspecialties in nursing. Also, one of the group members had been working in the insurance industry and brought a different perspective to the group,” added Leanne Thai, a first-year pharmacy student. The students will participate in the yearlong IPE program — now in its eighth year — with the goal of ensuring that students and trainees in health professions build skills that will ultimately increase patient safety, reduce errors, maximize efficiencies and improve the quality of care. "It was great to meet other students from other schools,” said Jonathan Chiu, a first-year physical therapy student. "I learned that every profession does a lot more than I realized." The IPE Executive Committee includes Tina Brock, School of Pharmacy; Catherine Lucey and Kimberly Topp, School of Medicine; Judy Martin-Holland, School of Nursing; and Dorothy Perry, School of Dentistry. For additional information about IPE, please visit interprofessional.ucsf.edu.
Angela Broad, a first-year medical student, contributed to this report.