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Paying It Forward
The Best Coffee – Home Brew Edition
A new column on volunteerism at UCSF » PAGE 1
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Synapse We test three different DIY methods » PAGE 6
The UCSF Student Newspaper
Thursday, January 16, 2014
synapse.ucsf.edu
NEWS
Clinical Corner: The General Appearance of Patients By Akshay Govind Associate Editor
C
linicians in training are told that their assessment of a patient should begin the moment they enter a room. In fact, if there are notable sounds or smells that can be appreciated from outside the patient’s room, this assessment can start even earlier. It is often recommended that young clinicians go through a set checklist or fixed routine to ensure nothing is left out during data collection. Then, with all information gathered, one can go back, piece together a problem list, and try to think through all the possible explanations for these problems before narrowing down the most likely causes and deciding how to address them. As clinicians gain experience, these processes happen simultaneously, allowing interviewers to move various disease processes up and down their mental lists, driving the next lines of questioning or examination. A patient’s general appearance is among the first things a clinician should observe, and this can help to guide the entire clinical encounter. This skill, like anything, takes practice. Several pieces may contribute to an individual’s general appearance, including any signs of distress, such as sweating or labored breathing, level of consciousness or ability to interact, height, build, body odors, whether
they appear different from their chronological age, any obvious wounds, or even unusual jewelry or tattoos, to name a few. One remarkably tangible item I find useful is a description of a person’s apparent state of health. From across a room, we really can tell in a fraction of a second if someone looks well, and if not, we can describe them as appearing agitated, ill, in pain or frankly toxic. Developing a rich vocabulary to describe people’s general appearance in just a few words is well worth the effort. I learned my favorite exercise for practicing this from a class I took in dental school that used art to hone students’ skills in physical diagnosis. To do this exercise, go with a friend to your favorite museum, and venture into separate wings that have paintings, photographs or sculptures filled with people. On a notepad, describe seven or eight specific subjects in the works using just a few words. Then find your friend, switch wings of the museum and notepads, and based on each other’s descriptions, find the people your friend picked out. Of course, you can do the same with real people from your social circles or celebrities, but I always enjoy a reason to get out and view some art. B elow are a few quick examples of patients I have seen:
Volume 58, Number 15
SPORTS
Fall Rec League Sports Champions Crowned
Photo courtesy of Fitness & Recreation Centers @ UCSF First-year medical student team, Med '17 or Bust, defeated the School of Dentistry's Flossoraptors to capture the student basketball league crown.
uring my first year in graduate school, I quickly learned that I needed some sort of outside-of-lab activity, or else I would go crazy. I tried a smattering of hobbies, from rock climbing to making wall art out of wire (that didn’t end well), but nothing ever stuck. After TA-ing during my second year, I realized that I enjoy teaching. I like preparing lectures and inventPhoto courtesy of Erin Oswald ing creative ways to explain complex topics. And if I am to be completely honest, I feel encouraged by having people actually listen to what I am saying.
teams of the fall at the Parnassus campus. The student basketball league crown was captured by the first-year medical student squad, Med ’17 or Bust. Comprised of medical students Norver Trinidad, Jackie DesJardin, Jameze James, Stephen Brown, Ranvir Dhillon, John Bonano, Ruiji Jiang, Frank Lu, Dennis Zheng and physical therapy student Dorian Danic, the team won four of its seven regular-season games to enter the one-day playoffs as the second seed. In the post-season semifinals, Med ’17 or Bust defeated its elders, the second-year medical team, We Get Buckets, before squeaking by the previously undefeated Flossoraptors of the dental school for the title. “Stephen (Brown) and John (Bonano), both of whom are former Pac-12 athletes, were key to our ability to dominate the paint,” said team captain Norver Trinidad. The Penetrators, made up of Brandon Chu, Terry Lee, Jun Loayza, Vannor Phan, John Kwon, Emmanuel Igbinosa, Ryan Satcher and Gary Anderson, won the six-feet-andunder basketball league title. After suffering only two losses — both of which came when short-handed — during its seven-game regular season, the group entered the one-day playoffs as the fourth seed of four teams but remained confident. Down big in the first half of the semifinal game, the Penetrators fought back to win that game and the next for its second straight league title. A former Stanford walk-on, Igbinosa led his team by making plays on both ends of the floor.
PAYING IT FORWARD » PAGE 3
SPORTS » PAGE 4
CLINICAL CORNER » PAGE 3
By Dennis Zheng Staff Writer
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or the members of UCSF’s recreational sports leagues, the year 2014 pres ents ne w opp or tunities. Champions will either be toppled or continue their reign. Although the winter quarter leagues began last week, there’s still time to recognize the five winning
NEWS
Paying It Forward at Cal Academy “Serving the community [is] ingrained in the ethos of UC San Francisco,” proudly proclaims the university website. Indeed, as members of a health sciences university, UCSF students and staff are devoted to improving the lives of people throughout the world. For many, this passion for public service extends beyond their career aspirations. This column highlights these altruistic individuals as well as the organizations they serve. Please email synapse@ucsf.edu if you would like your organization to be featured in “Paying it Forward.” ~ Jenny Qi Executive Editor
By Erin Oswald Contributing Writer
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