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Synapse Team Synapse hits the circuit » PAGE 10
The UCSF Student Newspaper
Thursday, March 6, 2014
NEWS
A Night at the UCSF Homeless Clinic First-year medical student describes educational volunteer experience
NOTE: This article was first published on the UCSF School of Medicine website (medschool. ucsf.edu) on February 24, 2014.
By Jeffrey Chen Staff Writer
T
he first time I go to the St. Vincent de Paul Society of San Francisco, I leave my white coat at home. The Society provides shelter for over 400 transient men and women each night. It’s also the location of the UCSF Homeless Clinic, which is where I’m headed tonight, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. Many of the men and women who come to the clinic have had negative experiences with healthcare providers in the past. A white coat may be the last thing they want to see. People come to this shelter in the South of Market neighborhood to find reprieve from the vicious cycles of homelessness, violence and substance abuse that they encounter on the streets. Here, they are able to get help, whether it’s to find permanent housing, employment, education, or simply a warm bed to stay for the night and food to sustain them through the day. And since 1992, on every Tuesday and Thursday night, these men and women have been able to get free medical care right at the shelter. Since its founding 22 years ago, the UCSF Homeless Clinic has drawn medical students and local community physicians to volunteer their time caring for the patients most in need in San Francisco. Since then, the clinic has expanded to include nursing, pharmacy, premedical and even law students. The clinic draws student volunteers from UCSF Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy, as well as premedical students from the University of San Francisco and law students from the UC Hastings College of the Law. Each group has their role: pharmacy students, for example, will help patients go over their medication lists and help them figure out how to stick to their regimens, while pre-
HOMELESS CLINIC » PAGE 4
synapse.ucsf.edu
Volume 58, Number 22
NEWS
UCSF P&T Team Heads to Nationals
By Linda Chen Staff Writer
A
UCSF Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) winning team will once again represent the University at the 14th Annual National Student Pharmacy P&T Competition. Lucille Sun, president-elect of AMCP and P&T coordinator, announced last week that from 50 competitive school submissions, the UCSF team of Edna Cheung (P1), Isabel Fong (P1), Thomas Lee (P2) and Randal Du (P3) had landed a coveted spot in the top eight, which will compete in Tampa, Florida on April 4. “Throughout this competition we tested the limits of our intellect, persevered through many challenges, and, most importantly, made some unforgettable memories as a team,” said Thomas Lee on behalf of the team. “We are thrilled to be representing UCSF School of Pharmacy at the National AMCP Conference next month. We hope to continue the tradition of excellence that our school has upheld in previous years.” The AMCP P&T Competition is a unique opportunity for a four-person team of pharmacy students to simulate the actions of an actual P&T committee. In hospitals and health plans, the P&T committee manages the formulary—a list of medications that will be
Photo by Joshua Smith/P2 (Left to right) Isabel Fong (P1), Randal Du (P3), Edna Cheung (P1) and Thomas Lee (P2) will compete in the 14th Annual National Student Pharmacy P&T Competition in Tampa, Fla. on April 4.
covered—through evaluation of drug’ 'safety, efficacy and economic profile. While actual P&T committees are interdisciplinary in nature and have greater access to information, the students often produce quality results that rival the actual committees. This year, Elyea ® (aflibercept), an intravitreal injection indicated for the treatment
of wet age-related macular degeneration and macular edema following central retinal vein occlusion, was chosen. The route of administration and high cost of the drug were the interesting twists in this year’s competition. After careful consideration of the data, teams arrived at a formulary decision and argued in
NATIONALS » PAGE 7
ARTS&CULTURE
Hidden Garden Steps Mural Completed By T. Booth Haley Staff Writer
A
new mosaic mural has opened in the Inner Sunset. Inspired by the beloved sun-moon-river mural on the Moraga Mosaic steps, which ascend the west side of Grandview Park, aka Turtle Hill, a community group has completed a second stairway mural called the Hidden Garden Steps. Completed in December 2013, the staircase begins its climb from Kirkham Ave., where 16th Ave. dead-ends at the north edge of the same Turtle Hill. This fantastic promontory — from which one can survey the entire Sunset district, the Marin Headlands and the towers of downtown — is becoming one of the most nicely decorated hills in San Francisco. The Hidden Garden Steps depict a lush floral paradise — vines, ferns and creatures intertwined with petals and stamens — with names of donors inscribed on many of the
HIDDEN GARDEN STEPS » PAGE 11
Photo by Mason Tran/DS4 The Hidden Garden Steps depict a lush floral paradise — vines, ferns and creatures intertwined with petals and stamens.