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SynapseNewspaper
The UCSF Student
synapse.ucsf.edu | Thursday, May 14, 2015 | Volume 59, Number 15
Dr. Hiten Madhani Wins SNPhA Takes on Chronic Kidney Disease 2015 Outstanding Faculty Alysha Fahmi Mentor Award Contributing Writer N early 26 million people in the United States may have chronic kidney disease
(CKD) and many of them are unaware of this. CKD is a condition that affects the kidney’s ability to filter blood effectively, leaving many waste and toxins in the body’s blood circulation that can lead to other health complications. Since CKD is a condition that rarely makes a person feel ill or show any symptoms, it becomes even more imperative to raise awareness of it. After diagnosis by a blood or urine test, simple lifestyle changes can help slow
down the disease progression and prevent kidney failure. While the UCSF School of Pharmacy is deeply involved in community outreach for diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic diseases, the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) identified a need for CKD awareness and strives to initiate a call to action. As an organization aimed at improving health education and literacy in the community,
KIDNEY DISEASE » PAGE 6
Jenny Qi & Clint Cario Editor-in-Chief & Contributing Writer
E ach year, the ASGD and GDAA call for students and alumni to nominate faculty who have gone above and beyond their duties as professors, providing academic, professional and personal support and dedication to student mentorship. The Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award is an exceptional opportunity for trainees to express their appreciation for the faculty mentors who have changed their lives.
between organisms that drive the evolution of eukaryotic organisms,” as described on his lab website. Specifically, the lab studies the mechanisms of chromatin- and RNAbased gene control and mechanisms of fungal virulence. Elected to the American Academy of Microbiology last year, he is the author of a textbook on yeast as a model organism, and Nature Genetics described it as “one of the most pleasantly readable books in biology...a ‘must read’ for anyone beginning to experiment with yeast.”
The Associated Students of the Graduate Division (ASGD) and the Graduate Division Dr. Madhani received Alumni Association glowing nomination (GDAA) have selected letters from former Photo courtesy of Madhani Lab Website. Dr. Hiten Madhani, MD, students, and it is clear PhD, as this year’s Outstanding Faculty that he is deeply committed to both his Mentorship Awardee. science and the scientists in his lab. Dr. Madhani is a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. A graduate of UCSF himself, Madhani now focuses on researching “the battles within and
In keeping with the clarity of his book, Madhani’s nomination letters describe him
see dentists as technicians who just drill, fill, and bill patients, and pull out teeth whenever they hear the word “toothache.” We are seen as a very isolated profession, both anatomically and professionally - our activities are bounded within the mouth,
while we also have limited interaction with the other healthcare professions.
OUTSTANDING FACULTY » PAGE 6
What It Means To Be a Dental Student Wendy Fu Contributing Writer
Ifirstamyeara firststudents year dental student, and all at UCSF are required
to participate in the Interprofessional Education Curriculum (IPE). For one of the exercises I teamed up with a medical and a nursing student to interpret a patient’s note written by a pharmacist. The conversation went something like this: “The patient has had two CABG and is currently taking statin and albuterol,” said the nursing student. “Yes the patient has hyperlipidemia and asthma. Have you guys
learned this stuff yet?” The medical student asked me. I replied, “We just finished lipid metabolism this past week, so I am still slow on picking up these terms.” “Oh! Cool. What do you guys learn in dental school anyways? I have no idea.” “Yeah I wondered that too. I wasn’t sure if you guys needed to know these for dentistry,” the nursing student said.
What I concluded from that IPE session was that there is still a big misconception about dentistry being entirely a technical field, not only among the general public but also within healthcare professions. People
So it was no surprise that the other graduate students were curious, as I would like to think, about what us dental students learn in dental school. And I would love to enlighten anyone who is inquisitive by busting these myths about dental students. Myth #1: Dental students only learn how to drill the teeth. The irony about dental school is that even though we are learning how to use the drill, we are also taught to avoid using it. We are
DENTAL STUDENT » PAGE 6