NEWS
Pearl for the Developing Clinician
ARTS&CULTURE
IN THIS ISSUE
Vienna Teng Continues Events » PAGE 2 to ‘Level Up’ News Briefs » PAGE 3 Musician sings about her grad Puzzles » PAGE 7
Synapse
Taking a pulse » PAGE 5
school experience. » PAGE 6
The UCSF Student Newspaper
Thursday, November 21, 2013
synapse.ucsf.edu
Volume 58, Number 11
OPINION
NEWS
A Veterans’ Day Perspective From a First-Year Student Veteran
Students Plan New Student Government Structure By Michael Le Contributing Writer
P
I’ll admit, I’d much rather be stressing out about studying for a test than to be experiencing death, destruction and 130-degree temperatures. I’m eternally grateful that I was able to make it back home from my one-year tour in the Middle East. Over 6,500 troops cannot say the same and have paid the greatest sacrifice fighting the United States’ War on Terror. With more than a million service members expected to return to civilian life over the next few years and an unemployment rate for Post 9/11 veterans currently at 10 percent (2.7 percent higher than the na-
lanning is under way to create a new student government that would merge the two student governments and unify the student body under one identifiable banner. Student representatives from the Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and the Graduate Division began meeting in October as a planning committee to provide input on a new student government, to be known as the Graduate and Professional Students’ Association (GPSA). Their goal is to produce a new student government structure that will improve the campus-wide student representation, as well as improve how students are served by the governing body. “We're hoping to increase interprofessionalism and efficiency with the proposed governing structure,” said Joseph Foy, GSA president and member of the planning committee. “The new structure should allow for greater collaboration between students in different schools and programs, and improve communication with the administration.” The idea to reform the current structure arose out of discussions during the previous academic year between then-ASUC president Doug Jacobs, then-GSA president Jason Tien and current Nursing Student Council president Arielle Bivas. They identified three major issues: inconsistent two-tier representation,
VETERANS’ DAY » PAGE 4
STUDENT GOVERNMENT » PAGE 4
Photo courtesy of Sam Lee Capt. Sam Lee stands in front of Al Faw Palace, then home to headquarters US Forces-Iraq in September, 2011. He worked as a strategic planner helping develop a cohesive communication plan for OPERATION NEW DAWN for senior leaders.
By Sam Lee Staff Writer
T
hree years ago I was experiencing almost daily rocket attacks on our compound in Baghdad, Iraq. This Veterans’ Day, I found myself barricaded behind a mountain of books and notes studying for my nursing med-surg exam.
NEWS
Chancellor: Typhoon-Ravaged Philippines Needs Our Help
I Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines two weeks ago.
n the wake of the devastating typhoon in the Philippines, UCSF Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH, sent out the following message to the campus community last Wednesday: Dear Colleagues: I share the deep concern and sadness that the UCSF community is experiencing with
the impact of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), which has devastated the Philippines, particularly with heavy destruction within the Visayan islands of Samar and Leyte, where the number of casualties is feared to be in the thousands and lack of resources extremely critical. As reported, the demands on the rescue effort are overwhelm-
ing. Many relief organizations, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, Philippine Red Cross and the Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), have mobilized to provide the basic needs of water, food, shelter and medical care. The following story in The New York Times provides a broader list of these
organizations: http://thelede. blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/11/ how-to-help-philippines-typhoon-victims/?ref=asia. For those here at UCSF, there are free, confidential resources that are available to help during this time. Students seeking counseling can call Student Health and Counseling Services
TYPHOON » PAGE 4
2 | November 21, 2013 | synapse.ucsf.edu
EVENTS MISSION BAY EVENTS
PARNASSUS EVENTS
SYNAPSE NEWSPAPER
INTERNATIONAL SURVIVORS OF SUICIDE DAY
Friday, Nov. 22, noon-1 p.m., Graduate Division, CC-310, Mission Bay Synapse is looking for Mission Bay and Parnassus writers, bloggers, photographers and designers. Come to the lunch meeting, share your story ideas and enjoy a free lunch. RSVP to synapse@ucsf.edu.
MUSLIM FRIDAY PRAYER SERVICES
Friday, Nov. 22, 1-2 p.m., Helen Diller, 160, Mission Bay The Muslim Community at UCSF holds regular Friday prayer services (Jum’a) for the UCSF Muslim community every week. Join your fellow brothers and sisters for prayer, lunch and socializing. All are welcome.
MISSION BAY RIPS
Friday, Nov. 22, 4-5 p.m., Genentech Hall Auditorium, Mission Bay RIPS is a seminar series in which one student and one postdoc present their current research. Talks are 15 minutes in length and are preceded by a 20-minute social. Snacks and beverages are provided.
MISSION BAY FARMERS’ MARKET
Wednesday, Nov. 27, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Gene Friend Way Plaza, Mission Bay Shop healthy, shop fresh, shop Californiagrown at the UCSF Farmers’ Market every Wednesday (rain or shine). Sponsor: Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association.
UNWIND: STRESS MANAGEMENT FOR WOMEN
Monday, Dec. 2, noon-1 p.m., Student Health and Counseling Services, Rutter Center, third floor, Mission Bay Take a breath and learn helpful techniques to relax and manage your stress from Felicia De La Garza Mercer, Ph.D. This workshop will focus on “From Burnout to Balance.” Free lunch for students who RSVP to felicia. mercer@ucsf.edu.
BAGEL TUESDAY
Tuesday, Dec. 3, 8:30 a.m., Student Lounge, Genentech Hall, second floor, Mission Bay Come enjoy some free bagels, pastries and coffee. Learn about campus services and events and build a community at Mission Bay. Open to students and postdocs.
HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
Tuesday, Dec. 3, noon-1 p.m., Genentech Hall, 204, Mission Bay Student Health and Counseling presents a workshop to find out what makes relationships work. Join SHCS providers and life partners Dr. Susan Rosen and Dr. Lance Raynor, in a discussion about wellresearched tenets of lasting relationships. Free lunch for students who RSVP. healthyrelationships-2013.eventbrite.com
INVESTMENT CLUB UCSF: COREY GOODMAN, PHD (LIFE SCIENCES VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTING)
Tuesday, Dec. 3, 6 p.m.- 7:30 p.m., Rock Hall, 102, Mission Bay Come learn more about investing from Corey Goodman, PhD, co-Founder and Managing Partner of the life sciences venture capital firm venBio.
Saturday, Nov. 23, 9:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m., Langley Porter, 190, Parnassus Have you lost a loved one to suicide? If so, join other survivors of suicide loss in a day of healing and empowerment. A discussion group will follow after the broadcast for attendees to share and ask questions. psych. ucsf.edu/ISOSDay2013.aspx.
BLOOD DRIVE AT UCSF
Tuesday, Nov. 26, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., in front of Millberry Union, Parnassus Schedule your life-saving appointment on Nov. 26 by visiting the website of the Blood Centers of the Pacific and clicking on Donate Blood. Be sure to enter the sponsor code: UCSFparnassus, and you will receive an additional 2000 Hero Points, which can be redeemed for a variety of rewards including two sets of two movie passes. Please be sure to eat a good meal and drink plenty of water before donating, and bring identification. www.bloodheroes.com.
PARNASSUS FARMERS’ MARKET
Wednesday, Nov. 27, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., ACC, 400 Parnassus Ave. Shop the Farmers’ Markets on Wednesdays to pick up locally grown produce and more. Sponsor: Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association.
ASUC MEETING: DENTISTRY, MEDICINE & PHARMACY STUDENTS
Monday, Dec. 2, 5:30 p.m., Library, CL 221, Parnassus Meet your executive board members at the monthly ASUC meeting and be a part of the discussion on topics relating to student priorities. Visit the ASUC website for more details and to RSVP. http://bit.ly/ ASUCwebsite.
IDEA TO IPO MIXER & INFORMATION SESSION
Monday, Dec. 2, 5-7 p.m., Nursing Building, 417, Parnassus Learn more about the “Idea to IPO” curriculum and meet others who are interested in taking the course. Test out your idea with your peers and get feedback. If you don’t have an idea, perhaps you’ll meet someone who does. Network with people interested in learning about life science entrepreneurship. More information: ita.ucsf.edu/entrepreneurshipcenter/education/courses/idea-ipo. RSVP to i2imixer.eventbrite.com/.
BAGEL WEDNESDAY
Wednesday, Dec. 4, 9:30 a.m., Nursing Mezzanine Lounge, Parnassus Come enjoy some free bagels, pastries and coffee. Learn about campus services and events and build a community at Parnassus.
UNWIND: STRESS MANAGEMENT FOR WOMEN
Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2-3 p.m., Medical Science, 171, Parnassus Take a breather and learn helpful techniques to relax and manage your stress from Felicia De La Garza Mercer, PhD. This workshop will focus on “From Burnout to Balance.” Free lunch for students who RSVP to felicia. mercer@ucsf.edu.
OFF-CAMPUS CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES: BITELIFE
Thursday, Nov. 21, 6-10 p.m., Cal Academy, Golden Gate Park Open wide as NightLife explores the science of eating — from table to intestine. Taste local, sustainable nibbles from Earl’s Organic Produce and Whole Foods and pick up tips on how to turn your Thanksgiving feast into gastronomic glory. Get a jump-start on dancing off those holiday calories with the funk-soul stylings of Sweater Funk. http://bit.ly/NightLifeTickets, http://bit.ly/ CLSDiscounts.
OFF THE GRID: UPPER HAIGHT
Thursday, Nov. 21, 5-9 p.m., Stanyan and Waller Streets, SF Off the Grid is a roaming mobile food extravaganza that travels to different locations daily to serve delicious food, with a free side of amazing music, craft and soul.
PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY FUND-RAISER
Friday, Nov. 22, 10 p.m.-2 a.m., Atmosphere, 447 Broadway Street, SF Proceeds from this fund-raising party, hosted by Psi Omega, will be donated to local pediatric organizations. Admission is free before 11 p.m., and discounted after 11 with student ID. To get on the guest list for free admission, go to www.atmosphere.com.
MACY’S 24TH ANNUAL TREE LIGHTING
Friday, Nov. 29, 6 p.m., Union Square, SF Macy's 24th Annual Tree Lighting will take place in Union Square Park between Sutter and Post and Geary and Stockton Streets. For the best viewing location, stop by Union Square early to stake out your spot.
ANNOUNCEMENTS FREE SYNAPSE CLASSIFIEDS
UCSF students and staff can now post online classified ads for free on the Synapse website. All you need is an @ucsf.edu email account. Try it out! synapse.ucsf.edu/classifieds.
WHERE DO I FIT IN? BEING FIRST GENERATION AT UCSF: RSVP BY NOV. 15
Wednesday, Nov. 20, noon-1 p.m., RSVP for location, Parnassus Are you of the first generation in your family to graduate from college? Is it difficult for your family to understand what you do here? Do you sometimes feel like an outsider at UCSF? If you answered “yes” to the above, please join the First Generation Support Services for lunch, share your experiences
with fellow first-gen college students, and learn to survive and thrive while you’re here. RSVP: http://bit.ly/TQcR79.
UC BERKELEY-UCSF MASTER OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE PROGRAM: APPLY FOR FALL 2014
The Master of Translational Medicine (MTM) program is a professional master's program run jointly by the College of Engineering at UC Berkeley and the Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy at UCSF. More information at bioeng.berkeley.edu/mtm. Interested applicants may contact Executive Director, Kyle Kurpinski, PhD, kkurpins@berkeley. edu. Applications due Feb. 3, 2014.
ASUC & GSA FORMAL: TICKETS ON SALE
Saturday, Jan. 25, 9 p.m-1 a.m., Westin St. Francis, San Francisco Purchase your tickets today and get ready to enjoy a night filled with dancing, desserts and photo booths. Buy your tickets early before the prices go up. http://bit.ly/1fP97KX.
SEP RECRUITING FOR 20132014 CLASSROOM PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS
The Science and Health Education Partnership (SEP) offers opportunities for UCSF volunteers to work with San Francisco K-12 teachers to plan and co-teach a series of four investigative science lessons in the teachers’ classrooms during the spring semester. The commitment is only 20 hours, flexibly scheduled from January to May. Professional students, graduate students, postdocs, research scientists and faculty are all eligible to apply. Applications are available online on SEP’s website: ucsf.edu/sep.
CLASSIFIEDS RETAIL STORES FOR RENT
Sunset SF retail stores for rent: $2,800/ month each, 2132 and 2134 Taraval St., easy transportation, 1 bedroom, kitchen, full bath in the back of store. (415) 665-4567.
SEEKING VOLUNTEER RESEARCH ASSISTANT
UCSF’s Department of Social and Behavioral Science, Institute for Health and Aging, is looking for a volunteer research assistant to work with its research team, focusing on lifestyle behaviors to improve health and prevent disease among diverse ethnic communities (Filipino, Asian Americans, Hispanics). Flexible eight hours/week. Commitment of at least nine months. Bachelors degree required. Please send a cover letter stating your academic goals, strengths and interests, along with your curriculum vitae, to: melinda.bender@ucsf. edu.
synapse.ucsf.edu | November 21, 2013 | 3
OPINION
Will MAVEN Unlock the Mysteries of Our Planetary System?
By Alex Loucks Staff Writer
C
ape Canaveral, Fla. — Experiencing a rocket launch from Cape Canaveral is one of the most awe-inspiring events that one could have the good fortune to see, so when I was offered the opportunity to watch the launch of MAVEN, a Mars space probe, on Monday, I seized the opportunity and rejoiced at the thought of watching history happen at first hand. Forty-eight years after the first close-up photos of Mars were sent back to Earth from Mariner 4, there are still questions regarding the climate of the Red Planet. While earlier missions to Mars revealed a thin atmosphere and an absence of water, more recent missions suggest Mars had surface water as recently as millions of years ago. “In order to have liquid water, you need to have temperatures above freezing, and in order to keep temperatures above freezing, you need gases in the atmosphere that can keep the surface warm, many more gases than we have today,” explained Dave Brain, co-investigator on the MAVEN science team. This insight leads to two tantalizing questions: What happened to the water, and what happened to the atmosphere? To answer these questions, scientists launched MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN)). “Obviously, one place [the water] can go is down into the crust of the planet, but we’ve sent some Mars Landers there, and they’ve discovered that there’s not as much [subsurface water] as we would expect,” said Jeff Coyne, the Assembly Test and Launch operations manager of MAVEN. “Another place the atmosphere and water can go is out into space; it escapes from Mars. So that’s what MAVEN is focusing on.” Specifically, MAVEN will analyze how a multitude of factors currently affect the loss of atmosphere so scientists can then extrapolate backwards in time to understand how Mars’ climate has changed over the past 4.5 billion years.
Synapse
UC Reaches Tentative Pact with University Nurses
University of California officials said Saturday that they have reached a tentative agreement with the California Nurses Association regarding a four-year labor contract for the more than 11,700 nurses who work in UC medical and student health facilities. The agreement includes a 4 percent, across-the-board salary increase each January and additional step increases each July through 2017, UC officials said. Nurses will participate in a slightly modified version of UC’s new 2013 pension tier, contributing 8 percent of pay starting in January 2014 and 9 percent of pay starting in July 2014 toward the UC Retirement Plan. The agreement also includes a no-strike provision, prohibiting nurses from striking during the life of the contract. CNA had announced previously its intention to strike on November 20 “in sympathy” with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union (AFSCME). With this agreement, CNA has agreed to rescind its sympathy strike notice. The contract is still subject to approval by CNA members. Negotiations began on March 26.
UCSF Receives Gold-Standard Recognition for Animal Research Program
Photo by Thomas Loucks “This is not only a Mars mission," said Dave Brain, co-investigator on the MAVEN science team. "This is a planet mission … a mission about the history and habitability of planets.”
MAVEN is doing more than just gathering scientific data about the climate of Mars, however. “Mars is a laboratory for planets everywhere,” said Dr. Brain. “This is not only a Mars mission, this is a planet mission … a mission about the history and habitability of planets.” Understanding the climates of the other planets in our solar system helps us un-
The UCSF Student Newspaper synapse.ucsf.edu
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About
Synapse is the UCSF student-run weekly newspaper, which runs on Thursdays during the academic year and monthly during the summer. Synapse seeks to serve as a forum for the campus community. Articles and columns represent the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the Board of Publications or the University of California.
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derstand our own climate and what kinds of consequences we should expect from climate change. Perhaps even more dramatically, what we learn from this mission will help us determine if Mars was at any time habitable for humans. Bill Nye (The Science Guy!) who gave a lecture at Sunday’s briefings, summed up the scientific and inspirational nature of the MAVEN launch nicely. ”It’s going to take discoveries made on Mars to understand the climate here on Earth so that we can learn more about where we all came from and whether or not we’re alone.” Nye rekindled a childhood sense of curiosity and wonder I thought I had lost years ago. Shortly before launch, loudspeakers played a phone call from Colonel Mike Hopkins from the International Space Station, wishing the MAVEN mission good luck. Hearing his words, my mind shifted from thinking about the launch on the ground towards the boundaries of space. As I listened to the crystal-clear voice of an astronaut transmitted from 220 miles above Earth, I imagined the future of a manned trip to Mars, and my heart started racing. I expected to be antsy in anticipation at the countdown. I expected to cheer with hundreds of other visitors as we stared into the sky, watching the receding cylindrical projectile disappear. What I did not expect was the overwhelming emotion that flooded me as the clock counted down from T-3 minutes to T-0 and I started processing the historical implications of what had just occurred. Three minutes before launch, I stood atop the bleachers, binoculars in hand, desperately checking and rechecking the launch pad site to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. I kept glancing nervously at
MAVEN » PAGE 4
UCSF has received the gold-standard international re-accreditation for its animal research program, recognizing the University’s commitment to the highest ethical standards in animal care and treatment. The commendation by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) is based on an evaluation of the entire UCSF program for animal care and use. It follows a similar, unannounced assessment in June 2013 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which found no concerns in UCSF’s animal research program. AAALAC conducts an extensive review of UCSF’s animal research program every three years, according to Elizabeth Boyd, PhD, UCSF associate vice chancellor for Ethics and Compliance. “Our accreditation is an important indication of our collective commitment to upholding the highest ethical standards for the humane treatment of the animals in our laboratories,” said Boyd.
UC, Librarians Reach 5-Year Contract on Wages, Benefits The University of California’s 350 librarians last week ratified a five-year contract that includes a new salary structure, health benefits and other working conditions, the culmination of 18 months of negotiations between UC and the American Federation of Teachers, a union that represents about 1.5 million members nationwide. This is the second labor agreement UC has finalized in the last four weeks. On October 22, the Federated University Police Officers Association, representing 250 UC officers, also ratified a contract with the university. The agreement with librarians include a new salary scale that provides wage adjustments averaging 2.7 percent across the salary scale, retroactive to November 1, 2013; establishes uniformity in merit-based increases and gives the university greater flexibility in terms of salaries to recruit and retain quality librarians.It also included revised language regarding temporary librarians that specifies when a temporary employee becomes a career librarian.
4 | November 21, 2013 | synapse.ucsf.edu
MAVEN
Veterans’ Day
the clock, as if by not checking the clock, MAVEN would launch without my knowledge. Then, right before the two-minute mark, the whole crowd suddenly quieted down. Mission Command counted down in increments of tens of seconds; overhead on the speakers, we heard them run through the last of the tests on Atlas (the rocket) and Centaur (the stage that provides the thrust to propel MAVEN out of orbit). We anxiously awaited the 25-second mark, the last second when the launch could be put on hold (I’ve never heard 1 000 people in bleachers stand so quietly). Finally, “Twenty-five: Status check? Go Atlas, Go Centaur, Go MAVEN,” and the crowd erupted in a short cheer before returning to another nervous silence. At T-10 seconds, the crowd launched into a second-by-second countdown with Mission Command, then cheered as MAVEN cleared the clouds and lurched upwards. I was physically shaking from disbelief, barely able to hold my binoculars still. Shortly thereafter, MAVEN disappeared into the clouds and the crowd quieted in disappointment. Then the crowd erupted again as MAVEN burst through a layer of clouds to show itself off for a few more glorious seconds. One full minute after lift-off, the sound of MAVEN launching reached our bleachers, rolling in across the river like a gentle rumble of thunder. With the reality of a successful launch behind us, my imagination took over, and I thought about one of the last points Bill Nye had made the day before. It was the reason why I was so emotionally overwhelmed at lift-off, for until he spoke the words, I hadn’t dared dream about the possibilities of our actions. “If we were to discover evidence of life on Mars, or stranger still, something still alive on Mars, some sort of Martian microbe. ... It would change the way each and every one of us thinks about our place in space. It would change the way each and every one of us thinks about our origins and where we came from. … It would change the world.” An hour later, the guests on the tour bus all cheered one last time, as we received the news that MAVEN had successfully separated from the Atlas V rocket and Centaur stage and was headed alone to Mars. I sat back in my seat and closed my eyes, comforted by the notion that I wouldn’t yet have to change my concept of life in the great beyond, but inspired by the possibility that in 10 months, everything as we know it could change forever.
tional average), it’s going to be a challenge to find a place in the civilian workforce while earning a decent salary. Thanks to the generous benefits of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, I’m fortunate enough to transition from active duty service and gain an education as a family nurse practitioner. This will help me be more marketable than if I just jumped straight back into the civilian workforce. I’m also able to actually afford to live in this expensive city we call San Francisco. I’m so thankful that I got into UCSF Nursing School, and I’m sure that the other veterans and active-duty students are appreciative of the educational opportunities within our grasp while attending this university. My transition back to school has been smooth thanks to people like Christine Coleman, our Veteran Affairs coordinator, who handles the financial aid for qualified veterans and active-duty students. While the protracted government shutdown this year instilled a bit of anxiety with the possibility of delayed financial aid, the national crisis was averted by another few months. It was great to see how UCSF’s Student Life and School of Nursing helped celebrate Veterans’ Day this year by inviting Country Joe McDonald, a veteran of the U.S. Navy with a long history of music performance, to present a tribute to Florence Nightingale. McDonald, whose family includes several nurses and whose mother was fittingly named Florence, seemed like just the right person to pay tribute to Nightingale. He gave a 50-minute presentation that included original songs
» FROM PAGE 3
Alex Loucks is a seventh-year Neuroscience student.
TYPHOON
» FROM HOME PAGE
(SHCS) at (415) 476-1281, option #2 or go to the SHCS at Parnassus or Mission Bay during business hours. After business hours, students can speak with a counselor by calling (415) 476-1281, option #7. For more information, go to the UCSF SHCS website. Faculty and staff should contact the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) at (415) 476-8279 and indicate that they are calling regarding Typhoon Haiyan. The Bay Area is home to a large number of Filipinos who are directly affected by this tragedy. Our thoughts are with our colleagues and their loved ones who may live in the Philippines. Susan Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH Chancellor Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Distinguished Professor
» FROM HOME PAGE
Photo by Sam Lee/MEPN1
In honor of Veterans' Day, Country Joe McDonald, a veteran of the U.S. Navy with a long history of music performance, presented a tribute to Florence Nightingale at UCSF.
and poems, along with a video that played in the background showcasing historical photos of Nightingale. To be honest, my knowledge of Florence Nightingale and her passion for nursing and the care she provided for soldiers during the Crimean War was rather anemic prior to this presentation. However, the legacy she left on the field of nursing and the care provided to generations of future service members can still be experienced today. As I reflect on the sacrifice of U.S. veterans past, present and future and on the impact of Florence Nightingale’s contribution to nursing, I feel humbled and thankful to be alive
and to have the opportunity to pursue a career in nursing. Thanks for your service! To learn more about Country Joe McDonald’s Tribute to Florence Nightingale, you can visit the website devoted to her life and work: www.countryjoe.com/nightingale. If you’re a veteran, on active duty or a dependent and would like more information about the available resources, contact Christine Coleman at: christine.coleman@ucsf.edu You can also join the Student Veterans’ RCO through the link: orgsync.com/ join/79260/student-veterans-at-ucsf.
Sam Lee is a first-year student in the Master’s Entry Program in Nursing program.
Student Government » FROM HOME PAGE
barriers to collaboration and duplication of services.
either “clinician” or “researcher” roles appears to be an outdated model.
Inconsistent two-tier representation
Duplication of services
Currently, dental, medical, and pharmacy students are represented by the Associated Students of University of California (ASUC) at the campus-wide level, while graduate, nursing and physical therapy students are represented by the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA). However, dental, medical, nursing and pharmacy students also have their own student governments in their respective school administrations (e.g. Associated Students of the School of Medicine in the School of Medicine) to help represent them on issues pertinent only to their respective schools. While physical therapy students have a registered campus organization to represent their interests to the administrators of their program, it is not an officially sanctioned body of UCSF. Furthermore, graduate students only have the GSA to convey their graduate-specific concerns to the Graduate Division.
Most UCSF students pay a quarterly fee to either the ASUC or GSA to help the two organizations carry out their mandate to represent them on student issues to the UCSF administration and other University of California (UC) campuses. These fees also support many student endeavors, which include, but are not limited to, campus-wide student events, functions held by registered campus organizations and conference travel. However, the separation of the pool of money between the ASUC and GSA makes it challenging to assess whether the needs of students are being fully met or could be pooled to better serve them. To aid the committee in their task, the Office of Student Life conducted extensive research this summer to reconstruct how the structure and function of the two student governments evolved over the years, how student fees are distributed to the various student governments, as well as how other UC campuses have structured their student governments. This information is helping the planning committee make informed decisions on the role of the executive board of the new unified student government, and how students in GPSA will serve and represent all registered students at UCSF. As of now, the planning committee proposes that the GPSA executive board be comprised of two bodies: (1) an executive council, consisting of the president and several supporting officers, who will serve as executive representatives of the student body to UCSF and the rest of the UC system, and (2) an academic council, comprised of student representatives from each of the individual student governments, that will serve as the liaison
Barriers to collaboration While both the ASUC and GSA provide a forum where students can express their ideas to an interprofessional audience and allow them to receive interprofessional feedback, the composition of this interprofessional audience is only half what it could be. Similarly, campus administrators who only discuss issues pertaining specifically to the ASUC or GSA miss input from a significant portion of the student population, because the entire student body is not represented at those discussions. Now that interprofessionalism and research translation are the new mantras of UCSF, the historic separation of students into
between the GPSA and those governments. The executive and academic council structure “provides an optimal format to delegate responsibilities, while ensuring that students in each individual student government can have their voice heard,” said ASUC President and planning committee member Austin Walker. In the next month, the planning committee will finalize specific details of the GPSA’s mission, its day-to-day operations and the fees levied from the student body to fund the GPSA. Formation of the GPSA will lead to the dissolution of the ASUC and GSA. However, it will also lead to the official creation of new student governments for graduate and physical therapy students, giving them an additional level of representation that all the other students at UCSF have. The planning committee is also working with graduate and physical therapy student representatives to finalize the structure, responsibilities and fees of these new student governments. For the GPSA to become a reality at UCSF, three things must happen: (1) Both the ASUC and GSA must approve the proposed referendum; (2) the planning committee will provide information sessions to educate students about the referendum, and (3) a majority of UCSF students must vote in favor of the referendum, provided that at least 20 percent of eligible students vote. All registered students at UCSF are encouraged to comment on this issue by contacting their student government representatives, as well as attending the next ASUC or GSA board meetings in December. Visit asuc.ucsf.edu and gsa.ucsf.edu for more information.
Michael Le is a seventh-year DDS-PhD student in Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, and a member of the planning committee.
synapse.ucsf.edu | November 21, 2013 | 5
OPINION
Pearls for the Developing Clinician: Taking a Pulse By Akshay Govind Associate Editor
T
his is the first installment of a column to which I will return periodically over the next few years, with learning points I come upon in my own training or in conversation with my clinical mentors. Today’s lesson: Practice taking pulses manually on your patients, so it comes naturally when you have no special tools at your disposal. The Case Study A 56-year-old Indian man was driving a car through the desert on a hot day with his wife, who happens to be a physician. He mentioned vague abdominal discomfort of moderate intensity that had been present for about half an hour, but chalked it up to indigestion from too much restaurant food. After several more minutes, the man began feeling nauseated, pulled the car over, vomited a small amount of non-bilious, non-bloody emesis, and asked his wife to drive. He agreed he felt tired, but denied any pain and reported partial relief of symptoms after vomiting. He felt a little lightheaded, but he thought he might be dehydrated, because of the heat. They traded positions, and he reclined in the passenger seat to rest. What sorts of things should the physician think about before driving on? The woman looked carefully at her husband and considered his general appearance, taking into consideration his medical history, which was remarkable for a 25-pack history of cigarette smoking and a childhood bout of rheumatic fever without any known sequelae of the heart valves. She knew symptoms like this were not typical for him and that he had no known history of pulmonary or gastrointestinal disorders. She noticed a small amount of sweat on his forehead and that his skin, normally a deep brown color, had a somewhat pale quality to it. His work of breathing was normal, he was alert and able to speak in complete sentences, and he had no lateralizing signs, peripheral edema (swelling) or distension of his neck veins.
Before driving on, the woman took his wrists and felt his radial pulses, which were symmetric but weak, irregularly irregular (a sign of atrial fibrillation), and beating at a rate of over 200 beats per minute (suggesting the heart was not able to pump efficiently, due to decreased filling time between beats). She immediately called 911, and the man was taken to the nearest hospital by ambulance, where he was found to have an acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) that was subsequently treated with four-vessel bypass grafting. Especially in older male smokers, acute coronary syndrome (blockage of the arteries that supply the heart) should be considered with any acute symptoms near the trunk. The classic presentation is chest pain or tightness radiating to the left jaw or shoulder, but some people will have jaw or shoulder pain without any chest symptoms, and others still will have no pain whatsoever. The range of presentations of acute myocardial infarction include vague abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, cough, diaphoresis (sweating), fatigue, light-headedness and/ or fainting, or increased work of breathing. Other things to consider in someone with vague abdominal pain include an aortic aneurysm that has torn, inflammation of the stomach or intestines (with or without ulceration), appendicitis, diseases of the biliary tree (either related to gallstones or not), liver disease, pancreatic disease, as well as infectious gastroenteritis, acid reflux or functional dyspepsia (tummy ache — not otherwise specified). Taking pulses manually In 1985, the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) handbook included a set of guidelines to estimate systolic blood pressure in the setting of acute blood loss, based on the presence or absence of carotid, femoral and radial pulses. There has been significant debate about these guidelines, with a series of letters and articles in the British Medical Journal around the year 2000 criticizing the ATLS handbook for making numerical estimates without solid evidence, citing studies with significant variation in blood pressure, despite identical pulse findings.
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I believe the result of that discussion was that whether or not feeling pulses predicts a numerical value in one person compared to another, it certainly can be followed in one person over time, especially when associated with any changes in symptoms, mental status and the overall clinical picture. By taking this man’s radial pulses and speaking with him, the physician in this case was able to tell he was in an abnormal heart rhythm but that his brain was still getting enough oxygen to maintain his mental status at that point. She knew a medical response was necessary but that CPR need not be started. Had his pulses been asymmetric, she might have been more concerned about disease process in the vasculature, and if he had had peripheral edema, distended neck veins or increased work of breathing, she may have been concerned that his heart was not able to move blood forward at a rate that kept up with what it received from the veins. From very early in a developing clinician’s training today, heart rates are measured by assistants, determined by pulse oximeters or by automated blood pressure cuffs. For this reason, the vascular exam is often abbreviated or even skipped by students. The learning point for the day is that it is useful to take pulses manually on as many patients as you can throughout your training, to get a sense of the range of normal and abnormal in location, timing and quality. A very easy mistake to make is to push too hard while trying to feel a pulse (especially a weak one), which can lead to feeling your own pulse in your fingers. I find it useful to use to my index and middle finger, slightly compressing the artery proximally (closer to the heart) with one finger and feeling for the pulse with the other. Whether you are a budding physician, dentist, nurse or pharmacist, take that extra minute to practice this while the stakes are low and you can compare to the automated measurement. In an emergency without any instruments, having faith in your fingers to inform clinical decision-making comes from this fund of experience.
Akshay Govind is a second-year student in the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery.
6 | November 21, 2013 | synapse.ucsf.edu
ARTS&CULTURE
Vienna Teng Continues to ‘Level Up’ By Jenny Qi Executive Editor
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ords escape me as I try to express how impressed I am with Vienna Teng, who performed two back-to-back concerts with multi-instrumentalists Alex Wong and Jordan Hamlin at The Independent on November 16. Vienna Teng’s musical style may be described loosely as folk or indie pop, but these labels aren’t quite adequate for her unique fusion of folk, pop, electronica, classical piano and a cappella. More impressively, her lyrics are sincere and intelligent, covering diverse social and philosophical issues in addition to the earnest ballads typical of her music. “City Hall,” her opening song Saturday night, is a beautiful example of what makes Vienna Teng one of the most underrated contemporary singer-songwriters. It’s a delicate, but jubilant, tribute to love that defies sexual orientation. “You’ve never seen a sight so fine,” she sings in the chorus, “As the love that’s gonna shine at City Hall.” Most of the other songs performed during the concert were from her recently released fifth album, Aims. The energetic new album diverges significantly from her earlier compositions. It has more of an electronic-pop influence, as the artists explore different musical styles and sounds, using instruments as diverse as a grand piano and a French horn (by Hamlin) and even plastic cups in “Copenhagen (Let Me Go).” It’s fun to listen to and even more fun to watch. But the greatest strength of this album? It’s still grounded in her strong vocals and thoughtful lyrics, which have only improved with time. Thematically, these new songs are reflective of Vienna Teng’s experiences in grad school; for the past couple of years, she has been studying at the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan. (As a grad student myself, I love her even more for this.) “Level Up” is a pep talk for the weary grad student. The jazzy “Close to Home” explores a psychological disorder she read about in a journal. “Landsailor” is her token environmental sustainability song — at least, that’s the way she introduced it, with a chuckle.
Vienna Teng released her fifth album, Aims, this fall.
Photo courtesy of Vienna Teng
That was the best part of Saturday night’s concert, and the best part of any Vienna Teng concert. Sure, she’s crazy talented and intelligent, but more importantly for a live show, you can tell she’s having fun. She is so funny and comfortable on stage. She happily “geeked out” about the looping pedal and vocal harmonizer and the button that creates her “Barry White voice.” She explained the significance of her songs and invited the audience to clap along, as in “Grandmother Song,” a lively translation of her grandmother’s disapproval of her career choice. On Saturday, the chorus of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” unexpectedly emerged from her grandmother’s warnings. Vienna Teng ended with a soulful mash-up of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine” and Eminem’s “Lose Yourself.” It was appropriate, because you’ll definitely lose yourself a little in her performance.
Jenny Qi is a third-year BMS student.
FOOD
ARTS&CULTURE
By Matthew Nordstrom Staff Writer
Moves Beyond the Opera House
Recipe: Winter Minestrone
“Porgy and Bess”
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t is not often that I hear “Oh no, this is the last bowl!” when my partner and I finally finish one of those endless pots of soup that we have been slowly carving away at, one bowl at a time, for the last week. But this one really does not disappoint. With the winter chill creeping into those poorly insulated San Francisco apartments we all know and love/hate, what better way to fight back than with a nice warm soup? Many people, when they hear minestrone, think of either the sad canned versions or those weak veggie soups that seem to be on every menu at mediocre restaurants. Thinking those soups are real minestrone is like Digiorno fooling you into thinking its actually delivery. This recipe makes a real minestrone. It is hearty, flavorful, healthy and will warm you against the coming winter. Following the recipe using the canned cannellini beans will make a great bowl of soup, but if you want an absolutely fantastic minestrone, the key is in the beans. If you can obtain fresh (still in the pod) cranberry beans, they will really make this dish come alive. If you are unable to find the cranberry beans, I would recommend upping the pancetta to a half-pound, as other alternatives are not as flavorful as the cranberry beans. Either way, I hope you enjoy. Stay warm, my friends. Recipe adapted from Gourmet, January 2009. 1/3-1/2 pound sliced pancetta, chopped 3 medium red onions, chopped 4 celery ribs, chopped 2 medium carrots, chopped 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 bunch Swiss chard 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice 3 quarts hot water 5 cups coarsely chopped, cored Savoy cabbage (6 ounces) 5 cups coarsely chopped escarole (½ pound) 1 piece Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (about 3 by 1½ inches)
By Jenny Qi Executive Editor
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Photo by Matthew Nordstrom/MS2 With the winter chill creeping into those poorly insulated San Francisco apartments we all know and love/hate, what better way to fight back than with a nice warm soup?
1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained Toppings: cooked ditalini pasta tossed with olive oil; grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Substitutions: You can use kale instead of escarole. If you can get some fresh (not dried!) cranberry beans, it uses about 1½ to 2 cups of them. Cook the pancetta, onions, celery and carrots in oil in a wide 7- to 9-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, while preparing chard. Cut out stems from chard and chop stems, setting chard leaves aside, and reserve for later. The quick way of doing this is to set the knife down, hold the chard leaf by the stem and pinch the stem at the base of the leaves and slide your hand toward the tip of the leaf. This should strip the stem clean. Stir the chard stems into the pancetta mixture with garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and three-quarters of a teaspoon of pepper, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender and begin to stick to the bottom of the pot, about 45 minutes in total.
Before you start this step, remember to heat up the 3 quarts of water (I always forget!). Push vegetables to one side of the pot. Add tomato paste to the cleared area and cook, stirring constantly, until it starts to caramelize, about 2 minutes. The paste is going to stick to the bottom and brown, but don’t let it burn. Stir paste into vegetables and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice, breaking them up with a spoon by pressing them against the side of the pot. Add hot water (3 quarts), scraping up any brown bits from the bottom.Bring to a simmer. Stir in cabbage, escarole and parmesan rind. (If you managed to get your hands on fresh cranberry beans, add them here.) Simmer, covered, until greens are tender, about 40 minutes. Coarsely chop chard leaves and stir into soup along with the beans. Simmer, partially covered, 10 minutes. Discard rind. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Stir in ditalini just before serving.
Matthew Nordstrom is a second-year medical student.
ou might remember Porgy and Bess from that violin piece you performed in your high school orchestra. You would probably recognize the jubilant lines of “Summertime.” First produced in 1935 as an innovative “American folk opera” by the Gershwin brothers, George and Ira, Porgy and Bess centers on the unexpected romance between the crippled but virtuous Porgy and the beautiful and willful Bess. (As Celine Dion sings in Beauty and the Beast, it’s “a tale as old as time” — minus the Stockholm syndrome.) The classic love story has undergone significant musical transformations to become the Tony award-winning Broadway production that is now playing in San Francisco. True to its Gershwin roots, the musical opens with a lush orchestral piece and Sumaya Ali’s beautiful performance of “Summertime.” The rest of the production doesn’t quite live up to that goosebump-inducing opening, but has some lovely moments. Porgy falls in love with Bess despite her scandalous past and struggles to save her from her violent ex-lover Crown and the sleazy drug dealer Sporting Life. Bess’s end of the romance becomes more credible at the end of Act I, when she says softly to Porgy’s retreating figure, “You is so good to me.” The vocals, perhaps unsurprisingly, aren’t what you typically expect from a Broadway musical, straddling the line between show tunes and classical European opera. This fusion is most evident in the female vocalists, who slip folksy slang into their soulful arias. At the risk of blasphemy, I found this innovation somewhat jarring. The musical score, however, is gorgeous, and the 23-piece orchestra makes its presence known beautifully. The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess plays through December 8 at the SHN Golden Gate Theater at 1 Taylor St., San Francisco.
Jenny Qi is a third-year BMS student.
synapse.ucsf.edu | November 21, 2013 | 7
PUZZLES The Weekly Crossword
ACROSS 1 Hyperactive 8 Geyser output 13 Medicinal mass 14 Timeout spot 16 Colony-crashing creature 17 Big name in flatware 18 Double-crosser 19 In the neighborhood 21 Dainty drink 22 Type of drum 24 In a group of 25 Clear a hurdle 26 Make, as a salary 27 Washer cycle 28 Montana mining city 29 ___ corde (music) 31 Contributing component 33 Ham it up 37 Assassins 38 Like candlelit dinners 40 Wright wing? 41 Morgan's "Unforgiven" costar 42 Unit of force 44 Wight or Skye 48 Small clue 49 Carp kin 50 Toned down 51 Polished off 52 Plowed land 54 Cleaning need 55 Look-alike 57 Raymond Burr role
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Medical Mythbusters
by Jenny Qi
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Copyright 2013 by The Puzzle Syndicate
59 Museum guide 60 Carved toggle from Japan 61 Down-and-out 62 Reacted to a pun, perhaps
9 Singer Orlando 10 Poetic palindrome 11 Licorice-like cordial 12 Dispute middleman DOWN 13 Analyze grammar 1 Beethoven piece 15 Tupac, Nas, 2 Club for et. al. Week ofgolf 11/18/13 - 11/24/13 miniature floor 20 Brit's 3 Pub fare coverings 4 Shower area 23 Contest hopeful 5 One of the 25 TV's "ElemenJackson 5 tary" actress 6 Glacial mass 27 Religious faction 7 Type of tile 28 Jezebel's false god 8 Take to task 30 Sound off
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Hightail it Fruit farm Free will High standing Kind of pool Going by bike More within reach X, to a bowler Like old-time gasoline Finishes the lawn One way to play Smart society Watch over Type of guy ___ whiz! Work on a tan
Edited by Margie E. Burke
Difficulty : Easy
HOW TO SOLVE:
(Answer appears elsewhere in this issue)
Copyright 2013 by The Puzzle Syndicate
Piled Higher and Deeper by Jorge Cham
Solution to Sudoku
title: "Trending" - originally published 10/25/2013
Jenny Qi is a third-year BMS student.
HUMOR/FAKE NEWS
Grad Student Rolling in the Dough By Staff Humorist
J
ason Hollen, a second-year UCSF grad student, proudly notified Synapse that he’s rolling in the dough. “So it turns out UCSF wanted me so bad they offered to give me a stipend,” Hollen happily exclaimed. “I’m confident this almost
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never happens, which only goes to prove that I’m a big deal.” The self-proclaimed high-roller claims that he’s paid $30,000 a year and is secretly stunned the University would shell out so much money to support his work on fibroblast migration. “I’m getting away with highway robbery here. I’ll bet most CEOs don’t make this much,” he said with a smug grin. “I’m only eating ramen twice a week now. A lifestyle this luxurious is sinfully indulgent.” When asked about how his increased cash flow has impacted his social life, Hollen said that he had lost several of his friends since becoming a multi-thousandaire. “There’s gotta be some sacrifice for such wealth, right? I mean, I work really hard to make my $30,000 a year. It’s only natural my personal life would take a back seat when so much cash is on the line.” When asked for his thoughts on why his friends were slowly leaving him, Hollens only said, “I think it’s because they’re jealous of my ostentatious wealth. Haters gonna hate.”
8 | November 21, 2013 | synapse.ucsf.edu
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