FITNESS
FOOD
A first-year medical student gets pumped up » PAGE 7
Sampling ice cream sundaes at the Mission District’s Bi-Rite Creamery » PAGE 6
My First UCSF Fitness Classes
IN THIS ISSUE
The Scoop
Events » PAGE 2 News Briefs » PAGE 3 Food » PAGE 6 Puzzles » PAGE 7
Synapse The UCSF Student Newspaper
Thursday, September 27, 2012 NEWS
Top 10 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Safety at UCSF
synapse.ucsf.edu
Volume 57, Number 3
NEWS
Dr. Victoria Sweet: Weaving History into the Teaching of Medicine
Synapse Staff Report 1. Enter the following emergency telephone numbers into your cell phone: • UCSF PD Emergency: (415) 476-6911 • UCSF PD Non-Emergency: (415) 476-1414 • Medical Center Security: (415) 885-7890 • SFPD Emergency: (415) 553-8090 • SFPD Non-Emergency: (415) 553-0123 2. Clearly display your UCSF ID at all times while on campus. This helps UCSF police officers, security officers, and staff members identify that you belong in secured or restricted areas. 3. Never leave your personal belongings or valuables unattended in public or unsecured areas. If you leave valuables in an office or lab, be sure to place those items in a locked desk or cabinet and secure the room when you leave. 4. Report any suspicious circumstances or persons to UCSF PD. If you see someone in a place he or she doesn’t belong, you do not need to confront that person yourself. Call UCSF PD immediately. They are here for your safety. 5. When on the street, be alert and aware at all times. Keep good eye contact with the people around you. Walk with confidence and purpose. Most victims are targeted because they appear not to be paying attention to their surroundings. 6. Smart phones and iPods are a common target of thieves and robbers. Be wise about where you choose to use yours when in public. Wearing headphones and ear buds greatly reduces your ability to hear and distracts you from potential danger.
SAFETY » PAGE 4
Photo by Denise Zmekhol
How does a health care provider find a path that includes personal wellbeing, professional satisfaction and a deep sense of balance? UCSF’s Dr. Sweet has found her path and written about it in her highly acclaimed book, God’s Hotel.
Author of God’s Hotel will present the Pat Patterson Memorial Lecture on October 9 By Silvia Camporesi Visiting Scholar, DAHSM Recently I had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Victoria Sweet, former PhD graduate student in the history of medicine in the Department of Anthropology, History and Social Medicine at UCSF (Department of Anthropology, History and Social Medicine) and now UCSF Clinical Professor of Medicine and author of the book, God’s Hotel. Her book, which has received high praise in reviews in the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle, tells the story of what is probably the last alms house in the United States, Laguna Honda Hospital in San Francisco, through the eyes of a doctor and historian of medicine who worked
there for the past 20 years and witnessed its transformation from hospital to health care facility. She took her position as a part-time job in order to pursue her interest in the history of medicine by embarking on a PhD program at UCSF. Q: What has studying history meant for your medical training, and what role do you see for the teaching of history in contemporary medical curricula? During my medical training as an internist I used two books as reference: Harrison’s—(“Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine”), which is the classical textbook for medical students here in the US; and The Oxford Textbook of Medicine, which is the equivalent for students in England. These two books are considered the bibles, so to speak, of textbooks for medical students, but they
VICTORIA SWEET » PAGE 5
EVENTS 2 | September 27, 2012 | synapse.ucsf.edu
MISSION BAY EVENTS
BAGEL TUESDAYS
Tuesday, Oct. 2, 8:30-10 a.m., Genentech Hall, 2nd Fl., Mission Bay ‘BABY DADDY’: ALEC MAPA LIVE Enjoy free bagels, pastries and coffee 7-8 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 27, Cole Hall, the first Tuesday of every month. Learn Parnassus about events and different promotions “Baby Daddy” is an outrageous evening on campus and mingle with friends. of stories and stand-up. Join actor/ comedian Alec Mapa as he hilariously recounts his latest heart-stopping CULTURE CARD SALE: $25 FOR 25 adventure on the road to fatherhood. SHOWS Sponsored by Multicultural Resource Wednesday, Oct. 2, 9-10 a.m., Center, Office of Student Life and SF Genentech Hall, 2 FL, Mission Bay Nihonmachi Street Fair. Free to UCSF San Francisco Performances’ Culture students with ID — limited seating. Card is the best deal in town for arts RSVP: Judy.Fuller@ucsf.edu lovers, bar none. This easy, accessible and inexpensive program — $25 for 25 performances — is your direct NUTRITION FOR WOMEN: Friday, Sept. 28, noon-1 p.m., Student connection to world-class opera, classical music, vocal programs, dance Health, Rutters Center, third floor, and jazz. Make sure to bring your Mission Bay Join Student Health’s dietitian, UCSF ID. bit.ly/CultureCard Alison Boden, for this casual onehour discussion on popular women’s nutrition topics. Topics include body image, anemia, reproductive health and bone health. Free lunch with RSVP! nutrition@ucsf.edu.
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE VIEWING
Wednesday, Oct. 3, 5:30-7:30 p.m., The Pub, Rutters Center, Mission Bay Come view the presidential debates and enjoy free appetizers while supplies last. There will be registration forms available for those who still need RIPS: RESEARCH IN PROGRESS to register to vote. Sponsors: CLS Arts SEMINAR & Events, Retail Services and Campus Friday, Sept. 28, 3:30-5:30 p.m., Housing. Genentech Hall Auditorium Two 20-minute research talks are given by a graduate student and THE OUTDOOR MOVIE AT MISSION postdoctoral fellow, preceded by a BAY: MARVEL’S ‘THE AVENGERS’ social. Refreshments are provided. Thursday, Oct. 4, 6:30-9:30 p.m., Koret Quad, Mission Bay STUDENTS OF COLOR: MISSION BAY Come enjoy an outdoor screening Monday, Oct. 1, noon-1 p.m., RSVP for of Marvel’s “The Avengers.” The first 100 UCSF students will receive a free location details SHCS’s Students of Color Discussion blanket giveaway. Sponsors: Student Group is designed for graduate and Academic Affairs, Student Services at professional students of color to Mission Bay and Campus Life Services. build community and talk about their experiences at UCSF. Topics may include issues around identity, professional relationships, community SYNAPSE NEWSPAPER and support. Free lunch is provided Thursday, Sept. 27, noon-1 p.m., MU with RSVP! larry.lariosa@ucsf.edu. 123W Synapse is looking for Mission Bay and Parnassus writers, bloggers, CAN THE BRAIN UNDERSTAND photographers and designers. Come ITSELF? to the lunch meeting, share your story Monday, Oct. 1, noon-1:30 p.m., ideas and enjoy a free lunch. Genentech Hall, N114, Mission Bay As part of the Mission Bay Lectures, Richard Axel will give this lunch talk J-1 ORIENTATION for students. Dr. Axel is professor Thursday, Sept. 27, noon-2 p.m., S 157, of Biochemistry and Molecular Parnassus Biophysics, Pathology and Cell Biology J-1 immigration regulations mandate at Columbia University Medical that all new J-1 visa holders who Institute. He was awarded the 2004 have started their appointment at Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. UCSF must attend one orientation. At orientation, you will learn about ASUC MEETING: PHARM, DENTISTRY traveling during your program, employment and reimbursement AND MED STUDENTS policies, extending your program and Monday, Oct. 1, 5:30 p.m., Library, CL other helpful information about living 220, Parnassus in San Francisco and doing research Meet your executive board members at at UCSF. Bring your passport, your the monthly ASUC meeting and be a DS-2019 and I-94 (the small white part of the discussion on topics relating card stapled into your passport at the to student priorities. Visit the ASUC immigration counter). website for more details and to RSVP. asuc.ucsf.edu
PARNASSUS EVENTS
UCSF RUN CLUB
Wednesday, Oct. 3, 5:30-6:30 p.m.,
Millberry Union Central Desk, Parnassus Drop by and join UCSF Fit & Rec for a run. Each Wednesday night, the Run Club runs various distances (3-6 miles) at 9-11 minutes per mile.
STUDENTS OF COLOR: PARNASSUS
Wednesday, Oct. 3, noon-1 p.m., RSVP for location details SHCS’s Students of Color Discussion Group is designed for graduate and professional students of color to build community and talk about their experiences at UCSF. Topics may include issues around identity, professional relationships, community and support. Free lunch is provided with RSVP! larry.lariosa@ucsf.edu.
THE CHANCELLOR’S HEALTH POLICY LECTURE: AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
ANNOUNCEMENTS FLU SHOT CLINICS
UCSF Medical Center will provide free flu shots to all employees, students and volunteers who have UCSF identification at drop-in clinics from Monday, Oct. 1 to Wednesday, Oct. 17. Clinics will be held at locations including 2300 Harrison St., China Basin, Executive Park, Laurel Heights, Mission Bay, Mission Center Building, Mount Zion and Parnassus.
SHARE YOUR TRAVEL STORIES
On Oct. 4, Synapse will publish its annual Travel issue. We’re asking the campus community to share their stories and photographs about places they have visited recently, exotic or not. Send your submissions to synapse@ ucsf.edu. Deadline is Friday, Sept. 28.
Wednesday, Oct. 3, noon-1 p.m., Cole Hall, Parnassus As part of the Chancellor’s Health Policy Lecture Series, former US Senator Thomas A. Daschle will review the challenges that lie ahead and what it will take to succeed.
CAMPUS POETS & WRITERS
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE VIEWING
SEEKING STUDENT MEMBERS FOR CHANCELLOR’S ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON SUSTAINABILITY
Wednesday, Oct. 3, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Aldea Center, Parnassus Come view the first presidential debate covering domestic policy and enjoy appetizers while supplies last. Sponsors: CLS Arts & Events, Retail Services and Campus Housing.
THE CHANCELLOR’S CONCERT SERIES
Thursday, Oct. 4, noon-12:45 p.m., Cole Hall, Parnassus Looking for a place to study or relax between classes? We’ve got just what you need. The Chancellor’s Concert Series on Thursdays is a great place to set up your laptop and study or just take a break from classes while listening to classical music.
SIMMER: PARNASSUS
Thursday, Oct. 4, 5-7 p.m., RSVP for location details Join Student Health’s dietitian, Alison Boden, in an interactive cooking class with easy and healthy recipes. Students prepare (and eat!) the dishes during class. RSVP is required, as seating is limited. nutrition@ucsf.edu
OFF-CAMPUS EVENTS OFF THE GRID
Thursday, Sept. 27, 5-9 p.m., Stanyan & Waller, Upper Haight 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. bit.ly/offthegridinfo
CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES: SHARKTOBERFEST NIGHTLIFE
Thursday, Oct. 4, 6-10 p.m., Cal Academy, Golden Gate Park Beer hall featuring local breweries. Excerpts of “Okeanos” performed by Capacitor Dance Company. Tickets: $9 online with UCSF discount. (user name= UCSF; password= alligator) bit. ly/CalAcademyEtickets
Join an ongoing informal workshop facilitated by UCSF author Dr. David Watts. Beginners welcome. Bring a poem or a short prose piece or just come to listen. Group meets Mondays 4:30-5:30 p.m., 350 Parnassus, #900. Contact hdwatts@comcast.net
The Chancellor’s Office is seeking professional and graduate student representatives to sit on the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability. Please contact Gail Lee if you are interested in shaping the future of UCSF by reducing our carbon footprint, conserving water, reducing waste and toxics, or supporting sustainable foods. This is a one- or two-year commitment and includes attendance at quarterly 90-minute meetings. Gail.Lee@ucsf.edu
REC PASS FOR STUDENTS NOW AVAILABLE!
Kayak under the Golden Gate, yell “Goal!” after an assist, or try something new! Outdoor Programs and Recreational Sports’ Rec Pass for UCSF students is the cure for life outside the classroom: a variety of trips, classes and leagues for one low price. The Rec Pass is available for $59 to students with a current ID and is good now through June 30, 2013. http://bit.ly/UCSF_StudentRecPass
JOIN, POST AND WIN!
Are you a UCSF first-generation-tocollege (FG2C) student? Have you joined our new Facebook page? Join the Facebook page and post a photo of yourself with “UCSF” and “FG2C” somewhere in your photo by Oct. 2 and you’ll be automatically entered in our raffle for a $50 Whole Foods gift card giveaway! Please find eligibility details on our Facebook page. www. facebook.com/firstgenUCSF
UCSF GLOBAL HEALTH SCIENCES MA DEGREE PROGRAM This program provides students in the health sciences and allied fields with the knowledge and skills necessary for leadership roles in global health through a multi-disciplinary curriculum. Apply online: www.globalhealthsciences. ucsf.edu/education/graduate
synapse.ucsf.edu | September 27, 2012 | 3
New Students Treated to a Taste of San Francisco
NEWS BRIEFS HEALTH SCIENCES
Global Health to Launch Hub at UCSF With $20 Million Gift
U
CSF has received a $20 million gift from philanthropist Chuck Feeney to build a new hub for Global Health Sciences at the UCSF Mission Bay campus. Feeney made the gift through The Atlantic Philanthropies, the foundation he created in 1982. “Chuck Feeney has been instrumental in building the Mission Bay campus into one of the world’s leading centers for innovative health sciences,” said UCSF Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann. “His support for Global Health Sciences will enable us to translate that vision into a direct impact throughout the world.” The new gift will allow UCSF, for the first time, to have one physical location for global health researchers, scientists and students, and will jumpstart the University’s vision to become one of the world’s leading centers for global health sciences. “There is tremendous interest among our faculty and students in having a global impact on health, ranging from the most remote villages in Africa to cities here in the United States,” said Jaime Sepulveda, MD, DrSc, MPH, executive director of UCSF Global Health Sciences.
UCSF MEDICAL CENTER/UCSF BENIOFF CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
UCSF Nursing Earns Magnet Status
U
C San Francisco Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital have earned the prestigious Magnet designation for excellence in nursing by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The process of achieving Magnet status was a joint effort between the hospitals and UCSF School of Nursing, which worked to compile a 3,000-page submission package and showcase UCSF’s 2,500-member nursing staff during a July site visit. “The Magnet designation not only recognizes UCSF nurses, but all of our staff and providers, for tremendous teamwork and interdisciplinary care,” said Sheila Antrum, RN, MSHA, chief nursing officer of UCSF Medical Center, in a staff memo announcing the achievement. “It was the culmination of months of hard work to outperform quality and patient satisfaction benchmarks, establish new standards of nursing care and complete research projects that define our core mission,” Antrum said.
SCHOOL OF PHARMACY
Home Monitoring of Heart Failure via Webenabled Scales Wins Funding
C Photos by Dawn Maxey
The Associated Students of UCSF (ASUC) hosted a picnic in Golden Gate Park on Saturday, September 22, 2012, for new students to introduce them to a few of San Francisco’s treats and to kick off the new school year. Treats included clam chowder served in sourdough bread bowls and It’s It ice cream.
an a retrofitted bathroom scale costing less than $100 save lives and improve the health of millions of Americans living with heart failure, while cutting billions of dollars in annual health care spending? A team led by Mozziyar Etemadi, MS, has been awarded $110,000 to find out. Etemadi is an MD/PhD student in the UCSF Medical Scientist Training Program, where he is pursuing a PhD in the UCSF/UCB Joint Graduate Group and working in the lab of School of Pharmacy faculty member Shuvo Roy, PhD. The project is one of three national winners, taking second place in the 2012 Prize for Primary Healthcare awarded by the Boston-based Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology (CIMIT) and funded by the Gelfand Family Charitable Trust. In heart failure, a heart damaged by disease, hypertension, infection or heart attack does not pump enough blood. Unless treated, this results in fluid retention, as blood backs up into the veins and lungs, leading to difficulty breathing, crippling fatigue, swelling and other symptoms.
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Secondhand Smoke Takes Physical and Economic Toll
S
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econdhand smoke is accountable for 42,000 deaths annually to nonsmokers in the United States, according to a new UCSF study. Altogether, annual deaths from secondhand smoke represent nearly 600,000 years of potential life lost — an average of 14.2 years per person — and $6.6 billion in lost productivity, the researchers report. The study, which involved the first use of a biomarker to gauge the physical and economic impacts of cigarette smoke, revealed that secondhand smoke exposure disproportionately affects African-Americans, especially infants. “The availability of information on biomarker-measured exposure allows us to more accurately assess the impact of secondhand smoke exposure on health and productivity,” said lead author Wendy Max, PhD, professor of health economics at the UCSF School of Nursing and co-director of the UCSF Institute for Health and Aging. The impact is particularly great for communities of color.’’ The study was published Sept. 20 in the American Journal of Public Health. The researchers used serum cotinine — a biomarker that detects the chemical consequences of exposure to tobacco smoke in the bloodstream — to measure exposure to secondhand smoke.
4 | September 27, 2012 | synapse.ucsf.edu
Safety
» FROM HOME PAGE
7. Remember that security and escort services are available to students, faculty and staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by calling (415) 476-1414. 8. When you park your vehicle, do not leave valuables where other people can see them. Would-be thieves will only break into a vehicle if they know there is something for them to steal. Don’t give them that opportunity! 9. Do not give out personal information over the phone, through the mail, or on the Internet unless you know who you are dealing with. Never give out your PIN to anyone, including your bank. Your bank has other ways to confirm your identity besides your PIN. Periodically check your credit report; you can obtain a free copy from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, at your request, once every 12 months. 10. If you ride your bicycle to and from either the Parnassus or Mission Bay campuses, please make use of the secure bike cages at both locations. This is the easiest way to prevent your bicycle from being stolen. For more information, contact Parking and Transportation. Parnassus: (415) 476-2566 Mission Bay: (415) 476-1511 For more information about services provided by the UCSF Police Department, please visit police.ucsf. edu.
UCSF PD’s crime prevention services include: • personal safety presentations • crime prevention and public safety education • community policing activities and events • residential and business physical security assessments For personal safety presentations, crime prevention, and public safety educational materials or to coordinate safety activities and events, please contact Jason Heil at (415) 502-9396. For physical security assessments, please contact Mike Sorenson at (415) 476-5683. URL: police.ucsf.edu Telephone: UCSF PD Emergency: (415) 476-6911
synapse.ucsf.edu | September 27, 2012 | 5
Dr. Victoria Sweet » FROM HOME PAGE
differ in the following, substantial regard: the American version (Harrison’s) always starts out by describing the molecular and genetic underpinnings of a disease, while the English (The Oxford Textbook) begins with describing the history of a disease—when it was discovered, by whom, what the natural history of the disease looks like, etc. I find the latter more fun and more interesting to read, and actually, I think that the narrative of The Oxford Textbook sticks in your mind much more, since through that history, the disease becomes more real, more human, more personal. Take smallpox for example. In “The Oxford Textbook,” you would have a visualization of the disease, which is rare today, since we are able to treat the disease in its early stages, and as a consequence, we rarely, if ever, get to see its natural history/course. Students like me who learn about a disease through its history will be mesmerized by the story — be it the history of a particular patient, of the discoverer of a disease, or of a medical instrument. The story will stick in their mind; they will be able to remember and recollect it in their future practice as clinicians.
History is a wonderful “heuristic for teaching medicine. . . ”
Q: How has your history training helped you in your daily clinical practice? Knowing the history of these diseases led me to diagnoses that others simply didn’t think about. … For example, I remember this puzzling case I once encountered in my practice at Laguna Honda. The patient had a variety of symptoms, and represented a difficult case for all the medical staff. As it turned out, I was able to make the correct diagnosis, which was tertiary syphilis. The other doctors had not thought about the possibility of syphilis, because it was considered an “old” disease, a disease of the past, and as such excluded from the range of possible diagnoses. Tertiary syphilis is hardly known anymore, because the primary cases are treated right away. But I knew about it from my history training at UCSF, and from The Oxford Textbook of Medicine, which always starts by describing the history of the disease. In other words,
Courtest Photo
Victoria Sweet on the pilgrimage route to Vezelay, in Burgundy in July, 2012.
Pat Patterson Memorial Lecture Tuesday, October 9, noon – 1p.m., HSW 301 Victoria Sweet, MD, PhD How does a health care provider find a path that includes personal wellbeing, professional satisfaction and a deep sense of balance? UCSF’s Dr. Sweet has found her path and written about it in her highly acclaimed book: God’s Hotel. history gave me a kind of 3-D perspective of diseases, where the third dimension is time, the temporality of disease. A 2-D perspective of disease is good enough most of the time, but sometimes you will find that you need that third, temporal, dimension to make a correct diagnosis. Q: What is the right place for the teaching of history of medicine in the current medical curricula? Once I participated in a panel at a History of Medicine conference, and I was asked this question: “Should medical students be taught the history of medicine?” This prompted me to reflect. I thought it would be too easy to simply answer: “Yes, of course, they should!” So I took the long way around and tried to answer the opposite question: “Why should students not be taught the history of medicine?” For example, one could say, because it is just “old history,” and there is already so much else to learn, and students need to squeeze so much learning in such a crowded time! But actually, when you think about it, knowing history makes you realize that many of the doctors who were so confident about the right cure/treatment for a disease — even as recently as only 40 years ago — have been proven wrong by history. Knowing history teaches you humility, and teaches you to be more cautious in your diagnosis, which is a good thing in clinical practice. You learn to rely more on the body’s natural ability to heal, and are more cautious in trying new things. Q: How would you implement in practice the teaching of the history of medicine for medical students at UCSF?
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In the future, my dream is to do exactly that — to use history as an heuristic to teach medicine. I would do that as a kind of experiment with a small group of UCSF medical students. As I see it, the teaching of the history of medicine has to be synchronous with the teaching of medicine. The two need to be woven together, as opposed to teaching medicine, and then, as an afterthought, teaching the history of medicine as a separate class. Otherwise it doesn’t work; the students will perceive history as a waste of time in their already very crowded schedule. Students of medicine are bombarded by a huge quantity of knowledge, but this knowledge is fragmented. I want the knowledge of medicine and of the history of medicine to be woven together in a harmonic unity. My model for the kind of teaching I envision is William Osler. Sir William was a Canadian physician living in the second half of the nineteenth century, and he was one of the founding professors of Johns Hopkins Hospital. He invented the idea of “making rounds” for training medical students. One of his best-known sayings is: “Listen to your patient, he is telling you the diagnosis,” which emphasizes the importance of taking a good history from the patient, as I also tell in my book. When I teach Physical Diagnosis I like to start by describing the history of a disease, who discovered it and when. For example, tuberculosis (TB), while being an “old” disease (it was known in the past as “consumption” due to the symptomatic weight loss it would cause), is coming back due to widespread antibiotic resistance, so that students need to be aware that even now, a cough might be TB. And I remind them of the fact, as they listen with their stethoscope, that the inventor of the stethoscope caught tuberculosis from listening to his patients, and they, too, should be careful. As I see it, history is a wonderful heuristic for teaching medicine, because it helps you remember things, be alert to the present possibility of old diseases, and provides you with a third, temporal dimension that can turn out to be essential for a diagnosis. But history is not only useful, it is fascinating and a great plus in clinical practice, as I experienced at first hand. Silvia Camporesi, PhD, is a visiting research scholar in the Department of Anthropology, History and Social Medicine.
FOOD
6 | September 27, 2012 | synapse.ucsf.edu
REVIEW
The Scoop: Bi-Rite Creamery By Theresa Poulos Executive Editor
O
ur latest ice cream adventure took us to one of San Francisco’s most famed creameries, Bi-Rite. Yes, the ever-so-tiny Mission District ice cream shop with the notorious reputation for a line that snakes out the door and around the corner onto Dolores Street. You might be wondering, “How could it be that these selfprofessed ice cream mavens writing The Scoop have never been to BiRite?!” Well, you’re right, we have been…many a time. Although we usually like to go to new and different ice cream places for our Scoop articles, we realized that we had never ventured into Bi-Rite’s selection of sundaes, so we thought this would be an apt opportunity to do so. Bi-Rite Creamery opened its doors in 2006 on 18th Street in the Mission, where it makes all of its ice cream — along with all the delicious ingredients that go into it — by hand. It was the first ice cream shop in the City to use organic milk and cream from Straus Family Creamery (only 45 miles away) in its ice cream and Soft Serve. Since the beginning, it has been a local favorite, and is now almost always packed. Some people are put off by the thought of waiting in a long line for a scoop of ice cream, but it moves quickly, especially when you’re with friends. As we stood in line on a busy Saturday night, joking about how we might get salmonella or Listeria as a result of our ice cream indulgence (medical student humor), we hardly noticed that 15 minutes had passed. In fact, by the time we reached the front, none of us were even close to ready to order. My approach was to get as many samples as I could in order to make an informed decision before settling on flavors for my cone.
I dare you to find a “better caramel sauce (and feed it to me). ”
Synapse
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STAFF
Booth Haley | EDITOR Theresa Poulos | EXECUTIVE EDITOR Dawn Maxey | ASSOCIATE EDITOR Oliver Ubeda | ASSOCIATE EDITOR Alexandra Greer | SCIENCE EDITOR Mason Tran | PHOTO EDITOR Jerome Atputhasingam | EDITOR AT LARGE Hujatullah Bayat | EDITOR AT LARGE Erin Currie | EDITOR AT LARGE Steven Chin | MANAGING EDITOR
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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Announcements and letters should be submitted six days before publication. All submissions can be either emailed or mailed. All material is subject to editing. Letters to the Editor must be signed by the author.
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Paid advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views of Synapse. Synapse and its editorial board reserve the right to decline advertisements promoting false or misleading claims, known health risks, or content deemed by the editors to be antithetical to the interests of UCSF students or the UCSF community. Synapse does not accept advertisements from tobacco or alcohol manufacturers, or sexually oriented personal ads. Synapse reserves the right to run any ad with a disclaimer.
Photo by Dawn Maxey
Bi-Rite’s Signature Brownie Sundae, with just a few substitutions (honey graham ice cream instead of vanilla, and toasted almonds in place of candied pecans). The swirls of chocolate and burnt caramel sauces were simply divine.
I was already familiar with some of the classic Bi-Rite flavors, and would recommend most in a heartbeat. The Ricanelas, which is cinnamon ice cream with snickerdoodles mixed in, is like Cinnamon Toast Crunch in ice cream form. It was created by their ice cream maker, Ezequiel Cantor, and is a staff favorite. The Salted Caramel is Bi-Rite’s most popular flavor, and for good reason. As my friend Dawn puts it, it’s got “an awesome salty-sweet balance with that burntsugar caramel-ly flavor everyone loves.” Her favorite, though, is the balsamic strawberry: “It might sound slightly strange, but the balsamic part brings out the pure strawberry flavor. Who knew strawberry ice cream could have such Bi-Rite Creamery subtle, sexy complexity? It’s also only 3692 18th St. seasonally available, so stuff your face San Francisco, CA while it’s here.” Sunday-Thursday : 11 a.m.-10 p.m. I had heard good things about the Friday-Saturday : 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Honey Lavender, so I made that my (415) 626-5600 first sample of the evening. It truly www.biritecreamery.com tastes what it sounds like, so if the thought of eating an aromatherapy candle excites you, this might be the flavor of your dreams. Not quite my style. I also tried the Ginger because ginger lattes are my favorite, but I just wasn’t sold on the ginger ice cream. The “alternative” flavors weren’t for me, so I tried a bite of their Coffee Toffee and their new seasonal Honey Graham, and was sold on getting a “one-scoop” cone with both flavors ($3.50). The coffee ice cream base had as potent and rich a coffee flavor as almost any coffee ice cream I’ve had, and was well balanced by the sweet toffee chunks. It is made with coffee from Ritual Coffee Roasters just a few blocks away, and the almond toffee is made at Bi-Rite. But the highlight of my ice cream cone was definitely the Honey Graham flavor. The honey gave it just the right amount of sweetness, and the graham crackers provided good texture for that satisfying mid-creamy crunch. The flavor was so good that out of five friends there that night, four of us got a scoop of it. Go get it before the season is up! But now on to the really good stuff…the sundaes. As I said, no one in my group of friends had ever ventured outside the “scoop of ice cream” safety zone, but hours and hours of studying will drive a med student to the edge, and we decided to take the jump into creamy delirium. Dawn ordered the Brownie Sundae ($7), which normally comes with house-made brownies atop vanilla ice cream, with chocolate and burnt caramel sauces, whipped cream and candied pecans. She substituted Honey Graham ice cream for the vanilla, and toasted almonds for the pecans. Both substitutions were excellent choices, though the hot fudge sauce was so delicious that you could have a bowl of that and be the happiest person alive, though perhaps slightly obtunded from chocolate overload. Another friend, Ian, had the Afternoon Snack Sundae ($7.50), which has scoops of Roasted Banana ice cream topped with house-made graham crackers (the very same ones used in the most delicious flavor mentioned above), caramel sauce and whipped cream. While I’m not a particular fan of banana ice cream, this flavor was true to its word. As Ian said, “It’s like eating a banana, except with a lot of fat in it: so much banana flavor without any worry about getting hyperkalemic!” (med student humor strikes again). Not being a huge fan of banana ice cream in general, I was afraid I wouldn’t enjoy my bite of Ian’s sundae, but the caramel sauce proved me wrong. That sauce puts any other caramel sauce to shame. I dare you to find a better caramel sauce (and feed it to me). However not everything about our visit was perfect. The whipped cream on both sundaes certainly left something to be desired. It was incredible heavy, and had a consistency more like whipped butter than whipped cream. Next time, I would definitely recommend asking them to go light on the whipped cream. I was also a bit unhapppy with my cone, as it was just a standard sugar cone. Perhaps the cone was a rookie move, but next time I will have my ice cream in a cup so that I can focus on the brilliant flavors I’m stuffing into my face. The last disappointment were the cookies, which were only $0.75 apiece. After trying, a toffee chocolate chip cookie, an apricot brown butter cookie and a coconut macaroon, we concluded you don’t go to Bi-Rite for the cookies. Despite these minor setbacks, we were all deliriously happy and undeniably stuffed by night’s end. Bi-Rite Creamery has become a San Francisco destination and lucky for us, a brand new location is coming soon to 550 Divisadero. Theresa Poulos is a second-year medical student.
synapse.ucsf.edu | September 27, 2012 | 7
PUZZLES
FITNESS
The Weekly Crossword
by Margie E. Burke
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 ACROSS 1 Mouth off to 14 15 16 5 Fictional rabbit 17 18 19 10 Whimper 14 In ___ of 20 21 22 23 (instead of) 24 25 15 Martini garnish 16 Once again 26 27 28 29 30 31 17 Roman date 32 33 34 18 Container weights 35 36 37 19 Blow a fuse 38 39 40 20 Pattern 22 Magazine bigwig 41 42 43 24 Alleviate 44 45 25 Poke fun at 26 Horrid smell 46 47 48 49 50 51 29 Rook or Rummy 52 53 54 55 32 A bit lit 33 Cut a rug 56 57 58 34 Debate side 59 60 61 35 Woodwind instrument Copyright 2012 by The Puzzle Syndicate 36 Barely 56 Pelvic bones 9 Fact-finding 36 Vacation chewable 37 Put a lid on 57 Pigeon's perch process souvenir 38 Blender setting 58 Barnyard baby 10 Knife type 37 Prison term 39 Yo-Yo's strings 59 "I Am Sam" 11 Single 39 Stylish 40 Gaggle members 12 Building-block 40 Main point co-star 41 Worker's 60 Tithing portion 42 Biblical brand 61 Give off 13 Fancy pitcher compensation promised land 43 Stand in the 21 Like some 43 Toaster's DOWN way lingerie subject 44 Salary increase 1 Skirt feature, 23 Surfer's greeting 45 Great time Week of 9/24/12 - 9/30/12 45 Second to none 25 Dance that takes 46 "Wheel of sometimes 46 Soldier's ditch 2 White House two Fortune" prize 48 Generous 26 Tread heavily 47 Rocky, for worker 3 Appear to be 27 Leg bone helping Stallone 52 Civil Rights 4 Hitchcock genre 28 Strong adhesive 48 Lowly laborer 5 Soap ingredient 29 Bathtub sealant 49 Beer topper figure Parks 53 Best-case 6 Tickle pink 30 Computer 50 Wrinkled fruit 7 Whitewall, e.g. 51 Place for hay scenario accessory 55 NASA 8 Bette Davis film, 31 Stage direction 54 Fawn's mother cancellation "All About ___" 33 Sweet, in Italy
Edited by Margie E. Burke
Difficulty : Medium
HOW TO SOLVE:
Copyright 2012 by The Puzzle Syndicate
Solution to Sudoku
(Answer appears elsewhere in this issue)
My First Look at UCSF Fitness Classes
Photo provided by Geraldine Tran
Geraldine Tran, a first-year medical student, plans on attending two to three fitness classes a week to stay in shape.
By Geraldine Tran Staff Writer
A
s part of the MS1 class, I just started my training here at UCSF three weeks ago. Before I sought out the computer labs, learned where all our classes would be and really got a solid grasp on what the Prologue block encompasses, I upgraded my gym membership to premier. (I also scored one of the last gym lockers.) For me, it’s completely worth the $20, since premier membership comes with unlimited fitness classes. I plan on taking two to three classes a week. I’m most interested in strength and yoga classes, but I’m also intrigued by spinning. My MS1 roommates also got the upgrade and are motivated to stay in shape by working out throughout this year. So far, I’ve taken BodyPump, BodyCombat, Athletic Conditioning and Integrative Yoga. BodyPump (55 minutes): This is a weight-lifting class focusing on the use of barbells. It features high repetition with lighter weights. We did a variety of squats, lunges, arm curls, exercises for the triceps, shoulders and abs. The music used is upbeat and keeps you motivated. My roommate and I loved our energetic and hilarious instructor, too! People come from all different fitness levels, so don’t feel embarrassed if you start out with minimal weights. You can always focus on form so you’re ready to pump more next time. This class is great for people who find weight-lifting boring or don’t know how to start lifting. It’s a popular class, so try and sign up early. I’m definitely going again. BodyCombat (1 hour): This is a favorite among my roommates. It’s a high-intensity cardio class featuring moves from karate, boxing, capoeira, Muay Thai and taekwondo. The class uses remixes of popular songs, often played at a fast tempo. The instructors I’ve had exhibit beautiful form and move around the studio so all students can observe. After sitting for hours during lecture, nothing feels better than a high-energy workout class. I highly recommend this class for everyone, but especially for those who get bored with running on a treadmill. Athletic Conditioning (1 hour): This was the most intense class I’ve
ever taken. It was way harder than the Nike Training App (iPhone) circuit workouts I have been doing. The class aims to exhaust all your muscle groups through high repetition and extended time periods. For example when working our legs, we did squats like there would be no tomorrow. What killed me were the squats-on-toeraises. If your legs don’t shake, I want to know what you’re eating. We did this simple quad lift and extension, which started to burn after about 10 reps (many more to go). Another student and I made eye contact and started laughing because we were both in so much pain. In addition to your legs, you’ll work your core, biceps, triceps and your cardio fitness. This class uses a lightweight ball, full BOSU ball, step and sets of light and heavy weights. It was crazy; I thought I was going to die multiple times. The instructor was awesome and I’m sad that she’s just about to leave. I will probably try the class again, although I am pretty scared. Integrated Yoga (1 hour): This class was slow paced and focused on basics. We didn’t cover many poses. Our instructor does not use music, so I felt that the meditative aspect of yoga was missing. This class is supposed to incorporate many techniques from different branches of yoga, but we don’t move through enough poses to do so. However, the teacher was helpful and gave each student individual instruction. I love doing yoga after a long day at school or work. It helps me focus on something singular, straightforward and just about my physical well-being. But I will be attending a class that moves at a faster pace. Maybe I’ll try BodyFlow. People new to yoga will find this class useful and beneficial to their flexibility and balance. Millberry and Mission Bay have an extensive list of fitness classes that satisfy a diversity of interests and needs. Next on my list is spinning and Pilates. What are your favorite classes at the gym? How do you stay active around UCSF? Let me know on Synapse’s website. Geraldine Tran is a first-year medical student.
8 | September 27, 2012 | synapse.ucsf.edu
Solutions
Solution to Sudoku
Write for Synapse synapse@ucsf.edu The RAMP
Serving fine yet affordable, diverse and sustainable food and beverage items in a quiet and cozy garden setting. Provide catering services and an official California Lottery vendor on the Parnassus campus. We accept recharges for catering
UCSF Staff and Students Please bring this in for a 15% discount on food Monday-Friday at The RAMP restaurant! (excluding special offers) Join us for our Happy Hour Monday-Friday 5-7pm -Drink & Appetizer Specials Monday-Friday, 7:00 am-5:00 pm In the Nursing Building, by Saunders Court 415.502.5888
You’re Funding Fun: Partial proceeds of this Campus Life Services retail partner fund concerts, outings, and other campus enrichment activities.
Open at Parnassus & Mission Bay Campuses
for your convenience we accept: All major Credit Cards • Recharge for catering Bear Hugs • UCSF Resident Meal Card
breakfast, lunch, or dinner…
Parnassus: Millberry Union I Level, Parnassus, 415.661.0199 Open Daily 7:00 am-10:00 pm Mission Bay: 550-B Gene Friend Way, Mission Bay, 415.865.0423 Mon-Fri 7:00 am-9:30 pm / Sat-Sun 8:00 am-9:00 pm
You’re Funding Fun! A portion of every dollar you spend at campus retail vendors helps support Arts & Events at UCSF
Avoid the line at Moffit Café. Use your mobile phone and order food using
Download the free GOPAGO app on your smart phone, order and pay for food through your phone and pick it up. GoPaGo is available for use during these hours: Moffitt Café Express from 10am- 11pm the Moffitt Café from 11am – 6:30pm To learn more, go to: www.gopago.com
Weekend Brunch 9:30-4:30 Live Salsa/Brazilian on Saturday/Sunday The Sun, The Water, The Ramp! The RAMP
855 Terry Francois St Where Mariposa St intersects with Illinois St (415) 621-2378 www.theramprestaurant.com www.facebook.com/TheRampSF