tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42712142132002959472024-03-14T08:54:47.992-07:00Pharmacy School Experienceucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-88263827380689968622009-07-27T05:54:00.001-07:002009-07-27T05:54:49.063-07:00Peru Trip 2009: Stranded on Uros IslandIt´s been a little over two weeks since Thomas and I have been traveling in Peru. We have received excellent hospitality in Lima, made our home in a little family-run hostel in the historical and beautiful city of Cuzco for one week, trekked the famous Inca Trail for four days to get to the Lost Inca City of Machu Picchu, slept on the small island of Taquile and set foot on the one-of-a-kind floating island of Uros on Lake Titicaca near the city of Puno. <br /><br />We have met many interesting people and things were going very smoothly for two non-Spanish speaking people in a South American country…until we got to Uros Island. I was guilty of picking the convenience of going with a pre-arranged tour group instead of going independently, where the local people would have benefited more from my expense. I figured we only have about two days in Puno and did not want to spend that time trying to look for something myself given my language limitations.<br /><br />We got into Puno on Friday evening and had our hostel arrange the trip for us the next morning. Things went smoothly and we got on the boat with six other people from our hostel at 7:00AM. We felt a little lucky to be with them because they know both English and Spanish. Our boat of about 30 passengers, left at around 7:30AM along with at least ten others, heading for Uros Islands, the only islands in the world made of totora roots and reeds. About 45 minutes into the trip, we arrived in a floating island with a big reed watch tower in the shape of a fish. The tour guide gave us a short history of the island and showed us how it was made, with the help of a local man and some visual aides. After the presentation, he told us we could take a ride on the reed boat for an extra charge. My husband and I got on the reed boat that was about to leave. We were enjoying the ride and took many pictures of the surrounding floating islands. Thomas even got to paddle the boat just for fun. <br /><br />We got dropped off at an island across from where we landed, went into home made out of reed and got a glimpse of the life-style of these islanders. We were amazed to find that they were pretty technologically advanced in a certain sense. They have solar panels, televisions and radios in their homes. After the home visit, we walked outside and saw our boat taking off without us! We waved at it but it just zoomed by us. A wave of panic went through us. We helplessly explained to the islanders what just happened in English and they talked back to us in Spanish. We finally got another tourist to translate and got ourselves back to the island where we landed. <br /><br />We talked to the captain and tour guide from another boat from the same company and they asked us the name of the boat and tour guide but we could not answer the questions. After numerous calls, they decided to take us to Taquile Island on their boat and assured us that they will help us find our backpacks with the stuff that we needed for the overnight stay at Taquile. We were really upset but tried to stay calm…<br /><br />Our relief came when I looked over my pictures and showed the new tour guide our original tour guide. She then made a phone call and then assured us that our bags were still there and we would get them when we get to Taquile. What a big scare!ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-7185455237568730162009-07-14T19:22:00.000-07:002009-07-14T20:07:43.593-07:00Peruvian HospitalityToday was our third day in Peru but really the first day on our own! We have been spoiled by our host family, the Lopez, whose youngest daughter, Evita, is Thomas´former coworker´s current coworker! Evita learned that we were traveling to Peru for the first time and insisted that we stay with her family in Lima. What´s more amazing is that her older sister, Zara, is a travel agent and can speak really great English. She was waiting for us with a ¨Thomas Vuong¨ sign as we exited the baggage area. When we got to her van, she immediately said: ¨I have to go pay for parking. Please have a seat. It´s your car!¨ That totally took me off my feet because there I was, standing in front of a woman who I had never met or talked to before in my life and she was so nice to Thomas and I. <br /><br />We received the same kind of warm welcoming when we walked into their well-maintained home equiped with all the modern American amenities. Lunch and dinner were made and brought to the table for us by Christina, the mom, and Gianina, the 29-year-old niece. No matter how hard we tried, they would not let us help them with the cooking or cleaning. In addition to the meals, we were given our own room (I later found out that the little brother, Benjamin, had to temporarily stay in the same room with Gianina so we could enjoy that luxury). All our other needs were well attended to and I felt so spoiled. <br /><br />Zara spent the whole day off work on July 13 to accompany us on our tour of the city that she had planned with us the night before. Moreover, she refused to let us pay for the admissions fee to the San Francisco Monastary, the Cathedral and the Gold Museum and the expensive parking fees in different locations. I felt better when she did not resist letting us pay for a splurge in the ocean-front restaurant, Mango, for lunch in Miraflores. <br /><br />The hospitality topped off with her waking up before four in the morning to drive us through the un-policed (dangerous) road to the airport. She also insisted on escorting us to the gate, but luckily, we managed to send her home before too long because of our five hour delay on the flight to Cuzco with TACA.<br /><br />I don´t know how we can ever repay the Lopez family! Their hospitality, while well-received, leaves me feeling really uneasy.ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-45337615522179030972009-07-11T18:16:00.000-07:002009-07-11T18:31:23.999-07:00Peru ItineraryThe much anticipated trip to Peru is finally here! After a lot of reading using the Lonely Planet and talking to others who have gone to Peru, my husband, Thomas, and I decided on the itinerary below. Most of the things written here are tentative. So far, we've only had the round-trip flight to and from Lima and the one from Lima to Cuzco booked. The Inca Trail Trek was also booked in late January to secure our spaces since the government only allows a limited number of people on this trail each day. We will play it by the ears on the dates and locations of other items on our list. <br /><br />Here's what we have planned:<br /><br />July 12-13 Lima<br />July 14-19 Cuzco<br />July 20-23 Inca Trail Trek to Macchu Picchu<br />July 24 Cuzco<br />July 25-29 Lake Titikaka Area<br />July 30-August 3 Ariquipa<br />August 3-7 Limaucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-57111105890253992442009-04-29T17:00:00.000-07:002009-04-29T17:27:53.829-07:00Therapeutics-Oral ExamFour hours before my first oral therapeutics exam, I panicked! My heart was racing and my mind could not focus on the task at hand: reviewing the materials that I still need to memorize! After a good greasy meal at Panda Express and a few minutes of stress reduction breathing techniques, I was able to calm myself down. <br /><br />Thirty minutes of preparation time went by extremely fast. I barely had enough time to scribble some information on each column of the SOAP sheet for the two major conditions before time was up. I thought I was pretty calm before the presentation, but I found myself stumbling over my words and losing my train of thoughts a few more times than I would have liked. Luckily, the examiner was nice enough to ask me questions to help me bring up some of the points that I had missed. <br /><br />At the end, the examiner had two minutes to evaluate my performance and she was very kind to say only good things. I asked her whether I got an automatic fail (it happens when you pick a contraindicated treatment that can potentially kill the patient) and she said no. If I had to assess my performance, I would give myself a 7.5 or 8 out of 10, which I think is okay for the first time. I wish it was better, but I'll try not to be so critical of myself.ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-14164887850171744762009-04-28T22:11:00.000-07:002009-04-28T22:16:10.746-07:00Pharmacy Legislative Day in Sacramento<div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfz-kTNzcbgtGs8MN-cEP2rFgab8Y3HiPap8xhUv_Wg6EsT5zkgITKnZzf_X0LdINLeElcT2U0lOaFVCMHGgfxF3uBV0yseNvcGyR_eibLRrYYVX6dEmDiRi0gWcKRa1tFtcj69xr_LCi9/s1600-h/Leg.DaySacramento.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329977301496864530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfz-kTNzcbgtGs8MN-cEP2rFgab8Y3HiPap8xhUv_Wg6EsT5zkgITKnZzf_X0LdINLeElcT2U0lOaFVCMHGgfxF3uBV0yseNvcGyR_eibLRrYYVX6dEmDiRi0gWcKRa1tFtcj69xr_LCi9/s320/Leg.DaySacramento.jpg" border="0" /></a>On April 22, 2009, pharmacists and student pharmacists all over California gathered in Sacramento to represent the voices of the pharmacy profession.<br /><br />The day started with updates on the important legislative issues currently being advocated by the California Pharmacist Association (CPhA). The informative session ended with a light-hearted keynote address from Assembly Member Jerry Hill from District 19 in South San Francisco, encouraging the audience to be proactive in the legislative process. To drive home the point, he gave an example of the persistent around-the-clock phone calls by the same group of people repeating the same message they want his fellow colleague to hear. He added that there are many stake holders involved in the process of law-making and the quiet ones will usually be ignored. Therefore, if we do not want the politicians to dictate the policies that drive our profession, we need to make our voices heard.<br /><br />We indeed did on that day by meeting individually, as well as in groups, with senators and assembly members from our respective districts. Among the important issues we asked for support was the bill advocating for pharmacist-administered flu and pneumococcal vaccines without protocol (prior approval from a physician). Allowing pharmacists, the first-line public health resources, to provide these immunizations will greatly enhance access and decrease morbidity and mortality from these diseases.<br /><br />We commemorated the annual event with a picture of pharmacists and student pharmacists in white coats on the steps of the Capitol. It was truly amazing seeing so many in the profession moving it forward.</div></div>ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-58725147898623961832009-04-21T23:42:00.000-07:002009-04-21T23:56:14.733-07:00Therapeutics!Spring quarter of the second year marks the beginning of a series of therapeutics courses that drives all of us to the brink of stress-induce anxiety episodes. The class is 6 units, which composed of 6 hours of lectures and 1 and 1/2 hours of conference weekly AND many many hours of self-study. It incorporates all the relevant subjects we have learned thus far in pharmacy school (physiology, pharmacology, pharmaceutical chemistry, biochemistry, etc) in one giant and scary class. <br /><br />There is so much to memorize and synthesize. The worst part is that we don't get to use our notes in conferences, when we have to read cases and decide how to best treat the patients. There are so many acronyms and lab values that I have never seen before. Furthermore, it feels like I am racing through the materials without having enough time to digest them even though I have reviewed the relevant lectures before each conference. <br /><br />Our first oral exam will be coming up next week. We will have thirty minutes to read the case, write all the pertinent information down in a Subjective/Objective/Assessment/Plan (SOAP) format and then fifteen minutes to present the patient with the treatment recommendations and counseling points to the examiners. I definitely need to practice with my classmates before the exam!ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-63471085303833970742009-04-15T22:37:00.000-07:002009-04-15T23:06:43.166-07:00Positive EnergyI have heard a lot of great things about this elective called "Heart Matters in Pharmacy" and finally decided to squeeze it into my schedule. It's really interesting and unlike any other in the health care profession. In this class, we actually take the time out to tend to our right brain to achieve a balance in life. Each session would always start with a few minutes of feeling appreciation by first focusing our attention to the heart and breathing slowly and deeply. Then, we turn our thoughts to appreciating a person, thing or animal. This is called "the heart coherence technique" and the director of the course informed us that it has been proven to reduce cortisol (stress hormone) levels. I totally believe her, not only because she is a well-respected faculty member, but because I can feel the parasympathetic effects even with only a few minutes of practice each day. It reminds me of the period of my life when I actually took time out to meditate on a daily basis.<br /><br />Practicing the heart coherence technique has a similar calming effect as meditation. However, I think I like the heart coherence technique better because it actually forces my brain to dig out the positive things in my life and be grateful for them. It feels much better to have positive thoughts and have an appreciation for life, people, animals and things. <br /><br />Each class session, we also get to listen to our role models in the field of pharmacy (actual working pharmacists) share their stories and insights. Often, we hear about their tragedies and how they dealt and moved beyond them. They also share their insights about balancing work and personal life. Being at UCSF, we normally see and hear about the achievements and awards of these pharmacists/professors. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to hear the stories told from their hearts. I know it takes great personal strength to be seen in front of the class with so much emotional vulnerability. <br /><br />This class is definitely one-of-a-kind in pharmacy school and I'm glad I am experiencing it. At the end of every 3-hour class, I feel rejuvenated and relaxed, as if I had just practiced yoga.ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-82490899295839161632009-03-13T01:09:00.000-07:002009-03-13T01:26:19.185-07:00I Can Live with My Decisions"A leader must be able withstand hostility and not back down on her position if she thinks she is doing the right thing," says a faculty member during our current conversation. That statement totally alleviated the little doubts that I had about my recent difficult decisions. For the most part, I believed that I was making the right choices, but that confirmation put my mind to rest. I will continue to live with angry people (at least for another week), but I am glad I did not trade making the right decisions in order to make others happy.<br /><br />Standing up for myself is my new friend and our relationship is at best awkward, and leads to many negative reflective moments and emotions. I feel extremely blessed, though, to be at UCSF, an environment where that relationship is nurtured.ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-61601968356730455102009-03-11T01:16:00.000-07:002009-03-11T01:30:15.866-07:00Human Relationship is A Work of Art"I'm going to remove myself from the mass and live in the wilderness someday," I told my good friend as we were dreading the need to make small talks. I discovered that my art of language is not really as refined as I would like for it to be. I let emotions get in my ways and hurt others with my words and actions. Many times, I also do not say what I need to say in order to make my intention known in a gentle way. As a result, I get stuck in awkward relationships that takes months, sometimes years, to semi-normalize. Hurtful words are like knives; once it pierces the flesh, there aren't many ways to restore it to the original condition. A scar will form after the healing process, serving as a reminder of the unpleasant experience.ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-77876647145674061372009-03-11T01:09:00.000-07:002009-03-11T01:16:09.048-07:00My Parasympathetic System is Not Working!It's the last week before finals. I have not studied for any of the six exams that I will have to complete by the end of next week. I am dealing with angry forces in my apartment. I lie in bed at night, obsessed with negative thoughts. I can't focus in class or in my study because I am too sleepy. My bowels are not moving as they should. When will my parasympathetic system work again? After finals...perhaps? That would be too late. I don't know what a mess I will be by then.ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-52667891302732407752009-03-11T00:49:00.000-07:002009-03-11T01:09:28.250-07:00Universal HealthcareHealth Policy is one of the classes that I really enjoy this quarter. I find the topics presented in class extremely thought-provoking. We learned that adopting a universal healthcare system for the United States can potentially reduce healthcare costs (currently 16% of GDP), lead to better access and quality of care and eliminate the 16% uninsured population. Proposals for universal healthcare has been tried and failed. However, the lecturers for our class seemed confident that if any big changes in healthcare were to happen, it would be more likely with President Obama in office. <br /><br />Although I really hope to see a universal healthcare system in the United States, I would not be surprised if it does not happen during my life time. I think most Americans are too individualistic and capitalistic to think about the big picture. Unless there's a push with the magnitude of the Civil Rights Movement, our healthcare system will remain to be dominated by different players, each seek to maximize their own benefits.ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-50353381859158832892009-03-07T01:52:00.000-08:002009-03-07T02:00:42.906-08:00TherapeuticsAlthough I'm excited about finishing up another quarter of my pharmacy school experience, I have to admit that I am slightly worried about next quarter's curriculum, which includes a 6-unit course in therapeutics, where we need to integrate all the knowledge that we've accummulated for the past five quarters and memorized many different medication dosages, side effects, indications, drug-drug interactions, etc. I hope I won't fail the first therapeutics exam like the majority of the members of the class of 2010 did during their first quarter of therapeutics. It sounds very scary!!!ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-7302987008099915702009-03-07T01:25:00.000-08:002009-03-07T01:52:27.835-08:00Insomnia, My Stupidity and Lessons Learned about Human NatureIt's 1:30 AM and I can't even get a wink of sleep although I'm physically and mentally tired. My mind is clouded by a huge decision to make: to continue digging the hole that I have made for myself and make everyone happy or to go with my gut instinct, which has been tainted by a prior financially costly experience due to trust, and piss everyone off? <br /><br />To the people directly involved in this sticky situation, my definition of "digging a hole" is really no big deal at all. They would say: "You are shooting yourself in the foot with this stubbornness. People don't play by the rules all the time. There's nothing to worry about." If I was 24 or even 28, without the nasty lessons that I had to learn the hard way, I would agree. However, this situation is obviously causing me enough stress to stay wide awake despite my physical and emotional fatigue. Contracts are there for a reason: people want to protect themselves against others. Humans are irrational creatures and their behaviors are not predictable. In addition, with very few exceptions, people usually look out for themselves before others. I don't believe that my concerns are invalid...<br /><br />What has this mess taught me, once again? For one, I am truly not made for finance management and I will try my best to avoid them in the future. I will be happy if I can keep my checkbook balanced. Secondly, I need to assess things carefully before committing myself to any responsibility, thinking that I can do great things. It's too bad that I am beginning to question the purpose to the "great thing" that I had set out to do in the first place.ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-21033835075395810122009-02-25T22:24:00.000-08:002009-02-25T22:56:36.225-08:00Capstone ProjectAll second year pharmacy students at UCSF have to complete a pharmacokinetics assignment called the Capstone Project. Working in groups of 4-6 members, we were responsible for asking an interesting and clinically relevant question related to pharmacokinetics, finding the answer to the question, validating the answer with calculations, graphs and charts, organizing the information professionally on a tri-fold poster board and presenting them to our classmates, TAs, professors and faculty members. <br /><br />After spending many hours in research, discussions, writing and revisions, we finally finished the poster one day before our oral presentions. Our hard work and team effort culminated in a very professional poster and many skills and lessons learned. <br /><br />I learned that although group work is extremely difficult (especially when everyone is so busy), when a team finds ways to work together and draw on the strengths of each member, excellent results can be achieved. I don't think any one of my group members alone could have produced such an amazing poster. Each one of us contributed to the project in different ways to make the project a success (although I must confess that I initially thought that I did not have much to contribute). <br /><br />Without this project, I would not have learned so much about the treatments for patent ductus arteriosus, a condition in which the hole between the aortic arch and pulmonary artery does not close after birth. During the poster session/presentation, one classmate also told me a very interesting fact: adults with partially open ductus arteriosus should not dive because the high pressure can cause the duct to open, which can lead to death. <br /><br />The process of completing the Capstone Project was slow and painful, but I see the value in it and feel grateful for my professor, who spent many hours beyond her call of duty to lead all of us into the right directions.ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-12967497361667255112009-02-20T00:29:00.000-08:002009-02-20T00:43:11.211-08:00Cherry Blossoms<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1r_j9ZhEat1nnTYftw4k1QspTVpy5IsaA_DhZbgLue5NaQRr18O17eB7wKFAdOAfGousbqnuSP3x2bFFmWksUR10lj2yWssgfo5pWmnwA3TtzbZTszfU7FooLGL-Ij_lOflMt3sCywfAP/s1600-h/Cherry+Blossoms+1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1r_j9ZhEat1nnTYftw4k1QspTVpy5IsaA_DhZbgLue5NaQRr18O17eB7wKFAdOAfGousbqnuSP3x2bFFmWksUR10lj2yWssgfo5pWmnwA3TtzbZTszfU7FooLGL-Ij_lOflMt3sCywfAP/s320/Cherry+Blossoms+1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304797161677467122" border="0" /></a><br />Late winter/early spring is one of my favorite times of the year in San Francisco! The side walks are filled with the soft pink colors of cherry blossoms. Although I was supposed to study for my midterms, I decided to capture the images of these fragile lives at the peak of their beauty. Here's one that I sort of like but wish I could get better images with the limited amount of time that I had to spare.ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-70384166211846746762009-02-19T00:05:00.000-08:002009-02-19T00:32:19.519-08:00HailYesterday morning, when I opened the door just less than 10 minutes before the physiology lecture, my first class of the day, I could hear the thunderous sound of the rain and see it pouring down heavily. I hesitated for a few seconds, thinking to myself: "Should I wait for the rain to die down before leaving the house?" With a lot of courage and the determination to be on time, I decided to brave the rain with my little bright blue umbrella.<br /><br />Just as I walked down the steps, I saw droplets of pearls falling from the sky and immediately felt extremely lucky to be in the right place at the right time. This was only the third time in my WHOLE LIFE that I have seen hail! I took in every moment of it as I walked up the 45-degree incline of 3rd Avenue, while minding every step in fear of letting those tiny balls of ice roll me down the slippery slope. The sound of those heavenly gems hitting my umbrella and the sight of the green field covered with white balls of ice definitely were the highlights of my day! Ah, how Mother Nature has the power to bring joy through small wonders.ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-54454013169793904972009-02-12T23:42:00.000-08:002009-02-12T23:44:10.689-08:00EXAMS EXAMS and MORE EXAMSIt's been hard to enjoy learning lately. All I do is studying for exams (we had two midterms last week and three this week). I feel like I'm not going to retain much of the things that I try to cram into my head in order to pass the exams. I wish I had more time to digest the materials and make studying a means for meaningful learning. Lately, it's been mostly about passing exams. When am I going to have time to learn?ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-43673299677226303842009-02-12T23:26:00.000-08:002009-02-12T23:42:34.680-08:00Class of 2013I had a chance to chat with the interviewees for the pharmacy class of 2013 today. I, along with other classmates, volunteered to accompany the afternoon group for one hour, with the intention of calming their nerves before the interviews. Their anxiety and eagerness reminded me of how I was two years ago, when I was in the same position. Although I no longer wish to go through the same kind of anxiety, I do admire their passion and enthusiasm.ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-57183905265803452552008-11-22T21:35:00.000-08:002008-11-23T00:50:45.224-08:00Partners in D in Full Force during the Open-Enrollment PeriodEvery fall quarter, Partners in D, a state-wide initiative spearheaded by faculty members at UCSF School of Pharmacy and funded by the Amgen Foundation, offers an elective class to students interested helping seniors with their Medicare Part D plans. After thirteen hours of intensive training over a four-week period this fall, over thirty student pharmacists became Medicare Part D specialists, serving as patient advocates in the greater San Francisco areas. <br /><br />Most of the Partners in D outreach events take place in senior housing complexes and clinics. In only one short week after the beginning of the open-enrollment period (November 15th to December 31st), Partners in D has gone to five different underserved communities, helping over one hundred seniors from various ethnic backgrounds find and enroll in the most economical Medicare Part D plans for 2009.<br /><br /><a name="OLE_LINK1">As one of the two student coordinators</a> for the Partners in D outreach program, I attended four out of the five outreaches this past week. Given my busy second-year-pharmacy-school schedule, which involves not only studying the essential materials from my classes, but also leadership responsibilities from more than one organization, I have been very sleep-deprived this quarter. Nevertheless, the experiences and rewards that I have reaped from the time I have put into the Medicare Part D elective and outreach are invaluable. <br /><br />For one thing, I have acquired a tremendous amount of information about Medicare Part D from two of the most enthusiastic authorities in this subject, Dr. Marilyn Stebbins and Dr. Tim Cutler. Having attended all the training sessions for the second time (I took the elective class last year), I now feel a lot more confident in being a patient advocate for Medicare Part D, something that I will be heavily involved in as a student-intern at my sister’s independently owned pharmacy. I now have winter job security because she has hired me as the “expert” to help patients with their Medicare Part D plans. <br /><br />More importantly, I have rediscovered the joy of public service, a strong and intrinsically rewarding feeling that I have not experienced at this magnitude in a long while. No matter how tired I was after each event and how I wish there were more hours in a day for me to squeeze in some studying, I would be happy that I had been involved. Every single senior that I helped had showed a tremendous amount of appreciation for my knowledge and time to provide them with the information and assistance that they otherwise would not have gotten elsewhere. <br /><br />With the guidance of my energetic preceptors, Marilyn and Tim, I have helped seniors saved thousands of dollars from their drug cost in 2009 by enrolling them in the most cost effective plans, based on their current medications. This week, the most money that Partners in D had saved for one person was over $19,000! <br /><br />Who knows what these seniors would do if Partners in D were not acting on their behalves? They may be stuck on very expensive plans and end up resorting to skipping doses, not filling their prescriptions or buying their medicines from another country to save money. They may go broke paying for their medicines in order to stay healthy or end up critically ill in the hospital due to cost-related non-adherence. <br /><br />The more outreach events that I attend, the more I value the foresights of the UCSF leaders who created Partners in D. However, a disturbing truth lingers in my mind: Although Partners in D is a state-wide project and all the pharmacy schools in California are helping seniors with their Medicare Part D plans, we are only reaching a small percentage of the elderly population in California, not to mention nationally. <br /><br />Despite the availability of a website (<a href="http://www.medicare.gov/">http://www.medicare.gov/</a>) as an unbiased source for plan comparisons, only about two percent of the senior population utilizes it. Most are not even aware of its existence. The plan finder tool within this site is so difficult that I, along with most of my Medicare Part D classmates, could not even navigate through without the proper training. I cannot imagine how the pre-Internet generation can figure out the way to use it without aid.<br /><br />Throughout our interventions this week, we have come across seniors enrolled in unnecessary and expensive health plans through sales representatives who offer them free gym memberships or rides to their providers. As a result, they can no longer see their regular physicians and pay more for the health care. Unfortunately, for some of those seniors, the consequences of their “choices” are not reversible until the beginning of 2009. <br /><br />As a product of the Asian culture and philosophy, where the elderly are well respected and supported, I have an extremely difficult time seeing the jewels of our wisdom and the bridges of our future extremely helpless in a matter so vital in their retirement years. Until the government finds more practical and available solutions to support seniors in their Medicare Part D decisions, healthcare providers are the best and most accessible resources during this long adjustment period. <br /><br />To become a Medicare Part D patient advocate, you can enroll in Partners in D’s fall elective class offered through the School of Pharmacy. It is open to students from all schools at UCSF. In addition, the following are web resources for additional information about Medicare Part D:<br /><br /><a href="http://partnersind.com/">http://partnersind.com/</a><br /><a href="http://www.medicare.gov/">http://www.medicare.gov/</a>ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-10661216793843364392008-11-09T18:55:00.000-08:002008-11-09T19:02:47.282-08:00It's Been a WhileIt seems forever since I last blogged. I should be studying for my physio exam, which is bright and early tomorrow morning, but I think I'm too burned out from trying to jam 200 pages of condensed materials in my head over the past few days. I have no idea what I know and what I don't know but I just don't care. I ran out of steam this time.<br /><br />I still enjoy learning and have been pretty good sticking to my studying schedule this quarter. Unfortunately, there is just so much information for my slow brain to keep up with all the classes. I guess I'll go to the gym, get my frustrations out and hopefully will be able to get something in my head so I won't fail the test tomorrow. Arghhhh......ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-56736436436111662252008-10-30T00:12:00.000-07:002008-10-30T00:22:54.756-07:00I Was Lucky...to score above average on my pharmaceutical chemistry exam! It was mostly luck that I knew all the structures being tested, didn't make a mistake on the things that I did know, totally derived the pKa equation out of my understanding of basic chemistry and blanking out on only one question out of the whole test. I did study quite a lot before the exam and felt that I had a pretty good handle on things, but a lot of materials were covered in class prior to the midterm. The test, like most, could not truly reflect what a student really knows. Although I did pretty well on it, it does not mean that I know more than someone who has a lower grade on that exam. It just means that I had a good day and everything went my way.ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-54579146868955573332008-10-12T00:23:00.000-07:002008-10-12T00:48:40.429-07:00Study BreakAfter a whole day of hiding in my room, I decided that I should reward myself with a very pleasant activity: jogging along Ocean Beach during sunset! When I got there, the huge round orange sun was sinking, from my car, I observed as it dipped below the horizon. The chill almost prevented me from getting out of the car, but I figured I needed to get some more oxygen in my muscle and brain, as well as putting some "stress" in my body so the glucagon and epinephrine can kick in for some glycolysis and lypolysis. <br /><br />I really wanted to be right beside the water. Instead, I used gravity as an excuse to take the lighter workout by jogging on the sidewalk along the Great Highway. After a while, I was thinking to myself: "This sucks! I don't want to smell the smog from all these cars and hear their loud noise!" So, I bravely headed to the shore and was so glad that I did.<br /><br />Since I was quite a distance south of Judah (the Muni stop), there was not anyone by the beach, and I had it all to myself. Although my leg muscles were sore from the over-production of lactic acid, the soothing sound of the waves, the pastel-colored sky and the endless ocean completely satified my soul with the fuel that I will need for another long study session.ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-37975512219308131762008-10-12T00:10:00.000-07:002008-10-12T00:23:33.919-07:00Intellectual DevelopmentAfter four weeks of trying, the pressure of exams (I have three midterms next week!) has finally molded me into a very good student. My daily routines now consist of eating, going to classes, reviewing notes, reading and reading. Of course, I take a break here and then, but most of the time, I'm glued to the study desk in my room when I'm not in class. <br /><br />It sounds pretty boring, but I rather enjoy it. In a way, I feel so lucky to have the means to put education before everything else at this stage in life. I don't have to worry about money (at least not right now...I'll worry about repaying my loans later), kids, dramas, etc. Having the time to devote solely to learning about the human body and pharmaceutical products is such a previlege. Although I do not like exams, I must say that they have pushed my persistence in the pursue of knowledge to a whole different level! Without them, I don't think I can sustain reading and studying for over twenty minutes at a time. Hooray to good old exams! Hmm...maybe your won't hear me say that when I get my scores back next week!ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-12096435940922788362008-10-09T00:13:00.000-07:002008-10-09T00:53:55.596-07:00More ButterfliesAfter an afternoon of frustration trying to study and not being very successful at it, I decided to take advantage of the free admission day at the Flower Conservatory and see the winged beauties at the Butterfly Zone before the exhibit ends on November 2.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255050103200150482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOLwWSS2z29khXSRi3xr8MOPCyvOVMXSnTRCM6oBc0JYq9GhGEfT2hFNfm48osqD1DLGWHJD1Ohipyo3J4H22e7MfgfGTlVsth-R8hJRPw-xDm7aAoUGoW1Wpvcu4xgoVx4tblQnIbcM3q/s320/Blue+Spotted+Butterfly.jpg" border="0" /><br />I had a very relaxing hour clicking on my Canon 40D with the macro EF 100mm 1:2.8 lens. Although I was only able to use the tripod as a monopod (facility restriction), the images turned out really great. These are the three pictures that I really like.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2eVOgRQ4d3vPAcg0i-qPQVum8rm3dJFNYojsR_F5uBY8t2KpYdnkSCCiihut0f6-yBU0AMMRZmwFxQj7VIalWI9o0oBEckBe0Tfme5PNPf7EPkmmMJu_banGfurEs9VRJE5FilGvqFN1/s1600-h/Red-Winged+Butterfly.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255050235134555394" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2eVOgRQ4d3vPAcg0i-qPQVum8rm3dJFNYojsR_F5uBY8t2KpYdnkSCCiihut0f6-yBU0AMMRZmwFxQj7VIalWI9o0oBEckBe0Tfme5PNPf7EPkmmMJu_banGfurEs9VRJE5FilGvqFN1/s320/Red-Winged+Butterfly.jpg" border="0" /></a>While taking pictures, I met another amature with almost the same camera as mine. We started to talk about how the stripes of the zebra butterfly looks white instead of yellow in the picture. He told me a little bit about using RAW format instead of JPEG so I could preserve the real colors in my subjects. It all sounded good but I don't really have the time to edit the image after shooting. Besides, RAW files will take so much more memory, something that I am not really looking forward to dealing with right now. Therefore, I am sticking with JPEGs for a while.<br /><br />A little bit into our conversation, he started <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLueZu6xtZKRnddlWoG4pDTLtda2QLEUkGBPlO33gIFNXXPq_l_cKBzuYM9c_C6_HfXpOI96FgpyeL0r_snDledyf6wA-tg_CI3CAqf4MCiEAxc2a3mU2I6L8kgQ83nvOTsLcUuS6mGry/s1600-h/Zebra+Butterfly.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255053174129621458" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLueZu6xtZKRnddlWoG4pDTLtda2QLEUkGBPlO33gIFNXXPq_l_cKBzuYM9c_C6_HfXpOI96FgpyeL0r_snDledyf6wA-tg_CI3CAqf4MCiEAxc2a3mU2I6L8kgQ83nvOTsLcUuS6mGry/s320/Zebra+Butterfly.jpg" border="0" /></a>offering his lenses so I could try using them (his backpack was full of lenses, used ones that he bought from other photography enthusiasts). I felt kind of bad holding his camera to try out the lens that he claims to be "a very good lens," but I didn't want to offend him by not taking his offer. I wonder if, someday, I will become as generous with my photo equipment as he was. As of now, no one is touching my "baby." I was even reluctant to lend it to my dad! Talking about obsession!<br /><div><div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4271214213200295947.post-7759267463471987392008-10-07T23:20:00.000-07:002008-10-07T23:33:10.638-07:00I was so sure...that I got 100% on my first midterm exam in pharmacokinetics (PK)! I found out my the grades a few hours after the exam and learned that my it was at the bottom of the totem pole again. Most of my classmates got an A but I didn't. I still don't know what I did wrong (b/c I didn't care to pick up my exam). I thought I had the strategies and logic down for figuring out the half-life and concentration of a drug at anytime during an IV infusion. I guess I was wrong.<br /><br />I was shocked...and then disappointed...for a while. Then I realized that I had done my best to study for the exam. I read and tried to understand the materials as much as I could. That's all I can ask for of myself right now. Something is not clicking and I see it as a confirmation that PK is really not my thing. It's so sad that this seems to be the easiest class out of the five that I have this quarter. Physiology, pharmacology and pharmaceutical chemistry exams are next week and I am barely going over the first week's lecture notes and reading materials for all of those subjects. As much as I enjoy learning about prostaglandins, hormones, and NSAIDs, I just can't keep up!ucsfpharmacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15881838852132227025noreply@blogger.com2