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The 2011 ASUC candidate statements will also appear in the print edition of Synapse in the March 31 issue.

Oliver Ubeda
President

My name is Oliver Ubeda and I am a first-year pharmacy student. I remember that a little over a year ago I came to UCSF for the first time for a pharmacy school interview. It was a Saturday morning in early February and I remember feeling apprehensive about interviewing in one of the best schools in the nation. I walked through the doors in the Medical Sciences Building and as the day went by I felt welcomed and embraced by the admissions staff, the faculty and students. 

I am now a first year pharmacy student, a quarter away from finishing the first year of my new career and I still can’t believe it. I know you too have been in my shoes. I know you have walked a similar path to the one I walked. Maybe in your case it wasn’t pharmacy school but you walked through the doors of this school not long ago and realized that you could be accepted here.  The fact that you are reading this means you are here and you are part of UCSF. We are all part of what I feel is a living institution made up of some of the most amazing, nurturing, and caring people. 

I am running for ASUCSF President because I truly believe that serving others is a worthwhile endeavor and deep down it is also the reason we are all here. I know that it is together that we will make patients’ lives better, healthcare better and prepare the path for future students. I recently took a small part in planning, preparing, and attending the UC Haiti Initiate Symposium at UCSF and we hosted Dean Prosper, Dean of the State University of Haiti. I was able to work with students from Nursing, Medical, and Pharmacy to find out how we at UCSF could help Haiti restore and improve their higher education after their earthquake.  It all started with a student contacting me and inviting participation. I learned a lot from that experience.  I learned that it starts with us here at UCSF and what we can accomplish together as associated students.

If elected I want to make those academic as well as social connections across the professional schools easier for us to establish. So I will work with the cabinet to organize accessible social and academic opportunities for our schools to meet and learn about and from each other. I plan to work with the cabinet to assist with organizing inter-professional health fairs that allow us to work with each other.   I also plan to work to create a UCSF website link for registered students to access all the information on all three school organizations in one place.  It will also have contact information for those organizations leaders and membership. I also want to make part of that website a registered student’s inter-professional class facebook so we can start to know each other better. 

I also want to make the budget that we are allotted work for all our schools equally and fairly so no school feels less benefitted. I plan to have a suggestion email box and an open door policy on students who want to attend cabinet meetings or give suggestions to improve our school experience. We are students at UCSF and we are here now, so we know anything is possible and it starts with us. Thank you for your vote. 

 

Joshua Biddle
President

My name is Joshua Biddle and I am a first year medical student here at UCSF. It would be an honor and a pleasure to serve as your ASUC President.

I am running for President because I care deeply about this institution and feel strongly that it is our responsibility to ensure that the actions of the University reflect the values of the students.  For me, those values include a commitment to social justice, a celebration of diversity, the promotion of student wellbeing, and the aspiration to be trendsetters in healthcare delivery.

To that end, I will encourage the administrations of each of the three schools – Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Medicine – to create meaningful interprofessional experiences that transcend afternoon forums that many of us feel trivialize complex and nuanced trends in healthcare. The new Teaching and Learning Center is a natural venue in which to genuinely integrate and connect the schools. Simulated exercises would be a great way for students to meet one another and begin to form meaningful professional relationships rather than bond over a shared desire to be elsewhere. Since I know that many of us would also like to get to know students from other schools in fun and informal settings, I will make it a priority to encourage and promote more social events like Trivia Night.

To the position of President, I will bring a commitment to learning in the context of community. I will reach out to each of the schools and encourage them to work collaboratively with one another. I will do my best to admit when I don’t know how best to serve the community at large, and will encourage students from each of the schools to let me know when their needs are not being met. I will not be afraid to ask probing or difficult questions of both my fellow students and the administration when it comes to spending University funds.  I have been told that I am a skilled communicator and I try very hard to both express my own ideas clearly and to listen attentively to the ideas of others. I will encourage the ASUC board, as well as the school, to take positions on situations that arise within either the University itself or the community at large. Finally, I will bring the knowledge that the best solutions are those born out of dialogue and collaboration.

As President of the ASUC Executive Board I would work hard to facilitate that dialogue. It would be my honor to represent UCSF by bringing a strong student voice to the table. Thank you very much for your consideration.

 

Stephanie Shumaker and Krishna Shah
VPs, Community Relations

Hello!  We are Stephanie Shumaker and Krishna Shah, first year pharmacy students, running for Co-Vice Presidents of Community Relations for the Associated Students of UCSF.  Our goal is to promote an enriching and lively on-campus experience to the students of the Dental, Medicine, and Pharmacy schools. We want to promote a greater sense of community at UCSF by keeping students interconnected and involved in campus activities.

Our focus will be to publicize all ASUC sponsored events by serving as liaisons between professional students and the ASUC team by using various means of communication. Currently, Synapse is used as a means to communicate to the student body by publishing monthly reports on the ASUC Board meetings. The ASUC Facebook group is also used to publicize events. We want your voice to be heard, and keep you involved, so in addition to managing these current modes of communication, we propose implementing an ASUC blog and Twitter account. Don’t worry - you will not need to subscribe to all of these forms of social media to stay informed!  We will maintain all of these social media forums, and publicize events through in-class announcements, posters, and flyers, keeping your email inbox clutter-free! Our goal is for the students from all professional schools to have a united voice in the UCSF community and we hope, by using your feedback, to facilitate the improvement of ASUC events and services.

By providing timely updates about events, and supporting the ASUC team as a whole, we will strengthen interprofessional collaboration and foster a sense of community between the professional schools. We ask for your vote and support, as it would be our honor and privilege to represent YOU as members of the ASUC team!

Vote for us, Stephanie and Krishna, for VPs of Community Relations!

 

Mary Kwong and Whitney Wang
VP, Community Relations

Hey UCSF! Our names are Mary Margaret (M.M) Kwong and Whitney Wang (W.W). We are two enthusiastic first year pharmacy students who would love to serve as your VP of Community Relations. In the past two quarters, we both participated in IPHE days, trivia night, and attended Moonlight Enchantment semi-formal. These events allowed us to meet and interact with other students from different schools. We were able to work with others in both professional and social settings, and we would love to continue to develop strong interprofessional relations for all students at UCSF.

We have a lot of new ideas we hope to implement next year: BETTER FOOD! MORE DRINKS! MORE FUN! But on a serious note, we really want to communicate more with the student body through social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.

• Facilitate communication between students and…
• Work with VPs of Student Affairs to promote interprofessional social events
• Work with VPs of Health Affairs to spread awareness about school health fairs and changes in health plans

Let’s be honest, we’ve both been to IPHE day and want to create more interactive activities to stimulate your interest in the subject, because we know how hard it is to sit in a gym for a couple of hours.

So vote for us for Vice President of Community Relations!

 

 

Kristi Jhangiani and Neerali Patel
VPs, External Affairs

Hello UCSF!  We are Kristi Jhangiani and Neerali Patel, first year students in the School of Pharmacy, and we are running for ASUCSF Vice President of External Affairs.

We both come from undergraduate backgrounds filled with experience working in large committees and organizations. Through these positions we learned how to apply student concerns and issues to make changes within the campus. The root of our success was really in our efforts to reinvest students’ money back into them.

Our initial interest in this position began when we heard about the UC Board of Regents’ plan to raise our fees for the upcoming 2011- 2012 year. We believe it is unfair to ask students to pay more for our education. We are health care providers, we are here to save lives and help patients. 

As students in the school of pharmacy we are taught how to counsel and listen to our patients, and now we would like to do the same for you. Within this body of health professionals, we want to be your advocates. We want to bring to light all the questions and concerns you may have to help change the UC system to better fit our needs as students. We will work with other ASUC board members throughout the UC system to discuss ways in which we can improve diversity, to maintain affordability, and to encourage advocacy! We believe that students should have a voice, and through us, we will make sure your voices are heard loud and clear.

As VP of external affairs it is also our duty to maintain the level of diversity here at UCSF. In an effort to maintain this on the UCSF campus, we want to encourage the enrollment of underrepresented groups at other UC campuses to join the UCSF community.

Again, as VP of External affairs it is our goal to represent UCSF in the UC system and advocate for you, our fellow students. When we think of what it means to be the VP of External Affairs, three words come to mind: DIVERSITY, AFFORDABILITY, and ADVOCACY. If these three words resonate with you, vote for us, we won’t let you down!

 

Eliana Bukofzer and Diem Tran
VPs, External Affairs

Hello! We are Eliana Bukofzer and Diem Tran, first-year Pharmacy students running to be ASUCSF Vice Presidents of External Affairs. The VPs of External Affairs serve as a bridge between the Associated Student Body at UCSF and the UC Student Association. As students who care deeply about the University of California system, we are very excited about this opportunity to represent the students of UCSF and their concerns.

Currently in the process of obtaining a third UC degree (BS from UCSD, MPH from UC Berkeley, and now a PharmD student), Eliana has long referred to herself as a “UC child.”  Her parents are both UC Davis graduates, and her father is a professor at CSU Fresno.  She feels extremely grateful for the first-rate education she received, both as a child in the California public school system, and then as an adult in the UC system. Diem sees the university system from a different perspective. As an immigrant, she attended a small community college for two years before transferring to CSU Northridge. UCSF is her first experience in the UC system and she was extremely impressed by the opportunities the university offers to its students, ranging from international externships, amber research projects, and Nobel Prize-holder faculty. Both of us have long marveled at the opportunities people have in California to receive a top-notch education at some of the best universities in the world at a price that still beats private universities.

UCSF is one of the best interprofessional schools in the world, and all of us are proud to be part of it. However, sometimes we are so focused within our own school that we forget UCSF is not alone but instead is a part of a much bigger University of California system. This amazing system represents an opportunity to all Californians to receive a world-class education that anybody should be able to afford.  However, the system is hurting, as we as students can see every day.  Fees are increasing almost annually, health coverage is expensive and at times inadequate, libraries are unable to stay open late.  These are just a few issues that all students in the UC system are facing.  These problems cannot be solved without cooperation between all the UC campuses.

>So when we heard about this position and the ability we would have to give back to the university system that gave us so much, we knew this was something we would love and bring passion to. As two students who love the UC system, we will have a deep commitment to helping ensure that it thrives.  We will make SURE that your voices will be heard, your concerns will be addressed and your opinions will count.  So vote for us, Eliana and Diem, who are not only well qualified candidates for the position but also the ones with the deep commitment to see that the system thrives now and into the future.

 

Iveta Markova, Radka Varimezova, and Todor Stavrev
VPs, Community Health

We, Iveta Markova, Radka Varimezova, and Todor Stavrev, are running for Co-Vice Presidents of Community Health in the ASUC election. Our primary goal is to facilitate productive communication among the UCSF health professional schools by listening to students’ concerns regarding the existing and emerging issues revolving around community health.

As active members of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), the Community Dental Clinic (CDC), and the California Dental Association (CDA), we have first hand experience with many of the current challenges facing community health care efforts. Our experience with CDC has reinforced the importance of addressing the dental needs of under-served populations and, to a larger extent, the goal of providing affordable access to health care for all. Participating in “Give Kids A Smile Day” emphasized the value of community health fairs and the importance of alerting the community to these events.

As Co-Vice Presidents of Community Health, we will strive to create an environment where each individual student voice is heard and considered in the decision making process.  Thank you for your consideration.   

 

Peter Zaki
VP, Community Health

Hello Everyone! My name is Peter Zaki and I’m part of the 2014 medical school class.  I’m really excited to be running for the position of VP of Community Health and am passionate about the progress we can make in the coming year.

As students, it’s so important for us to be well in mind and body, not only so that we can enjoy our lives, but so that we can succeed in our studies and in our mission to provide care to others.  I plan to ensure that we continue to have regular farmer’s markets, healthy living workshops, and facility hours that work for the lives of busy students.  I look forward to working hard to put on another great wellness week at Millberry Union, and to make sure that every student knows about the wellness events that take place regularly on our campus. 

Lastly, as a liaison to the community, I am eager to share our resources and knowledge to improve community health.  The health of individuals begins in the community, and if we can join the effort to make our communities healthier I believe we make a big impact in the lives of those around us.

 

Kristianne Meisels
VP, Academic Affairs

Hello! My name is Kristianne Meisels from the School of Pharmacy here at UCSF. I chose to run for VP of Academic Affairs because I see a lot of room for change. Prior to entering UCSF, I was most excited about meeting people from other Schools on our campus in order to exchange ideas, learn more about other fields in health care, and make friends outside of the School of Pharmacy. To my disappointment, I found this very difficult. Interprofessional Education Day created an opportunity to converse with UCSF students from other Schools; however, the amount of time we had to talk with each other was too short and the event only occurs once a quarter. This event is a step in the right direction, but my vision is to work with students from other Schools on the ASUCSF board to create additional interprofessional events, academic and non-academic, to encourage relationships between students from different Schools and support the interprofessional team model in health care. Although this issue is very important to me, there are many other areas I would like to work on. These include textbook accessibility and pricing, the amount of money we are spending on printing as students, improving awareness of campus services (such as the career center), increasing transparency between students and administrators, and upholding effective communication between students and faculty.

My first leadership position was in high school as the Associated Student Body VP of Club Affairs. During my undergrad at UC Santa Barbara, I was the President of the Pre-Pharmacy Student Association and Conference Director for the Health Professions Association (HPA). My experience on the HPA board sparked my interest in working with students going into different fields in healthcare, which has lead to my passion for improving interprofessionalism on this campus. I am currently on the Integrative Medicine Forum Committee, which is made up of students from all Schools at UCSF.

If elected, my first step would be to educate myself on all academic issues facing students in our community through email, blogging, Facebook, Twitter, texting, and other methods I come up with to reach every student at UCSF. I will also diligently attend Academic Senate meetings and keep all students informed. Together we can continue to shape our training and ensure that we will be prepared for success in our future careers as health care professionals.

Thank you for taking the time to read my statement, I would be honored to be YOUR representative as VP of Academic Affairs and make sure that your voice is heard.

 

Keshav Khanijow
VP of Academic Affairs

Hey there! My name is Keshav Khanijow and I’m currently a first-year medical student here at UCSF. I’m writing to you today to ask for your vote– it would be an honor and privilege to serve you as the ASUC Vice President of Academic Affairs in the coming year.

As the Vice President of Academic Affairs, it would be my job to make sure that your opinions are heard by the administration and faculty on issues related to the academic environment here at UCSF. Are the studying spaces on campus adequate enough? Did you have a bad experience with course registration? Do you have curriculum concerns? Let me know! That’s what I’ll be here for- to hear YOUR opinions, relate them to the appropriate people, and proactively work on a solution.

As a UCSF student and a course coordinator for the LGBTI Healthcare Issues elective, I have a working knowledge of the academic climate on campus that will help me in my duties. Some issues I feel passionate about include interprofessional education and academic activities.  I would like to improve the current interprofessional collaboration initiatives, as these important issues will contribute to our abilities to work in healthcare teams successfully. In addition, with the tight fiscal budgets always looming around the corner, I pledge to support student funding for academic activities– they are beneficial components to our healthcare education and should not be brushed aside.

I WILL also be a team-player to make the ASUC an organization that provides support and services for you and the UCSF community. Through my previous positions as a board member for a cultural organization in DC, and an activist for a human rights group in Maryland, I have become an assertive person that is able to effectively communicate ideas while being respectful and maintaining a positive attitude.

Your vote for me will be a vote for the expressing of your ideas and concerns about the academic climate at UCSF. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope to serve YOU as the Vice President of Academic Affairs in the coming year.

Dennis Ankrah and Elden Vien
VPs, Student Affairs

UCSF provides all of its students with various opportunities to witness and be involved in events that highlight the interconnectivity of the healthcare system. From personal experiences, we have noticed the powerful impact it brings to the community when professional students work together to achieve a common goal. These opportunities are a vital preparatory step in developing the skills and relationships we will need to work effectively in a dynamic healthcare climate. However, these skills and relationships are not developed over night. That is why it is essential that we establish partnerships not only in professional settings but in social settings as well.

That is where we come in. Greetings fellow healthcare professionals, we are first-year pharmacy students Dennis Ankrah and Elden Vien.  We are running to serve as your ASUC co-VPs of Student Affairs. We believe in continuing the phenomenal collaborative spirit and unity present here at UCSF. Having met students from other programs, we’ve grown to cherish the friendships that we know will carry out well into our professional careers. Thus, in order to foster this development, we feel that it is essential to organize and plan social events that will cater to the interests of all UCSF students. A couple of fun ideas we wish to plan include:

• Casino Night to raise money for charity
• Field day with prizes (Yes like the ones we had growing up)
• Amateur Comedy Night
• A Multi School Dance Formal

In order to promote and advertise these events, we will not only send out e-mails to the list-serve but we also want to add a personal touch by delivering the news to ALL schools in person. We feel that this will allow us to be more approachable and amenable to your suggestions.

In addition, we feel that it would be a huge accomplishment to collaborate with other professional schools to organize an event that comprises of professional students not only from UCSF but from neighboring health-professional schools as well. As your ASUC co-VPs of Student Affairs, we are not afraid to dream big and with your help and support we know we can make 2011-2012 a fun-filled year of inter-professional development.

 

Ashley Bounthon and Chama Nagel
VPS, Community Health

We, Ashley Bounthon and Chama Nagel, are first-year pharmacy students running for VP of Community Health.

As healthcare professional students, day in and day out, we learn about providing the best possible health care to our patients. In the midst of all the classes, health fairs and exams, we tend to forget about one important thing; our own health. Over the last two quarters, we have observed a number of fellow students (including ourselves) looking run down probably as a result of a cold or stress from classwork. For this reason, we chose to run for VP of Community Health because we believe that even healthcare professionals need someone to look out for them. Our very own student health center already provides a number of wonderful services for our healthcare needs; it is our aim if elected as VPs of Community Health to make these services even more accessible by empowering the student body through knowledge. From our perspective most students, especially first-years, do not fully understand or know what our health- care coverage here at UCSF entails. This may possibly be due the fact that, the last time a student heard about Student Health and the services its provides was during orientation week of the Fall Quarter.

If elected it is our aim to educate ourselves and better understand how everyone can benefit from the services provided at Student Health. We would take great pride in serving as a direct liaison between the study body and student health. In doing so we would answer and address all questions and concerns in regards to the overall health of the Student Body. Through this position we hope to build upon the success of our predecessors. In doing so, we would like to promote UCSF Health Fairs, from all areas of practice, and create community partnership.
This position interested us because as young Pharmacist in the making we believe it is important to develop and establish relations with not only our fellow Pharmacy counterparts, but also our counterparts from Nursing, Dentistry, Medicine, and Physical Therapy, to help bridge the gap, and create a more collaborative team with the common goal of patient focused care.
We are very excited about the possibility of representing you, even more exciting will be the opportunity to work and interact with such a diverse student body! So VOTE for us because our mission is to serve you and hopefully make your life at UCSF more pleasant!