Justice-Driven Journalism
[In this series, past editors-in-chief reflect on their time leading the paper.] I was a member of the the Synapse editorial board from 1982 to 1985, serving for three years as the editor -in-chief.
A Heated Discussion: Medical Student Shares Perspective on the Rural Opioid Epidemic
My first introduction to the field was triaging the hundreds of patients who faced burn wounds more traumatic than any...
Reframing Health Justice at UCSF
On a foggy Friday morning, a cluster of UCSF students in scrubs and backpacks huddle over poster boards a few...
Honoring the Forgotten: My Day at the Mothers of Gynecology Park
When I first pulled up to the Mothers of Gynecology Park in Montgomery, there were a few cars around, but...
This Date in UCSF History: Homophobia Is a Medical Issue
[ Originally published in Synapse on October 22, 1998.] Last week, the country confronted the death of Matthew Shepard, the...
This Date in UCSF History: Minority Numbers Climb Dramatically
[Originally published in Synapse on September 25, 1986.] In a dramatic reversal of last year’s disappointing showing, the School of...
From Mistrust to Empowerment: How Historical Medical Racism Drove Black Women Toward Midwifery and Home Births
[First place winner of the Synapse Storytelling Contest Non Fiction category.] America: a country that brags about its technology and...
This Date in UCSF History: Refugees Counsel Compatriots
[Originally published in Synapse on May 26, 1988.] Case: A 29 year-old Salvadoran woman, mother of three, is unable to...
Periods Shouldn’t Pause Education
Imagine you or a loved one missing school every month simply because they didn't have access to menstrual hygiene products...
This Date in UCSF History: The origins of Mother’s Day
[Originally published in Synapse on May 7, 1981.] In calling for a national day of protest against the arms race...