Facilitators

Facilitator: Blue Walcer, MPH

Blue Walcer, Founder and Director of the CARE program and Health Education Coordinator with the Hematology/Oncology Division at San Francisco General Hospital, works to give patients a greater role in their health care and health care decisions. Blue received her Bachelor's degree in Education and Social Justice and her Master's in Public Health in Community Health Education from the University of California, Berkeley. Blue's background includes work with adolescents, immigrants, injured workers, and victims of domestic violence.


CARE and Medical Education

Every CARE series is co-facilitated by UCSF medical student. A medical student as co-facilitator assures us that someone with medical knowledge (always presented with the caveat that s/he is not a physician) is in the room during every CARE session. The medical students provide logistical and practical support as well as qualitative and quantitative process evaluations for the CARE program. The CARE program also provides medical students with a valuable and unique educational opportunity.

"The CARE program has provided my education a scope not often afforded by formal medical school curricula. While more and more time is being dedicated to training students in the nuances of the doctor-patient relationship, we rarely get to observe the richness of the patient-patient relationship. Being a part of CARE has allowed me to witness what interactions between individuals sharing similar diagnoses and treatments can create. The support, honesty, and humor that is shared while these individuals learn to navigate their illnesses together convey invaluable lessons for anyone entering the medical field."


Co-Facilitator: Melanie Thomas

Melanie Thomas is a fourth year medical student at UCSF who will receive her medical degree this May. She is planning to work in psychiatry, especially with patients at SFGH. Melanie grew up in the Southeast, earned a Bachelor's degree in English/Biology from Emory University, and has a Master's in health sciences from UC Berkeley. Her awareness about cancer began very early in her life as both of her parents have had lymphoma and her mom has been cancer survivor for more than 10 years. In her free time Melanie likes to sleep, eat, and spend time with friends and family. She is currently training for a triathlon.

Co-Facilitator: Jessica Adkins

Jessica Adkins is currently a 3rd year medical student at UCSF. Her medical interests include Primary Care for the Underserved and International Health. Jessica's volunteer work has included mentoring for underprivileged girls in a program called "Las Hermanitas" and work at a clinic in Oaxaca, Mexico this past summer. She is originally from Southern California and completed her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees at UC Irvine in Civil & Environmental Engineering. In her spare time, Jessica enjoys surfing, spending time with her two cats, and cheering for the Oakland Raiders!

C.A.R.E. Cancer Awareness, Resources, and Education

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