On Monday night, instead of having the typical Dinner for 8, FISH pushed all the boundaries and had two successful Dinner for 15s! It was a delightful evening for all. Reeti and Walle each hosted one school of FISH at their apartments and prepared a delicious pasta dinner. Then, Walle generously invited all of the FISHies to her apartment for a dessert party. Thanks to Bryant and Walle, all of the FISHies were lucky enough to enjoy three exquisite desserts, including a scrumptious peanut butter dark chocolate cake, a mouthwatering apple crisp, and a delicious pumpkin cake with a cream cheese orange frosting and homemade pralines. They were all simply FISHtastic. We then ended the night with a hilarious FISH version of the game Pictionary, in which like most FISH games quickly became intense and slightly raunchy, and FISHies were able to reveal their fantastic artistic capabilities, or most likely their lack of haha. Somehow the phrase “reindeer” was turned into grandma sheep, and eventually ended with a drawing of a sheep love triangle. Overall, it was a wonderful night and I can’t wait to have another dinner party next quarter! And a special thanks to all who unselFISHly hosted the evening!
In the midst of midterms and papers, 11 brave FISHies embarked on an adventure to Hike the Escondido Canyon Trail in Malibu! The weather was cloudy and cold, but we were determined to make it to the waterfalls on our hike. We began the trail with high hopes of reaching to the top with our entire pack! Jumping over rocks and beautiful streams, we had a few slips here and there but we all made it to the first waterfall, with a minor slip for Henry! As we set off for the second part of the hike, we were told that it was quite difficult and required the use of ropes! We climbed the boulders and used the ropes and made it to the second waterfall!! Just when we thought everything was great, a falling boulder hit the back of a hiker right in front of us! Oh Yes, we freaked out! We decided it was best to head on back since we had finished the hike with everyone safe and sound! On our hike down the trail, almost ALL of us had our share of falls! Dianna's fall being one of the most epic ones! We also got lost heading back, but luckily since we all go to UCLA, we found our way back! We hit up Jack In The Box to get some grub and made it back to UCLA in one piece! Overall, an amazing adventure in nature and fun bonding with some great FISH members!
This trip was, by far, one of the most interesting in FISH history: only three UCLA FISH, one alumnus, three USC FISH, and two doctors. With such a dynamic group, our clinic strayed somewhat from our regular clinics-but certainly in a good way. We walked the USC FISH through their first clinic with providers present and we discussed how they will develop into the newest chapter. Because it was a slower day at the market, our doctors, Dr. Colin L. Robinsonand Dr. Weiyi Tan , were not only able to spend decent time with their patients, they also had FISH members sit in on their examinations. Besides all of the teaching, our clinic accomplished its most important goal of providing free quality health examinations to this community. We sat in the taco stand (the old one that alum and co-founder BJ Swanner insisted we rediscover) much longer than we would on a normal trip. Though the shrimp tacos definitely had something to do with this, the delay was really caused by our exaggerated debrief. The doctors, as well as the Trojans, had such wonderful feedback and such great ideas that we couldn’t bring ourselves to break away from the conversation. Thank you so much to the two doctors. We look forward to building these new relationships and putting these new ideas into action.
 Before members embark on their trip to Mexico, we ensure that all our FISHies are properly equipped with the necessary skills for a successful clinic! The Training team was ready to teach all the members about height/weight, BMI, blood pressure, glucose, vitamins, safety precautions, and much more! With four main stations, members spent a lot of time learning how to measure blood pressure accurately.
Overall, we hope our members gained some valuable skills that they can utilize on our trips to Maclovio Rojas!
Special thanks to Julianne, the Director of Training, and all the members of the Training Team: Jocelyn, Sofia, Candace, Caitlin, LeAnna, Michael, Theodore, Paulina, Venus, Yihwa, and Karl!!
FISH’s 2011-2012 year was kicked off to an amazing start with our first Maclovio Rojas trip of the year! Six returning FISHies embarked on the standard break-of-dawn drive to the village across the border; however this trip was an extremely special one, in multiple ways. Our initial stops at the U.S. border McDonald’s and gas station included the normal debriefing on the day’s schedule: who would be at each station of the clinic, what the procedures were, and how we were expected to communicate with the Maclovio villagers.
When we reached the market, the first change we had to make was to our clinic setup location. Although we were still situated at the epicenter of the Maclovio marketplace, we ended up on the opposite side of the main road (instead of along the fence and shed of a local business) and had to occupy a smaller space. However, we made do, and soon our cliníca gratis was up and running! Numerous people meandering through the market stopped for free checkups, while us FISHies brushed up on our Spanish (which was quite rusty after a few months on break) and reacquainted ourselves with blood pressure and blood sugar tests.
The friendliness and hospitality of the Maclovio villagers never ceases to amaze me. Throughout the day, our patients observed our clinic procedures with sincere interest, and smiled and laughed with good-natured enthusiasm at our broken Spanish phrases. Children eagerly crowded around the clinic table as we tested blood pressure, marveling at the ballooning blood pressure cuffs that squeezed their arms. People arrived to our clinic nervous and apprehensive, fearing the worst for their health; however after consulting with FISH members, they left reassured, confident that they could still improve their quality of living.
This ability to connect on a deeply personal level with the people of Maclovio Rojas makes every trip to this village worthwhile. Whether a new or old FISHie, everyone goes into Maclovio expecting to teach the villagers about better healthcare and how to improve their lifestyles. What all return with is a greater sense of humility and acknowledgment of amazing privileges and opportunities we have in our lives. Yes, we go in there believing the Maclovio people will simply learn from us; but we soon discover that we must learn from them too.
Side Note #1: We had a surprise addition to our FISH group today: Joe Sikry, a student at USC, was our seventh member on our Week One trip. This is extremely exciting, because Joe is going to be the president of the USC chapter of FISH, which will be initiated soon. It is truly amazing to see how our organization, begun just six years ago, has expanded into the entity it is today. Now we are inspiring other universities to adopt the FISH mission, and it could not have been accomplished without all the dedicated members our group has collected over the years. So, we wish Joe good luck with USC FISH...and we thank all our members for being the hardworking FISHies that make this organization great!
Side Note #2: ALERT! We found a new eatery for our FISH lunches after clinic! This place serves the most amazing tacos and sandwiches, and refreshing horchatas if you are in the mood for a sweet refreshment :) We were unable to catch the name, but it is located close to the border, across the street from Hotel Merlot and a restaurant called El Rey de Pollo. Check this place out the next time you go on a FISH trip!
How many FISH can you fit into a house in Irvine? About 10.
From September 12 through the 14th, the directors and officers met for their second annual DO Retreat. Logistics director, Meaghan, and her family were kind enough to share their home as our meeting place. Our goal for those few days were not only to get the ball rolling for the upcoming year of FISH but to also create strong bonds within the leadership team.
What can 10 people do in three days other than make quesadillas and distract one another? Surprisingly, a lot. We woke up each morning at 8 to begin the first 5-hour FISH block of the day and went to sleep around 11 after our second FISH block. Many times we continued throwing out ideas well after our designated blocks. There was no topic left uncovered- we discussed everything from dues and recruitment to alumni networks and social events. Most importantly, though, we tried to figure out how we can improve our trips to Maclovio.
We have plenty of things to share with the members at our first general meeting. Some of the highlights: Big Fish Little Fish, Children of the Night, health education research, Friends of FISH, USC and UCSD chapter joint trips. Every member should get excited for a fantastic new year with the Fellowship for International Service and Health.
When we weren't talking about FISH, the DO's did manage to have some fun. We made it over to Newport beach for an afternoon, attempted to cook (but really just watched Bryant do most of the work), staged a hilarious photo-shoot, and watched Finding Nemo.
Can't wait for the new year to start!
Various members, directors and officers flyered at the Enormous Activities Fair to recruit new FISHies! There were over 400 UCLA Students who signed up on the email list to receive more information! FISH would like to thank everyone who came out and visited our booth!
 Today in Maclovio Rojas we arrived and set-up our usual clinic. Even though Bryant’s car was held up at the border because it looked suspicious, we all still made it on time. It was interesting to see how all the locals anticipated our arrival and were excited to take part in our service. We began right away as a line formed quickly. We started our rotations off with blood pressure, and ended with continued health consultations by our Spanish speakers. All the patients who came cared so much about their health that it made our service feel deserved. After taking blood pressure, people would ask me how it is, and if I responded that it was a little high, they would inquire about ways to lower it. It was extremely gratifying to know that they truly appreciated the service. And although we don’t focus on taking children’s blood pressures, little children jokingly came up and sat on the chair to get their blood pressures read, or to just look at us while we did our work. Overall, it was a very gratifying experience. It was also a very hot day, so after we finished, Bryant, Gabriel, Fiona, and a couple other FISH members decided to celebrate by running up hills to unwind from all the hard work. Later, all of our hardworking FISH members celebrated more logically by filling up on shrimp and beef tacos at a local restaurant, before our trip back home.
Credit: Karl Yousef
Team: Marketing
Doctor Hooper and the Nine FISHies
Once upon a time there was a Doctor and 9 enthusiastic FISHies. They wanted to travel to a world far far away in the hills of Maclovio Rojas. They had a desire. A desire to help others, to provide quality services to a community, and to eat delicious Mexican food! They started their journey to fulfill this desire by showing up at 4:45am at Ackerman Palace. They set off in a hurry with Stephenie and Walle as their personal drivers!
As they trotted along towards their destination, Dr. Catherine Hooper, Darlene, Jocelyn, Julianne, and Walle suddenly had a spell cast on them! They thought this might be the beginning of a gloomy and dark day, but Dr. Hooper, being the wisest and most intelligent, thought otherwise! Soon everyone reconvened at McDonald's to brief on their plan of action to achieve success. Everyone was assigned a specific task, ensuring no one was left behind and everything was in working order.
Dr. Hooper and the Nine FISHies safely crossed the border and reached their Aguas Caliente Castle at Maclovio Rojas! To their surprise, the gate keeper quickly smiled and unlocked the door, giving them easy access to a world of wonders for a FISHy including things like glucometers, blood pressure cuffs, tables, chairs, and anything and everything a FISHy could EVER possibly want!
They set up their supplies on the corner of the market and began their mission to fulfill their desire! As the day went along the FISHies and the doctor encountered many heart-warming experiences, that made them think twice about their own lives. Dr. Hooper gave helpful consultations to the people using her wonderful Spanish skills, and also gave over the counter meds along with Vitamins. Towards the end of a beautiful day, something remarkable occurred. A few FISHies found a diamond in the rough. They found the famous Don Antonio! He was generous enough to offer his phone number so we could have him save a spot for every future trip. Then again, Dr. Hooper and the Nine FISHies were surprised! A young girl who had gone through the clinic came by and gave each one of us Thank You cards. That was the testament to our work!!
We all cleaned up and headed towards El Sarape for our well deserved comida! We had a debrief and presented Dr. Hooper with her very own customized FISH coffee tumbler! Stephenie, Rohun, Morgan, Valeria, and Vivian swept through the quick pass border line and At the end of the day Doctor Hooper and the Nine FISHies fulfilled their desire to assist those in need and they lived HAPPILY EVER AFTER!
It was one of those days that made you remember why you want to practice medicine.
We arrived late after numerous traffic detours and finally parked outside our schoolhouse known as Aguas Calientes. As we approached the shanty gate that controlled access to the schoolhouse located above on the second story, I noticed that it was locked and told the rest of the team. We set off in search of Senora Irma, the old woman who lived in the schoolhouse property and would have a key to let us in. Young children ran past our legs and the smell of grilled meat and onions surrounded us as we moved through the market place. The low stalls created tunnels of wares and vendors eyed us as we went by in our bright teal shirts. As we reached a juncture the dusty earth and the vivid blue sky met and we had to go left or right to continue our search. I scanned the streets curving up the hillside to my left, rounded off with blue and the occasional jaunty tree, and sloping down to the main highway to my right, passing through brick buildings painted gibing colors and long ago. I realized how difficult it would be to actually find one old woman in this small village, when just then an old woman came hobbling toward us. She broke into a happy smile and greeted us.
"Senora Irma?" Belem questioned, cautiously.
"Si," she nodded, and we all breathed a sigh of relief.
A few minutes later it was revealed that the gate and schoolhouse door were not really locked, the lock was just placed on top to deter potential (and lazy) thieves. She knew we came every other week and always unlocked the door for us. I smiled slightly, embarrassed that I hadn't tried the lock (breaking into elementary schools is not my forte, I guess), and we hurried back to the schoolhouse for the supplies to set up our clinic. We carried everything down and set up in a prime location between two cars and other tented stalls in the marketplace. Five minutes after setting our stuff down we already had people interested in our services.
I established the order of the clinic and we began seeing patients. They moved through intake to height and weight (for BMI calculations) and on to the glucose station where their blood sugar levels were checked. After this the townspeople were channeled into seats to have their blood pressures taken. I moved through the patients quickly yet competently and obtained accurate readings for nearly everyone. The sound of passing trucks on the freeway and the rush of the wind by my stethoscope made hearing the faint percusses of the heart less audible; it was like searching for the tap-tap of a blanketed drum in a whirlwind. Afterward patients moved to consultation, where our invaluable Spanish-speaker translated the significance of their results and they received vitamins. We give out omega-3 fatty acids to help lower cholesterol, as well as calcium, iron, even prenatal vitamins for pregnant mothers. You can only do so much without an M.D. That it isn't anything, though, is an incorrect assumption.
As we were first setting up a young boy ran up and began watching us with gusto. He talked excitedly and told us he was from Los Angeles as well and was visiting his family here. We joked with him a little, and then he asked what we were doing. We told him we provided free medical services to the community here. I then told him to tell all his friends. He shouted that he would tell everybody! and ran off into the crowds.
It was very windy, and the tent above our heads threatened to take flight several times. The townspeople graciously offered to hold down the floating canopy until the gales passed. Dust swirled around and covered our hands and hair and faces and I was reminded of the film, "Lawrence of Arabia".
A man came over and shook my hand. He was emblazoned in an old security guard's uniform, complete with a bright red stripe running down the side of his navy trousers. After a few words of broken Spanish (and the swooping save of our team's translator) I discovered that this was the fabled Don Antonio, the de facto mayor of the town. He greeted us and shook everyone's hand. He was an old, thin man with gray whiskers and a black cap. He took off his glasses as he spoke to our translator. I wasn't sure if he wanted us to leave or if he was just seeing what we were up to - it turns out he needed new glasses. His were dusty and loose at the hinges and obviously needed to be replaced. I then learned that we gave him those same glasses at a clinic over a year ago. I was overjoyed to see that we had some presence in the community that lasted after we left for the day.
I was to be surprised once more. A man soon came with his data sheet from our last clinic two weeks ago. I was again overjoyed to see that this man had kept the slip of paper with his past blood glucose, weight, and blood pressure readings - he was obviously interested in his health. He had lost weight since the last time we were here and he had lowered his diastolic blood pressure by 7 points from 122/89 to 128/82. I was very happy for him and congratulated him and told him to keep up the good work. His commitment to his health and our ability to make this newfound commitment possible truly reinforced the ideals that we run the club on; our success with him made it all tangible and worthwhile. To have reached even just one person very closely meant that we were doing something right in the community.
"Nothing is written." This quote is from "Lawrence of Arabia", and indeed, nothing is written for the people of Maclovio Rojas. Despite having poorer access to healthcare and proper nutrition, these people still have the power to improve their health - and I saw proof of this today. Sometimes all it takes is a step in the right direction, and that is where we, as concerned undergraduates and future doctors, can make a difference.
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