When does the Clinic open?” I hear amongst the bustle, as I walk down the crowded aisles of beds at the Multi-Service Center South with my pen, notepad, and stethoscope.

I’m spotted easily, as this is a routine that has been familiar to the MSC-South since 1991. As I survey the shelter, I see scores of men and women sitting patiently with their scant belongings, waiting for a bed to sleep in for the night.

“Your time in medical school has prepared you to collaborate and take on many challenges — advancing and applying science, using technology for good, not evil; building new systems that both sustain high quality patient care and support wellness for the care providers,” said Dean Talmadge E. King, Jr., MD, addressing 166 new graduates, friends, and families at this year’s UCSF School of Medicine commencement at Davies Symphony Hall.