Becky landed on the streets of Salt Lake City, homeless, after escaping an abusive marriage. She may have been safe from her ex-spouse, but her health took a beating.

"I was sleeping in a sleeping bag on the streets and got bad infections. My health was run down," she said on a recent Saturday visit to the 4th Street Clinic, which serves Salt Lake City's homeless population. "I was tested for 100 top allergens, and I'm allergic to 97 of them."

Although Becky has housing now, she was suffering from another ear infection that compromised her hearing and endangered her job at a call center. During her recent clinic visit, she was examined by Anne Thomson and Jillian Wong, two of the many first-year University of Utah medical students who volunteer Saturdays helping faculty take medical histories and make assessments on walk-in patients like Becky.

These encounters not only give the students their first on-the-job training, but provide a valuable community service.

"We are able to provide primary care on Saturdays and that prevents more hospitalizations," said clinic spokeswoman Jennifer Hyvonen. "Eighty percent of our clients are uninsured. They don't have another physician. Having those off-hours opportunities on a walk-in basis is vital to their health."

To help the clinic, U. med students are staging a triathlon Saturday. They hope to raise $15,000 through the event, which is open to the public, said event organizer Michelle Reina.

On the day Becky visited, a crew of 10 students examined patients under the direction of Scott Linscott, a professor of emergency medicine. The students made initial exams and conferred with Linscott to devise a course of treatment.

In an examination room, Wong peered into the patient's unhappy left ear with an otoscope and recorded her blood pressure, while Thomson asked questions about her illness and medical history.

The 47-year-old mother of three had been sick for the previous six weeks and said her latest illness started as a sinus infection. As the examination progressed, Becky described how she survived on the streets, suffering symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. With Becky, the young doctors got a real-world glimpse into primary care medicine.

"Her story is amazing," Thomson said. "I was trying to focus on why she is here and how I can help her. It's more than a physical examination. There's a social and family history that has had an impact on her."

Added Wong: "This is why I went into medicine in the first place. These people need so much help. There are so many issues to tackle and not enough doctors to address them."

bmaffly@sltrib.com