Turkey Day!

November is one of my favorite months because it includes Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it brings friends and family together. This year my parents met me in NOLA and we road tripped to Austin, which was an adventure. I usually do not like road trips but this one was not bad. This month was interesting, I went to a cemetery tour with a few classmates and it was so much fun.

This month we had our pulmonary block and I really enjoyed that block. I found it really interesting to learn about asthma because I feel like I know so many people with it so it was interesting to know more about the medications. I appreciated this block a lot. We just started our GI block and so far I’ve liked it.

I did not volunteer this month because unfortunately I kept getting sick. It is not easy to be sick away from home but luckily I had friends who took care of me from the program. To make up the hours I missed, December seems promising and I am eager to start volunteering again. I hope to do about 11.5 hours. I am excited to get back to the hospital and continue learning from this experience.

November Volunteer hours: 0
Total:30
(December hours: 11.5)

Halloween!!

So October has been an interesting month so far. We are now taking Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology in addition to our current classes. We also participated in our first simulation lab. I really was fascinated with this because when I was researching this program it was something that caught my attention when I was reading the syllabus for Med Pharm. Basically we had a "patient" who spoke to us about his symptoms and based off of his symptoms we had to diagnose what he had and what to give him. I found this so interesting because as we treated the "patient", we saw how the different drugs were affecting his ECG. We learn about how these drugs will impact the heart but it was cool to see it in person. I really enjoyed this exercise.

This month I haven't volunteered that much because I have been studying and when I wasn't studying, I was under the weather. I only went in one day but I plan on going in more next month. This month I have done some more exploring of the city. There is honestly so much to see and do in this city, so every time I decide to explore, I try to make sure it is something new. This month I went to the WWII museum which is really nice. It is so huge, we only saw one exhibit. Personally, I didn't think I would like the museum but I was pleasantly surprised. I also went to the Riverwalk which is so pretty, I find it so funny that all these things are so close to me but its taken me till now to go see it all. Lastly, Halloween is today and although currently I am in the library, I did get to celebrate Halloween here in NOLA. Halloween here is absolutely amazing, there is so much to do for all ages and I am really glad I was able to participate.

See y'all in November!

October volunteer hours: 2
Total: 18.5

Autumn

September is one of my favorite months because it welcomes Autumn. Autumn is, in my humble opinion, the best time of the year. The transition from sweating heat to biting cold brings about that middle ground where everything feels just right. Although it has been cooling down in New Orleans, its still pretty hot compared to back home. This is fine because it prolongs the frigid winter which I absolutely dread. It is actually part of the reason I choose Tulane, I've never lived in an area where it hardly snows. The change was extremely welcomed.

Volunteering has been more exciting this month! While I have not been able to volunteer as frequently this month due to traveling, studying, etc., I've still learned a lot. Last week, the charge nurse let me do rounds on the patients. I found it exciting and I'll admit I was a little nervous because I was not sure what to expect. The patients were all so kind however some could not talk but that is when their family or their friends stepped in. It was interesting to see more about how the floor operates, I like this floor because they've been so welcoming to me. The dynamic is fun and the nurses and the techs are amazing.

We had our first TBL yesterday and because I had no idea what to expect, I was so stressed. A couple of late nights of studying the autonomic nervous system and I felt comfortable but those nerves of the unknown were still there. The TBL is basically a group activity where we had to figure out what drugs are being given. Now that it is over, I feel so relieved and silly for stressing so much. Stressing paid off because we got all the questions right! That was so satisfying and made me feel more comfortable that I know the material.

That's all for now, talk to you guys in October!

September Volunteer hours: 5.5
Total Volunteer hours: 16.5

1,000 Miles Away

I often describe myself as a homebody. So the decision to move over 1,000 miles away for my Masters in Pharmacology was definitely not an easy one. As someone who loves adventure but has never really lived far from home, I saw this as a golden opportunity. Even though this was far from home, the idea of living in NOLA and attending this program was so enticing, how could one ever pass up an opportunity like this?

We had just wrapped up our second block and just began our 3rd block. Even though we've only been here for roughly a month and a half, I've learn so much in so little time. It definitely helps that the curriculum is so interesting and focuses on what I'd liked to do in the future. It is also awesome that our class is getting along so well. We all help each other out with studying and what not, it amplifies the experience. The material is so interesting but it definitely does take some time to get it all down, luckily with how our schedule is set up, we have enough time to study.

I started volunteering at Tulane Health Center last week and I've been assigned to 6 West. Next month I hope to start on CVRA as well. Its been interesting thus far, I've been mostly answering calls and making blood bags. I've been learning the dynamic of a hospital and how things work in this unit. The nurses have been so helpful in getting me set up last week and answer any questions I have. I haven't interacted with any patients yet but I hope I will soon. Generally, the environment is really pleasant and I've had a good experience thus far. I do want to do more volunteering with the community in addition to this hospital work. I've been meaning to go help out with the flooding, a few of my classmates have already gone. I feel like I need to do my part because from what I hear from my classmates, they need all the help that they can get.

I've slowly explored the city over the month. A friend of mine came into town last weekend and we took sometime to go to all the tourist sites. This city is so alive and has so much culture, it is definitely different than what I am used to. I explored the quarter but I feel like there is still so much of it I haven't seen. I really enjoyed exploring Frenchmen's Street, we went at night and the market
there was so interesting and there was so much unique local art. I bought some for my apartment to give some New Orleans flare. I keep thinking that there is nothing else I haven't seen in this city, my friends and I discover a new place or a new event that leads us to another new place. This city really is like no other and I can't wait to get to know it more.





August Volunteering Hours: 11