Pharm for Thought

Oh how much has changed in a month! I think it goes without saying that March threw everyone for a loop. But with that, I'll get into the normalcy that ensued the first half of the month. School wise, we had our Psych block set of tests, and they went well! That marked the end of our Medical Pharmacology and Principles of Pharmacology courses, and wow did that free up a lot of time! The time is now being used to study for the MCAT...yay, and focus on the last Cellular Control Mechanisms block! Speaking of, we just had our second test for Cellular Controls yesterday actually, and while I was quite nervous for it, it also went well! Now onto the elephant in the room: while school consumed a large part of my month, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic arguably halted almost everything. Not that I did much besides study, workout, and volunteer before it began, but even those 3 activities were jolted. Due to the high transmissibility of the virus, the gym closed, classes were moved online,

Howdy! And just like that February is gone, can you believe it? I'm not sure where the month went but it was surely full of events. School wise, we concluded the neurology model which was so cool! We began the Psych module shortly after, and I found that to be even more interesting because of how relatable the topics are. Anxiety and depression are two largely common disorders that so many of us struggle with, so learning the physiology behind them makes it more tangible. Volunteer wise, the month was also packed. In my January post I mentioned being a volunteer for my roommate's Team Up group for his school. I had the first meeting in January, and over the course of the last month I had the last two visits, each about 2 weeks apart. Both visits were at my house, and the healthcare students asking the questions were so professional! The second visit consisted of them asking about my own personal doctors and other members of my healthcare team, and asking me to rate them.

Howdy! January 2020 is here! Or at least it was. With the whirlwind of the Christmas holiday and New Year's, I feel like the month of January was unusually long.  It was certainly the recharge I needed though, spending plenty of time with my loved ones. The train doesn't stop though, so shortly after the holidays, school resumed in full force. We just completed the Endocrinology and Reproductive block, and I will say that I think it may have been my favorite module thus far. While lengthy, the material was captivating to learn about. Now we're about to have our block exam on Neurology, and our first one for Cellular Control Mechanisms...yikes. That one looks like a lot. Learning about Neurology has been super interesting, too! Many of the neurological disorders we discuss have pieced together some of the puzzle for me with my volunteering at NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness). Numerous the citizens that NAMI serves suffers from mental health conditions like Schiz

Howdy! The month of November flew by quicker than what feels like the remainder of the first semester! With it came some more cool weather, friendly gatherings, and another set of tests, of course! In the midst of the coming chaotic conclusion of the first semester, I am reminding myself to remain grateful for all that we've accomplished in the last 3 months. I'm thankful for the pals that have lightened up the program when the material to learn seems unbearable, and the instructors who make the information easier to digest! Speaking of digestion, we begin the GI block this upcoming week. I know it will fly by to cap off the semester. In regards to service hours, I went ahead and completed my volunteer orientation at National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI). It was so awesome! The social workers and employees there exude such an amazing energy, and the work they do for the public is even more admirable. When I went in to volunteer this past week, I helped the workers go

Howdy! The month of October has surprisingly flown by, but with it came some bouts of cool weather and a ton of new material in class! We had to keep up with boatloads of information for both Principles of Pharmacology & Medical Pharmacology for this past block, and while it has not necessarily been easy, luckily all of the hard work has been paying off! We recently entered the Cardiovascular block with our next set of tests right around the corner, and in the Halloween spirit, hopefully it does not give me too much of a fright! Yesterday our class had the privilege of attending and participating in an angina (chest pain) simulation with Medi-Man & the incredibly talented Dr. Ledoux which was extremely helpful in putting our classroom material into firsthand experience! Outside of the classroom, October gave me the opportunity to participate, and unfortunately not volunteer, in the Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk in Audubon Park this past Saturday. The American

Howdy, Having just had our second set of tests in the program, time is airborne. Having spent the last four years at LSU in Baton Rouge, it was originally an adjustment moving back to the Big Easy City. Now having gotten situated in a quaint apartment with awesome roommates, it made this transition as seamless as it could be. Of course, my Tulane family of classmates and faculty are a huge component for how homey this past month has felt. The course instructors present the material in a way that fosters a receptive learning environment. Resources to help us succeed are at our fingertips, whether you choose to use the Yuja lecture recordings or the godsends known as the Pharmwiki articles and quizzes.  While the course material itself is certainly nothing less than master-level, I absolutely adore what we are learning about. The first module prefaced us with a background of drug potency, NSAID's & Anti-Histamines, and this past block had us hit the ground running with Ant