April Blog

April Hours: 6

Total Semester Hours: 13

The day has finally come. Our program has come to an end and all I can think of is how grateful I am for this program. The friends I made, the knowledge I learned, and relationships I made with Tulane School of Medicine is something I will never forget in my life. I am forever thankful and humbled to be a part of this program and will never take it for granted. We finished our last test yesterday and I am satisfied with the grades I received this semester. All the hard work and time studying paid off and it showed in my grades. I will miss this program dearly and am sad this has concluded.

In regards to community service, our class was able to participate in making cards again for children who live in an orphanage. We created optimistic and uplifting cards for children to get their spring and summer season started on a positive note. Hopefully, these cards will uplift their spirits and I wish them an eventful summer! Additionally, I was able to participate and kickoff the Sound the Alarm project for the American Red Cross. A group of volunteers and I traveled around the Baton Rouge area to neighborhoods installing smoke alarms for free. The goal is to end home fires by providing education and assistance with escape plans to make our neighbor's home safer. It was a rewarding experience seeing our clients express their gratitude to us. 

March Blog

 

March Hours: 5

Total Semester Hours: 7 

Another fantastic month down, and sadly, only one more month to go. We completed the psychology module this month which I found to be one of the most interesting modules yet. Working for a pain management physician, there are several diagnoses and conditions that patients come to our clinic with. For example, I learned much more knowledge about allodynia, fibromyalgia, and peripheral neuropathy. In addition, many of the pharmacological drugs my doctor prescribes was described in depth this module. It was gratifying to have a more in-depth knowledge of these drugs, and I was even able to stump my doctor with a few quiz questions regarding these medications.  

Pertaining to community service this month, I volunteered again at the American Red Cross. This time, I used a pallet jack to move boxes and crates from the warehouse to the disaster preparedness room. This helped organize supplies and equipment necessary if an emergency response were to occur. The Disaster Action Team returned from New Orleans recently when they were deployed to help with the tornado that touched down on the south shore. I helped unload supplies from semi-trucks and put them back where they belonged in the warehouse. I luckily was even able to take a quick picture with the "Brittany-mobile", which is a large Mercedes van that Brittany Spears donated to the American Red Cross capital unit in Baton Rouge. I am looking forward to completing my community service hours in the month of April and finishing this semester strong academically!

February Blog

February Hours: 0 

Total Semester Hours: 2

Unfortunately for this month of February, I was unable to participate in any community service opportunities. The reason being was because this was one of the most event packed and travel-filled months I have ever had. First, I went to Colorado to see close high-school friend's that are working at a ski resort. We were able to go snowboarding and skiing for a few days which was an absolute blast. Secondly, I went to San Francisco and Los Angeles this past week to visit my brother who is currently working for Tesla in Palo Alto. Additionally, I had an interview with LSU Shreveport Medical School this month which I was extremely grateful, humbled, and honored to have the opportunity. 

This month, we completed the reproductive and neurology module. I found the neurology module to be more interesting because we were able to discuss many of the medications I work with as a medical scribe. Opioids, NSAIDs, anticonvulsants, anti-epileptic drugs, and anti-spasmolytics compose the majority of drugs that my pain management doctor would prescribe for patients that come to our clinic. In addition, many of the patients that are referred to us are already on some medication involved with one of these classes. I was intrigued to learn more about the mechanism of actions, contraindications, and in-depth details so that I can ask trivia questions for the doctor I work for to see if his knowledge is still fresh in his head. The picture above is Megan and I during our case-based learning on contraception earlier this month.

January Blog

January Hours: 2

Total Semester Hours: 2

It is a surreal moment to finally be back studying for the Masters of Pharmacology program after nearly a whole month off! But as we start the second semester, it makes me upset that this is a beginning of the end moment. I am glad to have pushed through our first round of tests, and look forward to keeping my grade point average as high as possible this semester. I believe reproductive pharmacology will be an intriguing topic and I look forward to learning more about how pharmacology can play a role in aiding our reproductive systems.

Ever since I was in middle school, my Dad, brothers, and I would help pick up trash out of the ditches leading into our neighborhood that resides off a highway. I am grateful that my Dad made me get involved with helping our local community ever since a young age. For the month of January, my Dad and I completed our monthly cleanup of these ditches in our subdivision. Sometimes, we find a bunch of old and unique items that my Dad likes to research on (yes, I know it's slightly weird). For example, this month we found a Smirnoff glass container from 1959 and a beer bottle that dated back to 1961. It is oddly and strangely fascinating picking up trash that has been laying there for nearly half a century. However, this experience with my Dad is something I will always remember. We almost always have a few neighbors driving by thank us for our work and keeping our neighborhood clean, which provides me with a very gratifying feeling. 

December Blog

 December Service Hours: 8

Total Semester Service Hours: 15

    We finally finished the first semester and this is an extremely bittersweet moment for me. I am excited finals went well and I get to enjoy my Christmas break with family, but I am also sad that we are already halfway done with the program and won't see most of my classmates for a few weeks. However, I am extremely grateful for everything this semester has entailed. I would have never thought that I would be enjoying this program as much as I am. Our class finished up the semester with the GI and Neoplasia module, and I truly feel everything that I am learning is going to help me significantly in my future. 

For the month of December, I was able to participate in two separate events for community service. First, Megan and I participated in the Our Lady of the Lake Tiger 10K in Baton Rouge. We raised funds for this hospital and the associating Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center by participating in this race. It was an awesome experience to finish on the fifty-yard line inside Tiger Stadium! Secondly, I volunteered for the American Red Cross and helped present our Pillowcase Project to second grade children at a local school in Lafayette. This project is a preparedness education program that teaches children simple safety skills, household hazards, and basic coping skills. Upon completion, the children received a pillowcase in which they can draw on and create an emergency supply kit. I thoroughly enjoyed talking and playing with the young children, watching them draw all over their pillowcases. Making young children smile for such a simple gesture makes me filled with gratification. 

November Blog

 

November Service Hours: 2

Total Semester Service Hours: 7

The month of November was another rememberable month in the Tulane Masters of Pharmacology program. I was lucky to be able to participate in a class community service event this month. A group in our class created and customized Thanksgiving holiday cards for children at a local orphanage in New Orleans. Each of our cards was unique, aesthetic, and full of holiday spirit. I was even able to learn a new art technique, paper quilling, thanks to Uma! I am humbled to see our class come together cohesively for the greater good of others, especially in our local community. Hopefully, our Thanksgiving card creations made a child smile and joyful during this holiday season. The holiday season can be extremely difficult for some people, but by doing a minute task of kindness, this community service project filled my heart with gratitude. 

Regarding the master's program itself, this semester has been speeding by swiftly. With only two weeks left, I am excited for the Christmas break, but want to savor the moments I have with my classmates and the program. I am looking forward to learning more about the pharmacology for the gastrointestinal system as well as potential treatment options for patients with neoplasia. I want to receive the best grades possible and am determined to finish the first semester off strong! Overall, I have been extremely thankful for this program, especially for the professors and classmates I have been able to meet through this experience. 

October Blog

October Service Hours: 5

Total Semester Service Hours: 5

In the month of October, it felt amazing to return to a glimpse of normalcy. With mask mandates ending statewide, it was awesome to see all of my classmates faces finally. I am satisfied and impressed with how Tulane University has handled controlling the spread of COVID-19 and allowing students to return to our livelihoods with less restrictions. More importantly, I have started to make some strong friendships with my classmates. We have been enjoying the city of New Orleans and studying with each other, and I look forward to continue building friendships with everyone. With the cardiovascular module exam coming up soon, we will definitely motivate and rely on each other to receive the best grades possible.

I have been volunteering for the American Red Cross intermittently for the past two years. I started as a COVID-19 shelter associate, and gradually accepted higher volunteer positions within the organization. I became a member of the Disaster Action Team, and recently accepted the position of becoming an emergency response supervisor for disaster shelters. I have cherished my experiences volunteering for the American Red Cross. Their goal is to help prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies worldwide. The volunteers I have met from all around the nation have been so kind, and I have found it humbling that these people all have a common goal of helping others whenever a disaster occurs.

I was fortunate enough to have two of my classmates, Gianna and Megan, volunteer with me to assist in packing shelter kits that needed to replace those used for the Hurricane Ida response. This included constructing and organizing shelter binders, preparing client-intake paperwork, and adding necessary items to the shelter kits. In addition, we made Halloween goodie bags which consisted of candy, a toy, and a preparedness card for an upcoming event at the American Red Cross. This event included taking children who have been diagnosed with autism and other mental diseases trick-or-treating in a local Baton Rouge neighborhood. I always have a gratifying feeling in my heart knowing that I am giving back to my community, preparing for the next upcoming natural disaster, and making a young children's day with a simple gesture.