April 2018

This last month of the program has been quite enjoyable. With classes coming to an end, everyone is gearing up for the summer and their future. A highlight of this month was the “elevator talks” in our environmental signaling course, where each person was given three minutes to discuss an important topic that impacted the environment. I chose to speak on golf courses and their impact on nitrogen runoff. Other interesting talks included lead contamination in popular chocolate brands, the impact of rising sea temperatures on food poisoning from oysters and alteration of sex determination in sea turtle hatchlings. Due to the lighter coursework this month, I was able to volunteer a lot with Habitat for Humanity. I worked a couple days with fellow classmates, where we worked on the sub-flooring of houses and blocking between joists to make the house more stable. The other day was similar work, where we installed rat runs and w-framing to reinforce the roof of another house. I really enjoyed the program. Not only did I learn a ton about pharmacology, but also became a more well-rounded individual. This program has definitely prepared me well for medical school, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds.

Community Service Hours this Month: 24
Total Community Service Hours: 32

March 2018

This has been another wonderful month at Tulane. Our most interesting class has been environmental signaling, where Dr. Mielke and others have been informing us on the issue of lead and other heavy metals in the environment, including the exhaust from automobiles and small aircraft. Especially concerning is the contaminated water sources throughout the nation. The contamination comes mainly from the pipes of our water supply, and is almost unavoidable in our aged infrastructure. Many people unknowingly consume unhealthy amounts of lead, which can lead to serious long-term health issues, especially in children. This can easily be avoided by using commercially available filters or purchasing bottled, filtered water. With this knowledge, we can go forward and be more aware of this health crisis, be better informed physicians, and in turn better educate patients about how to live in the healthiest manner possible. This year, I was fortunate enough to be able to spend Easter with my family back in Maryland. Seeing them all again was a great reward for all the hard work over these past months, and has recharged my energy to continue performing well in school and give back to the community. With spring in full swing, I have gotten involved in playing volleyball with some current Tulane medical students, and could not be happier to see what a great community there is at the medical school. Also, I am excited to possibly explore the area and go golfing more often. Every springtime, the itch to get outside and play golf returns, and I am very pleased that the pharmacology program allows us enough time to pursue hobbies and become more well rounded individuals.

Total Community Service Hours: 8

February 2018

This past month, I volunteered again with Habitat for Humanity. I worked alongside a great group of high school students from Vermont, who make yearly trips to various parts of the country to work on habitat houses. The tasks at hand were to remove the framing from the freshly poured cement driveway and sidewalk, leveling the yard, and sodding. A brief afternoon shower cooled us all off, and the day ended with us working on some finishing touches for the interior of the home. School has been going well, and we recently had a guest speaker come and share with us her work on cardiovascular changes seen in mice that experience space flight. This by far was the most interesting seminar to date, and allowed for the understanding of the complexities that go into space flight and research in space. This research is important not only to better understand how life works on earth, but also to enable us to safely travel further into space. The final shelf exam is next Thursday, and the semester has flown by so quickly. I believe our professors have prepared us well for this challenge, and looking back on all the medical pharmacology information makes me realize how much we have learned this year. Once the test is complete, we will have a couple more classes, seminars, and smaller exams, but the end of the year is fast approaching. I have greatly enjoyed my time here, and look forward to spending more of my life in New Orleans.

Community Service Hours: 8
Total Community Service Hours: 8

January 2018

With the new year has come a new semester. Enduring a few cold snaps, we continue to grow our knowledge. This semester, we have more classes that are focused around presentations, and incorporating information from the world around us into our curriculum. One class that best characterizes being aware of pharmacology’s role in our daily lives is our environmental signaling class, where have discussed environmental estrogens and the removal of tetraethyllead from gasoline, and the impact of lead in general on our cities. I am excited to see the future direction that this course takes. In our advances in pharmacology class, our professor has begun to allow us to select which papers we present, affording us the opportunity to select portions of our curriculum to elaborate on, or just current issues that are engaging to learn more about. This has been very informative, and I believe makes the class more interested in the presentations. I will look to continue my work with Habitat for Humanity starting next month, and can’t wait to get back to building homes for people in the New Orleans area. The shelf exam is looming in the distance, just over a month away. I am nervous, I believe this program has prepared me well for this cumulative exam, so as long as I continue to be diligent in my studies there shouldn’t be too much to worry about. Signs of Mardi Gras are everywhere in the city, and there is definitely an excitement in the air that is special and unique to the city. Since this is my first time in New Orleans during this time of year, I am curious to see what will happen closer to Mardi Gras, and am sure that it will serve as a fun break from school.