April Service Hours: 12
Total Service Hours for Semester: 36
Cumulative Total Service Hours: 71 hours

Well, although I may be beating a dead horse here, it is hard to believe that we are now officially done with the Master's of Pharmacology program. Our last Cell Control test was Tuesday, and I am very happy with the results that I had both with the test and throughout the duration of the program. I have learned so much in the short span of a year. I know that all the material from each class is going to help me both in the immediate future, as I am currently prepping for the MCAT, and later in my life as I work to better the health of my future patients. Alongside the classroom work, I am finishing up my time in Dr. Bunnell's lab at the Center of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine. I am really grateful that I was able to learn a lot of lab techniques and help out in many different ways.

I really enjoyed my time at Sci High as well. As I have mentioned with each blog post, the time I spent at Sci High benefitted all parties involved, from Mr. Harris to the students and lastly myself. Even though I would go during their 1st period class, I felt that going and tutoring was a great way to wake up and start the day. Hopefully I can help make the connection between Sci High and future Master's students even more beneficial and rewarding, for I know that if someone wants a great way to do their service, I highly recommend Sci High.

Even though my future plans are not fully set in stone yet, I know that I will miss New Orleans. There is just so much that the city offers. From crawfish boils to French Quarter Fest to study breaks to listen to a jazz band on Frenchman St. on a Tuesday night, New Orleans is a great place to live. I know that I will be back one way or another because as the saying goes: You can take the person out of Cajun country, but you can't take the Cajun out of the person (this is a real saying, I promise).

'Til next time.

I know I’ve said this before, but now I mean it: I cannot believe how fast time has gone. We only have 1 more month until we complete our Master’s of Pharmacology program. It seems like yesterday that we were learning about the basics behind pharmacokinetics. I had some of my friends who are starting their T2 year this week tell me that what they were learning about probably seemed remedial to me. Hearing that made me realize how valuable this program has been; I have learned so much in such a short period of time and have gained an appreciation and desire to learn more about pharmacological advances.

Speaking of classwork, March was a fairly busy month due to us taking our Shelf exam. Going over all the material in about a 2-week span seemed daunting at first, but as I kept reviewing, it all came back and everything started to click and connect. I think the test went well, but we have not gotten our scores back yet so I will wait and see. The Shelf exam officially ended Med Pharm, and the only class that we are tested on left is Cell Control. I’ve enjoyed what we have learned thus far, but we only have 1 more test until that is over too. Where is time going?!

I have been able to go to Sci High a lot more often this month, which has been great. I really enjoy my time there, and I know the students that I work with enjoy it as well. When I went this morning, one of the girls I help told me that she got an A on her last test thanks to my help, and as a thank you, she gave me a bag of Sour Patch Kids candy. Although she said the candy was a birthday gift and she gave up candy for lent, I thought it was nice of her to say thank you and made me appreciate the work I have done there.

New Orleans is still thriving (it would be more of a shock if it wasn’t). Due to the Shelf exam, a cell control exam, my work in Dr. Bunnell’s lab, and studying for the MCAT, I didn’t get to do much exploring this month. The weather has been beautiful this month though, so I did take some good study breaks to enjoy the music, weather, and camaraderie the city has to offer.  

‘Til Next Time.

Service Hours Tracker:

March: 10
Total: 24

Well Mardi Gras is about to be over. With the last parades ending tomorrow morning, this was definitely one of my favorite Mardi Gras' that I have been a part of. The past three weekends have been really great in seeing all of the different krewes' floats and dedication to make this season enjoyable for tourists and locals alike. I had a lot of fun explaining some of the traditions to my classmates and friends from both the Pharm program and Vanderbilt that visited over the weekend. But as the saying goes: "With every end comes a new beginning -- crawfish season."

We are completely done with Principles now after our test last week. It is hard to believe that the program is so close to the end. Luckily for us though, we have our shelf exam in a couple of weeks. Now we really get to put our knowledge to the test. Although we have covered so much material, I am actually looking forward to studying and remembering everything. Also, I have been applying a lot of the techniques that we learned about in Molecular Pharmacology last semester in my work in Dr. Bunnell's lab.

Sci High is still going well. Cole and I have been able to tutor the same couple of kids thus far and really form a good relationship to know how to work best. It is comforting to see the improvement in a short time span, as well the gratitude that Mr. Harris shows us at the end of each class period. I look forward to more days at Sci High.

'Til Next Time.

Service Hours Tracker:
February: 6
Total: 14

Mardi Gras has officially taken over the city, which is awesome. Mardi Gras was always one of my favorite parts about growing up in Louisiana. Everyone is so festive and cities just seem to feel more alive. Of course, the best part about Mardi Gras is definitely the King Cake.  If you have never had King Cake, please put it on your bucket list; it's worth it. Sunday was the King Cake Festival in Champion's Square, which gave me a perfect excuse to eat as much King Cake as I wanted for breakfast.

This semester's class schedule has brought a change into the routine Cole and I had at Sci High and Mr. Harris's Algebra II class. We were able to tutor our normal students for the first week when we returned, and it was very comforting to hear that both passed their final test. Unfortunately, we aren't able to work with them this semester due to most of our classes taking place in the afternoon. Instead we have been going during his first period class. Although it seems like teaching Algebra II would not be the best way to wake up in the morning, I don't think it's too bad because it always is a great feeling when you finish the worksheet and homework problems before the bell rings with no confusion. The new group of students that I have worked with have been fun to work with, and I always seem to want to go back to help out.

We have been so busy since we returned from break; we are prepping for our second test of the semester - Psychopharmacology block. It has paired nicely with the neurology block we recently completed and were tested on. This information has been very interesting because mental illness is so prevalent in today's society. We have also started all of our elective classes. I have really enjoyed our Endocrine Pharmacology class, as we have had some great discussions about stress and its function in our normal lives. Our Cell Control class has been very informative on the inner workings of gene expression and synthesis. I had never thought about these topics as in depth as I am now, but it definitely makes me appreciate the human body even more.

'Til next time.

Service Hours Tracker
January: 8