November

Thanksgiving has come and gone and December is knocking on our doors (but with the weather you'd never suspect it). With the conclusion of November we have completed our cardiovascular-renal and pulmonary blocks, our largest and arguably most complex topics of this semester. Completing these blocks AND doing well on the exams validated the hard-work I've put into doing well this semester. Now halfway into our neoplasia/GI block, it's important for me to finish off strong and shake off any fatigue and holiday laziness I'm feeling.

This past month was a whirlwind of volunteering for me. I continued volunteering with Zeus' Rescues at their monthly adoption drives. My second time volunteering at their adoption drives, I helped out some of the newer volunteers and showed them the ropes. My day was much the same as before; I was assigned a dog with a biography and perused the Freret Street Market, socializing with patrons and shop owners in attempt to get each dog adopted by a loving family. I worked with Sammy, a soft-hearted 10-years old Shih tzu (pictured below). This month we had a lot of families come through the market since the weather has been milder and it was heart-warming to see the faces of little children light-up while playing with the dogs. If I can help find just one dog a family and save him or her from the shelters then I know our work as volunteers has had an impact. It may just be one more dog off the streets but it means the world to that one dog. In addition to the adoption drive, I also did some dog-walking on the side too.

Another event I volunteered for was a Thanksgiving Dinner organized by the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office on Thanksgiving day. Me and a small group of my friends from the pharmacology program that were in New Orleans for the Thanksgiving break helped to handout food, assist patrons to tables, and throw out garbage. The dinner served several hundred people from around New Orleans that were in need of a warm Thanksgiving dinner. At one point during the dinner, the number of volunteers outnumbered the number of patrons receiving dinner which was inspiring to see. New Orleans may be one of the U.S.'s largest cities but it's still a very tight-knit community that looks out for each other. The people of New Orleans take pride in their community and want to help each other out. Coming from Seattle, another large city but one that lacks a central cultural identity and sense of community, it was uplifting to see the volunteers engage with the patrons not from a position of superiority but from a place of companionship and coexistence. It was also incredible to see the New Orleans Zulu club perform (pictured below)! After becoming accustomed to New Orleans, I'm slowly falling in love with the city and its people.

On a final note, I find myself reflecting deeply on my time in New Orleans and Tulane these days now that we're a week away from completing the semester. I'm truly touched by my Deming Family and my other friends I've grown close to these past few months. It's bittersweet to know our time together as a cohort is now half-over. Our collective struggle for academic success and adjusting to life in a new city has bonded us together in a deeply special way. I shall end this post with a happy holidays to everyone and some pictures from volunteering.

P.S. I will post once more closer to the last exam of the semester to complete my 24 hours of volunteering. My last volunteering of this semester is tomorrow, December 1st.

November Volunteer Hours: 12.0
Fall Semester Hours: 18.0

October

It's been about a month since my last post and I feel like a lot has changed with me since then. I've begun volunteering at Zeus' Rescues, I've completed three of my pharmacology modules, and I'm now more than halfway to the end of the semester. It's hard to believe it's almost November. The end is in sight.

This past month I have finally felt settled here in New Orleans. My feelings of homesickness have faded away and have been replaced with a community of friends from the masters program. Our shared experiences stressing over our pharmacology exams, complaining about our cramped little apartments, and expressing our hopes and dreams for careers in the medical and biomedical fields have fostered our connections. Occasionally I still find myself longing for a cold Seattle day or a hug from my dog Toby but those feelings are brief and eclipsed by the pride I take in moving to a new state, finding friends among my peers, and performing well in a rigorous program. Some warm gumbo doesn't hurt either!

In class, we have completed modules on inflammation, antibiotics, and the autonomic nervous system. We are in the midst of the cardiovascular-renal module, historically one of the most difficult topics. It's interesting to see how complex this topic is and how the drugs involved in treating vascular diseases have a cascading effect on other organ systems. We may be learning the topics in a piece-meal fashion but all of the concepts are intricately interwoven and fit into a larger puzzle that solves some of our most fatal diseases. The pressure is on to keep performing well on exams but I make sure to check-in with myself to make sure the stress doesn't affect my health and well-being. Despite the academic stakes and the workload, I still enjoy what I'm learning and feel privileged to be at Tulane.

On a lighter note, I started volunteering at Zeus' Rescues. While working there, I learned about the growing need for animal adoptions in New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina. The organization works diligently to find comfortable homes for all of its animals. As a volunteer, I helped by assisting in a pet adoption drive at the Freret Street Market. I was assigned a dog and was tasked with introducing him to visitors at the street market, providing his personal information and history. I was lucky to be assigned an energetic little pup named Vegas. A little over six-months old, Vegas is a bundle of unbridled joy and energy. As a rescue dog, he doesn't get a tremendous amount of personal contact so it was rewarding to see him enjoy some freedom and make friends with people and other dogs alike. I also volunteer as a dog-walker occasionally when I have open availability in my schedule.

I'm going to end this month's post by sharing two photos I took while volunteering. My next post will be after Thanksgiving. Thanks for reading!

October Volunteer Hours: 6.0
Fall Semester Hours: 6.0

September

This is my first post for my masters of pharmacology blog. Wow. September has been a whirlwind of change for me as I adjusted to life in the Deep South from my home of Seattle, WA and began my studies within Tulane's School of Medicine. Moving to a new place can be hard; I faced a different culture, a new climate, and people I've never met when I first moved to New Orleans. It hasn't been a cake-walk. I had to learn how to cope with occasional homesickness while jumping into my studies from the get-go. I had to learn how to get-around the city and how to function independent of my family and friends back home. However, I’ve met some amazing people among my classmates whom have made the adjustment easier. I look forward to the adventures we will take and things we will accomplish together.  

More than five weeks into the program, I'm now accustomed to the academic demands of my classes. We've completed our first block exam on basic principles of pharmacology and mechanisms of inflammation and we're about to take our second block on antimicrobials. It's refreshing to learn material that I have an invested interest in and feel passionately towards. I particularly enjoy the integration of basic science and clinical medicine within the curriculum. The volume of material learned weekly is exhausting but I truly enjoy what I'm learning which has further supported my interest in pursuing a career in pharmacology. So far I’m satisfied with my academic performance but I hope to become more efficient in my studying by focusing more on the learning objectives and cutting out extraneous information. As we’ve been told in class, “don’t get lost in the forest.”

Another part of my curriculum involves experiential learning or volunteering in the community. This year I will be working with Zeus’ Rescues, an animal rescue located in New Orleans. As a volunteer I will be working directly with the animals, walking the dogs, and helping the organization run pet-adoption drives. Being away from home, I miss my dog Toby and thought of how he was rescued from the Human Society. I want to help eradicate pet homelessness and euthanasia of animals within the city while also having the privilege of interacting with the animals. Next weekend I will be working my first pet-adoption drive and am excited to let y’all know how it goes.

That’s all for now but check back in October for my next blog post. Back to studying!

September Volunteer Hours: 0

Fall Semester Hours: 0