March Madness

 

The title of this blog post is literally the only way I could describe the month of March. We have completed two module exams this month: Neurology & Psychiatry. To be honest, even though there was a lot of material to cover, these two modules were my favorite. I think because of that I was able to do so well on the exams.

 Aside from exams, I also had two presentations this month. The first one was presented with Jennifer and A'lelia in Neuropharmacology. We decided to present on Multiple Sclerosis since March is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month. Preparing for this presentation was very stressful because I know what Dr. Mostany expects from us. It's easy to analyze and present a manuscript in a way that my cohorts can understand, but it's difficult trying to prepare for questions beyond the presented research that you don't have much knowledge on. It was tough, but I think because I looked at it as a challenge to overcome, I was able push through. The second presentation was with Rubel and we covered stress and memory in Endocrine Pharmacology. What I like about this course and preparing for our presentation is that it is self-directed learning. We get to discuss a topic each week and then present on a subtopic that further goes into what we discussed that week. I wanted to get my presentations out the way so I could have a clear schedule to study for the NBME exam on April 1st. I created a study plan of going through each module and then taking Pharmwiki quizzes afterwards. Once I have gone through each module, I take NBME practice questions to get a better understanding of the format and what to expect on the exam. I will say this: MNEMONICS are my best friends right now!!!! ( Shoutout to "SLUDGE").

As for volunteering, every Sunday this month I volunteered at Crescent City Farmers Market. I have been volunteering at the market for so long now that I know who's in the car just by looking at the model when it pulls up! Last Sunday had over 200 customers, but I did manage to get a picture with our program's very own Dr. John McLachlan! I like working at the farmers market because it's a great way to meet the great people of New Orleans and support our local farmers. Small businesses are the backbone of our country and this market is a local solution to helping them survive during this pandemic. One of my favorite vendors is Tomott's. They make the best strawberry jam I have ever had!

Typing this blog post was a "break" from studying for the NBME......back into my study corner I go. 

Hours: 12

Total: 23.15

Festive February

 

Welcome back to my blog! If you've made it this far, that means I'm still going strong. February is my favorite month of the year. "Why?", you may ask. Well, my birthday is February 2, so that's a great way to start off the month and Mardi Gras, of course!! Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, Mardi Gras was cancelled and during that same week, Texas had a winter storm. During my Mardi Gras break from school, I went back home to Texas. This winter storm was something that happened unexpected and most people weren't prepared. Many families lost electricity and water was cut off. Those who did have water didn't use it because the water was dirty and full of parasites. Thankfully, my family was one of the few families to get their electricity back on quickly. For volunteer work, I decided to work with the board members of the Islamic Society of Triplex (my mosque) and provide hot meals, water and shelter for anyone in need while still following COVID safety protocols. There were also many donations of clothing and socks from the Salvation Army. It felt really great to provide a peace of mind to many families. Another volunteering opportunity I participated in was at the Crescent City Farmers Market. Check out the picture above with my classmate, A'lelia. I have volunteered there before, but now I can also say that I am a new customer! 

As for the pharmacology program, I can proudly say I started this semester really well. This month I only had one module exam, which was Neurology. I enjoyed this module because I am very interest in anesthesia and neurobiology. My next exam is next week and covers our Psych module. I have a good feeling about this exam because majority of it is biological psychology and that was a big part of my major in undergrad. I have still been using the same study strategies. Making a drug list on Excel really helps if anyone needed tips. It's also helpful when our professors make mnemonics for us. After this exam, we begin studying for the NBME shelf exam which is about a month away. I have made a google doc consisting of learning objectives from last semester's modules. This exam counts for 25% of my grade so I am extremely nervous and I plan to begin studying right after the psych exam. Now is crunch time (well it always was) and all about time-management. 

See you all next month!

Hours: 7.15

Total: 11.15

January Jamboree

First, let me say that I am very thankful to make it into 2021. I went back to Texas for the winter break, but it wasn't really a break. I decided to use my time wisely and study for the MCAT. Right before I came back to New Orleans to start the semester, I spent the first week of January at the Islamic center in Beaumont teaching Arabic to kids age 6-9. I have been volunteering here since 2015 and it felt really good to come back. I really enjoy working with these children because they come from a different background and their parents want them to learn their native language.

Once the semester officially began, I went into grind mode. I am still using the same study methods from last semester. The first exam covered the Endocrine/Reproductive Module. I must say that this module made me really nervous because it counts as a huge percentage of our overall grade, but in the end, I am very pleased with my results. Although we are already a few weeks into the semester, I am still looking forwards to see what's in store for the months ahead. I am excited to learn more about endocrine pharmacology with Dr. Lindsey. I enjoy reading the chapters of Sapolsky's book. This week our discussion is about stress and the its effect on the heart. I guess I should start working on that now. Listening to a presentation on stress each week makes me take a step back and remind myself not to take on too much stress. I have also learned to look at things from a positive perspective.

As for upcoming projects, I am working with BMS to have Pre-MD/Dental application workshops. This is where the pharmacology students and other masters students can speak to advisors and current medical students to ask questions and prepare to apply to medical/dental schools. I am hoping this will give my classmates ease while we prepare for the rest of the semester and the NBME exam. 

January Hours: 4

November in NOLA

November came and went so fast. I just finished taking my last module exam on GI/Neoplasia. Surprisingly, this was my favorite module. I really appreciate Dr. Datta for taking the time to break down and help me understand the mechanism of anthracycline cardiac toxicity. This semester was such an eye opener to me and I have learned so much. Reflecting back on the past few months, I have realized how much I have grown. My study habits have improved and changed as we went deeper into each module. I have a personalized study system that will assist me for next semester and thereafter. My goal for this winter break is to study for the MCAT and retain what I have learned this semester for the shelf exam in April. 

As the semester is coming to an end, I wanted to get some more volunteering hours in. For this month's volunteering opportunity, I worked with the dogs and cats of the Louisiana SPCA. The picture above is thirteen year old Sadie. Sadie, like my dog, is a chow chow. Whenever I am volunteering at the animal shelter, I try to socialize with the cats and dogs equally, but something was different about Sadie. Usually when I walk in the dog condo, the dog is so excited and jumping all over me, but Sadie was so calm. Sadie and I bonded so well that I am thinking about adopting her. I feel like her and my dog, Koda, would get along. 

I decided to write my blog post on the day of Thanksgiving to remind me of what I am thankful for. I am thankful for this program and my classmates. I am grateful for having professors and faculty for teaching me and being of great assistance to my future. During our winter break, I do plan on volunteering overseas. I will be a volunteer in Sudan at a clinic to help with the COVID-19 outbreak. People in Sudan do not have the same resources we have in the United States, so I want to help in anyway I can.

Hours: 4

Total: 15

October's Very Own

As expected, October is spooky and full of surprises. Since my last blog post, I have learned and grew so much as a person. In this month, I have already completed two modules exams: Cardiovascular and the Autonomic Nervous System. The ANS module was so short, yet I did best on that module compared to the other modules. How backwards is that? I figured it was because I finally figured out a learning system uniquely designed for me. I make a google document for each module, answer every learning objective and re-watch zoom lectures. If the module has a lot of drugs that I need to know, I make a list including the name, mechanism of action, adverse effects, and clinical indications. I enjoyed learning more about angina and anemia. Metoprolol was one of the main beta blockers we studied. I learned that if a patient has chronic angina and takes a beta blocker, the beta blocker decreases myocardial O2 demand. Also, giving a patient with coronary induced vasoconstriction a beta blocker can kill the patient due to the concept of leaving alpha receptors unopposed making vasospastic angina worse. I know this will help me for next semester. I am overwhelmed trying to juggle my coursework and BMSSA. As class rep, I reached out to my classmates to see how they are doing and how do they feel about the program. Although, it is dense, everyone is loves the program because it is so organized and our professors really care for us. I was able to work with BMSSA to develop a workshop for the pharmacology students to work directly with the director of admissions at Tulane School of Medicine. This workshop will be insightful and assist our masters student with the MCAT and medical school admissions. I am working on more projects/events and excited to see what's in store for next month.

In my last post, I mentioned that I was volunteering at the Louisiana SPCA, but my orientation was cancelled once again due to hurricane warnings. So, as for volunteering, I was able to volunteer with an administrator and others at Lakeside Hospital and create a plan to increase the overall use of N95 mask reprocessing since there was a shortage due to COVID-19. My job was to observe and make note of challenges that disturb the distribution process. Once we discovered the issues, we created an employee N95 pick-up/drop off reprocessing process and made sure all masks worn were pre-labeled with the staff's name, facility code, and department. We also created a request form for those whose masks were too damaged for reprocessing.  This was very important to me since I recently lost a family member to coronavirus so I wanted to be apart of the solution. There was so much thought put into this project and we were finally able to finish and prepare for the next spike of COVID-19 cases in the New Orleans area. It is a must that we put a lid on this pandemic. That's all for this month, folks! We have our Renal/Pulmonary module exam next week. Now that the electricity is on after Hurricane Zeta, it's time to hit the books (well the computer for Zoom)!

Hours: 10

Total: 11