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"M" is for March...and MCAT

Monthly Community Service Hours Completed: March 0 hours Cumulative Spring Semester Hours Completed: 13 hours The spring semester always seems to fly by—perhaps it is my anticipation for my favorite season which is summer. Nonetheless, the transition into spring is always something I cherish. March brings about many changes—the days are longer, warmer, and you can feel that summer is just around the corner. Just like the transition into spring, we have also experienced a period of transition in school. This past month, we completed our last module in Medical Pharmacology and Principles of Pharmacology and are now focused on studying for the comprehensive final. Though we still have one last exam in Cellular Control at the end of April, I am finding myself with much more free time. This has brought me to a personal transition of devoting more time to studying for the MCAT and preparing for my next steps after completion of this Master’s of Science program.  I have previously begun s...
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Mardi Gras and Medicine!

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Monthly Community Service Hours Completed: February 4.5 hours Cumulative Spring Semester Hours Completed: 13 hours Mardi Gras has always been one of my favorite times growing up in south Louisiana. Many days are spent dancing to zydeco or New Orleans bounce music and eating king cake and crawfish. I suppose it would not be unheard of to mention you might spend some time running—like to catch the best beads from the float or to catch a chicken (if you’re spending Courir de Mardi Gras in Church Point!) But this year I learned of a new tradition—the Mardi Gras Mambo 15k in Baton Rouge.   I served on the medical team for this race. Each group was spread throughout the route and posted in case there would be a need for medical intervention. My partner and I were stationed at the turn around point (which happened to be the halfway point.) We carried around a red backpack with basic first aid equipment as well as emergent airway adjuncts and supplies specified to runners such as glucos...
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February Service Post 1

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Monthly Community Service Hours Completed: February 8.5 hours Cumulative Spring Semester Hours Completed: 8.5 hours The Louisiana Firefighters Foundation which operates out of Baton Rouge, has established a safe babysitting course for youth. Initially beginning in east Baton Rouge parish, the class is now being held in various locations throughout south Louisiana with hopes to expand throughout the state. While the class is advertised as a course to become proficient in safe babysitting practices, a large portion of the class focuses on first aid and CPR skills. With the goal being to familiarize the youth to situations that may possibly come about whether they are watching their siblings or hired as a babysitter. These skills include how to call 911 and give an appropriate report as well as being able to determine what problems they can handle and what problems require adult intervention.  I was one of three instructors teaching this class. It was very rewarding to watch the st...
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Mardi Gras Modules

Monthly Community Service Hours Completed: January 0 hours Cumulative Spring Semester Hours Completed: 0 hours  As quickly as winter break came, it ended. It was nice to be able to spend time with family and friends and rest. I spent time looking back at this past semester and realizing just how quickly this program is going by. We learned, laughed, and have grown so much from that first meet and greet at Rock ‘N Bowl back in August. But boy, did we hit the ground running this semester with an exam and presentations beginning. Such an appropriate time to begin our endocrine module as we enter Mardi Gras season. I can’t seem to look at a king cake without thinking about pancreatic beta cells—and maybe vice-versa! This semester will be challenging with the amount of presentations we will have; however, I am anticipating the appreciation for dissecting good research quickly and efficiently. The module topics this semester are also very interesting and I am looking forward to beginning...
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Santa, Sirens, and Service!

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Monthly Community Service Hours Completed: December 5 hours Cumulative Fall Semester Hours Completed: 12 hours      This holiday season began with a spark as I had the opportunity to volunteer with St. George Fire Department (SGFD) of Baton Rouge. Each year, SGFD participates in a Christmas parade in Baton Rouge where their fire trucks lead the way for volunteers of St. Vincent De Paul to collect nonperishable food items and toys from parade-goers to be donated to underprivileged families in the community. I truly felt the warmth of Christmas being able to serve our first-responders as they serve our community.      Station 62, for years, has been the busiest station in SGFD’s district. Apart from their regular station duties, the crews often have little time to make their station feel remotely festive. In preparation for the parade this past Saturday, I decorated station 62 with Christmas décor and prepped the truck with the supplies needed for the parade....
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HARVESTING HELP

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Monthly Community Service Hours Completed: November 5.5 hours Cumulative Fall Semester Hours Completed: 7 hours      Thanksgiving week, for many, consists of family gatherings and plates overfilled with turkey and all of the holiday fixings. But across the country and specifically in New Orleans, many find themselves without basic necessities and starving. During this thanksgiving break, I had the privilege of working two shifts a  volunteer at the Second Harvest Food Bank of New Orleans.       My role involved packaging boxes filled with nonperishable foods, which are distributed to families in the community. Initially, these boxes were developed for elderly people that cannot leave their home nor have access to groceries. The process was simple yet at times, involved strenuous labor. Working alongside other volunteers, we were lined up down a long table with each section consisting of specific food items. Much like a conveyor belt, we placed our...
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MONSTER MODULES

Monthly Community Service Hours Completed: October 0 hours Cumulative Fall Semester Hours Completed: 1.5 hours      October, a month filled with candy, pumpkins, and fright. Often having a stomach ache from snacking on way too many ghost-shaped peanut butter cups, your arm getting sore after carving the biggest pumpkin you could find, and feeling your heart race while watching that classic Halloween horror film. So many “feels” accompany this season and after completing the neuromuscular, autonomic nervous system, and cardiovascular pharmacology modules, I feel as though I have a better understanding of what I am experiencing and how my body responds to the “spooky season” environment.         This month’s course load was heavy considering the complexity of each module; however, beginning with muscle and progressing through to cardiac conduction, it laid a good foundation that ended with the full understanding of the processes that allow our bodie...
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