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April - Last But Not Least

Oh April, you have been one sad month. There were no major showers, but there were major tears shed. We are currently still under quarantine due to the Coronavirus, but we are trying to make the best of it. This month has gone by really fast and I have truly lost track of time being stuck in the house all day. There was not much schoolwork to be done except to listen to Cell Control lectures. I definitely found it hard to stay focus and trying to understand the material being taught and not being able to see the professor was even more difficult. They would try to explain the mechanism, but I would get really confused about what part they are talking about without seeing them point to it and it’s hard to not be able to ask a question right then and there. I feel like online teaching is much harder to communicate through then attending class in person. Even though this part was rough, I did it to my best ability.  Besides trying to figure out the material, I wanted to see how I can h
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March - No Four Leaf Clover Here

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March Madness has set upon us all this year. This month has been a very interesting month with everything going on, it was supposed to be grind time for the NBME. I had all my material ready and I have been preparing for this final exam of med pharm since Mardi Gras break, and BOOM we were hit with the devastating news that the exam would not be given due to serious precaution with coronavirus. We had our first zoom session with the whole class and department, so it was interesting to see how an online class would feel like in graduate school, it was definitely rough to stay focus. I feel like the whole class was not prepared for this major transition and not being able to communicate with the people we have seen for the past couple of months. This has definitely taken a toll on my mental health, but I am glad I do have friends checking up on me and finding things to keep me isolated and preoccupied. But with all the changes, before the isolation and stay in place was put in place, I g
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February - Mardi Party

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This month has been a very interesting one, we did a lot of studying, a lot of partying, and a lot of exploring. So, let's start by explaining what we have been learning. At the beginning of the month, we studied drugs dealing with neurology, and the effects of local and general anesthetics. Now we are studying for the next block exam coming about psychological drugs like antipsychotics, antidepressants, and more. My study habits from last semester to this semester has improved with creating drug charts and creating study guides for all the lectures. I have also been preparing for the big NBME exam and making sure that all my notes and drug charts are in order.  Besides studying all the time, I got the opportunity to volunteer at KIPP Academy twice, completing 4 hours this month. Each time we helped the academy organize stuff and prepare stuff to make the students and the faculty to flow easier. We helped organize new books the library received and place them on shelves, and the
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January - Patience is Key

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Hi there January, This month has gone by so slowly, but it was so nice to enjoy every little moment. I started the new year 2020 with some friends popping fireworks and just trying to prepare for the beginning of a new semester. This semester started off really well, we just finished taking our endocrine/reproductive block and forming the drug charts I previously spoke about has really help me understand the drugs for med pharm. I am slowly understanding how to clinically apply the drugs to patients’ symptoms with my study group throwing out different scenarios that may occur. I also got to present on my favorite topic Alzheimer’s for neuropharmacology with my classmate/friend Brice and this was very fun and informative. Now, we are preparing for our next block exam about neurology and I feel a lot more prepared from the beginning of starting this program. For my service hours this month, I did not see any opportunities or events to volunteer around the city, so I decided to wait
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November - Gobbling It Up

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Volunteer Hours:  September: 4 Hours LASPCA October: 0 Hours  November: 6 Hours Heart Walk + 5 Hours GOTR Total Hours : 15 Hours  Oh November!! The time to be thankful and filled with joy. This month has really showed me how to get the hang of studying and managing my time.  New Orleans is known for their many festivities and walk events. I got the opportunity to volunteer at two of the many events. In early November, there was a walk for the Heart Association. I helped setup the event at 6:30am, unloading cases of water, bringing in donated food, and help participants take photos at the photobooth stop on the trial. I met a lot of participants that work in the hospital who promotes the healthy living lifestyle. Also, one little special man who just received a new heart and is doing strong. After the walk, I helped clean up by disassemble the tents and pick up in floating trash, we finished about 1pm. The event was truly eye opening, on the daily reminder to keep your
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October - Rollercoaster

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This month was definitely a rollercoaster. I didn’t get a chance to partake in any volunteer opportunities this month, but I do have many volunteer opportunities for November.  The month of October was filled with learning basic physiology, cardiac functions, and the autonomic nervous system. This module would probably be the one I understood the most, because the material was broken down into the basis and how the drugs interact with the body. I am still struggling to apply the drug in a clinical format, so I am making flashcard and highlighting when the drugs are being used. This method is kind of helping me and also finding similar problems in practicing questions in pharmwiki quizzes and other problem resources. Even though I understood the material, I still struggle with testing anxiety. I am trying to find different solutions to help with this problem and I think I found some, so we’ll see how the next block exam will go.  Besides from all the stress, I am loving my stud
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September - Still New

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The start of graduate school has been one crazy rollercoaster. I had to adjust from not study for a whole year to constantly studying every day and being on top of the game. We just finished taking our second block exam and I am completely drained but learning all these drugs and concepts has made me understand why we need to learn all these things. This requires me to constantly change the way I study and understand things, specifically for clinical concept of the drugs. So, I am excited to learn the next block’s material by creating flashcards and discussing the material out loud in a group.  Besides constantly studying, I have met many new friends through the program and showing them the city of New Orleans and how wonderful it is. I am a true New Orleans native, born in the east bank, but raised in the west bank. I truly love my city and all the crazy creative things the city offers. As a creative crazy city, people get caught up in the party scene and forgets about our little
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