OCTOBER

October was spent hanging out with new friends, attending concerts and parades, enjoying nice weather, and of course, learning pharmacology. Our class covered neuromuscular, ANS, and cardiovascular modules in the past few weeks.  I am now understanding in depth the cellular mechanisms of certain drugs that I recognize from the time I spent on EMT training shifts to working in a pediatric office for several years. It's been exciting to feel like these concepts are building off of each other and connecting to those previous experiences.

As for community service, I decided to volunteer at Covenant House New Orleans, an organization that provides immediate care and a safe place to sleep for homeless youth. Along with basic care like clothes, food and shelter, CHNO offers health and wellness services, employment and educational opportunities. My role as a volunteer was helping to organize the massive amounts of donations that they receive on a daily basis. Unfortunately, many people drop off dirty or damaged clothing, so volunteers are frequently sorting through these piles to ensure the residents have clean clothes that fit properly and are hung up. 

I have recently joined Dr. Engler-Chiurazzi's Books N Brains Program, which aims to make neuroscience more accessible and approachable to the youth of New Orleans and beyond through book distribution to local libraries and educational videos. She is a behavioral neuroscientist in Tulane's Neurosurgery department that I was introduced to during one of our guest seminars in the pharmacology program. I am really excited about this role in video production because it fuses my passion for creativity, love for science and working with children. The program is still in its early stages and has a lot of passionate members working to get it up and running! I can't wait to see what we accomplish. 

Hours Completed: 3