October Blog!

October Service Hours: 10 hours; Cumulative Fall Service Hours: 10 hours

And just like that, it's the end of October. Time seems to fly by, and I can't believe I'm more than halfway done with the first semester of this program. We started the CV pharmacology module last week, and it's been interesting/slightly overwhelming to see how this module has built off of the information from the ANS/CV physiology module. That last module was definitely the most challenging for me so far, but I loved seeing how all of the concepts clicked in the end. It was interesting learning each individual component at first, from the different parts of the autonomic nervous system to the results of different stimulation on effector cells and how those responses change with agonists and antagonists. Even though I'm nervous about this upcoming exam, I'm excited for that "aha" moment when everything begins to come together and make sense. 

This month, I finally finished the onboarding process and started volunteering at Manning Family Children's Hospital in their Family Resource Center. In my first few shifts at the FRC, I helped organize bingo for a few of the patients and their parents with one of the other volunteers. I also worked a shift during the hospital's Flu Vaccination Campaign to make sure employees received their flu shot for the season! Even though I've only been volunteering with Manning Family Children's for a short time, so far the experience has given me the opportunity to truly immerse myself in some way with the New Orleans community. Everyone has been so kind and welcoming, and it makes me glad that I can bring some joy to these kids' hospital visits.

I can't wait to see what the rest of the semester in the program brings!