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January Blog!

January Service Hours: 3 hours; Cumulative Spring Service Hours: 3 hours


First month back for the spring semester! We finished up the Reproductive module and are currently in the Endocrine one. I think I've enjoyed learning about insulin signaling the most so far. I've grown up knowing the basics: insulin is released when blood glucose levels are high, people with diabetes either struggle to produce insulin or have defective insulin receptors, etc. But the past few lectures really opened my eyes to how wide-reaching the effects of insulin are, as well as what can happen when any step in the insulin signaling pathway is impaired. Who knew insulin stimulated protein synthesis? I've also been busy with preparing for the MCAT, so it's definitely been a big adjustment time management-wise juggling that with coursework, exams, and presentations. This will be my new normal for the next few months, but I'm surprisingly looking forward to it!

This month, I continued volunteering as a Family Resources Center volunteer at Manning Family Children's Hospital. I didn't get to see the patient from last semester, but I did dabble in more painting and board games with new patients. I have loved volunteering here for the past few months. Even though I don't play a direct role in patient care, this experience has really shown me that I can still impact their health and overall hospital stay in other ways. It's also been really nice to be able to allow patients' parents to relax while I do arts and crafts with their child, even if it is just for a few hours. 

Excited to see what happens next!

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