The end is nigh

WOW, I cannot believe this year is almost over. It has been a truly awesome experience. For anyone reading this blog and wondering whether I would recommend this program, I do. Like anything, you will get what you put in, but this program is perfect as a way to improve your credentials for medical school. Maybe I was lucky, but I also found my classmates to be really awesome. We all shared many of the same problems and goals, but we each had unique experiences and backgrounds.

I gained a lot of self-discipline and clarified my long term goals. This program also helped me tremendously with the MCAT. Medical Pharmacology and Principles of Pharmacology were our most important classes for much of the year. I enjoyed learning about the science behind many different pharmacologic agents as well as the clinical correlates and how to treat different diagnoses. My favorite block was the Cardio/ANS block.

Perhaps just as much as the classes, I've also enjoyed the city. Exploring New Orleans has been a blast. I have tried so many different kinds of foods and visited so many different areas with very distinct atmospheres and culture. New Orleans is a very diverse place which makes it very interesting and it offers so much to do. When I didn't have class or tests coming up, my friends and I could always find something fun to do.

I plan on staying here this summer and next year and hopefully doing research in a lab at Tulane and working for the Princeton Review as an instructor. I will miss all my friends that are leaving, but luckily it seems like close to half of the class will be staying. Anyway, it has been an amazing year and I am very grateful I had this opportunity.

Total Volunteer Hours for Spring Semester: 50 hours
KIPP: 16 hours
St. Anna's: 32 hours
Soil Samples for Environmental Pharmacology: 2 hours

March!!!!!

March has been an incredible month! We had the NBME shelf exam, which really pushed me and tested my ability to focus and study massive amounts of material. It covered all of the medical pharmacology from the entire year. To study for it I reviewed the Katzung shelf exam book, Kaplan book and did many practice questions from UWorld. Overall it was a great experience studying for it and I learned a lot about what studying techniques work well for me, how to memorize immense amounts of information and how to quickly read and understand clinical vignettes in the Step 1/NBME style. I think all of this will be a huge help in medical school. Before the NBME I also went to the Gulf Coast Tough Mudder with some friends. It was easily one of the most fun days of the entire year. I pushed myself to the limits physically and had a tremendous amount of fun working with my friends as a team to conquer each obstacle. Although the experience left me super exhausted for the next few days afterwards it was completely worth it. March also brought March Madness and bracket competitions in our class. I did some research and tried to make good picks but a few unlikely upsets put me behind and I am currently about middle of the pack. As classes wind down I am spending more time exploring the city and doing as much as I can with my friends. Although many friends will be staying in New Orleans next year, many will also be leaving and I want to make sure to have as much fun with them as possible before they have to go. Hopefully our final month and a half is the best of the entire year!

February

This month has been so much fun! Mardi Gras! The first half of the month was the Neurology block, in which we studied a variety of drugs including opiods, anesthetics, and the treatment of migraines and parkinsons disease. The mechanisms of action of each drug were interesting to learn about and the pathology behind each disease was very illuminating. We also got a preview of the next block, Psychiatry. After the Neurology exam we had Mardi Gras and spring break. Mardi Gras was an incredibly and unforgettable experience. Seeing all the parades and collecting a massive amount of beads and other little toys was really fun. Each parade had its own theme, and they all had so many different floats. I watched most of them from St. Charles Street. Mardi Gras was definitely the most fun I have had in New Orleans. After that, I began to make a plan to study for the NBME exam we have in March. Our current medical pharmacology block is on Psychiatry in which we learn how to treat depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and all the associated mental illnesses. I have also begun to ponder what I will do next year. Hopefully I can find employment in New Orleans!

January

     A new year and a new semester! I took the MCAT on January 10th which was my main focus during winter break. I will get my scores back February 10th, so I have my fingers crossed until then. Studying for the MCAT taught me a lot about self discipline and realistic studying goals. I learned more about how to budget my time effectively and about what studying methods were most useful to me. I found that doing many practice problems, passages and tests was the best way for me to study. Overall it was a good experience and I think I will find the studying skills useful in studying for the Pharmacology NBME in March.
     It is kind of scary how little time is really left in this program. Everything felt so new and the end felt so far away, now it is just a few months away. We began the semester studying Endocrinology and Reproduction, which proved to be very fascinating. It is incredible how much remains to be understood in Diabetes and a multitude of other GI related diseases. We have recently begun our second block, Neurology. I am working on creating a plan to study for the NBME and also on figuring out what I am going to do next year while I apply to medical school. Outside of school, I will be continuing to volunteer at St. Anna's Clinic, the Tulane Medical Center, KIPP and Habitat for Humanity throughout this semester.

This is going to be an amazing semester and I am so excited to be here!

Also, tomorrow is the Super Bowl, go Patriots!

December

This semester has been awesome! I learned more than I thought possible and I got to explore New Orleans. I had a great time volunteering and had many memorable experiences. I look forward to the spring!

Happy holidays!

Volunteering:

Total: 63 hours

December:

KIPP: 4 hours

November:

Tulane Medical Center: 3 hours

St. Anna’s Clinic: 8 hours

October:
KIPP: 5 hours
Tulane Medical Center: 3 hours
St.Anna's Clinic: 9 hours
Habitat for Humanity: 9 hours

September:

Habitat for Humanity: 16 hours

St. Anna’s Medical Mission: 6 hours

November

This month has been incredibly busy for me as I juggle MCAT preparation, courses, volunteering and research.

I finally got to begin working in Dr. Kadowitz’s lab! On Tuesdays I go to the lab for four hours and get to help prepare drugs, observe surgeries and record data. The math behind drug preparation can sometimes get a bit mind boggling, but the surgeries have certainly been very interesting to watch.

MCAT preparation has really absorbed most of my time, even more so than courses. I have found that I learn best through practice, so my study method involves many problems. Although time consuming, the MCAT material is actually kind of interesting and many of the problems pose intriguing challenges.

I have continued to volunteer at St. Anna’s and the Tulane Medical Center, both of which continue to be great experiences.

Aside from all that I tried to make sure I found some time to meet up with friends and see more of the city. For Thanksgiving I stayed in New Orleans (I did not want to go back to 20 degree weather and snow in CT). A friend of mine was gracious enough to invite me to his family’s Thanksgiving celebration where I enjoyed good food and engaging conversation.

It has been a great month, if a bit a busy for me, but I really cannot complain!

Volunteering:

Tulane Medical Center: 3 hours

St. Anna’s Clinic: 8 hours