Growing Pains

     I started the pharmacology masters program with a mix of excitement and fear. In this unique time, my learning was going to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This month I decided to volunteer with the Dream Catchers Organization in Los Gatos, California. This organization specializes in sending greeting cards, as well as emails to seniors that are currently in healthcare centers around the United States. We were provided with a list of the seniors and what they like.  The senior I chose to send a greeting card to was Beverly. Her likes included English Jane Austen movies and scenery, flowers, and pretty things in general. I chose to give a greeting card to Beverly for a couple of reasons. Because of my Nigerian/British childhood, I also have a liking for English Jane Austen novels. I grew up reading Pride and Prejudice, imaging what the British countryside looks like in the fall.  

        We started the program with the basic principles and inflammation module and I got to learn about the activity of NSAIDS and how they inhibit COX1 to reduce inflammatory effects. I found the concepts in this module very foundational to medcine in general. The two-modules that followed built on these concepts some more and so far we have covered our Infectious disease module as well as the neuromuscular and cardiovascular module. We are currently studying for the neuromuscular and cardiovascular module exam. This module is unique because it is strictly focused on the principles of the pharmacology of the heart. So far, I have grown so much academically although I was overwhelmed at first, I am slowly starting to find my rhythm. I titled this post growing pains because although it was hard at first I have learnt how much I can achieve by blocking out the noise and focusing on the end goal. This month solidified the main reason I chose to pursue medicine and I honestly feel like I am right where I need to be in my journey to becoming a physician