Sweet Endings

 The month of November flew by as quickly as it came. I continued my work with Sprout NOLA by working in their weekly farmers market. This activity really sharpened my interpersonal skills because we were able to sell the product to different types of people from all walks of life. Although the pace of our curriculum slowed down towards the end of the semester, I felt as though I had a well-rounded experience this semester. Sprout NOLA has an initiative called Veggies for Veggies where members of the community and volunteers help around three small vegetable gardens. This initiative helps to educate members of the community about sustainable gardening practices as well as ways to grow healthy gardens in their own homes. As a Volunteer, I benefitted from this immensely because of my passion for sustainability. 

        The pharmacology department also provided ample mentor opportunities through zoom. Remarkable meetings with Admission committee members allowed me to ask the many questions I have about applying to medical school and taking the MCAT in the near future. Due to how uncertain these times are, I did not have a lot of confidence in putting together the last parts of my medical school application. However, meeting with the mentors the pharmacology department provided us with gave me the boost I needed to end the semester on a positive note.

        This month we ended our Renal and Pulmonary module and ended with the Gastro-Intestinal and Neoplasia module. Renal was challenging due to the added pulmonary aspect. I found learning about the physiology of the Kidney more interesting than the Rx of Urinary Tract Infections. The GI/Neoplasia module was a nice way to end a fast-paced semester.  My favorite topic covered was an independent study on Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome vs Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

    While learning and Volunteering I made some time to try some restaurants with rave reviews around me. BOIL seafood house provided me with one of the best boils I've had in the country. I also tried a soul food restaurant called Brown Butter Nola with the best Mac and Cheese. It is safe to say that New Orleans has provided me with gentle happiness like a warm blanket in the winter. 

Total Semester Hours: 15