Posts

Bittersweet

It is bittersweet writing my last blog post. Honestly can’t believe that I am already writing this!! Although the last two months did not go as I would have liked (corona virus ruining everything), I am thankful for Zoom and how it has kept me engaged with all of my professors and classmates. If you are considering a post baccalaureate program, I highly recommend Tulane’s Master of Pharmacology. This program has helped me grow so much as a student and person. I have developed skills that will definitely help me excel come time for medical school. I have also made lasting friendships that have helped to make my life a thousand times better.  I know that this program is coming to an end, but this is only the beginning for me. After completing my masters, I am so excited to start medical school come Fall 2021. I am so thankful for all of the faculty within the Pharmacology department. Everyone genuinely cares about our success, and they want our dream of medical school to become a real
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A Whole New World

March 2020 will more than likely be a month that I will never forget. Within a matter of days, my life literally got flipped up-side down. No longer could I meet for in person class. No longer could I go to the gym. No longer could I go get my nails done. No longer could I go sit in a restaurant and have dinner with my friends. All of this because of COVID-19. On March 11, 2020 we received an email from the university stating that Tulane would be transitioning to online classes. My emotions immediately began to become a disastrous mess. I would have never thought that was the last time that I would be presenting in front of my classmates in person. In order to continue our class sessions, we have Zoom meetings. Even though it is not the same as seeing everyone in class, I still appreciate being able to communicate with everyone.  The uncertainty of what the future holds is what bothers me most. More and more people are being confirmed of having the coronavirus, so as of now it does
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Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler

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February Hours: 0 Semester Hours: 0             Although I do not have any volunteer hours yet, I have just finished my training to begin volunteering in the Oncology Clinic at University Medical Center-New Orleans. I am really looking forward to this since I am interested in possibly specializing in oncology. It will also now be easier for me to regularly volunteer, since our workload is drastically going t o decrease after the NBME exam. My mind is still having trouble comprehending how quickly this program has flown by. We are literally only two months shy of having our master’s degree. I have learned an extensive amount during these past seven months which is indicative in the conversations that I have with friends and family. I would definitely recommend this program to any students that are considering doing a post baccalaureate program.              After having this past week off for Mardi Gras, I feel like I haven’t been to class in forever. Even though this was not
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Back at It

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Spring Semester Hours: 0 During these past seven months, I have learned an extensive amount of information that I know will be extremely beneficial for my future career in medicine. The second semester is structured differently from the first semester with half of our classes being electives. The most interesting elective for me this semester is neuropharmacology. Neurology has always interested me, especially when understanding the pathophysiology of various psychological disorders. I look forward to learning pharmacotherapy that is being repurposed or just discovered for such issues. The next couple of months will also be quite intense as we begin to prepare for the NBME.  While the program might be half way done, it is sad to think that my time with the amazing friends that I have made is almost over. The special friends that I have made resulted in this program being a thousand times better than I could have ever imagined!! I know for sure that I have made life-long friend
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Thankful

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Total Semester Hours: 13 November Hours: 3 December Hours: 5 As we continue on through the program, it seems as if time continues to move on more quickly. This past month we had two module exams which is probably why it felt that way. So far I am still doing exceptionally well which I credit to spending time almost everyday going through the lectures. The master’s program has been extremely beneficial in helping to improve my study habits which I believe will help me to excel in medical school. I am really thankful for the friendships with Linh, Vina, Rebecca, and Erin that have become stronger this month by spending more time studying together and exploring the city of New Orleans.             For my volunteer hours this month, Peiton, Michaela and I prepared bag lunches for the homeless people in the city. With every major city in America, homelessness is a substantial problem. When we began passing out the lunches, many people came running up to us to get a lunch. Everyone see
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Horrors of the Hard Rock

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We have officially reached the halfway point in the first semester of the program. In my opinion, the exams have gotten progressively harder and required a lot more preparation. Overall, I am still pleased with my current performance. We are currently finishing up the cardiovascular block which has been one of my favorites thus far. On October 30 th , we were able to witness a cardiac simulation that was really intriguing. Being able to witness first-hand what is like when a patient experiences a heart attack or goes into ventricular tachycardia, and to see in real time how effective the medications are really helped to put into perspective everything that we had learned. In my opinion, this exercise was one of the most effective ways of actually learning the significance of the different drugs that we are learning.             This month I did not actually do any volunteering. On October 12 th the Hard Rock Hotel collapsed which is right down the street from where I lived. As a r
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New Beginnings

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Greetings everyone! My name is Hanaiah and this marks my first blog for Tulane's Masters of Pharmacology program. I've just finished my first month of grad school and it has been interesting to say the least. Going into this program I was not sure what to expect. I had been out of school since December 2018, and I was unsure of what my next steps in life were going to be. I figured a post-bac program such as this would help to strengthen my resume best for medical school. The Pharmacology program is more than just about studying all of the time (although I do a lot of that). A key focus is for us to spend time volunteering within the New Orleans community to help a still recovering community post Hurricane Katrina.  This past weekend I volunteered at NOLA on Tap Beer Fest which benefits the LSPCA. Being that I am a dog mom, this organizations has a special place in my heart. The morning started a little rough being that the clouds decided to rain down on us, but thankfully
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