Big move to the Big Easy

Back from the break and still feel like it's still summer. It's amazing how time flies when you are keeping busy. After a winter break filled with exhaustive amounts of sightseeing and traveling, I'm glad to take a break from break and get back to work. We are currently on the third portion of the Brain and Behavior Block in my pharmacology class and will be wrapping up medical pharmacology shortly. As part of my endeavor of turning over a new leaf for the new year, I had signed up for tree planting last Sunday. My group members seemed to be having a ball, but I can safely say that hole digging is one skill I cannot add to my resume. Nonetheless it was quite a workout, and I thoroughly enjoyed washing the dirt off from my sneakers afterwards. All in all, it was a very rewarding experience. But what was more surprising was that I had been tested on my grit as a pharmacology major. A few hours ago, a few friends and I had participated in trivia, and I was excited at the p...

As the semester is wrapping up, I find myself reminiscing on my time spent in New Orleans so far. We are currently on the Brain and Behavior block of the semester having just finished up the reproductive and endocrine system. The material continues to challenge us and we have reached a point where studying has been effectively streamlined and incorporated into our daily routine. Academia and volunteering aside, I plan on supplementing my education with research next semester and will look forward to contribute to scientific development. I was able to involve myself in a number of volunteering opportunities this month, one of which included the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Uncork the Cork event. Although set up was seemed a bit of a drag, catering with my friends was a real treat. Speaking of, Thanksgiving break in Dallas was pretty fun considering the weather changes. While there, I was able to truly exemplify the spirit of Thanksgiving by volunteering at my local Habitat for...

I was watching one of my favorite Disney animated movies Ratatouille, a story of an ambitious rat that took French fine dining by storm. After pausing to work some of my own magic in the kitchen (it was pasta don't worry) I continued watching, amused by a rat's penchant for the finer ingredients. I got to the climax and smashed. that. replay. button.  Anton Ego got a taste of humility and I guess a little bit of that 1947 Chateau Cheval Blanc.  But even memorable was Anton's climactic speech where he elaborates on the premise of the movie "anyone can cook". "The only time we risk something is in the pursuit and defense of the new"; words that I feel have becoming increasingly relevant to my experiences here in New Orleans. I'm amazed at what we all have accomplished in the past few weeks. From volunteering at Habitat for Humanity, Sweet Potato Festival, among others to competing in IM games, it seems as though this year's clas...

It's been a couple months into the Tulane Master's Program and I've already become quite well adjusted to the NOLA lifestyle. After having obtained my bearings, I've begun to dig into some community service through Habitat for Humanity. My classmates and I had decided on parti cipate in a bit of construction work for Habitat on September 9 th . We had put in considerable effort and I for one am proud of our contributions. I realized during the shift that had it not been for my proclivities towards studying science, I would have been a great artist, judging by the finesse of the brush strokes for the exterior paint job. I guess I can now add “proficient exterior decorator” to my resume. All in all it was a very rewarding experience and I hope to coordinate volunteering shifts with Habitat for Humanity in the future. Our class has recently finished the Renal Block and has now moved onto the Pulmonary and Infection Block. Despite having a larger portion of our classes...

Three years ago as a sophomore at UT Austin, I had started to reconsider my life choices as a business major. Although I enjoyed the subject matter in finance, I found through my experience at internships and recruitment events that the lifestyle was not a good fit for me. I wanted to be placed in a work environment that challenges my thought processes on a daily basis. I hate routine. I was taking a leap of faith to say the least when I considered pursuing the medical field as a career path in the middle of my college career, and a bigger one to move to New Orleans for my master’s in pharmacology. However, since my arrival, I’ve found my stay in New Orleans more and more enjoyable. I’m glad to be a part of a program that supports a friendly and accommodating environment and I have been rewarded with very supportive teachers and close friends. I was excited at the prospect of taking classes with T2 students at Tulane School of Medicine and have thus invested all of my efforts to mea...