December/Semester Summary

This semester I split my volunteering time between Habitat for Humanity and in the emergency department at Ochsner Baptist. Both experiences were eye-opening, and next semester I hope to continue at Ochsner. Eventually, I may switch departments since I have only been able to follow doctors as they see patients but haven't been able to really contribute or help. I may look to add some other volunteering opportunities as well.

Total December Hours - 8 hrs, Ochsner Baptist
Total Semester Hours - 32 hrs 

November

            This month I began volunteering at the Ochsner Baptist Hospital. While it has been interesting so far and I’ve seen some things relevant to class material, it is not what I expected. As a volunteer in the emergency department, I haven’t really had the chance to contribute or help out much. My time has been spent following the ER doctors as they see patients and I was told on my first day that is basically the extent of volunteer involvement. Although this is useful learning and eye-opening experience for me personally, I was hoping to be involved more and have some kind of impact, even if minimal. I may have to look into switching to a different department where I can give my time more meaningfully or potentially add on some other type of volunteer work.

            The end of the semester is rapidly approaching, with less than 2 weeks of class remaining. With Thanksgiving break coming so soon after our previous exam, I haven’t spent very much time studying yet so I feel a bit behind schedule. The GI block isn’t very dense though so with only a few classes I should be able to get back on track.

            I’m really looking forward to the end of semester and Christmas break. It was the first time I haven’t been home for Thanksgiving so it feels like a long time since I’ve seen my family. Having a few weeks to visit with them (and eat a lot of home cooked food) and friends back home will be really nice. In other news outside of class, it’s been a pretty relaxing month. The weather has been comfortable for the most part, so much so that some classmates and I wanted to take advantage of it by going camping at Fountainbleau State Park for a night. Our IM soccer season came to end as we lost in the playoffs in a shootout. Our team was a few players short compared to usual but we played the best we could. Some of us are planning to continue with IM sports next semester with flag football. Maybe we’ll have better luck there.

Volunteer Hours:
Ochsner-  11/16/14, 4 hours
                11/30/14, 4 hours
Total                     = 8 hours

October

Happy Halloween, y’all.  Unlike the cold Halloween nights I’ve grown used to in Michigan, it’s a balmy 72 degrees here in New Orleans today. As late in autumn as it is now, this weather doesn’t feel quite right to me especially considering my mom sent me a picture this morning of snow on the ground back at home. I can’t complain though - I could probably wear shorts year round here. Anyway, the celebrations tonight should be a blast and for once I won’t have to wear 3 layers of clothing.

            Classes are continuing to go very well and even though our schedule is lighter in these last few blocks time doesn’t seem to slow down. After the finishing the cardio exam, it felt like a large weight off my shoulders knowing that a big portion of our grades are now determined. With the amount of studying I did for the cardio block, I felt very prepared and my grade reflected that. The addition of a new class during the renal block made me nervous for the exams, but it turned out to be less difficult than anticipated. In addition to the newness of the molecular and cellular pharmacology course, with only one confusing lecture for principles and my minimal knowledge of renal physiology, I was concerned when exam day came. The questions were straightforward though and all went well thankfully.

            Although the molecular and cellular course is a bit dry and I don’t enjoy it as much as the others, it certainly seems useful and valuable. Some of the material I am already familiar with but we are covering topics to a much greater level of detail and this will be particularly useful if I start research or lab work. Ideally I will begin research work this coming month because, after our first conversation, Dr. Mostany told me to come back and talk with him in November. He stressed the importance of being able to maintain high grades and that he would only want me to work if I have enough time on top of studying to make a commitment to the lab. I think that is really reasonable and good advice, and, after having settled into an academic routine over these few months, I do feel like I have enough spare time to commit to regular weekly hours in a lab. The moment of truth will be another conversation with him.

            Lastly, with regard to my volunteering, I should be starting work with Ochsner Baptist soon. I had the standard TB test in addition to some vaccines so within the next couple weeks I expect to have my department orientation and first shift in the ED. Looking forward to it and the tail end of this semester.

September

     This month, just like the previous month and a half I have spent here in New Orleans, has come and gone quickly. Our exams occur so frequently that it sometimes feels like life is moving in fast-forward. Studying for days in a row sometimes leads me to forget what day of the week it is, but I and most classmates still carve out time to relax and slow down. So far, in the times when I haven’t been busy studying, I have managed to explore the city some and perform a bit of volunteer work. The highlights of free time my have been a concert at Tipitina’s – a Mardi Gras Indian tribe played, one of the coolest things I’ve seen so far - with classmates, food and beignets in the French Quarter, live music on Frenchmen St., and, more recently, playing some tennis and IM soccer.

           

            I spent 2 Saturdays this month working with Habitat for Humanity, with a big group of classmates each time. Unfortunately we were at two different build sites so we didn’t get to see any further progress at the first house, which seemed to resemble something close to a finished product. The majority of my time during the first build was spent raking, digging and hauling dirt by wheelbarrow, and moving lumber. Other than some run-ins with fire ants and wasps, breaking up concrete with a sledgehammer, and using an old-school thresher to cut the grass behind the house, the day was pretty uneventful. But nonetheless, it was a day well-spent enjoying time with the rest of the class while getting some exercise and sun. My second day with Habitat was equally as tiring as the first but much more of a learning experience thanks to the work I was doing. Along with Graham and Neel, I worked installing insulation in the attic of the house. When offered the chance to work in the attic, not knowing what we were getting ourselves into, we all volunteered eagerly. Other than a cursory explanation from the build site leader, we had no clue what we were doing. I don’t think any of us were prepared for the temperature in the attic or the significant amount of insulation particulate floating in the air, but we survived just fine and no one fell through the dry wall ceiling, luckily. And in the future I’ll know how to insulate my own home if necessary. Thankfully it was overcast and not hot as hell that day, otherwise that job would have been unbearable and I would have a needed a 3^rd and 4^th shirt to deal with all the sweat.

           

            Academically, things have been going well so far. I’m enjoying the classes and the program in general. At the beginning I anticipated that I might struggle to get back into good studying routines after taking a year off but all the material really interests me so it was a pretty easy return to the scholastic environment. If everything continues with this current trajectory, I will be really pleased with my academic performance and all that I have learned.

Volunteer Hours:

Habitat for Humanity, 9/6/14 – 8 hours

Habitat for Humanity, 9/13/14 – 8 hours

Total – 16 hours