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NOVEMBER CHECK-IN

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Monthly community service hours completed: 8 Cumulative semester service hours completed: 12      In November, I had the chance to volunteer at two new events that were both rewarding and enjoyable. First, I joined the Tulane Brain Institute at the American Heart Association Heart Walk, where we hosted a community outreach booth, organized by professor Solch-Ottaiano. A few classmates and I were able to teach visitors about brain anatomy and stroke awareness. Many participants had personal or family histories of cardiovascular disease, and after completing our modules on the cardiovascular and nervous systems, it was meaningful to finally put that knowledge to use. For the children, we made pipe-cleaner neurons and brain hats, which were surprisingly engaging and sparked genuine excitement about learning how the body works. Seeing how much the community valued this outreach made me excited to continue volunteering with the organization next semester.      I...
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OCTOBER CHECK-IN

Monthly community service hours completed: 4 Cumulative semester service hours completed: 4      The month of October has been an intense but rewarding academic adventure. I found it especially engaging to learn about cardiovascular and ANS drugs, given how much experience I had with them from my time on the ambulance. Unfortunately, around 90% of the patients I transported were over the age of 60 and had a history of heart problems. Among these patients, metoprolol and atorvastatin appeared on nearly every medication list.      I often find myself reflecting on my time in EMS and the interactions I had with those patients, if I had the knowledge I’ve gained just this month, perhaps my treatments or transports would have been different. I now know that metoprolol is a beta blocker and atorvastatin is a hypolipidemic, but I can’t help but laugh when I think back on all the embarrassing reports I gave attending physicians in the emergency department and I d...
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SEPTEMBER CHECK-IN

Monthly community service hours completed: 0 Cumulative semester service hours completed: 0     September has been a month of transition as I settle into the rhythm of graduate school and life in New Orleans.  After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2022, I decided to spend a few years working and serving my home community as an EMT on an ambulance. I was grateful for the experience I had accumulated, but I knew it was time to pursue my goal of becoming a doctor. Now, after returning from my school hiatus, re-entering the academic mindset has proven to take some time. Compared to the fast-paced and spontaneous environment in EMS, graduate school demands a methodical, well-planned, and organized sense of discipline and focus. Last week, we completed our module on infectious diseases, and I enjoyed learning in-depth about the microorganisms that I encountered frequently in the field.  My experience helped to digest the information: I recognised...
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