Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler and the NBME Studying Truly Commence

February is one of my favorite months to be in New Orleans. The hot and humid weather that plagues the city most of the year is still a couple of months away and Mardi Gras is right around the corner. This February was no different, with the exception of some new pharmacology! This month we focused on our Neurology and Psychiatry modules. As I mentioned in my previous post, these modules have been challenging because of the complexity and difficulty in treating diseases such as epilepsy and depression. Despite the challenges, these modules have proved to be eye-opening because you realize the trials that patients and their physicians go through to come up with a reliable course of treatment. Once these last two modules have wrapped up we are done with Medical Pharmacology and Principles of Pharmacology for the semester! Well, truly done after our NBME final exam. This exam is going to put our knowledge of pharmacology to the true test. Encompassing everything we have learned since August. So, if you need me between now and March 18th, I'll be deep in my study hole and I'm excited to see y'all on the other side!

In the world of thesis writing, I'm closing in on finishing my first full detailed outline of the paper. I wanted to make sure I had a solid skeleton for the thesis before I take a couple weeks to focus on studying. It's rewarding to see the hours spent digging through textbooks, online databases, and journals beginning to pan out. The work in the lab is getting to its final stages and after the NBME final exam, I should have a firm foundation to begin the true challenge of putting together the full thesis.

Finally, the spring middle school debate season is right around the corner! I spent some time this month working with the new group of coaches that will be going out to work with middle school students across the city. I was excited to see that they were energized to meet the students for the first time and get going with practices. I have a feeling this might be the best semester of debate I have been apart of. I have yet to see a group of coaches this determined to get started.


February Service Hours: 2
Semester Service Hours: 2

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