January 2026

 January Service Hours: 0 hours

Cumulative for the Spring Semester: 0 hours


As I began my Spring semester with cold temperatures and cold wind warnings, my academic journey continued. My academics strived more than my community service hours as I regretfully could not begin my acts of service due to illness. Despite this setback, I gained a great deal of knowledge during the Reproductive module. Growing up, contraceptives were often introduced briefly, so it was refreshing to explore the mechanisms of the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis in greater depth, along with the hormones involved in reproductive regulation. One of the most memorable learning experiences of this module was the CBL on Contraception. Being placed in Dr. Clarkson’s group made the discussion engaging and educational, particularly when we examined the differences between relative therapeutic effects of birth control to actual effects. This reinforced the necessity of individualized patient focused care which remains the most important aspect of being a responsible clinician. Additionally, Tulane had the opportunity to host a Nobel Laureate as a guest speaker. This was an inspiring experience as Dr. Vamsi Mootha described his research on the mitochondrial pathways and the developmental progress of therapies for patients with mitochondrial disorders. This was my first exposure to the physician scientist profession, and meeting someone in this role was a valuable learning experience that has once again broadened my understanding to the vast number of ways medicine and science intersect. Overall this month opened my eyes to the diverse ways available to help patients and contribute to the advancement of health care.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

September 2025

My Introduction into Pharmacology During the past few weeks our cohort began to dive into inflammation and cell biology. It’s really interesting to learn about the connection between everyday medications and common illnesses. Learning more about NSAIDs and Tylenol has allowed me to identify symptoms and select the correct OTC medications I need. It almost feels like I’ve been endowed with secret knowledge! This makes every lecture truly fascinating because there is always more to learn. In particular, I found the microorganism related lectures to be the most interesting due to learning about the different fungi and bacteria that live within us and around us. A key takeaway from this module would be that even the smallest acts of prevention can make a difference in health. Especially for travelers, premedication and having a general understanding of the country you're traveling to will help in preventing illnesses such as malaria. Some topics from the past weeks that I would like to...
Read more

February 2026

  February Service Hours: 6 hours Cumulative for the Fall Semester: 6 hours This month was overflowing with holiday cheer thanks to Valentine’s Day and Mardi Gras. I’m grateful I was able to make space for both celebration and community service. I continued my volunteer efforts at Second Harvest Food Bank, spending time packing boxes with essential food items for families who need extra support. What stood out to me the most this month was seeing how people came to give back to the community, it is a reminder of how much community matters especially during such a busy time. Seeing volunteers show up was endearing to see, there are many thoughtful people who regularly give back to the community. Listening to their stories is one of the joys of volunteering, meeting new people and hearing about their stories that surface naturally while volunteering together makes the experience more personal and inspires me to continue my community service past graduation. I have seen consistent kin...
Read more