Half Way Through!!

     This fall semester is only a few days from drawing to a close and it is hard to believe how much I have developed in the past few months. Mostly due to the motivation brought about by impending exams, I have managed to learn more than I ever thought possible about pharmacology as well as about myself. I have overcome many expected and unexpected obstacles, such as monthly Battle Assemblies with my Army Unit, an exciting bout with appendicitis, and the joyful burden of being a new parent while my husband is away fulfilling his Army commitments. Thus far, I believe that I have certainly experienced the true meaning of a University. I have grown in academic knowledge as well as scientific and medical experience, and most of all in a sort of self development and understanding of what the impact of medicine is, as well as my potential role in the field of medicine. Through reflecting on my experiences in this blogging portfolio, I have cemented in my mind all the enrichment that this Masters Program has made available to me.

(Community Service hours summary: 15 hrs between KIPP and Anesthesiology)

Another Month Flown By....

This past month has brought about many new and wonderful experiences here in New Orleans. In addition to beginning the necessary classes to work for the anesthesiology department in research, I have begun volunteering at the KIPP charter school. Volunteering at the KIPP school has been a most enriching opportunity.

The KIPP school is located near downtown New Orleans very close to Tulane Medical School. The exterior of the building is very beautiful and the architecture is in the old fashioned style that is so common in New Orleans, but it is what is n the inside that is the most magnificent. Within its walls, the school provides education, nurturing, and an encouraging environment for children to grow as individuals. Each class is given a title of a well known college. For example, Ms Smith’s Third Grade Class might be known as Emory or Xavier or Tulane. The walls are filled with memorabilia from many well-respected universities as well as art work and projects from the students.

Though I have not yet had much direct contact with the children themselves, I have spent enough time at the school to get a comprehensive understanding of all that this school does for underprivileged children. The value of education is no secret and the negative effects of a lack of education are equally well known. This school ensures that no child in New Orleans will have to suffer from a want of education and the atmosphere at the school enkindles in the children a desire and passion for learning and curiosity and academic motivation at an early age. This experience in a child’s life is so instrumental in helping mold these beautiful children and allowing them to fulfill their utmost potential to become all they can be. 

(14 hrs community service) 

Enrichment in NOLA

The Adventure in October

The month of October has brought about new adventures and new opportunities. Having recovered, for the most part, from my appendectomy, I was able to play soccer with our intramural soccer team "Pharmers Only."  I also was accepted to the Volunteer Research Program with the Department of Anesthesiology, an opportunity about which I am extremely exhilarated.  I am continuing to work with scheduling in order to begin in November and am looking forward to it and can't wait to have that experience to write about.  I am particularly excited to see how my knowledge gained through the Pharmacology classes with affect and enrich my research experience and how the research will enhance my pharmacological understanding. 

On the non-academic side of life, I am continuing to go out and experience what New Orleans has to offer.  Recently I was privileged to attend an organ and opera concert hosted by St. Patrick’s Church.  It was free to the public, which I thought was absolutely wonderful.  Most operas and other events of the sort are very expensive and such that only those that are well-endowed monetarily can attend.  Having this opportunity available to the impecunious is truly beautiful.  It is amazing to have opportunities like this available to all.

I find that this experience brings forth the importance of churches and charity in many aspects.  Although I am reaping the benefits in the realm of the arts, this also gives me an opportunity to reflect on the profound influence churches and other non-profit organizations can have in many fields, such as education and medicine.  Elegant beauty in music, a good education, and good medical care: these are not things that should be limited to those in the upper echelons of economic society. 

(2 hrs community service)

Bon Jour from NOLA!!! (SEPT 2014)

The Adventure of Changing Scenery

The Move, Culture, Community

     The move from rural, central New Mexico to the metropolis of downtown New Orleans proved to be a singular experience. To go from a place where silos are skyscrapers to a metroplex with real skyscrapers with the capacity to hold more people than the population of entire counties in New Mexico came as quite a culture shock. My mother and I drove from New Mexico to New Orleans in my small compact Ford Focus smartly packed with all my belongings save my somewhat sizable library that I was sure not to need as there would be plenty of assigned reading to keep me well occupied. I immediately took pleasure in watching the geographical and topographical changes that accompanied the trip. Desert mountains became desert valleys which slowly morphed into lush central plains then as we entered the coastal regions of the lower bayou, I had my first encounter with marshes, and I may say that photographs do not do them justice. They are limited by their two dimensional quality and cannot fully capture the full ambiance of sogginess that is a marsh. I was eager to immerse myself in the New Orleans culture as much as I could before the rigors of schooling commenced. My mother and I enjoyed several pleasant walks around the French quarter and made sure to take advantage of the full experience of Cajun cuisine. My first meal here was a gator po' boy with a side of gumbo. 

     My absolute favorite part of New Orleans is the old cathedrals. The opulence, grandeur and magnificence of these churches is truly befitting their Holy Occupant. I have had the great pleasure of attending several Masses here and have been utterly entranced by the uplifting beauty of the Mass. The pipe organs and choirs and incense and architecture truly bring one to focus on what is good, beautiful, and true! 

     One further observation, which I would be delinquent not to mention, is the observation that New Orleans is such a great community. Although it has a population of over 300,000, not counting the surrounding areas of Metairie and Gretna, etc., the feeling of community is very palpable. It is quite new for me to see so many people of such diversity come together as a real community. This is of particular notice when the New Orleans Saints play football. EVERYBODY loves the Saints! No matter where you are in the city or who you are in the city you love the Saints. EVERYONE wears a Saints jersey on game day, I mean everyone! It is really nice to see that sort of camaraderie take hold of an entire city.      

The Adventure of My Clinical Experience

My Clinical Experience in Pharmacology: a Patient's Perspective

      The Pharmacology Program took off like a sky rocket and studying once again consumed my life. I cannot deny that I have thoroughly enjoyed every little bit of it, though. This topic of study is of immense interest to me and I absolutely love it! We have already studied basics of pharmacology and microbiology and hematology and are now deeply ensconced in the study of cardiovascular pharmacology, which is my favorite specialty thus far. I think the heart is the most amazing, fascinating organ in the body, and I have really had a great deal of satisfaction spending time learning how to read ECGs and what drugs to give to correct different types of arrhythmias.
     And now, I must give some details concerning my peculiar and personal clinical experience with some drugs that we learned about in class.
     I shall pass over in silence the details of the events that precipitated in my being admitted to the Tulane Emergency Department. However, once admitted, I was diagnosed as the unfortunate victim of acute appendicitis. The diagnosis came about after a long parade of multiple doctors assessing me by pressing and prodding my irritated and infected lower right abdomen. They asked a myriad of highly relevant yet
equally repetitive questions concerning how long I had been in pain and where I hurt, and so forth. They also stuck me with a great many needles for IV lines and to draw blood and other painful assays. Now, after being rushed to surgery and then awakening in a groggy, grumpy stupor a few hours later, I was wheeled off to recovery where some wonderful classmates awaited me with well wishes. As I regained consciousness, we began to have a discussion of the drugs I was on. The primary drugs of interest were my antibiotics. I had been put on a broad spectrum antibiotic piperacillin and tazobactam, a beta lactamase inhibitor. As I am expecting my first child, we were all greatly concerned with side effects and especially the pregnancy category of all my drugs. I also experienced a serial selection of pain killers, each with similarly sedating and mentally debilitating side effects, which left me in a state where I should not have been allowed to send text messages.

     We looked up all those drugs and examined them with scrutiny for their pharmacokinetics and side effects and hazards. Being on schedule II drugs was somewhat disconcerting. As we continued studying I also recognized several muscle relaxants and drugs that reverse the effects of muscle relaxants and though to myself, "hey, I probably had those!" It was really quite entertaining to have a knowledge of what was going on!
     As I lay hospitalized and recovering for 2 days, I was able to reflect on the position of a patient as well as the position of a doctor in such a setting. My life had been in their hands and they had saved both my life and that of my baby, and my sentiment of gratitude for that is beyond words. A profession such as this holds so much satisfaction and joy in the service of others. As a patient I was miserable almost all the time, but the doctors and nurses all treated me in such a manner as to reassure me and make me feel comfortable. There are many other qualities of medicine that seem so much more vivid when one is surrounded by them and given time to reflect on the greatness of the field. It goes far beyond factual knowledge and transcends deeply into the realm of human compassion.

(no community service hours completed)