The Last Hurrah

Well this is it! It's over. The program has come to a close and I will officially be a Master of Pharmacology. It's incredible. This program has given me so much, and I'm very glad I decided on it. This month has been a whirlwind as we've closed down the semester. We had our last exam on Tuesday, so it's still settling in. I've been back at KIPP, whittling away those hours in my favorite copy room. It will be sad to see all my friends I've made in this program leave as I look to stay here, but I'm excited for the new challenges ahead. As I search for a job, I realize I've actually become a real adult. No more can I hide behind the curtain of graduate school in order to stave off the impending doom of adulthood. I'm hopeful that I can land a job doing research here at Tulane, as it would definitely help my resume when applying this coming cycle. Speaking of which, that is rapidly approaching. I'm currently studying hard for the MCAT (the studying never stops), and preparing my application. It's all happening at the same time, which is crazy, but luckily that means it will all be over soon. So long to my 3 readers.

-Ashwin

April hours - 8

This semester total - 22

Year total - 60

March Madness

Another month has flown by, and we only have another month left in this program. It's crazy how quickly time has passed!! In the middle of March, we had our massive cumulative shelf exam, the summation of 8 months of learning and tutelage. It was challenging, but I'm very glad it's over. Now we just have a few more classes here and there until we're out of here at the end of April. Unfortunately, because of the business during March, I wasn't able to volunteer too much. I was only able to do some at KIPP. This upcoming weekend, however, I'll be planting trees again in the swamps of Louisiana in order to preserve that ever-important coastline. Over the course of our environmental pharmacology lectures, we've learned that New Orleans is basically done for, in terms of the rising sea level. Hopefully, this work to restore the coastline will do some to mitigate that. With more free time, I'll also look forward to returning to KIPP and continuing my volunteering there. Finally, we have some lead sample collection to do as we examine New Orleans' lead levels. This month will be exciting and challenging, as I complete my masters coursework and ramp up my MCAT studying. In addition, I'll be preparing my application for med school. It'll be a busy two months, but I'm looking forward to it.

Total hours - 14

March Hours - 4

Twister

In early February, a tornado struck New Orleans east and wrought serious damage to hundreds of homes. It was estimated to have been an EF3 category tornado, the third strongest possible tornado in existence. Thankfully, no one was killed in the disaster. However, countless lives were ruined because of the damage. On a bright Thursday morning two days after the storm, my classmates and I drove out with the Red Cross to help with damage assessment. Essentially, we were categorizing homes based on their damage. The "grade" we gave it would determine how much aid money they would receive. It was crazy to see how some home would be completely untouched, yet three doors down, a house would be gone--yes gone, with only the concrete foundation remaining. The resolve of those in the neighborhood was incredible. Many had experienced Hurricane Katrina as well, so most of their frustration and anger was directed at FEMA's general uselessness. It was understandable, given their lack of presence in the area. I plan to go again as soon as my schedule permits. Although a month has passed since the tornado struck, those people still need help.

Here's one of the crazier photos I grabbed. A trucked completely upside down, incase you suddenly lose the ability to see at this point in the blog.

Total Hours - 10

February - 10

Back at it again

After an all too short two week break, I found myself back in New Orleans ready for another semester. It's picked up pretty quickly, so I haven't had much time to volunteer. Our normally free time to go KIPP is now occupied by a new class, so it's been difficult to make it out there. With research and school in full swing, I haven't been able to perform my good samaritan's duty and volunteer this month, but I fully intend to get back out there once my schedule settles down. I've looked into other places to volunteer as well, like more coastal restoration or habitat for humanity.

This semester is different from the first one, with more classes that carry less weight. I wouldn't call it busy work; rather, I'd say I'm spending more time in the classroom for different lectures/seminars than normal. The material is engaging as always, so I have no trouble staying interested. I'm anxious to take our shelf exam, the massive cumulative exam that covers everything we've learned since July. It is worth 25% of our grade in med pharm this semester, so preparations have already begun. After that, I'll be taking my MCAT again and applying to medical school. It'll be a busy 3-4 months!!

January Hours - 0