Tulane Pharmacology 2017-18

Hello Loyal Readers, Another thrilling month in the world of Pharmacology! In this month's adventures, the feature event was the NBME Shelf Exam at the start of the month... A cumulative exam with information that most of us had not touched since AUGUST (Hello, ANS/CV Block) was a truly daunting task to face. However, chipping away at the material day by day, things really did seem to come back and make sense way quicker than normal. I think this is a testament to how my study skills have changed in grad school. Much of undergrad is remembered as cramming and late nights, however, the masters program is a much more active and consistent form of study, which I believe is really what helped to aid in the long-term potentiation of the material (shoutout Endo-Pharm for that reference). With the end of the shelf we saw the semester really slow down alot. With only one class left with exams, the program shifts way more towards seminars and student presentations. While it can seem somew

While I'd love to talk about Pharmacology in this post, I think the elephant in the room for any prospective student who might be reading this post is... MARDI GRAS. Now, as a native New Orleanian, MG is not something that is particularly new to me. However, what was new was the opportunity to show a whole new group of people what all the hype was about. While we lost a lot of good men far too early in the weekend, some were able to pace themselves and understood the importance of rally. Twas a rainy MG this year, but nonetheless, I think all would consider it a huge success. If you are a first timer to the festivities, make sure you heed the warning of the importance of pacing yourself throughout the weekend. As for academia and volunteering, both were about as calm as they have been this year. I (regrettably) did not take advantage of any of my down time and was unable to complete any volunteer hours this month. It'll make for a busy next couple months, but with 20 hours to

Welp, after a much needed winter break, we're back at it again with the Neuro Pharmacology... only this time, everything has changed. Just kidding, tried to be dramatic but I can't take myself seriously. In all seriousness, the start of this semester has been an insanely busy one. We have an entire new crop of classes (for the most part), plus the NBME is quickly approaching! In addition to having to contend with school and the unexpected snow (yep, you read that right-- snow in NOLA), I also went and got myself married earlier this month! Meaghan and I got hitched on January 13, 2018 at Race and Religious in what proved to be a satisfyingly cold and awesome night. If I could give any wedding advice to anyone reading this, it would be: GET MARRIED WHEN YOU'RE NOT IN SCHOOL! Anyways, the thing went off with a boom and a sense of reality has only just begun to set back in. As for academia specifics, I urge you not to get married with school in session since you'll find

Another month... wait... FINALLY A BREAK!!! After a grueling span of break-less schooling since July 12th, we finally were rewarded with several days off for Thanksgiving break. For those who are interested in the program, let me tell ya, you’re going to need this break. Not necessarily because you’re sick of school and just don’t want to do it anymore, but because you’re going to be mentally exhausted— and that’s a good thing if you ask me. I personally took advantage of our days off to drive up to Chicago (that’s correct, DRIVE for ~14 hours each way) to spend the holiday with a couple friends from college, as well as my brother and my newborn nephew. The food was great, the company was better, but the weather left something to be desired... actually, no it didn’t; after 4 years in the frozen tundra of Wisconsin, I forgot how much I didn’t miss the frigid North’s winters. Anyways, a relaxing break was just what the doctor ordered and now it’s time to finish the semester strong. 

Another month, another exam, another hurricane (well, kinda of...). This month has been an awfully busy one in the pharmacology program, with our Pulm/Inflammation block exam being towards the start of the month and our Neoplasia/GI block exam coming up just after the turn of the month. Both of these topics have been full of new material and different drugs than the two blocks prior (CV and Renal) due to the lack of interconnectedness that was seen in the aforementioned blocks. While it has been challenging to "shift gears" a little bit with the material, it has also been extremely interesting to learn about some of the types of drugs that we see on a more everyday basis (asthma, headaches, pain, etc.). There is this strange sense of fulfillment in learning about these more "everyday" drugs and actually being able to make the connections to real life applications, something that was a little more difficult to do in the CV and Renal blocks. Anyways, I have enjoyed th

Wow, to think that we are already half way through the semester is a pretty crazy thought. This past month of September has seen me do a variety of things that are brand new to me, ranging from Cardiovascular and Renal pharmacology to my first experience with Habitat for Humanity. With most of our basic principles of pharmacology behind us, transitioning into specific organ systems was definitely a bit of a shock at first. However, with time these topics slowly began to grow more comfortable, and ultimately into something really enjoyable and engaging. It has been interesting to really be able to see the practicality of my studies, perhaps for the first time in my academic career... Sure learning Organic Chemistry and Physics have their place in the practical world, but being able to learn the mechanisms of drugs which are responsible for solving such real issues like heart failure or renal disease has really been a cool experience. I'm excited to continue the academic traverse t