November Blog: Halfway There

 Volunteer Hour Breakdown:

Boo at the Zoo: 5 hours

St. Michael Special School: 2 hours

Giving Hope NOLA: 5 Hours

Monthly Community Service Hours: 5 Hours

Cumulative Fall Semester Service Hours Completed: 12 Hours

This month has been both my most rewarding and most challenging so far. We are approaching the halfway point of this program, and I have learned so much. It is amazing how much we have learned over the last couple of months and how all we have learned so far has been built on one another. Last month I talked about our module on cardiovascular pharmacology and the JiTT sessions that were a huge benefit for such a complex system like the cardiovascular system. We have moved on from the cardiovascular system and started on the renal and pulmonary systems. The renal and pulmonary has been some of my favorite modules. One of the topics that stood out to me the most was asthma due to its prevalence. Our last module this semester before winter break is gastrointestinal neoplasia. Before Thanksgiving break, we had the opportunity to learn about cancer biology, angiogenesis, as well as targeted and non-targeted therapy for cancer treatment. Understanding the difference between targeted and non-targeted therapies is an essential foundation for oncology treatments today. The program allows for a broad view of medicine which will serve me well moving forward to other programs I will pursue in the future. 

This month I had the opportunity to volunteer at Giving Hope NOLA, an organization that collaborates with Second Harvest Food Bank to provide nutritious food to households experiencing food insecurity. With the rise of food insecurity in the New Orleans area, Giving Hope NOLA allows families in the New Orleans East area to have access to the food pantry without having to travel long distances. During my time there, I helped organize perishable and non-perishable items into boxes, ensuring households had the ingredients they needed to prepare Thanksgiving meals. I was also able to meet several volunteers who have been contributing their time for many years to help feed those in need. With only a few weeks of school left. I’m excited to see what next semester has to offer. 

Hope to talk to y’all soon,

Kayla Nguyen