September blog post

 New Orleans EMS volunteering month of September: 12 hours 

The organization I chose to volunteer at is New Orleans EMS, the local EMS agency responsible for providing emergency medical services to all parts of New Orleans. I have been volunteering with New Orleans EMS for close to a year now, so I am glad that I have the opportunity to continue my volunteer work there throughout the duration of the pharmacology curriculum. What I love about volunteering with New Orleans EMS is the opportunity to parallel what I am learning in the classroom with clinical application and patient interaction. I believe that taking pharmacology courses has significantly improved my skillset as an EMT. I can better recognize my patients' medical history with the knowledge of their prescriptions and understand what drugs are clinically indicated in the pre-hospital setting for the patient. 

While we have only progressed through three exam blocks in the master's program, during my shift, I was able to identify multiple drugs and concepts that we were learning in the classroom. For example, we had a patient who was suffering from an anaphylactic reaction, and we administered epinephrine, a drug we learned about during the steroid/ antiinflammatory unit. Furthermore, we administered diphenhydramine, better known as Benadryl. While I had known that Benadryl was indicated for a patient incurring an allergic reaction, it felt rewarding to understand that diphenhydramine is an H1 first-generation antihistamine that crosses the blood-brain barrier. Making these connections and having an in-depth understanding of the drugs I am administering grows my confidence and scope as a health care provider. As an aspiring physician, I am eager to continue my education in this master's program and grow my arsenal of knowledge to better set me up for future success! 

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