January blog Post

Volunteer hours: 2 

So far in the month of January, we have finished the endocrine block and focused a significant amount of time on diabetes. We have just finished the block and now we are moving to the reproductive health block.    I have always been fascinated by diabetes so it was very interesting to learn about the many drugs that individuals can take to manage their H1c and blood glucose. As an EMT working in new Orleans, it was very common to have a patient who is pre-diabetic or diabetic. In many of those cases, individuals were taking metformin. To learn about metformin and its drug profile was very helpful and will better my ability to understand the medications my patients take. Something that I am looking forward to is the Endocrine pharmacology class we are taking this semester. The textbook that we are using is titled "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers".  I find stress and its side effects very interesting and Dr. Sapolsky does a great job being informative while putting a humorous touch on the subject. 

This month, I volunteered with graduate student Chabad where we baked challah and donated it to a food bank. This was a great event as I was able to go with a few other Pharmacology masters program students including Teddy, Rabbi and Amelie as well as meet many Tulane School of Medicine students. While I have not done any EMT shifts in the month of January, I look forward to working in February and volunteering at a Mardi Gras first aid station!

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