November


November Volunteer Hours: 7
Total Volunteer Hours: 23

             This was my last month in my current sublease in Mid-City, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I had some friends visit throughout the month, and I got to explore New Orleans even further. The CV and Renal/Pulmonary units were dense with learning material, but I feel like I now have my study schedule in order and am able to prepare for exams efficiently. Thanksgiving break came as a much-needed blessing, and I enjoyed the week and its good weather.
             As our weekly tasks at KIPP became more focused on structural and manual assignments (passing out materials, hanging up flyers, organizing closets), my fellow classmates and I realized we wanted to engage with students more. This lead us to Anna’s Place, which is an after-school organization at a local church for students from the Seventh Ward/Treme neighborhoods. The organization supports providing students with cultural and academic engagement and a healthy lifestyle. Emma and I spent the Thursday before Thanksgiving break at this new organization, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. For the first hour or so, we helped children from elementary to middle school with their homework. I conversed with students regarding their opinions on VSCO boys, Houston, and the best Kool-Aid flavor. Afterwards, we spent some time playing UNO with a young gentleman who was wise beyond his years and made us laugh with his quick wit. The younger children were then directed towards their music lesson, which consisted of singing Christmas carols with a church member while he played the piano. Finally, the children were all gathered back into the main seated area for dinner. The chef had prepared a delicious Thanksgiving feast of mac and cheese, scalloped potatoes, green beans, and more. While the kids ate dessert, we talked to them about their plans for the break and what they were looking forward to. This experience at Anna’s Place was exactly what we had been looking for, and we are excited to return after the break!
            To continue our weekly volunteering at KIPP and add on Anna’s Place, I realize time management will have to be key in the coming months. As I start studying for the MCAT in addition to schoolwork, it’ll be important to stay on schedule throughout the week. I’m also moving into a new house Uptown, which I’m excited about. Can’t wait to see what this last month holds before the end of the semester. Ciao for now!
Flyers promoting voter turnout for KIPP students to take home 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

February

Image
            What a fun month February has been! Classes have slowed down quite a bit, as have the influx of assignments. Presentations are becoming like second nature, and we are approaching our last couple exams in multiple classes. I really enjoyed the Neurology module and am currently pleased with the Psychiatry module as well, as material in both feels familiar. Between all the parades, king cake, and all-around celebratory nature of the city, this month has been an immersion into the spirit of Mardi Gras. I am thankful for having roommates and friends who are New Orleans natives! We continued volunteering at Anna’s Place and KIPP this month, both of which were enjoyable. At Anna’s Place, we helped students with homework and facilitated dinner as always. I also got the opportunity to help the program coordinator find activities for the kids to engage in for Black History Month. One week, we found coloring pages of Martin Luther King Jr., Harriett Tub...
Read more

April

Image
I can’t believe this is my last blog post of the program. Time has flown by, and this semester seemed like it was over in the blink of an eye. As we have now been in quarantine for over a month, and will be until at least May 16 th , life looks a lot different. I have looked forward to Zoom classes this past month with professors and fellow classmates, and am grateful for the smooth transition to online classes. Outside of class, having Zoom/Facetime sessions with friends and family is helpful in these times of isolation. As far as volunteering goes, I was excited to hear back from the Phone a Senior program with Hands On New Orleans a couple of weeks ago. This program delivers free meals to seniors in the New Orleans area twice a week, and as volunteers it is our job to call clients and make sure they received their meals. Furthermore, since we are assigned the same couple of clients, we get to build rapport with them and learn more about their situations and if they need any other...
Read more

January

Image
            After a much-needed winter break and a quick visit home to Texas, we are back in session! I can’t believe a whole semester has already flown by, and that there are only 3 months left in this program. Registering for graduation felt like déjà vu, since I only did that a year ago for undergrad. The Endocrine/Reproductive module we just had was an intriguing one, and I feel like I have a better understanding of hormones and their essential role in multiple areas. These next two modules, Neurology and Psychopharmacology, highly interest me as a Psychology major and I am very excited to learn the material in both. In addition to classwork, we have presentations in Neuropharmacology, Endocrine Pharmacology, and Environmental Signaling, which are definitely adding to the workload. I am also acutely aware of the approaching NBME in March, and hope to start reviewing for it in February.              This m...
Read more