So this last post is kind of late (sorry Dr. Clarkson!), but my time in the program has come to an end. I took our last exam and walked out, got one good ole picture, and was on my way. There are many things ahead for me. AMCAS opened today, my MCAT is coming up, and soon, I'll hopefully be able to send an email to my faculty here that I've been admitted.
The program has provided with good times, better learning, and some of the best memories and friends. In a way, that's what it's really all about, right? What is an education without memories? What is advancement without some fun? If you're reading this, the program has provided me with everything I wanted and more, as you'd expect with a program of 30 people. I'll be staying in New Orleans for a bit, but looking back I enjoyed every moment I got to have here. From eating late at night, to cramming for a test, to sharing communal meals, to sweating my face off, to teaching each other, and to making memories, Tulane has offered me more than an education (if that isn't already apparent). To my faculty, thanks for keeping me on my toes and putting up with my dumb questions. To my classmates, thanks for keeping it weird and I'll be keeping an eye out to all the amazing things you do to change the world. To New Orleans? Thanks for being the place full of history, love, food, and experience that made me want to come back in the first place.
As always, if you've got questions, you can reach me at andrewtvan@gmail.com. Still a little hard to believe little ole me ended up getting a Master's degree. Roll Wave!
April Service Hours: 6
Cumulative Spring Hours: 40
2018-2019: 73.5
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Monday, April 1, 2019
This one is still kinda related to food, but not really.
Happy April 1st!
So if you're reading this like I was, don't worry. The NBME isn't that bad and you've totally got this. Outside of the questions being a different style, you're going to nail it. Just study hard, know your indications, and be done with it!
So unfortunately, I haven't done much volunteering this month. I got a chance (last minute, albeit) to volunteer for Hogs For The Cause and it was awesome! Hogs for the Cause works with both local and national children's hospitals to help out financially with children that have brain cancer. Even if you can't volunteer with this, obviously your money goes to an amazing cause and it's so fun! Big fan of BBQ and big fan of causes like this. More information can be found at the bottom. I ended up volunteering through another organization that I am not involved with but equally support: Girls on the Run. Get involved and find out more about both at the bottom.
Since you've last read, I've finished out medical pharmacology and principles in pharmacology! All that's left is Molecular Cell and my MCAT! Program is winding down and soon we'll all have our little talks about where we'll go and what we'll do (great things no doubt), but for now, you'll just have to wait.
March Service Hours: 4
Cumulative Spring Hours: 34
2018-2019: 67.5
https://hogsforthecause.org/
https://www.girlsontherun.org/
So if you're reading this like I was, don't worry. The NBME isn't that bad and you've totally got this. Outside of the questions being a different style, you're going to nail it. Just study hard, know your indications, and be done with it!
So unfortunately, I haven't done much volunteering this month. I got a chance (last minute, albeit) to volunteer for Hogs For The Cause and it was awesome! Hogs for the Cause works with both local and national children's hospitals to help out financially with children that have brain cancer. Even if you can't volunteer with this, obviously your money goes to an amazing cause and it's so fun! Big fan of BBQ and big fan of causes like this. More information can be found at the bottom. I ended up volunteering through another organization that I am not involved with but equally support: Girls on the Run. Get involved and find out more about both at the bottom.
Since you've last read, I've finished out medical pharmacology and principles in pharmacology! All that's left is Molecular Cell and my MCAT! Program is winding down and soon we'll all have our little talks about where we'll go and what we'll do (great things no doubt), but for now, you'll just have to wait.
March Service Hours: 4
Cumulative Spring Hours: 34
2018-2019: 67.5
https://hogsforthecause.org/
https://www.girlsontherun.org/
Friday, March 1, 2019
Here’s what’s happened so far if you don’t care to read too
much. I’ve finished our last medical pharmacology exam (prior to the NBME) and
I’ve rounded out and finished Principles of Pharmacology! We still have our
other classes to go, but that’s one down. The NBME is quite the test, even with
the time that I have. Most of my time has been devoted to the MCAT which is steadfastly
creeping up [May 31st]. If you’re reading this as a prospective
student, I will go ahead and let you know there is adequate time to do both
this program and study for your exam!
As far as volunteering goes, I’ve spent most of my time at Goldring. My time is always rewarding in one way or another, but Goldring means a lot to me. I’ve written about what Goldring is, but not so much what it means to me. Let’s talk about my neighbor growing up. When I was a kid, she got sick. She came over less and less to my mother’s house and needed some support every now and then from her sons. My mom was the same way. Eventually, she lost her foot (big jump in the story obviously, and if you’re inept enough, maybe you can guess what gave her the amputation and my values for nutrition and food). See, the thing about food is that it’s one of the greatest joys in life, but at the same time, one of the most dangerous/beneficial things we toy around with in medicine. A little beside the point. In high school, I pretty much taught myself to cook. In fact, I found it to be one of the most relaxing things I could do. In college, I got exposed to the culture pot that it can be. See, I think, one of the best ways to experience a culture is food and one of the most beautiful things about food is that it brings people together (we all can agree over some food and you know it). Fast forward to when I’m a junior in college, I cook lunch for my mom and our neighbor. They enjoy it. Somewhere along the time I’m there my neighbor and I strike up a conversation about health. My mother likes to brag her son is studying to be a doctor (you know how moms are, clearly a little over exaggeration), but even I know that you must eat sort of healthy. When I ask her the naïve question about why she just didn’t eat a little healthier her response is what I’ve heard a lot: Too expensive and I really don’t know how to cook healthy like the doctor wants me to. That’s what I love about Goldring in a long, convoluted post. Here, I get the opportunity to participate in something I love to do and something that I am passionate about and that crossover gives me the ability to really help someone that might be just like my neighbor. Now, of course, this is New Orleans. I don’t claim to be some health saint with an 8 pack but being aware what food can do for me and do to me is quite something isn’t it.
In other news, Mardi Gras is here!! What a fun time.
February Service Hours: 15
Cumulative Spring Hours: 30
2018-2019: 63.5
As far as volunteering goes, I’ve spent most of my time at Goldring. My time is always rewarding in one way or another, but Goldring means a lot to me. I’ve written about what Goldring is, but not so much what it means to me. Let’s talk about my neighbor growing up. When I was a kid, she got sick. She came over less and less to my mother’s house and needed some support every now and then from her sons. My mom was the same way. Eventually, she lost her foot (big jump in the story obviously, and if you’re inept enough, maybe you can guess what gave her the amputation and my values for nutrition and food). See, the thing about food is that it’s one of the greatest joys in life, but at the same time, one of the most dangerous/beneficial things we toy around with in medicine. A little beside the point. In high school, I pretty much taught myself to cook. In fact, I found it to be one of the most relaxing things I could do. In college, I got exposed to the culture pot that it can be. See, I think, one of the best ways to experience a culture is food and one of the most beautiful things about food is that it brings people together (we all can agree over some food and you know it). Fast forward to when I’m a junior in college, I cook lunch for my mom and our neighbor. They enjoy it. Somewhere along the time I’m there my neighbor and I strike up a conversation about health. My mother likes to brag her son is studying to be a doctor (you know how moms are, clearly a little over exaggeration), but even I know that you must eat sort of healthy. When I ask her the naïve question about why she just didn’t eat a little healthier her response is what I’ve heard a lot: Too expensive and I really don’t know how to cook healthy like the doctor wants me to. That’s what I love about Goldring in a long, convoluted post. Here, I get the opportunity to participate in something I love to do and something that I am passionate about and that crossover gives me the ability to really help someone that might be just like my neighbor. Now, of course, this is New Orleans. I don’t claim to be some health saint with an 8 pack but being aware what food can do for me and do to me is quite something isn’t it.
In other news, Mardi Gras is here!! What a fun time.
February Service Hours: 15
Cumulative Spring Hours: 30
2018-2019: 63.5
Thursday, January 31, 2019
Hi! Happy New Year! Here's quick update.
Here is what I am enrolled in this semester (which I haven't explained before sorry!):
1.) Advances in Pharmacology (This is where I present [and you will too])
2.) Cellular Control Mechanism (You remember PMAT?)
3.) Endocrine Pharmacology (Estrogen is kind of a big deal)
4.) Environmental Signaling (Estrogen is kind of a big deal in a lot of things you probably own [plus we're doing a fun little project to look at lead levels in soil])
5.) Medical Pharmacology (This is pretty much what you think)
6.) Neuropharmacology (This is also pretty much what you think)
7.) Principles of Pharmacology (This one is harder to explain)
8.) Seminar in Pharmacology (this is a lecture series where different people come in to lecture in a variety of topics in pharmacology)
Here's the school updates. We've taken our first exam in medical pharmacology and and principles of pharmacology. We covered a lot of estrogen, progesterone, signaling, and my favorite, diabetes. I wanted to be an endocrinologist at one time in my life. It was very fun (I really like diabetes), and VERY relevant. Things like this will undoubtedly be seen again and again so I can always appreciate it when get lectures on them. Clinical relevance is given, but I certainly learn a lot about pathways and drugs. Right now, we're coming up on our cell control and neurology block exams.
Here's what I've done with volunteering. I've pretty much done only Goldring this month! You can look back in my previous posts to find out what that is about. Recently, I've been more hands on. For example, last time we didn't have enough participants so I got to partner up and get in the kitchen. In addition, I've been able to give talks about nutritions, finance, and more of what-can-you-do kind of talks at the end of the night (previously this was usually done by the chef). I find immense value in this because I know at the end of my night I've gotten to not only help this community but be able to feel more apart of it.
Here are some life updates. I went to my first Saints game! A playoff at that. Something magical about that and as weird and corny as it sounds, it's hard to describe in words what a playoff game is like (I attended the playoff, not championship (you know if you know)). In addition, I've scheduled my MCAT for May (fun, fun). Of course, I've gotten to take part in some food. You might be asking why I do this so much. Food is, in my opinion, one of the BEST ways to experience culture and there sure is a lot of it here. We'll leave it at that.
(maybe my interest in diabetes is for prevention purposes)
Community Service Hours for this month: 15
Community Service Hours for the year-to-date: 48.5
Here is what I am enrolled in this semester (which I haven't explained before sorry!):
1.) Advances in Pharmacology (This is where I present [and you will too])
2.) Cellular Control Mechanism (You remember PMAT?)
3.) Endocrine Pharmacology (Estrogen is kind of a big deal)
4.) Environmental Signaling (Estrogen is kind of a big deal in a lot of things you probably own [plus we're doing a fun little project to look at lead levels in soil])
5.) Medical Pharmacology (This is pretty much what you think)
6.) Neuropharmacology (This is also pretty much what you think)
7.) Principles of Pharmacology (This one is harder to explain)
8.) Seminar in Pharmacology (this is a lecture series where different people come in to lecture in a variety of topics in pharmacology)
Here's what I've done with volunteering. I've pretty much done only Goldring this month! You can look back in my previous posts to find out what that is about. Recently, I've been more hands on. For example, last time we didn't have enough participants so I got to partner up and get in the kitchen. In addition, I've been able to give talks about nutritions, finance, and more of what-can-you-do kind of talks at the end of the night (previously this was usually done by the chef). I find immense value in this because I know at the end of my night I've gotten to not only help this community but be able to feel more apart of it.
Here are some life updates. I went to my first Saints game! A playoff at that. Something magical about that and as weird and corny as it sounds, it's hard to describe in words what a playoff game is like (I attended the playoff, not championship (you know if you know)). In addition, I've scheduled my MCAT for May (fun, fun). Of course, I've gotten to take part in some food. You might be asking why I do this so much. Food is, in my opinion, one of the BEST ways to experience culture and there sure is a lot of it here. We'll leave it at that.
(maybe my interest in diabetes is for prevention purposes)
Community Service Hours for this month: 15
Community Service Hours for the year-to-date: 48.5
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