February - Beads and Benzos

February as been a bit of blur, and not just because of Mardi Gras. It is time to begin getting serious in preparation for our modified "shelf" exam, which for all you kids at home is like a final exam mixed with standardized testing. It's a huge percentage of our grades and covers all of the major material that we have went over for the year. To say the least, we are feeling some stress about that as well as the MCAT. I think the majority of my class is also taking the MCAT in April, so back to back intensive studying, as well as working on major projects for some of my electives like Neuropharmacology and Endocrine Pharmacology is right around the corner.

We began looking deeper into psychiatric drugs in a few of our courses this semester, a big class of those drugs being benzodiazepines (or "Benzos" as the title indicates). Benzodiazepines are drugs commonly used in the treatment of anxiety. They work with the GABAergic system, which in anxious patients the GABA system is down regulated in the frontal cortex. Some common Benzos are chlordiazepoxide and diazepam, which bind to receptors with alpha and gamma subunits, enhancing the effect on the chloride ion current of the GABA. They exhibit a dose-response relationship, so they are harder to overdose on when compared to barbiturates, commonly used for sedatives (can also be used for anxiolysis). We also learned about antidepressants, antipsychotics, and CNS stimulants.

For volunteering, February has been a slower month. January is when I get a lot of action done with my chapter at U of L being an academic advisor for my fraternity. That is mainly time-dependent, because with my girls I want to establish a good foundation for their semester when setting probation terms. During this month, I've wrapped up some contracts, and more so working with the Cancer Association of Greater New Orleans. We are setting up some meetings to discuss the big Tour des Lis bike race for cancer care opportunities. I have been working on a cancer resource profile as well.

1st Mardi Gras parade!

My friends came to visit! This is at Court of Two Sisters

February volunteer hours: 1.5
Semester: 7.5

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June- Physical Health During the MCAT

The MCAT study period can be stressful! When you are laser-focused on a prep-course, it can be hard to think about your health, but the truth is applying to medical school is like a marathon! When you train for something requiring discipline, you have to be mindful of how you are also preparing your body and mind for it too! Here are some ways I stay healthy: Physical Health: Diet- What do I typically eat? Well let's start with my rules for food: first off, I MEAL PREP. Secondly, I stopped buying fattening junk food. Third, I am rolling on a budget people. Fourth, I have also become a bit of a food snob since I have been eating fresh food... so sorry, not sorry. Breakfast : Premier Protein Shake + Mix-ins I buy by the case-load from Amazon , my favorite are Cookies and Cream I blend these with "Frozen Smoothie Packs" I make: usually frozen berries, chia seeds, and spinach (sometimes I will add PB2) (I discovered this on WW Freestyle when I was

May- AMCAS and AACOMAS

Even though I've completed my program, May seems to be non-stop. I'm pretty sure my family thinks I must be bored out of my mind, but it doesn't seem like there are enough hours in the day. May has been mainly sunny and hopeful. I've been applying to jobs (A LOT), applying with AMCAS (MD schools), and AACOMAS (DO schools). If you've never seen a med school app before, you'll probably be surprised at how much time goes into perfecting them. I'm also preparing for the MCAT (of course, June 27th is going to be my day to shine... or evening. I'm taking it at 6 pm, what is that?). Here are some May updates for you. May Life Updates Cucumbers from my garden with Greek yogurt dip Unusual chilly day in the hammock

May II- Graduation Edition

It's still a bit surreal that my classmates and I are done with the program. I think it's been hard to find closure as the world paused time or is operating in slow motion. It's like we have all been hibernating and awaking to Spring, except Spring is entering a reality of change. Although we were physically apart for graduation, we made the best of what we had: having an "official" ceremony in the morning and a departmental party on Zoom later in the day. It was heartwarming to see my colleagues in their regalia and their family members joining to celebrate our accomplishments. My own family joined in from Indiana! Linh made a video of all of our pictures together and a videos of us saying goodbye, which was really bittersweet. Caps off to us! Roll Wave, Ashley Happy Graduation Pharmacology Class of 2020! Tulane Medical School Graduation Message Link

Confessions of a Crescent City Transplant

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