Tulane Pharmacology Blog

Happy February to All, These past 4 weeks have seemed to fly by for a multitude of reasons. We covered 2 separate modules in a span of 28 short days and seemed to hit the ground running from the first week of the month. While our designated "Mardi Gras break" was far from the traditional festivities that occur all week long, it provided a much-needed rest following our Neurology module. This module covered topics ranging from the cell cycle, the neurobiology of stroke, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Seizures, and Addiction to the effect of opioids and alcohol on the brain. My favorite of these topics would have to be Parkinson's given its complex neuropathology and pathogenesis involving the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway. My second week of the month was hectic, to say the least. One test and 3 presentations covering a varying degree of topics: COVID-19 and stress, clozapine and schizophrenia, and finally, emergence agitation as it relates to general anesthetics. N

  Happy January to all, The pharmacology program wasted no time in starting our spring curriculum after a much-needed break. We hit the ground running with our Endocrinology/Reproductive Module. The topics I found most interesting from this module ranged from thyroid abnormalities to insulin signaling. As a class, we successfully completed our first Team-Based Learning (TBL) exercise on diabetes with appropriate peer engagement, a deeper understanding of concepts, and a sense of responsibility towards classmates. Topics covered included  compliance to treatment, adherence to a diabetic diet, knowledge of major diabetic complications, knowledge of signs of hypoglycemia, and home management of hypoglycemia with insulin regimens.  The Kids Serving Kids program has remained productive developing new program sites and helping children with some in-school programming.  Last summer and spring we provided online content with some fun tennis and fitness drills for our families. This past Decemb

  Happy November to all, These past 4 weeks also seemed to fly by for a multitude of reasons. We covered 2 separate modules in a span of 30 days and seemed to hit the ground running with a Renal/Pulm exam to start the month. Our most recent, and my personal favorite module to date, was undoubtedly the GI/Neoplasia module given its clinical relevance in modern medicine.  The study habits that I have developed over the first semester have prepared me well for next semester and future medical school curriculums.  Unexpected delays certainly characterized this month and semester in general whether it be related to the COVID pandemic or one of the six tropical storms that targeted the state of Louisiana. I was impressed with our cohesiveness as a class and the teachers/administrators' ability to adapt and finish the semester without significant impediments.  We have made great strides in our service project "Kids Serving Kids" for the New Orleans Chapter. Given my remote worki

  Happy October to all These past 4 weeks have seemed to fly by for a multitude of reasons. We covered 3 separate modules in a span of 31 days and seemed to hit the ground running from the first week of the month. I am relieved that one of the more challenging modules,  ANS Pharmacology and Physiology, is now behind us. The study habits that I have developed over the past 8-10 weeks have prepared me well for continued success with our curriculum. The team-based learning exercises and extensive online educational resources related to the 3 separate modules encouraged student engagement, a deeper understanding of pharmacological concepts and a sense of responsibility towards classmates.  While COVID-19 has restricted our public outreach for the semester, we have found creative ways to engage both the New Orleans community and elsewhere. I wrote several letters to a penpal named Lloyd who resides at the Woodlands Healthcare Center in Los Gatos, CA. Although I have not heard back from him

The Fall 2020 semester is certainly one that I will never forget. After graduating from Tulane University in 2018, I made the decision to return to graduate school this semester. However, I am one of a few students who chose to learn remotely from my respective hometown in Nashville, TN. Based on my observations so far, classes go smoother when there is some procedure/expectation set. Professors all have different preferences regarding communication options b/w chat, raising a hand, etc. It is also helpful to communicate if they want videos on or off, audio muted when not talking, etc. most of my professors have checked in with our remote status, as well as encouraged us to reach out and chat, basically keeping up the human side of learning that can be critical to a wholistic schooling experience.  I'm appreciative of how swiftly some of my professors have adapted to the COVID-19 situation. Some have offered flexibility on deadlines and others have adapted their syllabi to a virtua