October 2021

 After all that went on in August and September, October marks my first full month in New Orleans! All the turbulence and getting into the swing of classes from the get-go after returning made it a bit more difficult to settle back into a routine those first couple of weeks back, but now into October I've really been able to explore more of what the city has to offer. 

The sights and sounds of New Orleans have been a welcome break in between work and class. Between the parks in the city and outside town, the music venues, restaurants, and the Krewe of Boo Parade I've already been able to experience a lot, but there is still so much more I have to explore.

As I have become more comfortable and settled back into town, the program has definitely ramped up! While I haven't found myself falling behind, I have definitely started to see our coursework take on new complexity. By this point in the semester, most of the material coming our way has been more novel to me. I can see how what we are learning now has been built on the foundations of what we have learned so far, but this is the first time I am feeling like the majority of what we are working on is entirely new to me. We are covering ion channels, enzymes, and physiology that are outside the scope of what I saw in biochemistry, biology, and introductory anatomy in undergrad. I haven't been able to rely as much on prior knowledge or at least exposure to the material, which is not just more challenging but exciting, too. All told, I still hope to have an easier time on the neuro/psychopharm modules when the time comes!

An unfortunate downside to only just being able to settle in the last couple of weeks has been that I haven't been able to pursue any of the service opportunities I had been intending to. That being said, I have been able to find many opportunities for service that I am not only interested in, but are a good fit for my skill set and allow me to make the greatest impact. More on that will be coming next month!

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