April Service- KIPP School and Wrap-up

Hello friends,

This month was a whirlwind. Its hard to believe this year-long master's program is finally coming to a close. I had my last couple presentations last week, took my last exam two days ago, and spent all day yesterday moving out of my apartment, and am finishing up my last bit of work for the program today.

The year didn't pan out as I expected. At first I thought I would come here, take the courses, explore New Orleans, than leave. I wasn't expecting to make exceptional friends, or engage in cutting edge research. Thanks to the opportunities provided by the pharmacology program, I was able to do all those things. I definitely feel like I have sharpened my study skills and learned how to prioritize more efficiently over the past year. Above all, the courses and style of lecture I experienced during this program have given me confidence that I have what it takes to not only succeed in medical school, but to thrive there. I'm definitely looking forward to what comes next!

As for service this month, I continued my work at the KIPP School and have now gotten the chance to interact and even connect with some of the children. I was amazed at how motivated and driven they were to succeed. It made me feel even better about volunteering at this wonderful institution for the past year. I would like to thank Josh Lowe, one of the administrators at the KIPP school for being incredibly accommodating and understanding as he helped us coordinate our service. It was great getting to know him, he made me look forward to service every week.

Finally, I would like to thank Ms. Linda, Ms. Debbie, and Ms. Phyllis for their amazing work this past year. I would also like to thank Dr. Katakam and Dr. Clarkson for their engaging lectures, as well as their advising. I fell much better about my position as I navigate this next year and going forward as I apply for medical school.

This is Tarun, signing off.

April service: 12 hours
Total Spring Service: 24 hours

March Community Service- KIPP School

Hey friends! It hard to believe we're headed into the last month of our master's degree program. I've been so busy I haven't really had time to reflect on this matter. This semester has been even busier than the last semester. In addition to keeping up with work for class, I've also tried to study for the MCAT I will be taking this upcoming summer. So even when I have free time, its not really "free" because there's always more you can do for the MCAT. However, I still make it a priority to squeeze in some volunteering and give back. I didn't get the chance to help out much last month, but this month I made sure to do 9 hours at the KIPP School.

Since I've spent more time at KIPP, I've had the chance to interact with some of the kids. They truly have an eclectic set of personalities. Some are shy and refuse to make eye contact, while others are confident and boldly introduced themselves with swagger. It was adorable! I've always been fascinated by the way personalities are shaped through a complex interaction of genes and environment. Its difficult to parse out what is the more dominant factor. In the sample size I have observed, the kids mostly come from the same socioeconomic background. However, I have no way of knowing their familial situation at home and how that might play into their personality. Regardless, I can't wait to get to know and understand these children more and do what I can to help them reach their goals. Until next time!

Total hours for the semester: 12

February Service

Hey friends hope everyone is doing well! Its been a slow start to service this semester, but I finally managed to get a solid 3 hours of service at KIPP this month. The more I work here the more amazed I feel with the motivation and drive of these talented kids. Pictured above is me trying to figure out the best way to optimize the stacking of these boxes so the students and faculty will have an easier time accessing important resources. I don't mind helping out in this way, but I hope in the future I will have more opportunities to interact with the kids and get to know them better.

In other news, we finally finished our last Principles of Pharmacology test of the Masters program. Its honestly surreal, that this year is coming to a close. However, I can't rest on my laurels yet, we still have a big NBME shelf exam coming up in Medical Pharmacology that is going to be a cumulative exam about everything we have learned this whole year. But first, I am going to enjoy the week we have off for Mardi Gras to get some much needed rest. Until next time! Total service hours for the semester: 3 hours

Its January!

Hello friends, it’s the first month of the New Year! It’s hard to believe I have already spent 4 months in the city of New Orleans. Time really flies! I've learned a lot about pharmacology and treating patients in a clinical setting, more than I could imagine. I've also made a lot of great friends. However, as I was reflecting on my first semester over the holiday break, I realized something. I may have amassed a large amount of scientific and clinical knowledge, but I didn't really know the city of New Orleans. I got a sense for the New Orleans creole flair, but I didn't really know much about the culture, the best places to eat, or get coffee. I hadn't even seen the city's biggest attractions, like the world-renowned WWII museum. So, this semester, in addition to completing community service and interacting with the people of New Orleans, I am going to make it a point to really explore the city of New Orleans and acquaint myself with its unique cultural identity.

This month, I haven’t done any community service yet. However, I had a chance to eat at Antoine’s, a famous restaurant in New Orleans that has been open and family run since the 1840s. Its one of the oldest independently owned restaurants in the United States. Through its 100 years of existence, they restaurant has done a good job maintaining the traditional décor and design it had in its early years. I felt like I was taking a walk back in time when I visited. My friends and I also had the chance to go on a tour of the restaurant and its multiple rooms. The most interesting window back in time was the entrance to the speakeasy in the women’s restroom. Men would use this entrance to drink alcohol on the sly during the prohibition era. I read about these hush-hush rooms in my history classes, but this was the first time I got to see one. It was exciting! As I finish up my Master’s Degree this semester in New Orleans, I look forward to more of these adventures back in time!

Total hours for the Semester: 0

November Community Service- KIPP School

For the Month on November, I continued my service at the KIPP School. I love the flexibility of the hours and the staff is wonderful to work with. Since this is the second month I have worked here I am much more familiar with the layout of the school and much more comfortable doing the tasks I am assigned. The more I work here, the more I learn about the KIPP School, what it stands for, and the community around it. They have special rooms where they place kids that have some anger management issues. Sometimes, the best thing to do for these kids is to allow them to let everything out. Keeping anger and other aggressive moments pent up only makes things worse on the long run. Its only a matter of time before the emotions accumulate like soda in a shook soda can, and explode with often catastrophic consequences. That's why I believe it is better to let out the emotions sooner before they become too powerful.

I have also learned about how much attention the KIPP School pays to the students. They have special focus groups for students struggling in certain classes, such as English and Math. These students are taken to a different room and work with a tutor until every student is comfortable with the material being covered in class. It is just another aspect of the school that shows me how committed the school is to making their students master and enjoy learning new things. Since many of the students come to the school from tough circumstances at home I think it is extremely valuable for them to be allowed to learn at their own pace, and get individual attention. The faculty must be patient and diligent if they have these types of focus groups to help their children excel, and I bet that means so much to the kids. If their intellectual curiosity is stimulated in their early years, it will dramatically increase their chance to be life-long learners that are able to achieve upward socioeconomic mobility.

I hope that going forward with my service, I will have more opportunities to meet and understand the children at the KIPP School and do my part to help them work toward their dreams.

November Service Hour total: 12

Total Service Hours for the semester: 24

October Community Service- KIPP School

For the month of October, I turned my eyes inward to the young people of New Orleans. I volunteered for KIPP, a local school for economically disadvantaged children. At this school 80% of the student body is under the poverty line. The school provides uniforms and free lunches. They also have a bus system that brings about 800 children to and from school everyday, because many of the students' families are unable to provide their own transportation. I was amazed at how well-maintained and run the school was. It's wonderful that schools such as this one are broadening the horizons of children and opening doors that may have remained closed for them otherwise. Many classrooms had a college name associated with them such as Vanderbilt or Johns Hopkins. In my opinion, this is a great way to challenge the students to obtain a top-tier education. I believe this sort of spirit should be cultivated from a young age. Every student deserves a chance at upward mobility and this school helps the children of NOLA get that chance.

Additionally, I felt nostalgic as I was volunteering at this school. I had fond memories of perusing over the same books and comics these children were reading as part of their curriculum. My duties included sorting books and school supplies, and hanging up decorations around the building. I felt privileged to do my part in helping these children succeed.

October Total Hours: 6
Overall Hour Total: 12

September Community Service- American Cancer Society Ball

This month was my first taste of community service in New Orleans. I had never volunteered for the American Cancer Society before, so I thought this would be a good chance to try something new! Setting up for the ball in the afternoon involved sorting gift bags, setting up tables, and moving furniture around for the big night. The picture at the bottom left is the group of us volunteering for the afternoon shift. The other two pictures are of me at the night shift. During the ball, I had my hands full setting the tables for the patrons and just making sure everyone was okay. Overall, it was a great experience. The people I was working with were all extremely personable and easygoing, especially during the ball. I was in awe at how much money was raised for the Hope Lodge, we're talking thousands of dollars. It was really heartwarming to see everyone's determination to give and make a tangible difference in the fight for cancer. So far, I have 6 community service hours for the semester. I can't wait to see what other exciting service opportunities are in store for me in the city of New Orleans!

September Hour Total: 6 hours

Overall Hour Total: 6 hours