Catherine’s Community Service

 While this past week has been very chaotic, I have been enjoying the curriculum for the second semester. I can definitely see improvement in my ability to dissect scientific articles and it is gratifying to be able to understand concepts more quickly. I have been working on trying not to generalize topics in my mind, as a reoccurring theme throughout the curriculum is specificity, and the ability of the body and its pathways to modulate behavior in order to account for the environment. Prior to this program I always tried to simplify ideas to grasp them but I am learning that knowing the whole picture is usually the best way to truly learn something. For example, knowing that an agonist binds a certain receptor is important, but knowing the direction of action and effects is equally as important, it could be having the opposite effect that you assume! This can be applied to many topics from this semester, such as hypothyroidism vs hyperthyroidism, indications for estrogen vs proge...

I have not gotten any volunteer hours yet for this semester but I am planning on finding a few new places/events to help with. The curriculum thus far into the semester has been very interesting to me. In all honesty, I did not have a lot of background on the reproductive or endocrine system and it has been fascinating to connect the dots between biological processes in the body. My favorite topic this semester has been insulin signaling and insulin resistance. When I first started to learn about metabolism and the different pathways, I found it very frustrating because the molecules could not be categorized to one path and there seemed to be so much overlap. However, as I started to understand the pathways on a deeper level, this frustrating component became my favorite part. It is astounding that our bodies are able to function as they do and I can now appreciate the complexity and adaptations of the metabolic pathways and signaling cascades. If metabolites had one strict pathway, we...

  Jacey and I volunteered at Second Harvest Food Bank doing food sorting and packing. I have volunteered here in the past many times and it was nice to go back and give back to the community in the place I now call home. We packed over 6 pallets of food boxes for those in need and there were only 5 volunteers! The staff always make it fun and it was very nice to be back.  I have been enjoying the curriculum and have learned so much these past few months. I find myself bringing up medication contraindications and indications in many conversations and it is wonderful to be able to apply knowledge I am learning in my everyday life. I am so excited to cover psychopharmacology and neurological drugs, as that is what I have previous education on and find fascinating, but it has been wonderful to learn about areas that I am less familiar with. I have found that this program has really helped me with anatomy and physiology as well (and of course biochem) in a way that I can remember w...

  This past weekend I volunteered at the Po-Boy festival with Jacey and Faisal! We were working the merchandise stand and selling t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and posters. One aspect I really enjoyed about this opportunity was being able to interact with a multitude of different people. I love the community feeling often expressed in New Orleans and it was wonderful to be submerged within the culture. It is also incredible to see people from all walks of life joining together to celebrate a beloved sandwhich and a perfect chance to contribute back to the city I call home.  Class curriculum is going well! I do not have a huge interest in the cardiovascular system but it is central to medicine and absolutely essential to know! While it may not be my favorite subject to learn about, it has challenged me to think in new ways and I am learning information I will use for the rest of my life. As I am able to connect it all, it has become more rewarding and I enjoy and appreciate the ...

 While I have not begun volunteering yet, I am scheduled for an event later in October! During my undergrad at Loyola, I frequently volunteered at Second Harvest Food Bank and plan to attend some events soon. New Orleans is a fun and beautiful city but it is important to remember there are a large number of people in need of food and other resources here. They have different options such as food storing and packing, which mainly entails unloading boxes and organizing supplies, as well as shifts in the kitchen where you help to prep the meals for others in need. I also volunteered through a practicum with a psychology clinic last year and found it to be incredibly rewarding.  I have enjoyed the curriculum so far and have been very inspired by many of the lectures. I have learned from all of the lectures and hope that I can retain all that I am learning! I am excited to learn more about the diseases involved with antimicrobials as I struggled a bit with learning the medications ...