February 2019

This month brought about the final two blocks of the year for Medical Pharmacology and Principles of Pharmacology. Neurology and Psychiatry were the final two topics discussed before heading into the final NBME exam at the end of March. I particularly enjoyed the Psychiatry block because of the light it shed on mental disorders. As I learned about the positive and negative symptoms that people with depression, schizophrenia, and other disorders, I felt a sadness growing within me. Millions of people worldwide struggle to cope with these issues on a daily basis yet so much is still unknown about these diseases from their causes to a proper treatment protocol. And the little aid we have for patients incurs such drastic side effects that make life even more difficult for any and all affected. These patients suffering from psychiatric disabilities are left to choose between fighting with their disease every day or tolerating the brutal side effects that accompany any drugs given to them to help them. Moving forward, it is imperative for us to put more emphasis on the research of these diseases. We must learn how these disorders come about so that we can target their mechanisms with appropriate drugs that do not induce such drastic side effects as extreme weight gain or loss of sight.

On a brighter note, I was able to continue working with KiPP this month where we helped prepare the school for inspections and clear out more space for storing items the kids will need during the school year. As it is the month of parades in New Orleans, it was only fitting to attend some of them, but the one that stood out most to me was the Krewe de Barkus! The parade was dedicated to celebrating the purity and wonder of man's best friend, and it was amazing to see so many people proudly flaunt their pets to the public.