Pharmacology and Service

The month of April brought opportunity for service and lots of beautiful weather. The Girls on the Run season ended April 6th with the annual 5k race. Although the season ended, we still were able to do service through Girls on the Run by working a booth at the Hogs for the Cause. Hogs for the Cause is a festival with music from local bands, food and drink tents from local sponsors and charities, and a huge barbecue cook-off. This festival raises money for both local and national children's hospitals to offer relief to families and children who have brain cancer. This year my fellow coaches and I volunteered at the Girls on the Run drink tent for 5 hours at this festival. We then went on to enjoy the rest of the festival that day. This event was a lot of fun to volunteer at and fun to attend after our shift. Knowing the great cause behind the festival also contributed to the fun and excitement. As the semester comes to an end, I am so thankful for all the people and experiences I h

During the month of March, I continued to volunteer for Girls on the Run at McGhee. This month we decided on our service project for the semester. The girls decided that they want to raise money by doing a cookie and lemonade stand after school to give to the ASPCA. We also had our practice 5k for the girls to prepare for the end of the season 5k on April 6. Some of the lessons we learned this month include learning how to compromise, being a good friend, making healthy choices, and supporting friends and family. Being a coach for Girls on the Run has helped me relearn simple lessons like these. It has also been a joy being able to see the girls learn and become strong young girls all while learning to love excercise and running. Taking the NBME exam this month was also a great accomplishment and relief to be over with. March hours:12.5 Total hours: 25

Although February was a short month, I was still able to do a lot of service! Girls on the Run has continued to be exciting and fun twice a week. Our team this semester is half the size of last semester, so it has been exciting getting to know each girl on a more personal level. In addition, the other coaches and I have been able to more efficiently teach the lessons from the curriculum. Some lessons we have learned this month include how to be a good friend and how to solve conflicts. The weather has been pretty rough though with the off and on rain, but we continue to run up and down the stairs inside to make sure the girls are ready for their 5k in April. I have also continued to see my hospice patient once weekly, but sadly, she has passed away. I am now waiting to be assigned a new patient to have weekly visits with.  GOTR hours: 10.5  Hospice hours: 2

Over the Christmas holidays, I was able to stay in New Orleans and continue my service because my family is from here. Although Girls on the Run ended in November, I continued to visit my hospice patient once weekly at his home. He has since passed away, and I will meet my new patient in February. I was also able to contribute to Compassus hospice in other ways such as helping with administrative work and with holiday activities. One of my favorite Chirstmas activities I was able to volunteer for was baking and delivering cookies to various hospice patients in the greater New Orleans area. It was so fufilling to see the joy on the patients’ faces when I had freshly baked cookies for them personally deleivered to their different nursing homes. In addition, I was able to be reassigned to McGehee School for a second season of Girls on the Run this January. We have had 5 practices so far and the girls are already showing improvement in both running and life skills. I am excited to see w