SpookTober

 The month of October has been a busy month with our curriculum. We arrived at our cardiovascular unit, which I have been warned was and is one of the most difficult units. I found that the difficulty stems from the quantity of content but also the depth of how much we have to comprehend of the content. Now that I am through the first round of exams for this unit, I can say that I enjoyed learning this unit. It was difficult, but the information we are learning is beneficial for long-term use in medical school as well as once we reach physician status. The heart is a unique and complicated organ, and I enjoyed getting a glimpse into its glory. 

Socially, this month I got the opportunity to attend one of the events BMSSA hosted at Urban Brewery with a few of my friends from class. Although by the time we arrived, the tab for the event was out, I had a great time catching up outside of an academic environment. 

Lastly, this month I participated in my first community service event. I met Dr. Keith Ferdinand and got to learn about one of the organizations he chairs called Cherish. I loved what the organization stood for and the methods they were going about to achieve their goal. Cherish is a church-based organization that is centered on reducing cardiovascular disease. They perform routine cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure testing on participants. They also have a strong emphasis on educating participants on the important steps they need to take to improve their health. I volunteered, for four hours (7am-11am), in the New Orleans East at the Black Men's Wellness Day. Cherish had a booth, and we talked with the New Orleans community about what this organization entails. I had the opportunity to talk with these men and get a better understanding of the severity of health disparities African American men face, as well as the substantial medical mistrust these men had for the healthcare system. I had a great time at this event, and when I left I felt even more grounded in my passion to pursue medicine. 

TOTAL HOURS- 4hours (7:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m)