December Post

 December Service Hours: 3 hours

Total Service Hours: 12.5 hours

    December’s done, and so is the semester! This month, we learned about cancer and gastrointestinal issues, and the drugs to treat them. One of the most interesting things we talked about, to me, was Louisiana’s status as “cancer alley”. I’d always heard this term growing up, and thought that the petrochemical plants near where I lived were going to cause unavoidable cancer when I was older, but it was comforting to learn that the actual cancer incidence in Louisiana is not exceptionally high like the projections indicate. However, it was sad to learn that the higher than average incidence of cancer in Louisiana is due, in part, to healthcare disparities, and hopefully I can help do something about that after becoming a doctor.

Learning about GI issues was also interesting, specifically H. pylori-caused ulcers. I researched the urea-urease reaction in undergrad, and it’s fascinating how these microbes utilize it to cause infection. I remember learning about this previously, but never knew that they caused symptoms by deteriorating the mucus in the stomach and causing acid to harm our own cells.

This month, I volunteered again at Christmas in the Oaks and at the New Canal Lighthouse. This time at City Park, I was waiting by the exit to assist people if they wanted to take family pictures in front of the tree. It was a lot colder than volunteering by the fires, but just as fun! I really enjoyed volunteering at the lighthouse, where I helped paint boards to send to local schools to help students do hands-on experiments to model wetland loss and hurricane storm-surge. I really hope that my painting inspires some of these students to choose STEM-related fields, and prioritize wetland preservation in our state.

Definetely shouldn't have worn shorts.

Picasso