A different type of education

The house we worked on.

This past Saturday, another student and I volunteered at our first Habitat for Humanity construction day. I'm not going to lie- waking up at 6:30AM to try and catch a 7:14AM bus, that we found out was detoured at 7:33AM, and then walking six blocks to catch a 7:45AM bus in order to get to our site 20 minutes late did little to improve my thoughts on the public transportation in this city. But that's a whole other story. . . Actually I think in general, I was nervous about the whole experience. Don't get me wrong: I've done my fair share of wielding hammers, sanding door frames and painting rooms, but I've never really done it for something as important as someone else's home. I'm sure everyone knows that Habitat for Humanity is in the business of building homes for those that can't necessarily afford a home otherwise. But as our construction site leader Patrick told us when we arrived, Habitat sells homes to families for the not-at-all cheap price of $80,000 that must be paid off over 25-30 years. Along with that, future homeowners must also devote something like 250 hours of service: 100 on their own house and 150 hours on other Habitat homes in their future neighborhood. I honestly had no idea that there were such stipulations, but when I think about it, it makes perfect sense. Better yet, Habitat charges no interest on the price of the home AND future homeowners are building a community amongst themselves as they build their own and others' houses. To me, it sounds like an all-around positive-energy organization. Plus the fact that their houses are usually 3 bedroom/2 bathroom, brand-spanking-new gems!

Our post! If you look closely, you can see the
cement that is filling our magnificent hole :)

So my friend (Alex) and I get to the site to find we are volunteering with something like 40 other Tulane students who are there as a part of their business classes. The professors were even there, one fully decked out in his own hardhat, tool belt and flannel :)  As we're being split into groups, Alex and I jump on what sounds like an exciting opportunity to wield a hammer (so as you can tell, that's my real motivation to hang out with Habitat- the tools). It turns out that we are at the back of the house digging a hole 18cm deep. But there's a catch- there are bricks and concrete in the way, and we don't really have many other tools other than this dangerously heavy looking clamping object. Patrick leaves us to it.

Learning to cut wood.

Within five minutes, we both know this is going nowhere fast with this clampy looking object. I mean, we can't even get the dirt out of the hole. So I go off hunting for a shovel and by the time I return, Alex has found a red solo cup that has been reinforced by dried paint so that we can scoop out dirt. Turns out that the red solo cup was the single most important tool we used for that project. After taking turns digging and scooping for an hour, we head back to Patrick. He must have trusted our digging abilities, because he automatically sends us off to go cut our own post, hammer in some nails, and to mix some cement. During this, I'm of course thinking "Wow, we've been promoted!" I have to say, mixing cement and using my hands to throw it into our shady hole may have been the best thing ever. After the two of us have put in our post and patted down the cement, we're sent off to lunch.



Lil' Dizzy's Cafe. Nom

Lunch was awesome by the way. Both of us being foodies, Alex and I decided to wander just outside the 7th ward to find some place with "real southern cooking." We ended up on Decatur at some local hot-spot call Lil' Dizzy's. The restaurant itself seemed to be occupying an old home (as many restaurants around here seem to do), and was filled with the wonderful smells of fried chicken, biscuits and gumbo. Because it was a chilly 55 degrees Fahrenheit that day, I opted for the gumbo, salad and some corn bread. I think real, non-touristy restaurants in New Orleans are the best way to experience exactly how slowly things move down here. We probably spent an hour and twenty minutes before we left, and that was for a quick lunch. But I also think that that's one of the best parts of New Orleans, and one of the ways in which I've changed the most this year- you HAVE to slow down in order to like it down here. I mean, what's the rush anyway? Everyone else is moving at the same exact snail's pace, so just take it easy.


This is one side of the front entrance/staircase. We put in the guard rails between the two large posts.

We finally find our way back to 1335 Annette Street and Patrick sets us up with a completely different task: we are to cut, measure, cut, and nail in the posts that line the stairs at the front of the house. By the time we finish, Patrick is complimenting our work and telling us to call it a day. Feeling like we had accomplished quite a lot, the two of us headed back, and on a much more precisely timed bus.

I really enjoyed volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. It's a completely different experience and, in many ways, is a lot more solitary than what I am used to. It was also a lot more independent and makeshift than I was expecting. There are only so many Habitat and AmeriCorps individuals to answer questions and give guidance, and so most of the small problems that come up have to be handled with flexibility, imagination, and a positive attitude by the volunteers. It gives one a sense of responsibility and ownership, I think.

Seeing everyone working hard at multiple small tasks to put the finishing touches on a house that is going to a family in need puts it all in perspective. A hard day's work, one where you can see what you have accomplished, and can even meet the person for whom you are doing this work, leaves one with a wonderful feeling. I'll definitely be back at Habitat for Humanity in the coming weeks, and I'm excited to keep working on the same, and other houses.

So this is graduate school . . .

A little more than three months into graduate school, and I may just be getting the hang of it. That may sound like a surprise to anyone reading, but graduate school is not at all like undergrad. For one thing, you only really study one subject, and pharmacology was not a subject I came anywhere near as an undergrad. Then there's the fact that class is only three or four hours a day, and usually for less than that most days. With so much free time, and with living in a new city, it can be incredibly easy to lose track of time. But beyond that, there's the huge difference in what classes are like. Medical Pharmacology with the T2 Medical Students is unlike any class because it IS a medical school class, with vignettes for exam questions and the over-looming fear of a cumulative exam at the end of the year. In some ways Principles of Pharmacology, Advances, and Molecular &Cellular Pharmacology provide the background that is necessary to make sense of MedPharm. But the point is: graduate school is not just "furthering one's education." It's having to figure out a new way to learn, to manage one's time, to succeed.

Although I have done fairly well on most of my block exams, it's always a little disheartening to find yourself staring at a question (or 3) on the exam that you just don't know. I've probably tried out at least five different studying techniques, but it wasn't until this past Renal exam that I figured out something that left me feeling confident. Usually I feel unprepared right up to the exam, running through hundreds of flashcards and stressing out about all that I still don't know. But this time, and with 1/5 the number of flashcards, I was able to master the material exam days before the test. I had finally found a technique that worked!

Despite this recent success, I doubted whether my technique was really a good one. Therefore (and partially for this blog), I thought it might be interesting to look at the book Dr. Clarkson recommended- Success Types in Medical Education. A Program for Improving Academic Performance as well as an online test to figure out what my learning style really is. I was surprised to find that the way I normally learn things- through a linear manner, or through "sensing" rather than through "intuition," is not conducive to doing well on MCQ, especially in medical school classes. The book explains how, while we all have a psychological type that determines how we approach a variety of situations (learning included), we should work to develop the traits of  other psychological types in order to succeed. So for me, taking the time to make graphs and charts that show how different facts are related by certain concepts is crucial to really learning the material, and learning it efficiently. While this isn't how everyone should learn everything out there, it is the way that students should approach the vast amount of material in most sciences, and especially in the study of medicine.

While it was frustrating to find out that how I learn is not exactly conducive to succeeding on certain exams, it is also a relief to know I can change my habits before I get to medical school. I think that's one of the great things about this program (and most other Special Masters Programs)- it's a test run for medical school. Getting good grades here is the goal, but in order to do that and to keep doing it, I have to learn to study smart.

Stepping out into the community

One of the reasons I was drawn to the Tulane Masters in Pharmacology is because the university places a large emphasis on service in the community. Although in the first few months of our program we didn't have quite so much time to become involved, we have been presented with a variety of ways to give back this fall.

The first group volunteer opportunity I participated in was Outreach Tulane; this day - organized by Tulane undergraduates - aimed to bring out all kinds of students to volunteer around New Orleans. Around 15 of us in the Pharmacology program signed up, and I was placed in the same group as three of my colleagues. On the sunny, warm morning of September 15th, we headed out to meet with the rest of our group on the Uptown Tulane campus. Our group was assigned to assist the organization Dress for Success in its biannual suit sale at a local mall. Although I had never volunteered with this group, I had heard about it in my hometown of Madison, WI. The women who were running the clothing sale gave us all a brief description of the goals of the organization. Dress for Success aims to provide women from a variety of disadvantaged backgrounds with the clothing necessary to interview for, and succeed at a job. Women looking for an occupation come to meet with the organizers of Dress for Success, are fitted with a suit, and are then encouraged to interview. If a woman lands a job, she is invited back to Dress for Success to pick out five additional suits and to join the "professional organization." Those in the Dress for Success professional organization meet frequently to participate in workshops that help working women balance their responsibilities, gain skills that are beneficial in the workplace, and provide an environment to interact with other working women.

At first, it seemed as though our group of 15 volunteers had nothing to do. The make-shift store was already organized and open for business, and there were a multitude of women helping out customers. One organizer split us up to do different tasks however. A few boys were sent out into the mall to hand out fliers to the public. Another Pharmacology graduate student was given the opportunity to dress up in business casual and model around the store and mall. A few girls worked the floor and helped to keep the racks stocked. The majority of us, however, were given free reign in the backroom to hang and organize the hundreds of outfits that were still in boxes. Once we all got over those first, awkward 15 minutes (where no one wants to take delegate, but everyone is willing to offer polite suggestions,) and once we had a few falls and laughs, we became a team of determined ladies. Soon customers were coming into the backroom to request help in finding specific items or to just chat. By the end of the afternoon, all of us - from the volunteers, to the Dress for Success organizers, to the customers - were having a great time getting to know each other and helping each other out. It was one of the few times in my life that I have felt such camaraderie with fellow females of all ages, and it was through an organization that grants independence and support to working women everywhere.

I genuinely loved volunteering with Dress for Success. It was the first time I had really interacted with New Orleanians, and it was the first time I had stepped out into the community to give back. Although I originally felt that the organization of Outreach Tulane could have been handled better, or that we could have had more direction at the actual clothing sale, it turned out to all be perfect. It was a chance for me to do whatever I could to help make the event successful. Through the small, but significant actions of organizing clothing at a clothing drive, not only was I able to be of service to a non-profit organization, but I was also able to help out the individual. The greatest moment for me that day was when I could find a suit for an older lady. She took one look at the pale blue linen material and I could see the happiness in her eyes. Before she and her daughter left the store, she came back to say thank you; she had bought the suit and was preparing for an interview in the near future.


Check out Dress for Success at: http://www.dressforsuccess.org/affiliate.aspx?pageid=1&sisid=49 . They accept donations in the form of money or clothing/shoes/accessories, and they are always looking for sponsors and volunteers!