If I had to describe the last four weeks in one word, I’d go with whirlwind. Rather than bore you with prologue and pretense, I’ll just jump into a recap.

Four weeks ago: (1) my roommates moved in, (2) I finished MPH summer coursework, and (3) celebrated the end of summer courses. My roommates — Grace & Amanda — moved in and they are absolutely phenomenal human beings; I feel pretty lucky to have such great roommates. Both Grace and Amanda were able to join in on festivities.

Brittani — one of my friends in the MPH program — suggested that we throw a party to celebrate the end of MPH classes. Every good party has a theme (#amiright) and we decided to have a curry cook-off. Ben and Emi respectively made Taiwanese and Japanese curries and Brittani b(r)ought Jamaican curry.

I made pomegranate & mango glazed chicken (perfect crockpot meal) as well as mini lasagna roll-ups (recipe)  for the shindig.

We had an amazing time: it was great to hang out with my MPH friends outside of Tidewater.

Our bucket list for the summer involved eating at a Filipino restaurant. To the best of my knowledge, Milkfish, is the only Filipino restaurant in New Orleans. I ordered the oxtail and it was such an excellent choice. If you’re in NOLA and you haven’t been to Milkfish, go (go now)!

Three weeks ago: (1) I played tennis for the first time in months (#rusty), (2) attended medical school orientation, and (3) went to the White Coat Ceremony, and (4) started classes.

Orientation was filled with lectures, socials, and mask-making (only, at Tulane, right?)

I’d show you my mask but…it’s pretty terrible — I’m not the most artsy.

Medical school: Classes got real…pretty quickly. Here’s a peek at our calendar for August.

At TUSOM, we focus on anatomy and embryology for the first three blocks (until mid-October) upon which we phase out of anatomy and embryology and study physiology, histology, genetics, and biochemistry. At a later point, I’d love to flesh out the emotional aspect / uncomfortable aspects of working with/on a cadaver. At this point, I am less bothered by the smell of formaldehyde; I am more comfortable around the cadaver; I wear scrubs more frequently than normal attire.

Besides anatomy, I have begun my preceptorship with a local urologist, had an awkward first encounter with a standardized patient, medical ethics workshops, and problem based learning sessions — it’s been busy! I’ll make an effort to update you guys on a more regular basis. Feel free to comment or email if you have particular questions that you’d like for me to address!