April

Well, it is April, and the pharmacology program is finally coming to a close. I am ecstatic to be finished and looking forward to the next chapter. This month was extremely busy as I took my MCAT, and am writing my masters thesis. This was my first time taking the MCAT and oh boy, was it everything everyone talks about. I'm hoping my score will reflect the time and effort I put into studying with my peers. My thesis, on the other hand, is coming along slowly but surely. I'm looking forward to graduation in a few weeks to spend it with some family that is coming down and to finally relax for a week. I am happy to say I got a job as an EPIC Analyst for Ochsner so I will be staying here to work for my gap year! When I first come to New Orleans I cant say I was the biggest fan of the city, however as time has went on, friendships were built, and hole in the wall food places were found. It has grown on me this past year and I am beyond thankful for the experience this program has given me to enjoy everything this city has to offer! Tulane has grown upon me to the point of where it is my top choice for medical school, so hopefully after the program they will see all the time and enjoyment this city has brought me over the last year.

Thanks,
Pierce Spencer

April hours: 0
Semester hours: 30
Total hours for program: 60

March

March has finally come and gone, and it was definitely one to remember. The cold weather has finally been subsiding, get-togethers are becoming more common, and the sweet smell of BBQ's are in the air. Through this month we had our cumulative shelf exam which we've been working towards since the day we got here in July. Now that it is over I can shift my full attention to my MCAT that is in 21 days. However, I also was able to finish up my volunteering this month as well!

This month I decided to volunteer for the tough mudder. This race is something that hits home for me in a few ways. First, its very focused on military values and is a partner with Team Rubicon. Coming from a military family It is nice to know I'm helping out a company that supports putting our values veterans back into the workforce. Over the course of a few days, we put up the obstacles, made banana pops, and set up the big vendor booths. During the actual mudder, we helped out the mudders get through obstacles, food/water, and encouraged them throughout the race.

To close this out I'll be continuing to search for a job and starting to work on my medical school application in the coming months.

See you in April,

Thanks,
Pierce Spencer

March Hours: 16
Total Hours: 30

February

Time is coming to an end. We have two months left in our program, and I can not believe the time has gone by this quickly. During the month of February, I did not have the time to volunteer nor did I get to experience mardi gras. Unfortunately, I was bedridden with strep, and a virus during mardi gras week. Fortunately, I'm staying in NOLA for my gap year, so I always have next year. I have also been busy studying for my MCAT that is coming up in April, the shelf exam that is next week and writing my thesis. On top of applying for jobs in my gap year. To say the least, it has been a stressful month. Thankfully Dr. Lindsey's class is all about stress. It is pretty interesting to know physiologically whats occurring to my body in times of stress thanks to that class. On another note, we started intramurals again which is always fun. We decided on 3 new sports this semester. We are doing football, dodgeball, and soccer. It is very interesting seeing the range of athletes in our class, and it is always a good bonding experience. I am looking forward to March because the weather is getting warmer, the shelf will be over, and St. Patty's day festivities can begin.

February hours: 0
Total Hours: 14

See you next month,
Pierce Spencer

January

Well after a much-needed break, and an interestingly cold January it is time to continue documenting my time here in NOLA. My first volunteer gig of the month was volunteering for the Saints vs Panthers playoff game for 8 hours. Classmates and I worked with the 50/50 raffle crew where their mission is to raise money for college scholarships for those in need. We were all assigned a certain section of the stadium to work, and we sold raffle tickets off to the fans. Interestingly enough their goal was to raise over 115,000 dollars. We ended up selling so many raffle tickets the system shut down, and we ended up at around 140,000 dollars. It was absolutely insane because we had lines going around the entire stadium for fans wanting to buy tickets. I think we could have easily hit 175,000 had we not had the technical difficulty. However, this experience was really great. We got to interact with all types of people ranging from Panthers fans (unfortunately) to new saints fans, to die hards that were dressed up in some crazy costumes. The best part about it though was knowing we raised 70,000 dollars in scholarships for those in need. My next escapade was tree planting with soul NOLA for 6 hours. This was actually a really unique and fun experience because when I moved down here the trees that arch over the roads fascinated me. I think that that is one of my favorite parts of NOLA. These trees we planted will one day be like those we see on the streets like Saint Charles or Fountainbleu where they overarch the roads and make beautiful scenery. It was nice working alongside classmates, and meeting new people all while coming together for a common goal.

Thanks and see you in February,
Pierce Spencer