September Blog

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My first month of the pharmacology program has moved by quickly. We already took our third exam last week and it was the most challenging so far. I appreciated how the amount of material before each exam was slightly increased to prepare us for larger content exams. Our graduate medical pharmacology class is my favorite as we learn both about the science of drugs and how they can be used clinically. Overall, I believe I am finally adjusting to this program and able to keep up with the material.

The most surprising aspect of this program was the exposure to research. Our seminar class with Dr. Katakam has taught me a significant amount about research. As we meet more of the pharmacology faculty, we also get a chance to learn about their research. I found it quite valuable that our professors are able to teach us about pharmacology while also pushing us to think critically about topics. One example of this was with Dr. Datta and her lectures on antibiotics. Not only did we understand the mechanisms these drugs take advantage to destroy microbes, but also how resistance from bacteria can affect these drugs. Drug resistant bacteria is something I knew about, but after learning more about them it made me appreciate why their is a need to constantly enhance even the most prescribed drugs. 

Although I am able to keep up with material, going forward I think it will be best to review older topics in order remember and apply them to future learning blocks. We are learning a lot of material and I am doing alright on these exams, but could refine my study habits to retain the information for a longer time. Areas such as antibiotics, NSAIDs, and anti-virals that have many classes of drugs will be best to relearn in order to be prepared for the comprehensive final in May. As we start the next month, I am looking forward to understanding other classes of drugs and how they work in the body.