October Blog

 October's Community Service: 8 Hours 

Total Hours: 8 Hours 

This month I volunteered at the anatomy lab at Tulane's uptown campus. Every week on Monday I help undergraduate students learn how to identify anatomical structures and teach them how to use proper dissection techniques. As a volunteer, I play an important role in mentoring and guiding students as they dissect different regions of the body. This allows the students to be more comfortable and ensures a safe learning environment. At the beginning of the month, we focused on the upper thigh and worked to expose the femoral arteries and veins. I spent most of my time switching between different groups and made sure each group had correctly reflected and saw the vessels. As the month progressed, we moved further down towards feet and I spent time explaining to the students what types of muscles and vessels they should expect to see. Each week is rewarding as I get to teach and see students become more confident in their own skills, while also building their anatomy knowledge. 

In the classroom, we shifted to learning about the cardiovascular and nervous systems. I found the cardiovascular system interesting and was intrigued by the different methods used to treat heart dysfunction. For example, we learned about anti-arrhythmia drugs, which were fascinating as they are able to prolong the refractive period of damaged atrial tissue and prevent electrical reentry. Looking forward, I am excited to start the renal system and understand what types of medications help maintain proper functioning of the body's systems.