February

We've officially reached the halfway point of our semester. Only 11 weeks left until I return back to Pennsylvania (my father keeps counting down the days). So far in this semester, we've been focusing on the brain. It's amazing to see how all of our emotions, movements, and cognition come from a single organ. Today, we have an exam on psychopharmacology which is of interest to me because I may want to become a psychiatrist in the future. Mental health is a widely discussed topic and its prevalence in the U.S. is roughly 18.5%. These typically include Major Depression Disorder, Anxiety, or Panic Disorders. With these illnesses becoming more prevalent, there also seems to be a growing stigma associated with it. Negative attitudes and discrimination are usually a main cause of depression and anxiety disorders but this can further effect the patient by making them feel reluctant to seek treatment. Attitudes like these are what I want to put to an end. And with the help of this program, I am one step closer to achieving this.

I am also ecstatic to experience my first Mardi Gras! So far, it's been an amazing start. My favorite parade was the Krewe de Barkus (yes a dog parade)! There was a cuteness overload!

Feb Hours: 6
Cum. Hours: 32