October 2025

Total Hours: 2

Cumulative Hours: 2 

This has been quite the busy month! Between the rigorous modules, fully settling in to a new city, and getting my volunteering set up, October flew by! I was extremely happy to be able to officially begin volunteering at Oschner this month, as they have been such a blessing to my family in the past. I got assigned to the General Surgery Unit and get to bring patients activities to lift their mood and assist staff with minor duties. The unit is comprised mainly of heart failure patients, and it has been very eye-opening to be able to connect our current cardiovascular module to real-life scenarios. I kept catching myself glancing over at the different medications nurses would administer to patients with the same conditions I have been learning about these past few weeks, and knowing exactly why they're using them has been immensely motivating. My service this month, while minor, has reminded me why I chose to apply to this program and commit to helping others for the greater good. As far as my education goes, I did find myself struggling quite a bit with the increase in granularity and density of our ANS module. I had to sacrifice a lot of time to be able to fully master the numerous topics covered, and this was luckily reflected in my exam scores. Our current module, while even denser, has been easier to study for as this challenge has helped me further improve my study methods and time-management skills. 

Happy Halloween!

- Veronica Urreiztieta