December Blog

In the month of giving, I decided to give back to my community by volunteering to help clean up Palmer Park. It definitely was not as glamorous or fun as my other volunteering experiences, but it was nice to see how big of a difference a few people could make in a matter of hours. Since I am from Louisiana,  I really enjoyed helping clean the state that I love so much. I also found that this volunteering experience related to our recent module about Cancer and GI problems.

Louisiana has one of the highest cancer rates in the United States, and after cleaning Palmer Park, I now know why. I was shocked by the number of cigarette buds, beer cans, and liquor bottles that we picked up. We learned in class that alcohol and tobacco use can be attributed to 33 percent of cancer cases in America. Alcohol and Tobacco also can be linked to GI problems like peptic ulcers. Specifically, smoking can increase the risk of peptic ulcers in people who already have the H. pylori bacteria, and alcohol can damage the mucosal lining of the stomach and increase the acidity as well.

As this semester closes, I am very thankful that I decided to participate in this program. I believe I have learned so much about pharmaceutical drugs and the human body. I also believe that this program is conditioning me for medical school and is giving me a real advantage for my future in medicine.

Monthly Community Service Hours: 3

Cumulative Community Service Hours: 12