http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/ en Copyright 2009 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:16:26 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss It’s been awhile since my last update. Since I last posted, I have survived finals week, and begun my new co-op at Boston Medical Center. It is the outpatient pharmacy that fills about 1100 prescriptions a day. It is very busy, and serves as a health safety net for patients who do not have insurance, or who are underinsured. So far, it has been a great experience, because it is like nothing I have ever done before. I have worked at an inpatient hospital, an oncology hospital, a major pharmaceutical company, and now an outpatient pharmacy; I feel that being well rounded is vital for the world after graduation. I am preparing myself to be able to handle any situation, and by having experience at such a wide variety of pharmacy settings, I feel like I would be able to work anywhere. I am now in my fourth year in pharmacy school, and after this semester I only have 4 semesters left of school. I will be in classes for 1.5 years straight, before I begin my clinical rotations. I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I look forward to my future as a pharmacist. http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/09/fall_3rd_coop.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/09/fall_3rd_coop.html Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:16:26 -0500 The second wave of exams has come and gone, and I am in the middle of a nice ten day period of no studying. After studying for the better part of a month, I survived my tests, and enjoyed a perfect weekend at the Cape this past weekend with my girlfriend Sarah. There is nothing more relaxing than relaxing on a beach when it is 80 degrees, and sunny. It was the best three day span I can remember, school-free, worry-free, and most importantly fun! We went to dinner, mini-golfing, to the ocean, shopping, and enjoyed every minute of freedom from the “reality” of jobs, and responsibilities. With that said I am already back in Boston, and in school for a few more weeks before finals begin. After that, I have a week off before I come back to work at Dana Farber for a few weeks, and then on to my new co-op job (still waiting to find out where I will be working). This summer has gone by faster than any other semester I can remember. It might be due to the fact that I didn’t pick my head up out of my notes until halfway through the semester, or because it was raining for the whole month of June. As the semester winds down, it marks a historic, and amazi8ng accomplishment for me. I am halfway through my college career. I only have four more semesters of class left, before I go on clinical rotations for 36 weeks. To think that I am only 3 years away from becoming a pharmacist seems quite shocking. It has gone by so fast. I have finished two co-ops, and 6 semesters of school. As usually, I cannot wait for the opportunity to try something new in the pharmaceutical field for my next co-op as well as enhance my knowledge about pharmacy. I am still unsure of what I would like to pursue with my pharmacy degree when I graduate, but thankfully for me I will have all the opportunities in the world as options. http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/07/summer_continued.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/07/summer_continued.html Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:09:57 -0500 Summer has officially started. I have completed about half of my full summer classes this year, and have survived the first wave of tests. My next set of tests begin next Monday and continue until the middle of July. I will certainly be busy with my pharmacology, pharmaceutics, health care systems, and communications for pharmacist’s classes. In addition to these tests, I have a research paper for Health care due 2 days after my 21st birthday. With all the attention to my course work, I will certainly find time to enjoy my birthday. I have tickets for the red Sox that night, so I should have an enjoyable time with my girlfriend Sarah. My classes have definitely kept me busy this summer, but I have found time to play a little golf on the side. I played in an ALS golf tournament with my friends this past Friday, which was a lot of fun. I was able to relax this weekend and prepare for the next few weeks of tests. In two short months, I will be back on co-op with no studying, or papers. I hope to work in an independent pharmacy in Boston. As for now, I am working 40 hours this week in addition to my four classes and lab. I just finished my pharmaceutics lab (it only lasts half of the summer), which is a relief. I cannot wait for this string of tests to be over, and I go to Cape Cod for a little three day weekend July 17th with Sarah. http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/06/summer.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/06/summer.html Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:07:13 -0500 It has been awhile since my last blog. I have been quite busy with classes, both jobs, and studying. Summer classes are a little more relaxed, compared to fall and spring semesters, for pharmacy majors. We take classes the whole summer, so there is not a very frantic pace to the course compared to taking only half-summer courses. Although the work load for pharmacy is much more compared to other majors, it is a very nice break to have Friday’s off. I just had my first test on Monday for Communications for Pharmacist’s, and it wasn‘t too challenging. Next week will prove very busy for me, with our first pharmacology and Medicinal Chemistry test on Monday, our midterm for communications lab on Tuesday, and a test in Health Care Systems on Wednesday. I am also going home this weekend for my girlfriend’s sister’s wedding. This will definitely hamper my studying ambitions, so I have been preparing for these tests for a few weeks already. At this point in my educational life at NU, I have come to the realization that you just have to know all the material down cold. It seems like the material for most tests are endless, but in the end, every word on every page must be well understood for you to succeed. I feel this is why Northeastern’s pharmacy program stands out among the finest in the country. For six years, you are constantly multi-tasking between course work and labs and also work and studying. The challenging course load enhances a student’s ability to understand and interpret new concepts at a much quicker rate than in High School or even at other universities. After scaring most of you by those statements, I will also say that if you put in the time, and have a passion for the healthcare field, then you will exceed beyond your own expectations. I guarantee it. I also wanted to talk about the paper that we are working on right now in Health Care Systems. With a partner, we chose our own topics and researched to find several primary sources to interpret and discuss a problem in the Health Care System. My topic is the hospitalist movement, which is based on academic teaching hospital care versus non-teaching hospitals. The cost versus health outcome between these two facets of healthcare will surprise many of you. It has been interesting to develop a topic and dissect it, because the knowledge you gain makes your experience more comprehensive. We get to make scientifically backed arguments about various weaknesses or strengths in the healthcare system, which enhances our ability to learn. I will update you in a few weeks on the outcome of my tests and midterms, as well as other portions of my summer experiences in class. As for now, I must find time to study hyperlipoproteinemia drugs as well as antihypertensives and many more. http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/06/june.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/06/june.html Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:07:54 -0500 Classes are back in action again. It seems like co-op just started, and now it is over. My first day of classes was last Tuesday. I am already back in my usual mid-semester routine of studying, coffee, classes, labs…repeat. Although many people are fearful and dreadful of taking classes over the summer, there are certainly advantages over the normal Fall-Spring semesters. No Friday classes, less people at the gym, at the cafeteria, and less foot traffic on the campus. The Dunkin’ Donuts line, which is usually to the door every morning, is now much more bearable. I am excited to continue my educational endeavors in pharmacology and open up to new classes such as Health Care Systems and Communications. A communications class in a pharmacy curriculum you ask? In health care, teamwork and communication are the two most vital aspects of a successful hospital or pharmacy setting. In the communications lab I am now taking, I will learn and hone my techniques and approaches for consulting a patient on medications. My first lab was very interesting because I was put in the position of being the pharmacist in a role-play scenario with a patient looking to pick up a refill and a new prescription. Since it was our first lab I had absolutely no I idea what I was going to talk about with this “patient”. (I also forgot to tell you all these interactions are filmed on DVDs and reviewed by the teacher and my fellow classmates). I was given a fictitious medical background sheet on the patient and had to answer questions he had, and also inform the patient of the possible consequences of the medication if not taken correctly. I had to make the person feel comfortable with their new medication. At first I was nervous, but it was a very good introduction to my future as a health care professional. I quickly felt more comfortable talking with this “patient” and begin to feel more confident. Although it was my first interaction in this lab, I certainly look forward to the future consults I will be doing. My other lab is pharmaceutics 2. In this lab, we compound and make various fake prescriptions using a scale, spatula, and mortar and pestle. These skills are vital if you wish to be a registered pharmacist in New York (they require a wet compounding lab). We had to weigh out powders using “old-school” balances that were not electronic. One side had the powder, and the other had the corresponding weight. You can only imagine how long it takes to measure out a desired amount using this technique. I thoroughly enjoyed both of these labs, and look forward to the rest of the semester. I will be certain to keep you updated on my summer. http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/05/summer_classes_begin.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/05/summer_classes_begin.html Wed, 13 May 2009 17:15:37 -0500 With just under 2 weeks left of my second co-op experience, I thought I would reflect on what I have learned at Novartis. Going into this industry co-op, I somewhat knew how much time, effort and money went into the development of a successful drug. I had no idea what really has to be done to develop a drug and make it to market. For one drug to make it to the pharmacy shelves, it takes millions, and some times hundreds of millions of dollars, decades of dedication, thousands of failures, support, and most importantly; luck. Drugs must first go through vigorous toxicology studies in animals before they can be put into man. Usually to successfully test one drug, it takes close to 1,000 compounds to develop into one usable drug that is safe and effective. Failure is one of the best ways to gather useful information. Full development from an idea to a marketable drug takes thousands of people who are completely dedicated to that particular project. It takes 7-15 years for a drug to be developed, tested in animals, tested in humans, and approved by the FDA, and into the hands of the patients. The most interesting aspect of my co-op so far, has definitely been incorporating my Dana Farber work into what I have learned at Novartis. Between school, and these two companies, I feel I have a general idea of how the pharmaceutical industry works. Working on protocols for drug trials for different indications, and then actually making some of these investigational drugs at Dana Farber is such amazing experience for a 20 year old pharmacy student. I feel that I have also learned so much about professionalism and how the pharma business is run. My interest in pursuing an MBA has only grown since working at my two co-op jobs. Also, the money that I have earned is a very nice incentive for a “strapped for cash” college student. http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/04/coop_reflection.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/04/coop_reflection.html Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:01:45 -0500 I am down to my last few weeks at Novartis. I am actually quite excited for classes to start. Having Fridays off and not working 60 hours a week will be a very nice break, compared to the last four months of my life. Classes won’t be too tough this semester, but I have two labs: communication lab and pharmaceutics lab. In addition to my labs I will be taking pharmacology II, pharmaceutics II, health care for professionals and also a communication class. I will continue my work study job during the week and will work at Dana Farber on Fridays. I plan to go to the beach a lot, and also golf. I did not have any time to relax this semester, so I am going to take advantage of the summer weather and truly enjoy it. I have also begun thinking about potential co-ops for next fall. I will have to do something that involves retail. I don’t really have any interest in the typical CVS, Walgreen, Rite-Aid type retail stores. I would much rather work for an independent retail pharmacy. It is required that each student has one co-op at a retail pharmacy and one at a hospital. The third co-op is the student’s choice. Hospital pharmacy is much more health driven. Retail pharmacies deal much more with insurance and customer service than with the medications. Hospitals are a great learning center for pharmacy students to interact with nurses, doctors and various other health care professionals whereas a retail setting is only centered on the pharmacy world. I hope you have a good evening! http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/04/home_stretch.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/04/home_stretch.html Thu, 09 Apr 2009 20:38:24 -0500 I have been in a comfortable routine for about 11 weeks now; Novartis, Dana Farber, then sleep; and repeat. Co-op has been great, but working close to 60 hours a week has begun to get tiresome. Class will be a nice break from all this work....until exams start. I feel pharmacy co-ops are more advantageous than other major’s co-ops. The pharmacy program has four month co-ops which helps to prevent boredom with work or school. The advantage of 4 month co-ops (pharmacy is 4 months compared to 6 for most other majors) is that you get a change of pace more frequently and you also get to experience three different work settings instead of two. The summer classes for third year pharmacy students are pharmacology 2, pharmaceutics 2 with the lab, health care systems and communication skills with a lab. The nice thing about summer classes is that we have Friday’s off! Three day weekends are always nice, but I have a feeling I might be spending those Fridays in the library. Thursday is going to be a very exciting day for me. I’m going to see an NCAA men’s basketball tournament game at the TD Bank North Garden (where the Boston Celtics and Bruins play). My girlfriend bought me tickets to see Duke vs. Villanova and also Pitt vs. Xavier. Duke has been my favorite team since I was about 5 years old, and seeing them play live for the first time will certainly be exhilarating. I will definitely post some pictures of this game at the end of the week. As always, please feel free to ask questions/ make comments about my blog. Have a good night! http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/03/6_weeks_left_until_summerclass.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/03/6_weeks_left_until_summerclass.html Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:56:26 -0500 Life certainly has been busy for me over the last few weeks. I have been consistently working 60 hours a week. When I am not working I am taking care of all the things I have been neglecting (laundry, grocery shopping…etc). I have been receiving some emails regarding life as a pharmacy student and its challenges/perks and reasons why it is better than other schools. I will openly answer some basic and potential questions prospective students might ask before they make their decision on what college to attend in the fall: Q1) What makes NU better than other pharmacy schools, besides the co-op program? A) NU is not just about co-op, (it is only 1 year total out of 6 years) it is the environment that it surrounds itself in. NU has an amazing campus located just minutes from some of the most prestigious hospitals in the world, and also near Cambridge, which is home to one of the most concentrated pharmaceutical areas in the world. NU prepares you academically and also socially for the world after college. The professors are dedicated to teaching and expressing their love for teaching, the advisors are always willing to go the extra mile for their students, and the Bouve College of Health Sciences is also located in one the nicest buildings on campus! Q2) Boston is a large city and it seems like everyone likes to go to parties, but I am from a small town and am timid. Will I survive? A2) Yes! Boston may be large, but it has many niches for very diverse student groups to fit into. With so many students in such a concentrated area, you will find many students with the same extra interests as you. Not everyone goes out on the weekends to party. There are many museums, sporting events, and student run activities that occur every weekend. In addition to this, there are many events planned by the residential assistants in each dormitory during the week. Q3) NU Pharmacy seems impossible to get in. It is my first choice, but I am scared that I won’t get in. Will my life be over? A) No. NU pharmacy is an amazing program, but all pharmacy programs across the country are as well. The curriculum might vary slightly, but the wealth of useable knowledge you will attain will be immense at any program. Also if you do not get into a pharmacy program, that doesn’t mean you can’t be involved with the pharmaceutical industry. Novartis (my current co-op) employs many people with various science/business backgrounds who actively participate in clinical trials and other pharmacy related career paths. Q4) What is the point of a co-op? You get experience in real-world settings in the 6th year while you are on rotations. A4) Co-op helps acclimate students who have no pharmacy related experience, and also prepares them for the interview process. Co-op brings out-of-the-classroom learning into your experience at NU. Applying what you learn in a classroom and what you learn at a real site of pharmacy practice is the best and most efficient way to excel in a challenging pharmacy program like NU. Interacting with other health care professionals is a very, very important concept; and it is the best way to attain expertise knowledge from various areas of health care. Co-op also prepares you on your potential career path, and also on potential places to pick for your rotations in the sixth year. Connecting with various companies and institutions also provides very good networking for after graduation job opportunities. http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/03/questions.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/03/questions.html Fri, 13 Mar 2009 20:20:55 -0500 Sorry for the delay in my blog posting, but I have been very, very busy. I have worked four nights this week and Sunday at Dana Farber in addition to my full time job at Novartis. I received an email from a prospective student earlier this week and I just wanted to address it so everyone could hear my answer. The question that was posed was: Would I fit in at NU and in Boston, seeing how I am a non-party type of person and I am from a smaller town? Also, would attending NU be a disadvantage for me if I planned on working in NJ/NY when I graduated? My answer: Boston (and NU) is composed of thousands and thousands of college students with many different personalities and hobbies. Many of these people like to party, many like to read..etc. At NU there is such a diverse population of students from all over the country and the world, which helps to enrich the community with many various types of personalities and contributions. Many students would rather read a good book on a Friday night than go out and find a party. Many students would also rather party than read. Every college campus in America is like this. Wherever you go, you will find a group of people with the same hobbies and interests as you and you will make friends. NU might be considered a party school by some people, but I view it as an opportunity school. The opportunities are endless. You can go out and have fun through community volunteer work, socializing, working in the community, or get involved in campus clubs, or sports. I, myself, am from a very small town, and the transition to college was much easier than I could have ever imagined. The Bouve College of Health Sciences does a fantastic job with helping freshmen transition into college and also the city of Boston through the “Introduction to College�? course. Part 2 of my answer was that, NU prepares you for the working world and also the pharmacy world. The co-op program helps students adapt to new environments and relate their studies to the real working-world. NU is the best pharmacy program at getting students ready to work (and also getting jobs) after graduation. The knowledge I have accrued from my work experience at Dana Farber over the last 8 months has been tremendous, and also my 2 months at Novartis so far have been amazing. NU has consistently exceeded the state average for the passing rate of the National Pharmacy Board Exam. Also, many students who wish to apply for a residency have a leg-up on the completion through their co-op experience. I am also aware that it is crunch-time for many accepted students on what school to choose. I strongly urge you to email me or ask any questions you might have regarding NU, because I wish that all of you could have the amazing experiences that I have had thus far in my college career. Best of luck in your college choice! Have a good night. http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/02/decision_time_is_approaching.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/02/decision_time_is_approaching.html Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:41:02 -0500 Its been awhile since my last blog, but I have been ridden with strep throat and a fever for the majority of the past week. My co-op has been very interesting lately, as I have been exposed to more meetings and conferences. I attended a conference at one of the nicest hotels in Cambridge last week. It was titled "ID to NDA". It discussed all the various steps and processes that a Investigational New Drug must take in order to make it to the market. One drug from the beginning to end costs an average of 1.5 billion dollars to make. This success only occurs about one out of nine attempts, because of all the various safety and toxicology factors that must be met. Producing a successful drug product is a very challenging thing to accomplish, especially nowadays with such refined therapeutic areas that are being targeted. I have now been on co-op for four weeks. Time seems to move much faster when I am on co-op, and school is starting to slowly sneak into the picture. My summer classes start in May and run through the second week of August. NU does not hold classes on Friday's in summer, which gives me plenty of time to spend at the beach and on golf courses. I plan to work as much as I can until the weather starts to get really nice. This might be the last summer that I will be able to enjoy until after college. My classes will start to get significantly more challenging in the next few semesters. I am now going to rest and sleep off my strep throat. If you have any questions, as always, feel free to email me. http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/02/warm_front_brings_me_a_cold.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/02/warm_front_brings_me_a_cold.html Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:59:43 -0500 It has been awhile since my last post. Work at Novartis and Dana Farber have kept me busy. Novartis has been very interesting thus far. Today I participated in my first video conference. This VC included members of the Translational Medicine department (area I work for) from Basel Switzerland, Horsham, and East Hanover New Jersey. We reviewed last years goals and accomplishments as well as discussed this coming years objectives. I have been working on drug protocols as well as various other programs that have helped me become well versed in the industry field. A drug protocol is basically any test results, procedures, safety precautions as well as guidelines and everything about the drug and also the trial. I have been developing amendments that change or clarify the original protocol as well as incorporate this new information into a "working" protocol, which is an unfinished version. In non-work news, I just bought a new 32 inch HDtv which will occupy my time when I am not working. I also have to start thinking about class registration for the summer, which begins this Tuesday. Also in pharmacy news, the worlds largest drug company, and rival to Novartis, Pfizer bought out Wyeth. If you have any questions about drug development, industry or anything, please feel free to ask questions! http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/01/work_week_1.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/01/work_week_1.html Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:09:37 -0500 I just finished my first week at Novartis. Wow, is all I can say. My first few days at my new co-op involved mostly training, but I still got to see the campus and walk around my new work site. I am going to give you a little background about Novartis first. Novartis is one of the BIGGEST drug companies and biomedical research institutions in the world. It has locations in Basel (global headquarters), East Hanover NJ, Emeryville CA, and several other global locations. Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research (NIBR) is headquartered in Cambridge MA, where I am currently working. This is an amazing opportunity to be based at the global headquarter site for research in biomedicals. Novartis has sites in over 75 countries world wide in various areas (CIBA vision, animal health, Sandoz products, research, vaccines, diagnostics..etc). Although my first week was mostly training, I also had time to get acclimated to the site. The campus at Novartis is almost like a college campus. Its main building is located at 220 Massachusetts Avenue and also 250 Mass Ave, while it has satellites at technology square in Cambridge as well. The actually building is absolutely amazing. It has glass elevators (similar to the elevators in Charlie in the chocolate factory), and the architecture has won awards for its design and also for its 'green' energy efficiency. It is located at the old Necco wafer factory. In 2004, Novartis bought this factory and turned it into a state of the art research institute. A double helix has been painted on the old water tower that once belonged to the candy factory and the cafeteria is located in the actual factory that once produced Necco Wafers. Now, I will discuss my actual role for this co-op. I am a clinical trial leader assistant. I will help amend protocols for various drugs that are in development, usual in the first and second stages of their clinical trials. I am in the translational medicine group that helps with the transition from animal testing to in-human testing. This is the most important pathway for the drug process. If it works in a mouse or dog, it might work completely differently in a human. Here, proof of concepts for the drugs purpose and action are explained, and also good clinical practices are discussed. The FDA highly regulates clinical trials, so it is important that every aspect of this process is documented and noted. What most people don't realize is that it takes upwards of 15 years and hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars to create just ONE drug. Many drug molecules are often developed (Usually about 10 slightly different drugs are tested in humans at actual clinics) and at the end, just ONE drug product actually gets to market and is sold at drug stores world wide. This is for a successful drug trial. If the FDA, for any reason, thinks a drug is not safe for human use, or that the drug company is not providing accurate information, then they can hold the trial until they deem it acceptable to their standards and regulations they have in place. As for now, I am excited to actually go to a clinic site next week where they are going to dose the drug to actual human patients. I will be sure to keep you updated on my co-op and I encourage you to ask questions! Have a good day! (Also I encourage you to check out the Novartis website- http://www.novartis.com/ ) http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/01/coop_at_novartis.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2009/01/coop_at_novartis.html Sun, 11 Jan 2009 15:57:38 -0500 Wow. It has been a very busy month. Finals ended on the 19th, and I went home on the 21st. My finals went well. Pharmacology was very challenging, (150 multiple choice questions in 2 hours) pharmaceutics was pretty tough and biochem was not that difficult. I survived the semester and it is now time for co-op. My winter break was nine days, and they flew by fast. I spent time with my family, friends and girlfriend. It was relaxing to not have to study or think about school or work. The presents on Christmas were also very nice! My break is now over, am I am back at Dana Farber Cancer Institute for a week before my co-op at Novartis in Cambridge begins. I am very excited for this co-op to begin. I hope to learn a lot and make the best out of the great opportunity that I have been given. These last few days have been very hectic; packing for Boston, cleaning my apartment, organizing things, and also working at Dana Farber. I have been non-stop for the past week and it is not going to get easier anytime soon. I will be working full time at Novartis while working about 15 hours a week at Dana Farber. As for now, I am going to relax and enjoy the night. If you have any questions regarding my finals, winter break or co-op; please feel free to ask me! Have a great night, and a Happy New Year! http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2008/12/winter_break.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2008/12/winter_break.html Mon, 29 Dec 2008 19:59:15 -0500 Two more weeks until this semester is over! All that is in my way are three finals. This semester has flown by, like the first two years of college. I am anticipating my new co-op job at Novartis, as it comes closer and closer to my start date in early January. I will have about a week off for Christmas break before I return to work a week at my prior co-op job, Dana Farber. After that, I begin my exciting new job at Novartis in Cambridge. I will be work there full time as well as at Dana Farber for about 15 hours a week. Before any of that happens, I must first survive finals week. I have about a week to prepare for two huge finals in pharmaceutics and pharmacology. If I do well on these I will hopefully make deans list for the fifth time at NU. I am very busy as I continue to work at both of my jobs and study for finals. I am very excited to have a four month period of no studying and no taking notes. As for now, I am preparing the best I can for my finals and getting ready to enjoy Christmas vacation. http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2008/12/mid_december.html http://blogs.targetx.com/neu/NeilLabak/2008/12/mid_december.html Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:57:23 -0500