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Hi everyone! My name is Megan and I am an M1 from the Chicago-land Area.  I just graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2014 with a double major in Biology and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.  It’s unbelievable to think that I moved to Ann Arbor a month ago! Coming to a new school and town, I had a lot to learn!  This first month was a great time to get to know the in’s and out’s of  medical school, but more importantly about Ann Arbor and the incredible experiences my classmates are bringing with them to our class.

My Scavenger Hunt Team's Block M on the Law Quad During Orientation

With Orientation well over, we have all enjoyed our first block of medical school: Patients and Populations.  Combining medical decision-making, pathology, and genetics, our classes have been very interesting.  At Michigan, no two days are alike, which I really enjoy.  We learned about the signs of cell damage and repair one day and the ethics of genetic testing the next.  Beyond lecture, we have small group sessions, which have helped my class get to know each other while working through the material.  We have also had the opportunity to hear from patients with diseases that relate to our area of study.  Being able to see the concepts from molecular basis to the patient experience all in one month has definitely helped me learn.

The best part of class so far is flextime quizzing and testing.  I have definitely taken advantage of sitting for my exams early and enjoying relaxing weekends.  A few weeks ago, I was able to try some of Ann Arbor’s multiple restaurants and take a trip to Detroit.  I went so Sava’s, Frita Batido’s, and Zingerman’s (among many other food destinations), and got the chance to really walk around Ann Arbor’s many independent bookstores, shops, and venues.  There really is always something to do in Ann Arbor! We also took a short drive to Detroit to check out the metropolitan area, which has its own fair share of art galleries, museums, and other larger events.  Last weekend, I decided to take my quiz on Saturday morning and then walked to the Ann Arbor Farmer’s market.  The annual Saturday event has wonderful produce, treats, and goods that make it just fun to walk around.  This week, I took my test and headed to St. Louis for the weekend to visit my boyfriend and friends from college.  Flextime is a great way to test when you feel prepared and plan out your weeks!

Ann Arbor Farmer's Market! Photo from: sustainability.umich.edu

Beyond the classroom, we just had our activities fair, which allowed us to begin getting involved in the wide variety of student groups available at Michigan.  The wide variety of student groups and opportunities was a large reason I chose to come to Michigan.  I am looking forward to getting involved in a few groups including OutMD, Medical Students for Choice, and some of the medical specialty interest groups.  Beyond student groups, I am hoping to get involved in research that will merge my two majors in college.  I actually ran into an Infectious Disease physician (an area of medicine that I am currently interested in) by chance near the medical school, and we are meeting in a few weeks to discuss my research interests and faculty that may match them!  Michigan Medical School faculty are very approachable and interested in helping students beyond lecture.   I am excited to see where the activities I signed up for and the meeting with the faculty member takes me- I will keep you all posted!