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Hello from the first week of cardio!

We wrapped up Cells & Tissues two weeks ago with a pair of exams and an anatomy practical. Of course we had to celebrate a little bit, and what better way than with Emergency Medicine Day? EM Day was basically a way to learn about Emergency Med while also learning some really cool doctor skills like intubation and how to put in IVs. I was able to intubate the sim dummy on the first try (without breaking any teeth!), so I was super excited about that. Also super exciting was heading out to the helipads outside of the ER to see the Survival Flight helicopters. We got to learn about the program and climb inside the helicopter (so cool!). Another highlight of the day was when we practiced placing IVs on each other. No one bled out, so I figure it was a good day. Just kidding–the nurses who were teaching us coached us the whole way. It was overall a really great experience, and I would highly recommend it.

Checking out the Survival Flight helicopters. Photo credit to Victoria.

On the evening before the start of Clinical Foundations of Medicine (CFM) week, my roommate and I hosted a potluck to celebrate the end of Cells & Tissues with some of our classmates. We ate delicious food (turns out that med students have delightful hidden talents like cooking and baking) and then played games. It was good to relax and just hang out with each other without having to worry about studying.

Marina showing off her selfie skills.

Serious game faces from Victoria, Uchenna, Jasmyne, and Lynette.

Bill and Marina show that we're not as serious as we think we are.

Last week was our CFM week. During CFM, we had lectures about aspects of health care that we may not normally talk about in lecture, and we went on a variety of site visits. We had lectures about health disparities, complementary and alternative medicine, and the ethical issues of the Tuskeegee studies, among others. Our site visits were also really interesting. I went to a substance abuse rehab center, shadowed in a hematology/oncology clinic, and attended an appointment with a naturopathic practitioner. All of these experiences were really different from each other, but all addressed different issues that we’ll be facing in the future as doctors. Another perk of CFM week was that we were able to take our quiz from anywhere, so I, along with many of my classmates, headed out of town for the weekend.

This week, we started our cardiovascular/respiratory sequence. It’s been pretty amazing so far. I say this because today in anatomy lab, I touched a heart and lungs. Today was one of the parts of med school where I took a moment to step back and realize how lucky we actually are as med students to be given these privileges in the name of our education. I touched a heart and lungs, marveled at their intricacies, and felt how bouncy an aorta actually is. How many people can say that?

Tomorrow, I’m headed to Mott Children’s Hospital for some shadowing, so for now it’s back to studying. Thanks for reading!

But most of all, congratulations to all of the new M0s who will be learning of their acceptance to Michigan Med in a few hours! It has been a pleasure to meet some of you over the past few weeks. Welcome to the family!