by Erica | May 18, 2013
I have finally realized that there are actually only two weeks left of the M1 year left. Infectious Diseases ended last week, which I loved. But Infectious Diseases was also a whirlwind of microbio, clinical correlates, and pharmacology. After studying intensely for five weeks, it is over. Now we are in embryology, which is much more laid back, although not as clinically interesting. Pretty much simultaneously, the weather became beautiful. Everyone wants to do anything but study. This week I’ve been on three outdoor runs and been to Dominick’s three time. For those of you (like myself) who are not from Ann Arbor, Dominick’s is a restaurant/bar that has mostly outdoor seating and specializes in Sangria. I’ve learned to keep my sunscreen on me at all times.
I live in a house a bit removed from the “white coat area” with my boyfriend. We have a large front and back yard, and we’ve begun to start using our fire pit regularly. We just planted tomatoes and the lilacs in our backyard are blooming. Lilacs are my favorite flower and I’ve including a picture for you here: Lilacs
More shocking than my realization that we only have two weeks left of class is my realization that I only have three weeks before I leave for Quito, Ecuador. I’m extremely excited to leave, but also worried about my research and my Spanish. I’ll be working with another medical student, so I will have support while I’m there; but the work itself will be challenging. I will be assessing depression among breast and cervical cancer patients in Quito. Treating cancer patients for depression has become standard of care in the United States and many other resource wealthy countries, but it has not become common in countries such as Ecuador, where there are limited mental health providers. I’m certain that I will have to push myself through some difficult days, but I’m mostly certain that I will learn a lot from the opportunity–arguably what I learn this summer will be more important to my development as a medical student than what I have learned so far in M1 year.
Okay, time to study Embryology! Thanks for reading!
by Erica | Apr 19, 2013
We are in our Infectious Diseases sequence now. When we finished Central Nervous System, we also finished anatomy and histology. Now instead of anatomy lab, we have microbiology lab. Rather than memorizing origins and insertions of muscles, we’re memorizing “bugs and drugs.” I had been warned that Infectious Diseases is one of the hardest sequences of M1 year—that it is actually a second year medical school course. Nevertheless, I have not enjoyed a sequence as much I have enjoyed this one so far.
Class starts at 8:00 AM, which is rough if one goes to class, which I generally do. We start with microbiology, go to the clinical presentation, and end with the pharmacology. Then we go to microbiology lab, and possibly have histopathology in the afternoon. It is a lot of work and a lot of memorization. But it is the first time in medical school that I’ve felt like I’m learning information that will be directly applied to patient care.
This is also the first weekend that the UM Student Run Free Clinic will be operational since our original site was destroyed in an electrical fire. It took several months of fundraising and waiting, but we now have a new location. I’m a coordinator for the SRFC, and my responsibilities are largely related to patient follow-up, therefore I have been speaking with patients repeatedly who have been asking me when the clinic will reopen. It was so frustrating to tell patients over and over again that I didn’t know when or where we would be reopening. Although I’m sure that there will be some difficulties as we switch to a new clinic location, I am relieved that we’re going to be able to offer primary health care again.
by Erica | Mar 16, 2013
I worked for a few years before medical school in women’s health research. I got a good deal of exposure to patients both through that work and also while volunteering in a free clinic in North Philadelphia. Most of the patients who I met as a researcher were very healthy. The patients in North Philadelphia often suffered from chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes. There were also a large amount of clinic patients who had been diagnosed with depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. During these years before medical school, I felt that I had received a pretty decent exposure to the spectrum of disease.
This Friday we had Neurology Classics. “Classics” are a chance to meet patients who have the diseases about which we are learning. For example, during a cardiology clinical foundations of medicine week, a patient who has a congenital heart defect might come in to meet with us. There are several patients present during each classics session and we rotate through exam rooms to meet them. We were told that the patients who come in for Neurology Classics are often the most ill of all the patients who we meet. Due to the nature of neurological illnesses, the neurology patients often struggle with mobility. Several other students and I volunteered to help patients get into the exam rooms on Friday morning.
I was in awe at how pleasant and kind all of the volunteers were. We met them around 7:15 AM in the hospital, and they were all much more awake and conversational than the medical students. Of course, they probably had slept a lot more than us medical students. I do not want to describe the symptoms of any of the patients; but I have such respect for all of them. It was difficult meeting so many wonderful people who have no chance at regaining their full function prior to their disease. It constantly amazes me how generous patients are during our training. In addition to classics, patients also give panel presentations to discuss their experiences. Sometimes it is daunting meeting patients who are extremely ill, because I can’t imagine ever having the skills to provide them with health care. At the end of this year, we need to do a complete history and physical. That seems confusing enough at this point in my education.
by Erica | Feb 27, 2013
This week is the tech week for The Smoker, which is an annual play that lampoons physicians and professors at the University of Michigan. We’ve been rehearsing for about two months now, but the show is this Friday, so we are currently practicing every day from about 5:30 until 11 PM. This experience is bringing me back to my drama nerd days in high school and college. When I’ve previously acted, we called Tech Week “Hell Week.” The Smoker is much less time commitment than previous plays in which I’ve acted, but it is chaotic managing practices as a med student.
Regardless of the long hours, it has been great seeing the scenes, dances and songs that my friends have been working on all semester. The set and the music are also incredible. I’m so amazed at how many talented students are in medical school: there are fantastic singers, musicians, and dancers. But there are also a lot of people who have no previous experience and look amazing. I think I was most impressed when we were moving set pieces into the theater this week. I had not assisted with building or painting set pieces, and it was fantastic to see what the cast and crew had created. I can’t go into specific details about this year’s Smoker, because it is supposed to be a secret until the first performance. But I highly encourage anyone to come and see it, even if you don’t know many doctors yet. Potty humor is universal and there is a lot of potty humor in it.
by Erica | Jan 6, 2013
Our winter break is almost over and I got back to Ann Arbor Friday night after driving 600 miles back from Philadelphia. Interstate 76 was closed; therefore the trip took even longer than it normally does and I’m pretty exhausted at this point. But I was very excited to have a weekend in Ann Arbor during which I’m not thinking about school (I’m a perpetual Sunday quizzer.) Saturday morning my boyfriend and I went to the Farmer’s Market, which did have a surprising amount of produce even in January. We got blue potatoes, acorn squash, kale and eggs. I’m excited to eat a lot of veggies after eating holiday food during the whole break.
When I left Ann Arbor, there had just been a small sprinkling of snow. I went to school in Minnesota, so I am surprised at how little snow we got here during December. In Minnesota, we’d frequently get our first big snow fall in November. Now that I’m back, there are a good couple of inches on the ground and the sky is mostly blue with a few clouds. Unfortunately, it is too icy to go running outside, but I am debating going ice-skating tonight.
I do not know if this occurs to other students over break, but I frequently think of my donor in the anatomy lab. We work with our donors at least once a week, and often more frequently than that. I enjoy anatomy, although I have to study it assiduously in order to absorb the information. During the weekend and the evenings before exams, I go into the anatomy lab to review structures with my friends. These past two weeks are the most time that I have spent without seeing my donor or going into the anatomy lab. I know that my donor is deceased, but I can’t help but feel that we have abandoned her. I worry that the body is not being cared for—that there will be molding or decay when I get back.
Tomorrow we’re starting lectures again and on Tuesday we go back to anatomy lab. I will miss being with my family on the East Coast and I’m sure that I will be whining about school in less than a week. Nevertheless, I am excited to begin learning again. I spent a lot of time changing the course of my life in order to go to medical school. I’m ready to get back to work.
