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Wonderful Alumni!

So excited to match in Family Medicine at McLennan County Family Medicine in Waco, Texas!

With many wonderful electives, a continuity clinic and residency applications, my last year of medical school has definitely flown by! Although the residency application process was challenging at times, I’m so glad I had the opportunity to explore many different programs around the country and meet some wonderful people along the way.

While on the interview trail, I realized that our medical school has a huge alumni network with alumni practicing in every state. I met so many residents and attendings on the interview trail who either went to medical school at Michigan or had trained here for residency.

One alumna, Dr. Karen Delhey, was gracious enough to host me through the alumni hosting program when I was interviewing in Houston. Dr. Delhey is a urologist at the Texas Medical Center. She attended the University of Michigan for her undergraduate degree and medical school, and received her M.D. degree in 1986. She completed her residency in Texas and has lived there ever since. Although she has lived in Texas for many years, she is still a proud Michigan alum. Her Texas license plate is “Go Blue”!

During my visit, not only did she welcome me into her home, she and her husband treated me to a delicious barbecue dinner and breakfast tacos the next morning. I loved chatting with her about what med school was like when she was here and how it has changed. I also got to ask her about what it’s like to live in the Houston area. By the time I arrived in Houston, the residency interview process was getting quite stressful, so it was very inspiring and reassuring to chat with someone who had successfully gone through the residency interview/match process and has been happily practicing for many years.

The alumni hosting program was a great opportunity for me to meet a wonderful alumna from my medical school. I am so grateful for Dr. Delhey and all of our alumni who support us! Thank you so much, Dr. Delhey!

 

…to Match Day!

From White Coat Ceremony…

Half way done with M3 year!

I took my Neurology shelf exam (aka the “Gelf” because it’s written by Dr. Gelb), and now I am officially half way done with my M3 year! I thought M1 and M2 year went by fast, but M3 year definitely goes by even faster. I was busy every day with clinical duties and studying, switching between different clinics and floors, and before I knew it, I was done with half of my rotations!

The rotation I just finished in Neurology was an incredible learning experience. From strokes to degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, you get exposure to many different types of patients. Each patient has a unique story, and it is a privilege to be able to hear their stories and participate in their care. The attendings and residents are amazing role models and teachers, and every day I learned so many new things.

I am still in the process of figuring out what I want to specialize in, and I am hoping that things will become more clear as the year goes on. So far what I know is that I truly enjoy counseling patients and offering preventative care services. I specifically enjoy encounters in which I am dispelling myths and providing education for patients who may have been misinformed.

I originally came into M3 year expecting to have no free time and less opportunities to see classmates that are not on my track, but it turns out, there is still plenty of time to do fun things and activities that are important to you during M3 year! I still had opportunities to go up north to Traverse City, go camping in Brighton, and go to Michigan football tailgates (picture below 🙂 ). I think what I’ve learned is that it’s important to see friends and still do activities that you enjoy, because the happier you are as a person, the happier you are on the wards, and the more you’ll learn and make the most of the opportunity. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for the second half of the year!

Finished the first rotation…now onto the next!

It’s hard to believe that I finished the first rotation of my M3 year last week. It went by so fast! I started with the pediatrics rotation, which was an amazing experience. Interacting with patients as young as a few hours old as well as adolescents was challenging but extremely rewarding. I also loved the fact that we interacted with entire families, becoming a team with the parents to provide the best care for their children.

My favorite part of the rotation was my week on the newborn service. I had never held a newborn baby before. At first I was scared that I was going to hurt the baby or do something wrong. As I got more comfortable, I was performing newborn exams on my own and giving moms information about what to expect after they go home with the baby. It was such an honor to be a part of a very special moment in the families’ lives.

After taking the shelf exam for pediatrics and a weekend off for July 4th, it was time to move on to my surgery rotation! My first week of vascular surgery at the Veterans hospital was amazing. I was able to scrub in on two operations and practice history taking skills with patients in the clinic. The days are long (I’m usually at the hospital for at least 12 hours), but I’m learning a lot and learning brand new skills, like suturing.

The one thing that I have noticed on both rotations so far is that the faculty members and residents here at Michigan are amazing. They are wonderful doctors and excellent teachers. They are always open to answering my questions when I don’t know something (which has been a lot these days), and they always provide useful, constructive feedback. The residents always help me prepare my morning presentations, and they also teach us about various medical topics and physical exam skills.

I can’t believe how fast M3 year has gone by so far and how much I have already learned. I’m excited to see what the rest of my surgery rotation has in store!