To Be...A Spartan MD

Did you know that September is Women in Medicine Month (#WIMmonth)? As September nears its end, I asked myself whether I have truly appreciated the remarkable journey and accomplishments of women in medicine before me. Despite passing by headshots of CHM graduates in the Secchia Center hallways on a daily basis, I had not stopped to think about their struggles and challenges as women and minorities in medicine. These women overcame unique obstacles and fought for equality so that a woman like me can be where we are today. Women have come a long way and statistics show a growing number of women choosing careers in medicine. In celebration of Women in Medicine Month, I would like to highlight a few historical women who truly made a difference in and for medicine. Elizabeth Blackwell, MD It has been less than 200 years since the United States accepted its first female medical student into Geneva Medical College in New York. After graduating, Blackwell opened The New York ...

“Why did you choose medicine?” I get that a lot. In fact, these may be words that medical students and doctors hear the most. Well, maybe second only to “I was googling my symptoms and I think I may have...” I mentioned in one my previous posts that I grew up in a rural farm town in Northern California before being admitted to the College of Human Medicine . Yup, California is more than sandy beaches and a coastline. Growing up surrounded by farms meant that I was able to see the fruits ripen and flowers blossom all around me. Kiwi and strawberries in the winter/spring, peaches and plums in summer, and grapes, almonds, and walnuts in the fall. If you are a fan of the Mediterranean diet, this is the place to be. I watched as the farm workers pulled ripe fruit off trees, one by one. Many wore hats to protect themselves from sun exposure, with no air conditioning in their immediate future. Sweat dripping down their faces and clothes full of dirt, they climbed ladders trying to...

The Shared Discovery Curriculum (SDC) is a very different curriculum. Of the many ways it differs from your more traditional medical school curricula, the SDC enhances the learning-through-experience mode of training by including personal learning plans. Intersessions are one of the ways each student can customize their experience at the College of Human Medicine. A series of focused topic study courses, Intersessions provide an opportunity for students to dive into particular areas of strength, weakness, and/or interest. Each intersession schedule is tailored to the student. These four-week mini-courses fill in the gaps between the Early Clinical Experience (ECE) and the Middle Clinical Experience (MCE) as well as the MCE and Late Clinical Experience (LCE) prior to the USMLE Step 1 Exam .   Shared Discovery Curriculum Intersessions from MSU MD on Vimeo . "This is different than other medical training programs in that you get to choose what you want to tak...

How does it feel to complete the first year of medical school? I feel like I have already learned so much in such a short period of time. The year went by so fast! While it feels like just yesterday they presented us our white coats , we are now already a quarter of the way done! With a year of medical school at the College of Human Medicine under my belt, I feel a lot more comfortable knowing what is expected of me as a medical student. Beyond the training's challenges, there was also something interesting (and unexpected) that I learned in the Early Clinical Experience (ECE). Shared Discovery Curriculum ECE from MSU MD on Vimeo . One of the biggest challenges students struggled with from my perspective during first year was simply figuring out how to study. Classes weren’t too bad in undergrad—you put in the work and things went in your favor. At least, it seems that way in hindsight. For me, MCAT prep was challenging relative to undergraduate course work. It w...

Graduation for the College of Human Medicine Class of 2018 is this weekend as we prepare to give our best wishes to the next crop of Spartan MD's. Including students who participated in the National Residency Match Program (NRMP), students who participated in the Advanced Match, and students who participated in the Military Match, 96 percent of those seeking residency secured a match this past March. A total 37,103 applicants entered the match for 33,167 positions, the most ever offered in the Match. Both of those figures are record-highs that made the 2018 Main Residency Match the largest match on record, according to the NRMP . The College of Human Medicine (CHM) contributed 163 students to that total. From those who matched, 42.5 percent are entering a primary care residency, the exact same percentage from a year ago for the Class of 2017. While the percentage is the same, there were particular changes to the top six specialties: 1. Internal Medicine (23 graduates...

For many years, third- and fourth-year students in the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine have used their spring break to go on medical mission trips all over the world. This year, dozens of first- and second-year students joined them on trips to Haiti and Cuba, as part of the new Shared Discovery Curriculum , which places students in clinical settings a few weeks into their first year. Jack Wesley, a first-year medical student, said he wasn’t all that worried about giving physical examinations to real patients – checking children’s blood pressure, poking their fingers for blood tests and palpating their abdomens for masses. Nor did he mind spending his spring break in an impoverished country nearly 2,000 miles from home, where he used his newly acquired skills to provide health care for children who otherwise would go without it. “I honestly felt very prepared,” Wesley said. “If there was anything the College of Human Medicine did well, it was preparing...