When I last posted on this blog, the M1 students were in our Clinical Foundations of Medicine week. We are now in our fourth week of our Cardio/Respiratory sequence, which is a huge departure from everything that we had been doing up to this point. Previously, we were studying biochemistry, genetics, and general medical decision-making methods. The cardio sequence is the first part of medical school that is similar to what I imagined medical school would be like. Although, the pace increased quickly after our Clinical Foundations of Medicine week, I feel much more engaged with what I am learning. Almost everything we learn in physiology or anatomy relates to at least one disease that is very common both in the United States and internationally.

I have also appreciated the transition to fall. Many students come to Michigan anxious about the cold, but I love the drop in temperature. Granted, I am from the northeast and I went to school in Minnesota; but I can objectively say that this fall has been lovely. In my free time I have tried to be outside as much as I can. I recently ran in a 5-person relay of the Detroit Marathon with four of my classmates. To train for my 10K leg, I spent a lot of time running in my neighborhood and the arboretum. The arboretum is right by the medical school and it had some incredible fall colors this year, but unfortunately I do not have pictures. I did take pictures of the Detroit marathon when I was running my leg. The portion that I ran went over the Ambassador Bridge from Detroit to Windsor, Canada. The marathon began at 7:00 AM; it was very surreal to begin running in Detroit without any natural light, then run over the bridge to Canada during dawn, and end in Canada after sunrise.

Ambassador Bridge During Detroit Marathon

To sign off, I will leave you with an image of the Jack-O-Lantern that my classmate carved. It was his first time carving a pumpkin! I was very impressed with his skills and I not at all surprised that he is interested in a surgical specialty. Happy Halloween!