Sequences fly when you're having fun!

3:42 AM

Author | Hema Datwani

I'm alive. I swear. It's been a while since my last post and the snowball of exams, activities, and traveling have taken a toll on my blogging. All I can say is that M2 year is certainly more busy than M1 year!

Since last year I've been serving as the President of the Latin American and Native American Medical Student Association (LANAMA), and this year my time commitment has certainly increased. The year started with recruiting incoming medical students to LANAMA, as well as ensuring all our events and activities go smoothly -- it has been time consuming. Balancing student activities and school is a talent that I'm working hard to perfect! Although LANAMA takes up a lot of my time, I feel blessed to have an amazing, hardworking executive board that works to make all our events a success. They make my job so much easier! Below are a few pictures from a few LANAMA activities from this year.

The Latin American and Native American Medical Association (LANAMA) and Black Medical Association (BMA)'s Welcome to Michigan BBQ! 

The Latin American and Native American Medical Association (LANAMA) and Black Medical Association (BMA)'s Welcome to Michigan BBQ! 

The Latin American and Native American Medical Association (LANAMA) and Black Medical Association (BMA)'s Welcome to Michigan BBQ! 

As for school, since my last post I've successfully completed the cardio, respiratory, and renal sequences; celebrated my BIRTHDAY (more than once!) with my family and friends; and I've now moved on to a relaxing two weeks of Clinical Foundations of Medicine!

Although I'm excited to be in CFM, the sleep deprivation from finishing my Renal final late Sunday night finally caught up with me yesterday when I completed a full history and physical exam on a standardized patient at 8 a.m. I was so tired I could barely remember the steps of the physical exam! Even though I watched the physical exam videos and brought in some notes, I would read my notes, walk over to the patient, and immediately blank out on what I had just read two second earlier. FAIL. Not surprisingly, my CFM instructor later commented on how I over relied on my notes. DOUBLE FAIL. Well, not actually a "fail," but certainly embarrassing and evidence that I need to try harder. I have another opportunity to do the full history and physical exam next week, so I have to practice, practice, practice... and sleep!

On another note, my 25th birthday was just two weeks ago! I remember thinking "wow, 25 is OLD" and here I am now, finally 25! My mom and brother flew up to Ann Arbor from Panama just for the weekend to celebrate my big day with me. I showed them the usual AA sights like central campus, main street, and the famous Zingerman's Deli. My mom absolutely loved Zingerman's. She bought seven loafs of bread, four coffee cakes, and a pound of cheese to take back home! She forgot one loaf and the cheese, so I certainly benefited from this food shopping spree! My mom also helped me organize a small wine themed birthday dinner at Vinology (FYI: I've always dreamt of becoming a wine sommelier). A few days later, I was surprised with a second birthday celebration at a LANAMA pot-luck! Here are some pictures from my dinner and pot-luck.

As the world knows, traveling is my passion so next week I'll be flying to San Juan, Puerto Rico to meet up with my family and see some friends, so expect another update with photos soon! Hopefully by then I will be caught up on sleep and I'll competently complete a full physical in less than half an hour! Wish me luck!

The Latin American and Native American Medical Association (LANAMA) and Black Medical Association (BMA)'s Welcome to Michigan BBQ! 

The Latin American and Native American Medical Association (LANAMA) and Black Medical Association (BMA)'s Welcome to Michigan BBQ! 

The Latin American and Native American Medical Association (LANAMA) and Black Medical Association (BMA)'s Welcome to Michigan BBQ! 

The Latin American and Native American Medical Association (LANAMA) and Black Medical Association (BMA)'s Welcome to Michigan BBQ! 

The Latin American and Native American Medical Association (LANAMA) and Black Medical Association (BMA)'s Welcome to Michigan BBQ! 
Media Contact Public Relations

Department of Communication at Michigan Medicine

[email protected]

734-764-2220

Stay Informed

Want top health & research news weekly? Sign up for Health Lab’s newsletters today!

Subscribe
Featured News & Stories
Health Lab
Preventing suicide during pregnancy and after birth
Many deaths by suicide during pregnancy and after birth are preventable. Along with a personal patient experience, three Michigan Medicine experts discuss the current landscape of suicide prevention in pregnant and postpartum people, including the latest research and resources for help.
glasses on newspaper text
Health Lab
12 stories from 2024 worth a second look
Health Lab writers selected 12 stories for you to read from 2024 that are worth revisiting before kicking off a brand-new year.
Aerial view of the U-M medical campus in Ann Arbor
News Release
United Physician Assistants of Michigan Medicine workers reach tentative agreement with University of Michigan Health
United Physician Assistants of Michigan Medicine (UPAMM) workers have reached a tentative, three year agreement with the University of Michigan Health.
Graphic of food to include in a diabetic diet
Health Lab
Healthy good tidings: 20 ways to manage your diet this season
Staying healthy during the holidays can be a tall order, but arranging your plate and your plans with these tips can help.
syringes three in a row with one with a shot going into it on a light teal background
Health Lab
TNF inhibitors prevent complications in kids with Crohn’s disease, recommended as first-line therapies
Early treatment of pediatric Crohn’s disease with anti-tumor necrosis factor medications can substantially reduce the risk of perianal fistulas in Crohn’s disease. Michigan Medicine researchers confirmed this finding using prospective data. 
headshot of Mason Myers
Department News
PhD student Mason Myers receives a predoctoral fellowship from the National Institutes of Health
U-M Biological Chemistry PhD student Mason Myers of the Zhang lab receives a predoctoral fellowship.