A whirlwind M3 year.. with a stop in South Africa

11:39 PM

Author | Hema Datwani

Hello world! Its been ages!

A lot has happened since the last time I blogged out my thoughts and feelings on medical school. I am almost done with third year! Amazing! Every rotation has been a unique learning experience. I started with internal medicine in May and was amazed at how much and how quickly I learned. At the beginning of the rotation, I barely knew what Liver Function Tests (LFTs) were and certainly did not know how to interpret them. On my second month of medicine, got my first choice of inpatient GI/Liver, so I had an entire month to master the liver and lumen. By the end of the rotation, I felt like a young hepatologist in training and developed a genuine passion for cirrhosis of all things! Since internal medicine, I feel like I've just been building on this amazing base of medical knowledge. Each rotation is another block on top of the knowledge pyramid!

Even with the stress and intensity of third year, I was able to go home to Panama and see my family over the holidays. We took a quick trip to Capetown, South Africa.. my first time to the continent! Although the trip was amazing, just getting to South Africa was a huge ordeal! We had four connections spanning three continents in two days! Crazy. During our layover in Germany, I realized I ran out of passport pages (SA has a two page limit or else deportation!), so during our layover I ran to the embassy just so I wouldn't risk deportation upon arrival. Thankfully, I got my pages and hoped on to our double decker plane (Airbus A380?) ready for a trip filled with food, wine, and sights. Here are some memories from the trip:

Hoping on this two floor plane.. Destination: South Africa!

Hoping on this two floor plane.. Destination: South Africa!

Hoping on this two floor plane.. Destination: South Africa!

Hoping on this two floor plane.. Destination: South Africa!

Hoping on this two floor plane.. Destination: South Africa!

Hoping on this two floor plane.. Destination: South Africa!

With those great memories from Capetown, I came back to school ready for the stress and excitement that is surgery. The hours were long and the expectations were high, but I survived the rotation! I'm now in the final stretch of my clinical duties with one month of neurology and another month of family medicine. So excited to almost be done with third year!

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 Elliot Tapper
Department News
Internal Medicine Faculty Spotlight − Dr. Elliot Tapper
Elliott Tapper, MD, FASSLD is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Academic Chief of Hepatology in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Aerial view of U-M Health and surrounding in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
News Release
United Michigan Medicine Allied Professionals workers reach tentative agreement with University of Michigan Health
United Michigan Medicine Allied Professionals (UMMAP) workers have reached a tentative, three year agreement with University of Michigan Health.
person talking to older couple on couch in living room
Health Lab
85% of Mexican Americans with dementia unaware of diagnosis, outpacing overall rate
More than three-quarters of older adults with dementia may be unaware of their diagnosis, a University of Michigan study finds. 
Shawn Flynn
Department News
Please welcome our newest postdoc, Dr. Shawn Flynn!
Please welcome our newest postdoc, Dr. Shawn Flynn!
couple smiling in picture together
Health Lab
Tooth infection leads doctors to giant brain aneurysm
A tooth infection led to the discovery of a woman’s giant brain aneurysm, which doctors treated using minimally invasive flow diversion embolization. 
Dr. Stidham in AGA News
Department News
How AI can help physicians: Dr. Stidham's interview in the American Gastroenterological Association News
Dr. Stidham's interview in AGA "GI Docs will need to forge a 'Human-Computer Cooperative'"