Page 12 - WCMS3Q21

Medical Student Reflections
Finding a Home in Med School
Alangoya Tezel, M2
University of Michigan Medical School
President, UMMS AmeTrican Medical Association Chapter
hat I would find Medical school can certainly be overwhelming, and myself starting the workload appears to never cease. For this reason, it medical school in can be very easy to detach from the material and forget
the midst of a pandemic was something I would have never anticipated. The virtual learning circumstances and isolation were so unusual and unprecedented that I was concerned about how I would build a support system among my new peers, as well as
how I would maintain a healthy balance between the demands of medical school and my own wellbeing.
One of the first things I did to alleviate these concerns was to join a 26-person medical fraternity called Phi Rho Sigma. There, I lived with members from all four years of medical school, and I was able to develop strong friendships -- not only with other first-year students but also with upper class students. I was fortunate to have had this opportunity because it helped ameliorate feelings of isolation and anxiety, which I would have inevitably faced had I lived by myself. The relationships I formed at the medical fraternity allowed me to create a strong balance between work and fun.
the bigger picture of why one decided to pursue the
field. In some ways, the pandemic made this easier as it constantly reminded me of the privilege we have as students to learn about the language of medicine, especially during a time when misinformation is propagated easily. I was inspired watching the faculty around me, albeit virtually, and I am eagerly looking forward to advancing this contextualization on the wards this coming year.
In retrospect, this year was full of unexpected moments of humor, joy, and camaraderie. I recall my first standardized patient interview, donning a surgical mask sans tape, and my anatomy lab goggles, and finding myself unable to inspect the patient’s precordium because of the fog that I was trying to peer through. I remember our weekly mandatory COVID-19 testing and how my classmate, Graham, and I made a pleasant weekly routine of a nice walk to the testing center followed by smoothies on the way home. These little moments amidst a stressful time, both personally and globally, remind me that happiness can be persisting and unexpected.
I look forward to another year in this community that has now become a home. •
12 Washtenaw County Medical Society BULLETIN FALL 2021