June 7, 2017
Kayla Hanses is a second-year student in the College of Osteopathic Medicine.
I recently finished up my first year as a student in the College of Osteopathic Medicine here at MSU. Once people know that I attended undergrad at the University of Michigan, they often ask me if I am an MSU or U of M fan. I often joke that it would be a lot easier to transition to being a Spartan if MSU football and basketball teams would have played a little better this year. All joking aside, I could have not asked for a better transition to being a student here at MSUCOM.
In my undergraduate program at the U of M, we were always competing against each other. Everyone wanted that 4.0, no matter what it took. The goal was to land that prestigious summer internship or have the highest GPA to get into graduate school. We were trying to stand out among our peers in order to get to that next level.
But things are different here at MSUCOM. We are studying hard and getting involved in clubs and extracurricular activities in order to be the most well-rounded people and future physicians we can be. While we all want to be successful in the classroom, we know that our true measure of success as physicians will be how caring, personable, and knowledgeable we will be to our patients.
This mindset is cohesive among the class and we are a family here at MSUCOM. Everyone is looking out for one another, whether that be sharing study guides, planning community service events or organizing social events to simply have fun and relax outside of the classroom.
Overall, I am very confident that my education and experiences here at MSUCOM are preparing me to be the best possible physician I can be. The faculty and students alike value the importance of life balance and I know that being physically, mentally and spiritually healthy will facilitate my classroom success and growth as an individual.
After just one year here at MSUCOM, I have already had opportunities to spend my spring break on a medical service trip in Guatemala, been involved in many community service events through clubs such as the Pediatric Interest Group and Community Integrated Medicine, and have participated in electives including medical Spanish and the Student Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Clinic. These extracurricular activities have truly enhanced my educational experience, and I am so excited to see where my career as a physician will take me.
I feel very honored and thankful to be here at MSUCOM to receive my medical education and I think I can now say with honesty and pride, Go Green!