University of Michigan Medical School

"With friendships, I was so worried about who I would make friends with and what, I guess, it would look like. Actually, it's so funny because I think maybe the first month or two of medical school, everyone's going to everything. Every possible social event that there is, people are showing up. Why? Because I think we all just want to make friends." - Hanikka Muna, UMMS M.D. student.

On this episode of UMichMed Mosaic, Mackenzie Kay (M2) talks with Hanikka and Blake Hardin about the unspoken rules of med school and how our first-gen community helps students thrive.

Listen to the entire episode at the link or wherever you get your podcasts. https://michmed.org/MkrYy

“I truly believe that medicine is a calling.”

For Dr. Matt Wixson, caring for patients and mentoring future physicians go hand in hand. As Assistant Dean for Medical School Pathways, he works with learners at every stage of the journey to medicine, helping them identify their passions and pursue meaningful careers in health care.

"The bold mission — outstanding clinical care, cutting-edge education and life-changing research — spoke to the impact I want to have on the world. To advance health for all alongside such talented people is a joy."

Click on the link to read more about what makes Michigan such a great place to train: https://michmed.org/bnKZK

As their year comes to a close, our M1 Class Advocates hosted the annual Block 6 Pancake Breakfast, bringing everyone together one last time to enjoy some well-earned pancakes and reflect on all the memories that made their first year so special 🥞💙

"Meeting with and hearing from alumni who have carved out an impressive path for themselves after completing their PhD training in CDB is really satisfying."

The Cell & Developmental Biology community recently gathered for its 2026 Annual Celebration, welcoming alumni Lynn Kee, PhD, and Pavithra Aravamudhan, PhD, back to Michigan to share insights from their careers in academia and industry.

The event also recognized outstanding contributions across the department through its annual awards program. Click on the link for the full list of awardees: https://michmed.org/Nyxdk

“Connecting with an audience is sort of what drew me towards the outward-facing aspect of medicine.”

For Curtis Kuo, an M.D./Ph.D. candidate in the University of Michigan Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), that connection extends from the concert hall to the clinic.

After defending his dissertation earlier this year, Kuo is preparing for his final year of medical school and hopes to pursue pediatrics, inspired by his experiences caring for young patients and their families.

Click on the link to read more about Curtis' experience at Michigan: https://michmed.org/YGj4x

“Imagine what can happen in seven weeks.”

For some cancer patients in Kenya, receiving a diagnosis can take weeks due to a shortage of pathologists and limited access to specialty care.

Researchers and physicians from the University of Michigan Medical School and Aga Khan University Hospital are working together to explore how digital pathology and AI could help shorten that wait, bringing patients closer to the care they need.

“Innovation is inevitable. But if you’re not trying to protect the human behind the innovation, you’re at risk of scaling inequity.”

Read more about how this new partnership could increase access to timely diagnoses for patients in low-resource settings: https://michmed.org/8v7mG

"These interesting consults are some of the most powerful spontaneous moments of education and professional connection in medicine..."

Nikita Sanghavi, rising M4, in collaboration with Michigan Medicine faculty, helped to develop and launch an innovative medical education competition to prepare M4's for clinical consults.

"This was my first experience being involved in a medical education project, and I was impressed with how much organization it took to bring everything together. The whole experience was a collaborative process."

Click on the link to read more about the inaugural “Thank You for This Interesting Consult” Teaching Competition: https://michmed.org/qxGrM

We were honored to recently welcome new partners from the Fergana Medical Institute of Public Health in Uzbekistan to Michigan Medicine and the U-M Medical School.

During their visit, the group met with faculty and leaders across Michigan Medicine to formalize a new institutional partnership and explore future collaboration in education, research and patient care.

And of course, they also met London, one of our beloved therapy dogs. 💙

We were honored to welcome Dr. Anthony Letai, the Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), to Michigan Medicine and the Rogel Cancer Center.

The visit highlighted the incredible work of our researchers, clinicians and trainees who are advancing cancer treatment and improving the quality and value of cancer care. It also provided an opportunity to showcase Rogel's decades of scientific discovery and how investing in research continues to drive meaningful impact for patients.

We're proud of the cancer research community at U-M and grateful for the partnerships that help turn discoveries into better outcomes for people facing cancer.