Dose of Reality

U-M Medical School on the forefront of medical student blogging

Has Jon named his grunge band yet? What is Elliott learning about thyroidectomies? What does Shelby think about Pass/Fail? Where will Okeoma do her residency? Jon, Elliott, Shelby and Okeoma are among the 12 medical students now publishing Web journals or blogs (short for Web logs) on the Medical School’s Dose of Reality Web site. Dose of Reality gives Medical School students a unique opportunity to tell the world what it’s like to go to school here. In particular, they are reaching out to prospective medical students and those who have been accepted to, but have not yet decided on, Michigan.

Drawn from every level of our M.D. program, the bloggers post a minimum of one or two messages and photos a month that speak to how their U-M Medical School experiences are shaping them. These first hand accounts of life at Michigan represent unedited, individual thoughts and opinions on topics as wide-ranging as the joys of research, the agonies of the gut, Galen’s Society charities, stress, sleep, vacations, snow, clinical rotations and interviewing for residencies. The site also features guest bloggers on special topics.

“We think the blogs will showcase student talent. When prospective students see the quality of their potential classmates, we hope the blogs will help convince applicants that a Michigan education is right for them,” says Dan Remick, M.D., assistant dean for admissions for the Medical School and the blog project’s director.

While there are many independent blogs where people post messages about schools, including medical schools, Dose of Reality is the only blog sponsored by an American medical school. The site is open to public viewing, so check it out!