Myra Anderson reports that her time at the Michigan Math and Science Scholars program has been “busy, challenging and fun.” She has adjusted to the quick pace of her course, and is learning how to take notes at the college level.
“On the first day of class, Monday, we learned a basic overview of gross anatomy and terminology for anatomy. There was so much information that we went through, but I feel that I was able to keep up. On Tuesday we studied the integumentary and nervous systems. This was a significant day for two reasons. The first was that we are completing presentations over the span of the course and our assignment was to defend two systems of the body to be the best/most important. My group was assigned the integumentary and nervous system so I needed to pay close attention. The second reason was that we started dissections on Tuesday. We dissected a sheep’s brain and a cow’s eye. I really enjoyed these dissections because we were able to apply what we learned and locate different areas of the brain and the eye. In our class, we have dissections every day and they help us visualize what we are learning about. On Wednesday, we studied the skeletal system and dissected owl pellets,” Myra explains.
“Thursday was my favorite day this week because we took a class field trip to a local animal conservancy where our professor volunteers. There were so many exotic animals that we saw and petted. We learned about many different animals and got to do some comparative anatomy and discuss vestigial structures found in them. Then to end the week, on Friday we learned the muscles and dissected a cat. This was the most challenging day because there are so many muscles with difficult names and it takes a lot of repetition for me to learn them. For repetition, we recited different muscles when we got to see the Anatomage table and plastinated human anatomical donors. I really enjoyed getting to see the Anatomage table when we did this. The technology is incredible and it is a great learning tool.” Myra adds.
When not in class, Myra attended several social events and activities, including a Bob Ross Night, and a trip to downtown Ann Arbor.
“I really enjoyed Bob Ross Night, in which we painted and followed a Bob Ross tutorial. My painting turned out great and I received many compliments. Another activity that I enjoyed was a trip to the M-den. The M-den is a store that sells University of Michigan apparel and spirit wear. This was an awesome chance to walk through the main strip of downtown Ann Arbor. Overall, the first week was an incredible experience and it makes me look forward to next week,” Myra says.
“My highlight from the two weeks was getting to go into the gross anatomy lab and getting to utilize the Anatomage Table. The program that their donors go through is highly respectable and I admire the way the University handles them. With this, we were able to learn and memorize the parts of the brain, lungs, heart, and much more by looking at the donors. Memorizing the parts of the body was also easier with the help of the Anatomage table. The technology is super awesome and we got to play around with it and use its review game mode. These two experiences were something that I do not get to see in a normal high school setting and it was cool,” Myra explains.
“MMSS also had a great social experience. We got to participate in nightly activities such as hustle night, chalk the diag, and a boba run. They were all super fun and I met some great people that I now call friends. I will continue to stay in touch with these friends and hopefully see them again someday. The weekend trips were also fun. We went to Cedar Point on Saturday and to the Detroit Institute of Arts on Sunday. I got to spend quality time with my friends and the art museum had lots of historical pieces. I am so thankful that I got to participate in this and meet such wonderful people. This camp experience taught me so much and I am grateful that I was given an opportunity to attend. I excelled and I cannot wait to see what academic opportunities rise up for me next,” Myra adds.
Great work, Myra. We look forward to the next chapter of your academic journey!
>> Read Myra Anderson’s final report (PDF file, 81 KB).
>> Learn about other students’ experiences in the GFF Scholarship Program.
