In the News

Metro Detroit surgeon pens popular blog on medical training in U.S.

CNN.com Thursday, March 22, 2012

The U.S. needs doctors. Medical schools are accepting more students. But residencies aren't. It's a conundrum explained by a metro Detroit plastic surgeon .

Excerpt:

"The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) couples prospective applicants with residency programs, sort of like a medical version of eHarmony. Each applicant makes a list ranking the residency programs in their order of desirability. The residency programs do the same with the applicants, and the NRMP matches them up.
Not all graduating medical students get matched.

According to the NRMP, last year 971 graduates of U.S. medical schools were shut out, accounting for 5.9% of U.S. grads. Graduates of international medical schools fared even worse - less than 50% of them obtained a residency.

That means more than 7,000 doctors were left with a diploma that said “M.D.” but no guarantee they would be able to use it.'

Read the blog and the spirited comment conversation here.

Dozens of new restaurants to sprout up in metro Detroit in 2012

The Detroit News Thursday, March 15, 2012

Metro Detroit is on track to open nearly three dozen new restaurants in 2012. Why so many in an economy that's struggling. Well, cheap real estate is part of the answer.

Excerpt:

"On top of that, he's confident in his restaurants' ability to succeed because, he said, he's giving people what they want: a nice restaurant with good food that isn't too expensive.

"It's not going to cost you $100 for two people to go out for dinner," he said. "We're not getting into fine dining because frankly there is no market for it."

Prentice isn't the only restaurateur adding to his stable of casual-upscale businesses."

Read the rest of the story here.

Ferndale's M-1 Studios to produce Scottish culture film series

Huffington Post Thursday, March 15, 2012

Bagpipe. Kilts. Haggis. Groundskeeper Willy. Most Americans have a limited knowledge of Scottish culture. Troy's St. Andrew's Society of Detroit aims to change that. And they've hired a Ferndale film studio to help them.

Excerpt:

"Though M-1 Studios has developed a strong background in industrial and commercial work since opening in 2008, it's not the production company's first time working with a cultural association. M-1 also produced a series of videos for Heritage Works, a Detroit organization that promotes youth and community development with cultural programming focusing on the arts of Africa and the Diaspora."

Read the rest of the story here.

Water-skiing squirrel hits metro D

CBS Detroit Thursday, March 15, 2012

What's better than a rodent on water skis? Why, nothing, of course. Twiggy, the water skiing squirrel sensation will be featured at the Home & Garden Show (March 9-11) at the Silverdome in Pontiac. Be there or be sorry.

Excerpt:

"Aside from performing, Best said the Twiggys’ other important duty is promoting water and boat safety.

Best said her squirrels have performed all across the world, in the U.S., Canada, Bermuda, Paris, France and Germany. She has appeared in numerous books, magazines, newspapers, and on television shows all over the world."

Read and watch the rest here.

Bizarre Foods celebrates Metro Detroit eats

Travel Channel Thursday, March 08, 2012

Andrew Zimmern landed in Detroit for a recent episode of the Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods. From soul kitchens to a Ramadan meal in Dearborn he sings our culinary praises.

Watch the "Top Five" video here. Want to see the entire episode? Click here.

TechTown's influences and accomplishments heralded

DiverseEducation.com Thursday, March 08, 2012

There's been whole lotta talk about innovation in Metro Detroit but what does it take to incubate that innovation on the ground? Wayne State's TechTown gets spotlighted for its efforts and impacts.

Excerpt:

"To date, TechTown is an emerging economic force in downtown Detroit. It has introduced approximately 8,000 Michigan residents to “an entrepreneurial culture” through its public events and walk-in sessions. It has invested more than $700,000 directly into new ventures and has helped clients raise more than $14 million in venture capital.

Wayne State, which manages TechTown, located a few blocks from its midtown Detroit campus, has put some $2.7 million into TechTown between 2007 and 2011, providing about 23 percent of its programmatic funding. Its College of Engineering has provided prototype services and lab space to TechTown companies. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences provides translation services, while the Law School conducts small business clinics, and its School of Medicine has provided researchers and tissue samples. The university has partnered with TechTown to secure federal and state research grants."

Read the rest here

The Divorce Expo comes to Novi

ClickOnDetroit.com Thursday, March 08, 2012

Splitsville isn't a place anyone wants to visit but sometimes it's unavoidable. And now there's an expo for those who haven't quite found the marital bliss they expected. The Divorce Expo lands in Novi on March 24 and 25th.

Excerpt:

""With 30,000 Michigan couples facing permanent separation each year, many thousands of people are in search of advice from experts in order to know what to expect and how to survive divorce." said Christine McQueen, founder and CEO of Split Partners LLC, the organization sponsoring the event. "We've pulled all the resources together under one roof to help people gather the information they need. This type of event is a first for our area."

Watch and read the rest here.

Metro regions vital to Michigan's economic success

Detroit Free Press Thursday, March 01, 2012

With 80+ percent of our population, employment base and economic output centered around metro areas, Business Leaders for Michigan (in conjunction with the Brookings Institution and Public Sector Consultants) have outlined a strategy for economic revitalization that highlights the importants of vibrant urban areas.

Excerpt:

"This state is a metro state," Bruce Katz, Brookings vice president and director of the Metropolitan Policy Program, told the Free Press editorial board Thursday after speaking earlier to the Detroit Economic Club.

"Michigan had the second-strongest recovery in the nation, largely thanks to the power of its metropolitan areas in innovation, manufacturing and exports."

Read the rest here.

Ferndale to host food truck rally at the Rust Belt Market

Ferndale Patch Thursday, March 01, 2012

Metromode has long sung the praises of the food truck movement and it looks like others are catching up. This month Ferndale will host "Street Eats," a celebration of mobile food vendors. The idea is to make it a once-a-month event.

Excerpt:

"The event will be similar to the food truck rally at the Farmer's Market in Royal Oak earlier this month, which at only halfway through the event saw 1,200 customers served by the six food trucks and a cart from Treat Dreams in Ferndale.

The event was sponsored by the Michigan Mobile Food Vendors Association."

Read the rest here.

Detroit Auto Show's concept cars get thumbs up for design

DesignNews Thursday, March 01, 2012

Let's face it, checking out the new models can be informative but it's the concept cars that rule. DesignNews offers up 17 cool as a cucumber shots of concepts cars worth salivating over from January's auto show.

Personally, we're impressed with how cool Chrysler made a mini van look.

Check out Captain Hybrid's faves here.

Paste Magazine lists 12 Michigan bands you gotta listen to

Paste Magazine Thursday, March 01, 2012

Okay, let's start off by mentioning my intense love of Lightning Love, Chris Bathgate, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jr. But that's just the tip of the local music worth owning iceberg. Paste spotlights a dozen Mitten-based bands that you should be spreading the gospel about.

Excerpt:

"Lightning Love is a trio that features siblings Aaron and Leah Diehl along with guitarist Ben Collins. Aaron’s simple, appropriate drums are a great backbone for Leah’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics that explore subjects that range from every day routines (“Everyone I Know”) to the more ridiculous (“Friends”). The band just released the excellent Girls Who Look Like Me EP on Quite Scientific Records."

Read the rest here.

Travel Channel tours Detroit kitchens and grills

Travel Channel Thursday, February 23, 2012

Camera or no camera, the food rush is on in Detroit. In this episode of "Bizarre Foods America", the Travel Channel guzzles up soul food, BBQs pig head and other meaty picnic dishes with the Detroit Mower Gang, guzzles more soul food, and shares a Ramadan feast with a Dearborn family.

See the highlights here.

Two Metro Detroit chefs are semifinalists for James Beard Foundation Best Chef award

Detroit Free Press Thursday, February 23, 2012

Looking for that post-Valentine's dinner date? Ring ahead for a table at Birmingham's Forest Grill or Bacco Ristorante in Southfield. Chefs David Gilbert (Forest Grill) and Luciano Del Signore (Bacco) are contenders for a James Beard Foundation award for Best Chef in the Great Lakes region.

More on this story here.

Harper Woods' Mack Avenue artist wins a Grammy

The Urban Flux Thursday, February 16, 2012

Put another notch in Metro Detroit's music cred belt. The Grammy this time is for jazz. Which, as anyone will tell you, is what we has.

Excerpt:

"Mack Avenue Records bassist Christian McBride received his first GRAMMY Award as a leader at the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles. McBride won in the “Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album” category for his big band debut, "The Good Feeling."

Read the rest here. Watch the videos about McBride's work below.

Chinese-owned auto supplier sets up shop in Troy, plans to hire 50

Crain's Detroit Business Thursday, February 16, 2012

The hunt for advanced auto engineers is on as Nexteer Inc. moves into Troy with a plan to hire 50. That's a lot of high salary positions.

Excerpt:

"The need for engineering talent to support growing contracts is leading Saginaw-based and Chinese-owned steering systems supplier Nexteer Inc. to set up shop in metro Detroit.

Nexteer said last week it would open a 30,000-square-foot customer service center in Troy in April. As many as 50 additional engineers will be hired ahead of its opening, said Dennis Hoeg, vice president of engineering. "

Read the rest here.