p.s....

sorry for not posting more, it has been insanely busy and this curriculum is pretty much jam packed-but i promise i will post some more soon. spring break is coming!

woot!

I just aced a palpation exam! these are the moments where I truly feel like I am in the right place................. :D

sorry it's been so long!

Hellooooo world...I'm sorry it's been a while.

Our schedule leaves little time for much more than studying between Thanksgiving and the end of the semester. After two last weeks of class we had a quiz (or a 'quest' as I like to call it since it is definitely more like a test) followed by entire week of finals. The tests consisted of a palpation exam on the resident horses, and a lab exam consisting of identifying histology slides and anatomical parts on our specimens (those were the parts I rocked...) then a study day, then a day of multiple choice questions and a day of the integrative portion. These were far more challenging, and the integrative part puts everything over the last 8 weeks together into clinical correlations. This way of testing us is great, but very difficult to prepare for. There was a lot to cram into my brain, but I made it through and need to plow on through next semester, maintaining as much info as possible. Overall, I'm very happy I made it through this first semester unscathed.

Holiday break is about a month. This past two weeks we’ve visited with friends and family (you know who you are) and now I have 2 more weeks of freedom before 2nd semester starts. During this time, I will be chillaxing, volunteering, and prepping a resume to drop off at clinics for summer work.

I'll also be preemptively reading ahead in my anatomy and physiology books. It may sound like it's because I'm a hard core studier, but really it's because I enjoy it. Is that so wrong??

Phew a *BREAK*?

Well, the last month has been incredibly tough. Classes are crammed into one main subject of 'structure and function' which is a combo of histology, physiology, neurobiology, anatomy (with a lab) and some clinical correlations. It is a ton of information which requires a ton of study time, so far i'm doing fine but i have definitely been putting a lot of time into studying, and i even still think i can study 'smarter not harder'....
The good thing is thanksigiving break is starting up and there will be some time to relax and not think about the vet med world but i'm sure i still will do some studying. i'm just a big nerd that way....

What an interesting week...

First of all, we had some presentations about handling debt and money and our finances. All very interesting and somewhat depressing, and of course, the presenter was directing the conversation to the 20-somethings because he kept saying we would have 40 years minimum of practice ahead of us. I'm sure the other over 30's and I were scoffing. We used to work. we used to make ok money, and now we're here spending that hard earned money. I know it is a choice and I'm supremely happy I have this chance to do this, but the financial part is going to be hard on my husband and I...It's just a reality check I hope soaked into the 20-something's brains cuz I think about it quite a bit.

Other stuff that was discussed during colloquium and during my Surgical Skills rotation was discussing a pet's death with clients, and being empathetic. I am really going to need a lot of practice with this....not that I am not empathetic, but sometimes it is hard for me to actively *be* empathetic and console another person. I hate using cliche's and for some reason at those moments, those cliche's are all I can think of to say. ugh. More practice is needed for me in that arena....

The Surgical Skills rotation was great! it was all very well organized and taught us pertinent skills we will use forever...suturing, instrument identification, surgery prep for the patient and us as surgeons, even some large animal procedures with simulated models for things like castration and dehorning. I feel safe saying I hope to never have to dehorn anybody...

On the personal front-I have made some great friends, there are some truly unique and fun individuals I am excited about spending the next 4 years with and knowing the rest of my life. We have been having weekly dinners out, which, are getting pricey-and with all that financial talk, that money can probably be put to better use, so we may change those dinner out nights to potlucks where we bring food......we'll see.
Also, It will be my 8th wedding anniversary on Monday the 20th. Since it's on a monday, we decided to celebrate it this weekend instead, so we spent a lovely day in my great college town and had a lovely dinner at a local fancy italian place and ended the night at a place that was my husbands favorite bar here in the mid 90's. Who knew 8 years ago we'd be where we are...me living my dream but us unfortunately having to live apart. gah. We have been seeing each other regularly on weekends, but it ain't easy.

Things I am looking forward to this week: a dental on a tiger via the dental club, an acupuncture wet lab via the Integrative medicine club, a lunch presentation by Heifer International (serving veggie food!) and my small animal internal medicine rotation! exciting stuff!

almost end of week 3

It's funny, my classmates and I keep referring to 'when we start school'...meaning, when we begin the didactic portion of school. These first 8 weeks are all following 4th years on clinical rotations, so, the outside of clinics work is minimal and therefore, doesn't feel like 'school' yet....But it is fun and I am learning a lot.

Some things I have learned:
Horses get LOTS OF HEALTH PROBLEMS. it's not just their feet and their crazy a** digestive systems, it's their eyes too! One of our horse patients got melting ulcers and surgical implants in his eyes of a cyclosporin impant! neat-O, huh?

Eyes are fascinating. Some people choose to get prosthetic eyeballs for their blind pets because it's less disturbing to have them than eyelids sewn shut. eyoo.

Most of the people in my class are extremely friendly and I believe, generally excited to be in vet school. And nobody seems to mind or notice that I'M OLD. (though I hear there are older people than me in my class...)

4th year vet students don't get much rest.

I am ending an equine rotation this week, it has been a LOT of rounding and some learning about general anatomy and doing physical exams and lameness checks, but overall, am looking forward to next week....Surgical Skills!

ooooh followers!

So I have some followers now and in order to keep them interested, I must update the blog!

Well, today is day 3 of vet school and I smell like pigs. My farm animal husbandry techniques rotation has been taking us to different farms daily, and today was a pig 'farm'. We restrained, drew blood on the pigs and swabbed their noses. yesterday we did physical exams on horses at a barn...monday we did PEs on goats at a small goat dairy. Tomorrow, dairy cattle; friday, beef cattle. Exciting stuff, every week for the next 8 weeks will be something new, then lecture and lab for the rest of the year. I am very pleased with this new curriculum so far at my school because we get to be involved right away.

On the personal front, I was *going* to go to the gym until I realized I forgot my yoga mat in my apartment in Chicago. oh well. I can't exactly run up there and get it in time....

I still am struggling with being away from my husband, but I suppose we will have to get used to it unless a plan B transpires.

off to wash off the pig smell.....