After what seems like no time at all, I'm back to school. The break was wonderful, but it's great to get back to all the friends I've made here at school. And to top it off, we got 5 inches of snow dumped on us earlier in the week, so it's been interesting.
We'll be starting interviews for the 2012 class February 6th. I remember how scared and excited I was a year ago! I had a chat with our class president and brought up that I thought it would be neat to do something with the interviewees, to make their interview a little less stressful. So a cookie bake it is! I've talked to some friends as well and we're going to try to find time to go up and say "hi" and chat with them. It really is exciting though!
In the mean time I'm enjoying Pathology and as always staying busy!
Three day weekend right now though, so it should be a blast!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Friday, November 30, 2007
All good things....
I am a big person for being positive and being open to the big picture. When I find myself becoming to negative I try to take a step back and think of something positive. Usually because of this outlook I'm a pretty happy balanced person, but sometimes it all just falls on you, like this week.
I've been stressing about Histology, in which I'm suddenly floundering, when reality crashed in.
It all started Tuesday, when I get a text from my boss back at home (a vet) reading:
Charlie (my dog) not well. Lymes nephritis bun creatine high phos. 16 Very high. Call me when u can.
What this translates to for a vet student is: your dog is very sick, in fact dying, of renal failure. What this means in my situation is that what recently forced us to euthanize my childhood dog in August (renal failure) is going to take another beloved animal for me.
This text of course arrived half way through my classes, so as soon as I got it I stepped out into our lounge, the closest place where I could get reception and called home to have a chat with my stepfather about what he had been told. This of course resulted in me crying, and unable to leave a public place because I didn't want to lose my reception. Who doesn't love crying in front of people?
Several phone calls and lots of research later the verdict is in: treating aggressively does nothing for this disease, rather I and my vet feel it would prolong his life for a negligible amount of time and it would cause un-needed stress. We're doing what we can with him, but in this case it's not much. Lyme nephritis is also one of those boogey men of medicine. Some people whole heartedly believe in it and have big plans for treating it, some people believe it's a fluke thing and dogs don't get lyme disease. Regardless my dog is sick, but stable.
I'm taking this in a small way as a good thing though. This is why I came to vet school. Because I wanted to know how to treat animals and therefore be able to make things better to at least some extent, or provide comfort and knowledge when I can't.
I'm a great place as well, in that I have an appointment this morning to meet with the internal medicine doctor to chat about lyme nephritis and any ideas he might have.
Plus, my stress level is now very different. Oh, it's still there, but now it's more realistic. Histology and Biochem are not something to panic over. They are words on a page. I will learn them or I won't. A dying family member is something very different. That is something worth crying over.
Not a fun way to get back to reality, but it's effective. I'm going to work harder to remember why I'm here from this point on. Of course I'll fail at some point, but life goes in cycles and in the end reality always comes around.
I've been stressing about Histology, in which I'm suddenly floundering, when reality crashed in.
It all started Tuesday, when I get a text from my boss back at home (a vet) reading:
Charlie (my dog) not well. Lymes nephritis bun creatine high phos. 16 Very high. Call me when u can.
What this translates to for a vet student is: your dog is very sick, in fact dying, of renal failure. What this means in my situation is that what recently forced us to euthanize my childhood dog in August (renal failure) is going to take another beloved animal for me.
This text of course arrived half way through my classes, so as soon as I got it I stepped out into our lounge, the closest place where I could get reception and called home to have a chat with my stepfather about what he had been told. This of course resulted in me crying, and unable to leave a public place because I didn't want to lose my reception. Who doesn't love crying in front of people?
Several phone calls and lots of research later the verdict is in: treating aggressively does nothing for this disease, rather I and my vet feel it would prolong his life for a negligible amount of time and it would cause un-needed stress. We're doing what we can with him, but in this case it's not much. Lyme nephritis is also one of those boogey men of medicine. Some people whole heartedly believe in it and have big plans for treating it, some people believe it's a fluke thing and dogs don't get lyme disease. Regardless my dog is sick, but stable.
I'm taking this in a small way as a good thing though. This is why I came to vet school. Because I wanted to know how to treat animals and therefore be able to make things better to at least some extent, or provide comfort and knowledge when I can't.
I'm a great place as well, in that I have an appointment this morning to meet with the internal medicine doctor to chat about lyme nephritis and any ideas he might have.
Plus, my stress level is now very different. Oh, it's still there, but now it's more realistic. Histology and Biochem are not something to panic over. They are words on a page. I will learn them or I won't. A dying family member is something very different. That is something worth crying over.
Not a fun way to get back to reality, but it's effective. I'm going to work harder to remember why I'm here from this point on. Of course I'll fail at some point, but life goes in cycles and in the end reality always comes around.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
The little things
Isn't life all about the little things?
Some of the little things that make vet students happy:
1. finding ovaries in a cow ( you laugh but it's very difficult the first many times!)
2. coffee (in my case: hot chocolate)
3. finding out you don't need to id half as many arteries as you first thought...
4. anatomy being over before Thanksgiving break starts! 3 cheers for not having to lug that huge thing home!
5. getting out and doing something not vet school related!
My extra little things:
1. trying to start dating
2. flying lead changes
Love the little things!
They make the big things matter!
Some of the little things that make vet students happy:
1. finding ovaries in a cow ( you laugh but it's very difficult the first many times!)
2. coffee (in my case: hot chocolate)
3. finding out you don't need to id half as many arteries as you first thought...
4. anatomy being over before Thanksgiving break starts! 3 cheers for not having to lug that huge thing home!
5. getting out and doing something not vet school related!
My extra little things:
1. trying to start dating
2. flying lead changes
Love the little things!
They make the big things matter!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
About Me
Hello!
I'm a first year veterinary student working toward a future that will hopefully include a rural mixed-animal practice, a lovely barn and a workhorse husband who doesn't mind a life spent surrounded by animals and nature!
It's always been something I've wanted to do, and so after four years of undergrad I've finally reached this step. Be impressed: the average veterinary applicant applies 2.5 times (that's an average, it's not that they give up half way through at some point!) before ever getting in. I was lucky enough to avoid all that stress, and so at the tender age of 21 I'm floating around elbow deep in the pelvises of horses, and cows, and wrist deep in dogs and small ruminants.
Be warned, if I actually find the time to keep up with this blog, veterinary students have very different ideas about what's gross...
My current business includes:
School (shocking! Do not, I repeat, do not go to vet school unless you are willing to work your butt off 'round the clock).
Finding work for the summer
Finding new living arrangements: undergrads and my roommate are loud!
I'm a first year veterinary student working toward a future that will hopefully include a rural mixed-animal practice, a lovely barn and a workhorse husband who doesn't mind a life spent surrounded by animals and nature!
It's always been something I've wanted to do, and so after four years of undergrad I've finally reached this step. Be impressed: the average veterinary applicant applies 2.5 times (that's an average, it's not that they give up half way through at some point!) before ever getting in. I was lucky enough to avoid all that stress, and so at the tender age of 21 I'm floating around elbow deep in the pelvises of horses, and cows, and wrist deep in dogs and small ruminants.
Be warned, if I actually find the time to keep up with this blog, veterinary students have very different ideas about what's gross...
My current business includes:
School (shocking! Do not, I repeat, do not go to vet school unless you are willing to work your butt off 'round the clock).
Finding work for the summer
Finding new living arrangements: undergrads and my roommate are loud!
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