Hi there; Birdie here!
Two exams down this week, and 2-3 more exams (depending on whether you want to count the anatomy practical and written as separate exams or not) and one week to go! I'm so ready for Christmas break...I'll just have to power through, and on Friday I'll be free!
Both of this week's exams were actually for the same class: a combined grade for Histology and Developmental Anatomy. The histo exams was in three parts: the written, the projected images we usually have for the practical, and a 12-question "identify the organ" practical on our actual microscopes. I did pretty well on the lab portions, though I'll have to see whether he accepts some of my answers. I don't know exactly how well I did on that exam yet. The course coordinator was going to be handing out the exams at 4 today, but I didn't stay (for reasons I'll discuss in the next paragraph). I was really worried about it considering I didn't actually study over Thanksgiving break (though I did finish my novel and win NaNoWriMo again!), but it wasn't actually that bad. Embryology was not as bad as I was expecting, either. I did stay up until 1am last night studying for it though! Next week we have an anatomy quiz Monday, Physio exam Wednesday, and anatomy practical/written Thursday/Friday. Phew!
The reason I didn't stay to pick up my test was because I was hoping to meet a tow truck at my house. See, after I got back after break, my car wouldn't start. Before break it had been flashing a light at me, but it stopped when I used my proximity key physically in the dashboard, and my dad (who owned the car before me) said it was the key's battery. Well, guess what--it's actually the car's battery (well, one of them--it's a hybrid). Turns out it's got less than 1 volt in it, and is too dead to even jump. So I've been without my car all week. A friend has been shuttling me to and from school, but on the first day everyone around (my roommates, and said friend who lives nearby) had left by the time I found my car not starting. I wound up walking halfway to school until my roommate and her friend whom she carpools with saw me and let me ride with them the rest of the way. The tow truck didn't even come today (yay Baton Rouge traffic!), so I'll have to meet it first thing in the morning instead. I seriously hope they can get all the work done tomorrow while my mom is here and can drop me off to pick up the car so I don't have to make my friend drive me there too. On the plus side, my mom is coming up tomorrow--we're gonna go see The Book Thief. I really do miss my car...I don't even like driving, but I really hate relying on/being a burden to my friend this way.
Ooh, exciting news: we get to sign up for our electives for next semester! The list of choices got emailed out yesterday, and I'm really excited about it. At LSU, the graduation requirement is 4 credits of electives, and we can take up to 2 in the spring. Of course I want to take two! In fact, I have a list of like 6 that I'm interested in, heh. I definitely want to take one of the classes with our school's social worker: either Vets in the Community or the Human Animal Bond. See my thesis--this stuff is my bag. For the other one, I'm thinking about doing Integrative Medicine, but it's got limited spots. If it fills up, the procedure is to do a lottery for the spaces. Therefore there's no incentive to sign up early, so I haven't yet--they're giving us a talk on Monday about electives, so I'm going to wait until after that. Plus I want to talk to the social worker about which of her classes I should take. There's so many other interesting choices, too: feline med, large animal behavior, a skin class that's very hands-on (although tbh I don't really want to take that because I'm not a fan of the professor in charge), and an online exotic/emerging diseases class...I hate online classes, but it's a requirement for USDA accreditation. Maybe I can take that in the summer if I want to do that?
I also signed up for the CDC's veterinary day, a Monday in January. Unfortunately, 11 people were interested and there's only 10 spots, so hopefully I get it. I'm a little wary of missing class for it, but I think this will be a valuable experience that's worth the missed lecture (plus the lecture will probably be recorded). Well, if I don't get it, at least I won't miss class.
Friday, December 6, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Happy Thanksgiving?
I'm off at noon and my Thanksgiving break will start...for a given definition of break. When we get back there are only two weeks left, with two tests each week, and the first is Tuesday. I haven't really been keeping up with my studying...probably "all month" would be accurate. I've still been doing enough that I'm happy with my grades. The only things I'm not thrilled with are my diagnostic imaging test (which I knew I didn't know as well as I wanted to, but I kept my A in the class and I have other things to worry about right now) and my anatomy exam (which, considering that it was "the one everyone fails" and was right after break, I am pretty happy even though it's objectively lower than I usually get). I actually rocked that physio exam--well, our teacher did basically say that educated guesses based on our physiological knowledge was what he wanted!
I'm hoping our next anatomy exam won't be too bad. It's got about two (what I consider) sections less than I thought it would be, so that's nice. But I still need to learn all the little processes and foramina of the skull in addition to the actual head dissection. With the cut down information, I think it should be pretty easy to finish the dissection and have plenty of time to review. Our next exam is histology, and then at the end of the week embryology. I've typed about half the notes for embryology (more than half of the notes we've covered), but I'm going to have to do some more of that over break.
I've been feeding an owl again this week, for the last time this semester. I've got Squirt this week, my friend's favorite. He's a screech owl, and he has really bad arthritis so he is on a painkiller twice a day, which is my responsibility since I'm in charge of him this week. He is really cute. We were worried about him for a while that he's very old and wasn't doing well for a while. I'm glad I got a chance to work with him, whether or not he'll still be here next semester. Actually, I might do day birds instead of owls next semester. That's a decision for later though.
The Doctor Who special was AMAZING. If you're a fan you've probably seen it already, but I just want to say I was thrilled with it. It turned out the 3D showing wasn't until Monday, so I went to On the Border (a Mexican restaurant) with the Baton Rouge viewing group to watch it live with them, which was great. It was totally worth seeing it in the theater, too, even though I'd already seen it. Especially since the 3D had a special introduction, and some behind the scenes stuff at the end. Also, I'd never thought of it before, but 3D is really future, isn't it? I'm so glad that both times I saw it, it was with a roomful of Whovians. Watching great shows with other people is one of the things I miss most about undergrad.
Yes, I'm still working on my novel. I managed to be on target for two whole days, a record for this year, but I don't think I've written on a single Monday this month. I did one more write-in last night--probably my last one this year--and did my ~1667 words in an hour and a half. Might have been something to do with the lack of internet in the coffeeshop, heh.
I'm hoping our next anatomy exam won't be too bad. It's got about two (what I consider) sections less than I thought it would be, so that's nice. But I still need to learn all the little processes and foramina of the skull in addition to the actual head dissection. With the cut down information, I think it should be pretty easy to finish the dissection and have plenty of time to review. Our next exam is histology, and then at the end of the week embryology. I've typed about half the notes for embryology (more than half of the notes we've covered), but I'm going to have to do some more of that over break.
I've been feeding an owl again this week, for the last time this semester. I've got Squirt this week, my friend's favorite. He's a screech owl, and he has really bad arthritis so he is on a painkiller twice a day, which is my responsibility since I'm in charge of him this week. He is really cute. We were worried about him for a while that he's very old and wasn't doing well for a while. I'm glad I got a chance to work with him, whether or not he'll still be here next semester. Actually, I might do day birds instead of owls next semester. That's a decision for later though.
The Doctor Who special was AMAZING. If you're a fan you've probably seen it already, but I just want to say I was thrilled with it. It turned out the 3D showing wasn't until Monday, so I went to On the Border (a Mexican restaurant) with the Baton Rouge viewing group to watch it live with them, which was great. It was totally worth seeing it in the theater, too, even though I'd already seen it. Especially since the 3D had a special introduction, and some behind the scenes stuff at the end. Also, I'd never thought of it before, but 3D is really future, isn't it? I'm so glad that both times I saw it, it was with a roomful of Whovians. Watching great shows with other people is one of the things I miss most about undergrad.
Yes, I'm still working on my novel. I managed to be on target for two whole days, a record for this year, but I don't think I've written on a single Monday this month. I did one more write-in last night--probably my last one this year--and did my ~1667 words in an hour and a half. Might have been something to do with the lack of internet in the coffeeshop, heh.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Missed me?
Hi there; Birdie here!
Excluding the physiology exam this morning (for which I hope my guesses were educated enough), today is a really great day. I had a surgery club meeting at lunch, which meant I got free Chinese food and got to learn about arthroscopy. Apparently all the time I spend playing video games is practically training to be good at arthroscopy! Then in anatomy lab, it was a bone day. I spent most of the time wandering between tables and talking with different little groups of people. We talked about a lot of random stuff, and I learned all the major bones of the skull and the hyoid apparatus. All the little tubercles and foramina can wait a little while longer. ;) Then I went with a friend to walk her roommate's dog and my roommate and her dog, to a little park where we jumped the dogs over benches and played with them. And then later I went out to dinner with a bunch of my classmates to celebrate being done with tests until after Thanksgiving break! The weekend should be good, too--see above, no tests. Plus I'm going to see the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special in 3D tomorrow! I don't usually like movies in 3D, but I'm making an exception for this.
It's been a while since I've written, hasn't it? Two Fridays ago it was our Fall Break. I'm not sure why LSU decided that we should only have two weeks between Fall Break and Thanksgiving, but that's what it is. Unfortunately, we had our anatomy exam (specifically, "the one everyone fails") the next week, but I did go home for the Thursday and Friday that we had off. Then I spent the next two days in the lab and in a study room at school. Considering the warning, I consider that it paid off--I got a B! Then last weekend I went home again. We got a coupon for tickets to the Renaissance Fair about half an hour away from my parents' house, so we all went together. Unfortunately my little brother was being a jerk for pretty much all of it and I didn't get the twisty dragon or crystal hair ornament I wanted, but I got to ride a dragon swing, see a joust, and drink a pumpkin pie smoothie. Then on Sunday night I went to see Celtic Thunder in concert! Last year one of my friends got free tickets to see them in Albany (or thereabouts) and took me and another friend, and I've loved them ever since! Ryan sang House of the Rising Sun, which got a big reaction considering that the concert was in New Orleans. Anyway, between having little school stuff to share and being busy driving on Fridays, I haven't had much time to update.
It turns out that maybe I shouldn't have bought that concert ticket, though. Did I mention how I had to get rabies vaccines back in August/September? Well, the school just cashed my check (from three months ago), so my bank account was suddenly down $600. So if you're going to start vet school and get rabies vaccines, watch out for that.
I've done a couple more wetlabs since I last wrote. One was for diagnostic imaging club: small animal ultrasound. I wound up at the hardest station first: the adrenal gland. I managed to find it really quickly, though! I guess I used up all my luck at that station, though. I couldn't quite follow the intestines or find the bladder easily. I didn't get to the liver/spleen table, either. Oh well--next time! I also did a clinical pathology wetlab, practicing mass aspiration (on banana chunks in caulk) and blood smears and dip staining. I wasn't very good at either of the clinical skills, but it was good practice, and the clinician we were working with was really cool. He spent a good bit of the time telling stories about a trip with his kids to Disney. Oh, and a much less clinical thing: there was a grad panel (with free dinner, always a plus). They had like 6 veterinarians (including a radiology resident) talking about post-graduation stuff. There was a bit of a debate about whether internships are worth it, and the whole thing took 3 hours, which I was not prepared for. I'm still glad I went though, even if I didn't have business cards to "network" yet (I'd just ordered them, and didn't get them until the next weekend or so).
If you're wondering about the novel I mentioned last time, I'm still writing it. I'm only one day behind the target word count for today, which I consider acceptable--I can pretty easily write 3,333 words (two days' worth) in a day on a weekend when I've got more than a couple of hours to write. I've also done a few write-ins; it's really nice to have a group to write with, as opposed to just doing it on my own like I did in undergrad. I've also discovered a great coffee shop in Baton Rouge: it's called Brew Ha Ha, and they're famous for cake balls. So far I've had funfetti (my personal favorite), wedding cake, pumpkin, and oreo flavors. Also, my variation of a drink (I don't like coffee, so I ordered a frozen drink with chai instead) is famous now, apparently.
Last thing: I've figured out what I'm applying for this summer. I'm applying to three things, so hopefully I get one of them. The first deadline is the end of December, and I need to submit my part of the application before I can get my recommendations in, so I'm hoping to send that in this weekend. I think that's for the serious 100% research one--but it's with NASA, so it's really cool. The other two are more directly veterinary: the Tulane Primate Research Center Fellowship and the Banfield student job program. I learned about the Banfield one when they had a lunch talk--since what I probably want to do is small animal, it would be a super great experience for me to get some real clinical skills experience, and they have great mentorship. I'm honestly really excited about whatever one I'm writing about at the moment. Hopefully I get into one of them!
Excluding the physiology exam this morning (for which I hope my guesses were educated enough), today is a really great day. I had a surgery club meeting at lunch, which meant I got free Chinese food and got to learn about arthroscopy. Apparently all the time I spend playing video games is practically training to be good at arthroscopy! Then in anatomy lab, it was a bone day. I spent most of the time wandering between tables and talking with different little groups of people. We talked about a lot of random stuff, and I learned all the major bones of the skull and the hyoid apparatus. All the little tubercles and foramina can wait a little while longer. ;) Then I went with a friend to walk her roommate's dog and my roommate and her dog, to a little park where we jumped the dogs over benches and played with them. And then later I went out to dinner with a bunch of my classmates to celebrate being done with tests until after Thanksgiving break! The weekend should be good, too--see above, no tests. Plus I'm going to see the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special in 3D tomorrow! I don't usually like movies in 3D, but I'm making an exception for this.
It's been a while since I've written, hasn't it? Two Fridays ago it was our Fall Break. I'm not sure why LSU decided that we should only have two weeks between Fall Break and Thanksgiving, but that's what it is. Unfortunately, we had our anatomy exam (specifically, "the one everyone fails") the next week, but I did go home for the Thursday and Friday that we had off. Then I spent the next two days in the lab and in a study room at school. Considering the warning, I consider that it paid off--I got a B! Then last weekend I went home again. We got a coupon for tickets to the Renaissance Fair about half an hour away from my parents' house, so we all went together. Unfortunately my little brother was being a jerk for pretty much all of it and I didn't get the twisty dragon or crystal hair ornament I wanted, but I got to ride a dragon swing, see a joust, and drink a pumpkin pie smoothie. Then on Sunday night I went to see Celtic Thunder in concert! Last year one of my friends got free tickets to see them in Albany (or thereabouts) and took me and another friend, and I've loved them ever since! Ryan sang House of the Rising Sun, which got a big reaction considering that the concert was in New Orleans. Anyway, between having little school stuff to share and being busy driving on Fridays, I haven't had much time to update.
It turns out that maybe I shouldn't have bought that concert ticket, though. Did I mention how I had to get rabies vaccines back in August/September? Well, the school just cashed my check (from three months ago), so my bank account was suddenly down $600. So if you're going to start vet school and get rabies vaccines, watch out for that.
I've done a couple more wetlabs since I last wrote. One was for diagnostic imaging club: small animal ultrasound. I wound up at the hardest station first: the adrenal gland. I managed to find it really quickly, though! I guess I used up all my luck at that station, though. I couldn't quite follow the intestines or find the bladder easily. I didn't get to the liver/spleen table, either. Oh well--next time! I also did a clinical pathology wetlab, practicing mass aspiration (on banana chunks in caulk) and blood smears and dip staining. I wasn't very good at either of the clinical skills, but it was good practice, and the clinician we were working with was really cool. He spent a good bit of the time telling stories about a trip with his kids to Disney. Oh, and a much less clinical thing: there was a grad panel (with free dinner, always a plus). They had like 6 veterinarians (including a radiology resident) talking about post-graduation stuff. There was a bit of a debate about whether internships are worth it, and the whole thing took 3 hours, which I was not prepared for. I'm still glad I went though, even if I didn't have business cards to "network" yet (I'd just ordered them, and didn't get them until the next weekend or so).
If you're wondering about the novel I mentioned last time, I'm still writing it. I'm only one day behind the target word count for today, which I consider acceptable--I can pretty easily write 3,333 words (two days' worth) in a day on a weekend when I've got more than a couple of hours to write. I've also done a few write-ins; it's really nice to have a group to write with, as opposed to just doing it on my own like I did in undergrad. I've also discovered a great coffee shop in Baton Rouge: it's called Brew Ha Ha, and they're famous for cake balls. So far I've had funfetti (my personal favorite), wedding cake, pumpkin, and oreo flavors. Also, my variation of a drink (I don't like coffee, so I ordered a frozen drink with chai instead) is famous now, apparently.
Last thing: I've figured out what I'm applying for this summer. I'm applying to three things, so hopefully I get one of them. The first deadline is the end of December, and I need to submit my part of the application before I can get my recommendations in, so I'm hoping to send that in this weekend. I think that's for the serious 100% research one--but it's with NASA, so it's really cool. The other two are more directly veterinary: the Tulane Primate Research Center Fellowship and the Banfield student job program. I learned about the Banfield one when they had a lunch talk--since what I probably want to do is small animal, it would be a super great experience for me to get some real clinical skills experience, and they have great mentorship. I'm honestly really excited about whatever one I'm writing about at the moment. Hopefully I get into one of them!
Friday, November 1, 2013
This is probably a bad idea
Hi there; Birdie here!
If you're wondering what the title is about, it's NaNoWriMo. If you don't know what that is...well, you can google it, but I'll give you the short version. It's a Thing on the Internet in which people all over the world try to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. Considering I'm also in vet school, you can see why this could be a very bad idea. But I'm going to do it anyway. I won every year in undergrad and I have an idea I really want to write, so I'm trying to keep it up. Still haven't started a single word for today, the day it starts, of course...
I helped sell a few bandanas for Josh Project at the picnic last Friday. One woman who came to look at our stuff was wearing a class ring from my high school, so we chatted a bit. Our class also had a Halloween party on Friday. I wasn't going to go, but at the last minute I threw together a costume (Time Traveler: frilly shirt from a convention outfit with skinny jeans and boots, accessorized with a bulky pair of steampunk-style goggles and a space-patterned ribbon tied in a big bow around my neck). Everyone's costumes reminded me of conventions quite a lot, actually--we had people dressed as the girl from Archer, Miley Cyrus from Wrecking Ball, a pirate, and quite a few superheroes (plus one Clark Kent).
Sunday was my second Spay Day, and the last one of the semester. I was in recovery this time. We basically had a line of cats we were watching, turning over every once in a while, and putting back in their carriers when they woke up. Part of the recovery station also dealt with tattooing and ear notching, but I didn't do that part. We had a lot fewer volunteers than last time; only about 30 people signed up. We still managed to spay and neuter something like 155 cats, though! With that and the mandatory SCAVMA meeting on Tuesday, I have all the SCAVMA points I need for the whole year! I'm actually considering getting more involved in SCAVMA. I'm not a fan of the AVMA and how they don't seem to be addressing our overcapacity and rising debt concerns, but maybe I could help fix that from the inside. Eh, probably not...it's just an idea.
I did wind up with a leadership position in a club anyway, though: historian for diagnostic imaging club. We had elections at the meeting today, and people were nominated for president, VP, etc. but no one stepped up for historian. One of the current officers said "she wants to do it," gesturing sort of at me, so I said "sure, I'll do it." It means I'm in charge of taking pictures at wetlabs and organizing our display in the hallway--not too bad, and probably kind of fun! The meeting today was pretty awesome, actually. We played diagnostic imaging jeopardy. I think I was the only first year on my team, but I managed to get a couple of the questions right for my team, starting with the very first one! Luckily "basics" (aka everything we just covered for our exam) was one of the categories. The final jeopardy question was an anatomy one: name the indicated structure (trochanteric fossa of the femur) and three muscles that attach there. We were freaking out on time, so we only got two of the three, but I feel good that I personally steered us away from a totally wrong answer and got one of the right muscles. It was very close--314 to 310--but my team won! I really like DIC--if I'm going to have a position in a club, I'm pretty happy with it being that one. Diagnostic imaging has always been one of the things I'm really excited about learning in vet school. I'm actually going to an abdominal ultrasound wetlab with them on Sunday, so that should be good.
I'm also feeding a bird again this week. I have BAMF again. Even though I'm more confident that I know how to fist them, I still haven't successfully got him. He keeps flying away every time I try. My friend, who has Professor this week, tried fisting BAMF and got him for a few seconds at least, which is more than I did. But I feel a little better because I was able to fist Professor 3 times when she was having trouble with him.
I have two tests next week: physiology on Monday and histology Tuesday. I'm more worried about physio, mostly just that I won't have the time I need to sit with it in order to memorize all the pressures and formulas for the exam. It's cardiovascular physiology right now. I'm surprised how useful my physics II class is for this. I really didn't see how all that electrical stuff would be relevant in vet school, but blood flow is basically a circuit. One of the things we have to know is a form of Ohm's Law, and another is basically resistance when vessels are in series or in parallel. So if you're a pre-vet in physics wondering why you have to take this stupid class...it actually is helpful in your vet school classes for you to know.
What I'm even more worried about is anatomy. This is the first time that we have just literally not had enough time for anatomy lab. Suddenly we have a ton of lectures, and we're also covering probably 2-4 times as much information as either of the previous exams. This is the blood vessels and nerves exam--for pelvic limb, thoracic limb, thorax, abdomen, and probably pelvis--PLUS all the internal organs. It doesn't help at all that the exam is happening right after fall break. I was planning to go home for the two days off AND the weekend, but now I'm thinking I might need to spend both days of the weekend back here so that my partner and I can finish the dissection--I really need at least that one day before the exam to review! Luckily my partner is an out-of-stater and will be here over the break to work with me. So trying to learn all the information for that is going to be a problem, but it's one I can't worry about until after these two exams coming up.
Which I'm now going to ignore for a while longer to try and get some novelling done. Like I said, probably a bad idea.
If you're wondering what the title is about, it's NaNoWriMo. If you don't know what that is...well, you can google it, but I'll give you the short version. It's a Thing on the Internet in which people all over the world try to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. Considering I'm also in vet school, you can see why this could be a very bad idea. But I'm going to do it anyway. I won every year in undergrad and I have an idea I really want to write, so I'm trying to keep it up. Still haven't started a single word for today, the day it starts, of course...
I helped sell a few bandanas for Josh Project at the picnic last Friday. One woman who came to look at our stuff was wearing a class ring from my high school, so we chatted a bit. Our class also had a Halloween party on Friday. I wasn't going to go, but at the last minute I threw together a costume (Time Traveler: frilly shirt from a convention outfit with skinny jeans and boots, accessorized with a bulky pair of steampunk-style goggles and a space-patterned ribbon tied in a big bow around my neck). Everyone's costumes reminded me of conventions quite a lot, actually--we had people dressed as the girl from Archer, Miley Cyrus from Wrecking Ball, a pirate, and quite a few superheroes (plus one Clark Kent).
Sunday was my second Spay Day, and the last one of the semester. I was in recovery this time. We basically had a line of cats we were watching, turning over every once in a while, and putting back in their carriers when they woke up. Part of the recovery station also dealt with tattooing and ear notching, but I didn't do that part. We had a lot fewer volunteers than last time; only about 30 people signed up. We still managed to spay and neuter something like 155 cats, though! With that and the mandatory SCAVMA meeting on Tuesday, I have all the SCAVMA points I need for the whole year! I'm actually considering getting more involved in SCAVMA. I'm not a fan of the AVMA and how they don't seem to be addressing our overcapacity and rising debt concerns, but maybe I could help fix that from the inside. Eh, probably not...it's just an idea.
I did wind up with a leadership position in a club anyway, though: historian for diagnostic imaging club. We had elections at the meeting today, and people were nominated for president, VP, etc. but no one stepped up for historian. One of the current officers said "she wants to do it," gesturing sort of at me, so I said "sure, I'll do it." It means I'm in charge of taking pictures at wetlabs and organizing our display in the hallway--not too bad, and probably kind of fun! The meeting today was pretty awesome, actually. We played diagnostic imaging jeopardy. I think I was the only first year on my team, but I managed to get a couple of the questions right for my team, starting with the very first one! Luckily "basics" (aka everything we just covered for our exam) was one of the categories. The final jeopardy question was an anatomy one: name the indicated structure (trochanteric fossa of the femur) and three muscles that attach there. We were freaking out on time, so we only got two of the three, but I feel good that I personally steered us away from a totally wrong answer and got one of the right muscles. It was very close--314 to 310--but my team won! I really like DIC--if I'm going to have a position in a club, I'm pretty happy with it being that one. Diagnostic imaging has always been one of the things I'm really excited about learning in vet school. I'm actually going to an abdominal ultrasound wetlab with them on Sunday, so that should be good.
I'm also feeding a bird again this week. I have BAMF again. Even though I'm more confident that I know how to fist them, I still haven't successfully got him. He keeps flying away every time I try. My friend, who has Professor this week, tried fisting BAMF and got him for a few seconds at least, which is more than I did. But I feel a little better because I was able to fist Professor 3 times when she was having trouble with him.
I have two tests next week: physiology on Monday and histology Tuesday. I'm more worried about physio, mostly just that I won't have the time I need to sit with it in order to memorize all the pressures and formulas for the exam. It's cardiovascular physiology right now. I'm surprised how useful my physics II class is for this. I really didn't see how all that electrical stuff would be relevant in vet school, but blood flow is basically a circuit. One of the things we have to know is a form of Ohm's Law, and another is basically resistance when vessels are in series or in parallel. So if you're a pre-vet in physics wondering why you have to take this stupid class...it actually is helpful in your vet school classes for you to know.
What I'm even more worried about is anatomy. This is the first time that we have just literally not had enough time for anatomy lab. Suddenly we have a ton of lectures, and we're also covering probably 2-4 times as much information as either of the previous exams. This is the blood vessels and nerves exam--for pelvic limb, thoracic limb, thorax, abdomen, and probably pelvis--PLUS all the internal organs. It doesn't help at all that the exam is happening right after fall break. I was planning to go home for the two days off AND the weekend, but now I'm thinking I might need to spend both days of the weekend back here so that my partner and I can finish the dissection--I really need at least that one day before the exam to review! Luckily my partner is an out-of-stater and will be here over the break to work with me. So trying to learn all the information for that is going to be a problem, but it's one I can't worry about until after these two exams coming up.
Which I'm now going to ignore for a while longer to try and get some novelling done. Like I said, probably a bad idea.
Friday, October 25, 2013
This post sponsored by Hill's and donuts
Hi there; Birdie here!
I'm really glad I don't have any exams next week, but I still can't slow down. Anatomy and histology labs have both been pretty intimidating lately. I got really lucky on my anatomy quiz today and just had to identify the caudal lobe of the caudal lobe of the left lung (yes, the repetition is intentional). I mean, I did know most of the terms on the list of potential quiz questions, but there were a lot of external vessels and such that we couldn't even find...having a fat dog makes it more difficult. I'm still doing well, but I'm not as confident about it. I think I've managed to keep A's in the 4 classes we've finished (I'm not 100% sure where I fell around the border in Anatomy I), but we're just starting these new classes so I don't have any cushion built up. And apparently the next anatomy test (conveniently right after fall break in 2 weeks) is the worst one, according to one of the course instructors. I'm probably going to spend most of my weekend typing up notes...not really catching up from when I didn't have my laptop, since I've finished those classes, but preparing for the TWO tests the week after next. Sunday is another Spay Day, too, so at least I'll get to spend some of my weekend with live animals. :)
My roommate's dog has been a little better with me. Sometimes if the roommate is there she'll get close to me and be sweet. She is very dominant with the other roommate's dog, though, so that's another strike against her. I think she might end up with the roommate's parents if she can't get along with everyone in the house. I'm glad she has a home lined up either way...I just don't want her to growl at me anymore.
This week was Hill's Week at our school, which meant we got free pen/highlighters, baked goods, and (since our class had near-100% participation in wearing red/blue yesterday) a donut breakfast this morning. I'm kind of surprised there weren't any speakers or lunch-and-learn type things associated with it. Well, there is a nutritional speaker breakfast tomorrow morning, but I think I've missed the deadline to RSVP. Also, I'd really like to not have anywhere I have to be Saturday morning.
Yesterday my workout buddy and I went to the UREC, aka the LSU gym. We did a zumba class; she'd never done it before, so she wanted to try it out. It was really fun, and now that we have accounts on the reservation system we want to try some other stuff--probably kickboxing next. The gym here is really neat. There's an indoor track and a rock climbing wall and several group fitness classes in addition to the basketball courts and squash rooms and weight rooms that my undergrad had.
Oh, I did a really fun wetlab this week, too. It was for clinical pathology, on the multihead microscope, and there was a histopath component as well. We looked at cytology aspirates and tissue sections of the same cases, and the two clinicians asked a bunch of questions to get us to think about the case before giving us the answers. I obviously knew approximately nothing since I'm only a first year, so I didn't exactly feel like a real doctor, but I loved it anyway. The bowl of candy probably helped, too. ;) Everyone else there was a third year, but they made me feel really welcome when we were walking over together. That helped me not feel awkward when I had to ask what one of the terms they were using meant (histeocytes--I'm not sure how to spell it since I only heard it, but it's an umbrella term for macrophages and dendritic cells). I'm really glad I went ahead and joined path club. I also went ahead and paid dues for internal medicine club. Their wetlab was really cool, and my dad offered to pay for my dues (thanks, Dad!).
On a less fun note, I went to the first lunch talk that I straight-up walked out of before the speaker was done. It wasn't even a free lunch. The topic was equine nutrition, and I know we don't get an awful lot of nutrition in the curriculum, so I wanted to go find out more. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what I was supposed to get out of that at all. He kept saying he didn't want to advertise his supplement or anything, but that was about all I got. That and one other thing he kept repeating: "water, forage, minerals" with grain as an afterthought. He didn't really seem to have anything to say, and kept trying to open up the floor to questions but no one really had any. I for one went because I have no background on the topic--what am I supposed to ask? Eventually it sort of devolved into a conversation about what this one student did for her horse who kept tying up in his muscles, and the speaker's main response to any questions about what he would recommend was, of course, "I'm not here to advertise my product." It was about that point that I left because I was seriously not getting anything out of it.
In not too long, I'm about to head back to school for a "fall family picnic" thing. My family is heading to St. Louis to see the World Series game, so they won't be here, but I signed up for a shift selling bandannas for Josh Project. And hey, free food.
I'm really glad I don't have any exams next week, but I still can't slow down. Anatomy and histology labs have both been pretty intimidating lately. I got really lucky on my anatomy quiz today and just had to identify the caudal lobe of the caudal lobe of the left lung (yes, the repetition is intentional). I mean, I did know most of the terms on the list of potential quiz questions, but there were a lot of external vessels and such that we couldn't even find...having a fat dog makes it more difficult. I'm still doing well, but I'm not as confident about it. I think I've managed to keep A's in the 4 classes we've finished (I'm not 100% sure where I fell around the border in Anatomy I), but we're just starting these new classes so I don't have any cushion built up. And apparently the next anatomy test (conveniently right after fall break in 2 weeks) is the worst one, according to one of the course instructors. I'm probably going to spend most of my weekend typing up notes...not really catching up from when I didn't have my laptop, since I've finished those classes, but preparing for the TWO tests the week after next. Sunday is another Spay Day, too, so at least I'll get to spend some of my weekend with live animals. :)
My roommate's dog has been a little better with me. Sometimes if the roommate is there she'll get close to me and be sweet. She is very dominant with the other roommate's dog, though, so that's another strike against her. I think she might end up with the roommate's parents if she can't get along with everyone in the house. I'm glad she has a home lined up either way...I just don't want her to growl at me anymore.
This week was Hill's Week at our school, which meant we got free pen/highlighters, baked goods, and (since our class had near-100% participation in wearing red/blue yesterday) a donut breakfast this morning. I'm kind of surprised there weren't any speakers or lunch-and-learn type things associated with it. Well, there is a nutritional speaker breakfast tomorrow morning, but I think I've missed the deadline to RSVP. Also, I'd really like to not have anywhere I have to be Saturday morning.
Yesterday my workout buddy and I went to the UREC, aka the LSU gym. We did a zumba class; she'd never done it before, so she wanted to try it out. It was really fun, and now that we have accounts on the reservation system we want to try some other stuff--probably kickboxing next. The gym here is really neat. There's an indoor track and a rock climbing wall and several group fitness classes in addition to the basketball courts and squash rooms and weight rooms that my undergrad had.
Oh, I did a really fun wetlab this week, too. It was for clinical pathology, on the multihead microscope, and there was a histopath component as well. We looked at cytology aspirates and tissue sections of the same cases, and the two clinicians asked a bunch of questions to get us to think about the case before giving us the answers. I obviously knew approximately nothing since I'm only a first year, so I didn't exactly feel like a real doctor, but I loved it anyway. The bowl of candy probably helped, too. ;) Everyone else there was a third year, but they made me feel really welcome when we were walking over together. That helped me not feel awkward when I had to ask what one of the terms they were using meant (histeocytes--I'm not sure how to spell it since I only heard it, but it's an umbrella term for macrophages and dendritic cells). I'm really glad I went ahead and joined path club. I also went ahead and paid dues for internal medicine club. Their wetlab was really cool, and my dad offered to pay for my dues (thanks, Dad!).
On a less fun note, I went to the first lunch talk that I straight-up walked out of before the speaker was done. It wasn't even a free lunch. The topic was equine nutrition, and I know we don't get an awful lot of nutrition in the curriculum, so I wanted to go find out more. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what I was supposed to get out of that at all. He kept saying he didn't want to advertise his supplement or anything, but that was about all I got. That and one other thing he kept repeating: "water, forage, minerals" with grain as an afterthought. He didn't really seem to have anything to say, and kept trying to open up the floor to questions but no one really had any. I for one went because I have no background on the topic--what am I supposed to ask? Eventually it sort of devolved into a conversation about what this one student did for her horse who kept tying up in his muscles, and the speaker's main response to any questions about what he would recommend was, of course, "I'm not here to advertise my product." It was about that point that I left because I was seriously not getting anything out of it.
In not too long, I'm about to head back to school for a "fall family picnic" thing. My family is heading to St. Louis to see the World Series game, so they won't be here, but I signed up for a shift selling bandannas for Josh Project. And hey, free food.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
I can see a light...
Hi there; Birdie here!
I just have to get through this physiology final on Monday and then the week after I'll have a whole week with no exams! I'm really excited about it. I've been finding it really hard to study for physio and for last week's anatomy exam. We haven't gotten the written exam grades yet, but I got an A on the practical, so I guess I managed to study enough anyway. I'm hoping to finish writing study guides for the physio notes today and then go over them tomorrow, and hopefully that will be enough. Then I can take at least a few days off studying...kind of like I did after the anatomy exam, actually, only this time I won't have to feel bad about it.
I still am aiming to update this on Fridays, btw, but I wanted to hold out so that I could write about the wetlab I went to this morning. It was put on by Internal Medicine Club, which I'm not actually a member of--apparently they got a grant of some sort, so they could open it to non-members. And I figured, why not? One of the club officers there was talking to me at one point during the wetlab and basically giving me a spiel promoting the club, and she seemed kind of impressed that I was going to this wetlab as a first year. Well, that's the kind of person I am--if I've got an opportunity to do stuff like that, I'll take it whenever I can, basically. It's not like I'm going to get less busy during the later, harder years. I still don't think I'll be joining this club, though...I'm already paying probably too much in dues.
We got to do a bunch of procedures on cadaver dogs: CSF taps (getting cerebrospinal fluid samples--a procedure that can be pretty scary, since if your needle goes in too deep you hit brainstem!), thoracocentesis (drawing out fluid from around the lungs), and bone marrow biopsies from a couple of different sites. We also had a few cadaver cats to practice placing esophageal tubes on, and I got to put in my first suture with it! Not that I was at all good at it--turns out, cat skin is really tough. The doctors make suturing look so easy, but it wasn't easy at all to get my needle through, much less in the right place. One of the dogs had a strange abdominal mass--it felt like ribs on palpation. Once everyone had gotten to try the procedures (and third years were getting ready to practice surgery on the dogs), they went in to see what it was...turns out, it was his stomach, FULL of dry dog food. It was absolutely bulging; we could see individual pellets distorting the surface of the stomach.
I'm glad I managed to do well on the wetlab procedures...it makes me feel a little better about how bad I messed up in anatomy lab. Between my partner not having looked at the dissection guide for what we were about to start, neither of us having looked at the demo dog yet, and misinterpreting part of the instructions, we managed to (rather messily) cut into our abdominal cavity when we're supposed to be working on the thorax. Not that we managed to cut the thorax very well, either, apparently, since we can't really see anything in there...it worked rather better on the big demo dog. Luckily by the time of the exam we'll have gotten to the abdomen anyway, and dissection skills aren't a part of our grade unless they interfere with us being able to answer our quiz questions. Apparently we did something right on our last dissection, though; I didn't notice as we were going through the practical, but judging by the fact that the left pelvic limb was removed when we went to get him out yesterday, our dog was one of the stations.
I've been having a little trouble with live dogs, too. Well, one live dog in particular--my second roommate (the other first year) is fostering/potentially adopting a dog from the local shelter. She's really cute, but she's super scared of me and starts growling and barking at me every time I go downstairs. I don't think she understands where I come from since she can't get up the twisty metal staircase herself. She does that somewhat to our other roommate as well, but she gets over it or at least doesn't do it as much. It's kind of frustrating...I like to study downstairs sometimes, but now if I try she'll just want to bark at me the whole time. And it's really not convenient that I have to go through that roommate's bedroom to do my laundry...
One last thing: on Tuesday I went with my friend to the weekly 5k downtown, as we often do. We usually meet up with a bunch of our classmates, but no one else was there (most likely because that was between the anatomy practical and written exam). We did the run anyway, in about 30 minutes (which, with the way we were running, makes me think that wasn't really 5k, but eh). When we finished, we saw a bunch of runners trailing off somewhere, so we joined the trail. It turns out, they were shooting a commercial for a catastrophe-themed "run for your life" 5k in the spring--and we got to be in it! We had to run up a hill (but not too fast) and look scared, with "military" waving us on and an "ambulance" in the background. It was really fun! If you happen to be in the Baton Rouge area and see a commercial like that, I'm in it. :) We all got free entries to the race for participating in the commercial, and I might actually do it; if I do, it'll be my first 5k since I really started running! And after that part, there was a horror scream contest, and my friend won the girls' part. She won a $50 gift card to a sports & outdoors store, though she hasn't gotten it yet. So if you see that commercial and there's a close-up on a girl screaming--I know her.
Sorry, I lied, one more thing: I finally got my laptop back. :D
I just have to get through this physiology final on Monday and then the week after I'll have a whole week with no exams! I'm really excited about it. I've been finding it really hard to study for physio and for last week's anatomy exam. We haven't gotten the written exam grades yet, but I got an A on the practical, so I guess I managed to study enough anyway. I'm hoping to finish writing study guides for the physio notes today and then go over them tomorrow, and hopefully that will be enough. Then I can take at least a few days off studying...kind of like I did after the anatomy exam, actually, only this time I won't have to feel bad about it.
I still am aiming to update this on Fridays, btw, but I wanted to hold out so that I could write about the wetlab I went to this morning. It was put on by Internal Medicine Club, which I'm not actually a member of--apparently they got a grant of some sort, so they could open it to non-members. And I figured, why not? One of the club officers there was talking to me at one point during the wetlab and basically giving me a spiel promoting the club, and she seemed kind of impressed that I was going to this wetlab as a first year. Well, that's the kind of person I am--if I've got an opportunity to do stuff like that, I'll take it whenever I can, basically. It's not like I'm going to get less busy during the later, harder years. I still don't think I'll be joining this club, though...I'm already paying probably too much in dues.
We got to do a bunch of procedures on cadaver dogs: CSF taps (getting cerebrospinal fluid samples--a procedure that can be pretty scary, since if your needle goes in too deep you hit brainstem!), thoracocentesis (drawing out fluid from around the lungs), and bone marrow biopsies from a couple of different sites. We also had a few cadaver cats to practice placing esophageal tubes on, and I got to put in my first suture with it! Not that I was at all good at it--turns out, cat skin is really tough. The doctors make suturing look so easy, but it wasn't easy at all to get my needle through, much less in the right place. One of the dogs had a strange abdominal mass--it felt like ribs on palpation. Once everyone had gotten to try the procedures (and third years were getting ready to practice surgery on the dogs), they went in to see what it was...turns out, it was his stomach, FULL of dry dog food. It was absolutely bulging; we could see individual pellets distorting the surface of the stomach.
I'm glad I managed to do well on the wetlab procedures...it makes me feel a little better about how bad I messed up in anatomy lab. Between my partner not having looked at the dissection guide for what we were about to start, neither of us having looked at the demo dog yet, and misinterpreting part of the instructions, we managed to (rather messily) cut into our abdominal cavity when we're supposed to be working on the thorax. Not that we managed to cut the thorax very well, either, apparently, since we can't really see anything in there...it worked rather better on the big demo dog. Luckily by the time of the exam we'll have gotten to the abdomen anyway, and dissection skills aren't a part of our grade unless they interfere with us being able to answer our quiz questions. Apparently we did something right on our last dissection, though; I didn't notice as we were going through the practical, but judging by the fact that the left pelvic limb was removed when we went to get him out yesterday, our dog was one of the stations.
I've been having a little trouble with live dogs, too. Well, one live dog in particular--my second roommate (the other first year) is fostering/potentially adopting a dog from the local shelter. She's really cute, but she's super scared of me and starts growling and barking at me every time I go downstairs. I don't think she understands where I come from since she can't get up the twisty metal staircase herself. She does that somewhat to our other roommate as well, but she gets over it or at least doesn't do it as much. It's kind of frustrating...I like to study downstairs sometimes, but now if I try she'll just want to bark at me the whole time. And it's really not convenient that I have to go through that roommate's bedroom to do my laundry...
One last thing: on Tuesday I went with my friend to the weekly 5k downtown, as we often do. We usually meet up with a bunch of our classmates, but no one else was there (most likely because that was between the anatomy practical and written exam). We did the run anyway, in about 30 minutes (which, with the way we were running, makes me think that wasn't really 5k, but eh). When we finished, we saw a bunch of runners trailing off somewhere, so we joined the trail. It turns out, they were shooting a commercial for a catastrophe-themed "run for your life" 5k in the spring--and we got to be in it! We had to run up a hill (but not too fast) and look scared, with "military" waving us on and an "ambulance" in the background. It was really fun! If you happen to be in the Baton Rouge area and see a commercial like that, I'm in it. :) We all got free entries to the race for participating in the commercial, and I might actually do it; if I do, it'll be my first 5k since I really started running! And after that part, there was a horror scream contest, and my friend won the girls' part. She won a $50 gift card to a sports & outdoors store, though she hasn't gotten it yet. So if you see that commercial and there's a close-up on a girl screaming--I know her.
Sorry, I lied, one more thing: I finally got my laptop back. :D
Saturday, October 12, 2013
A little bit of Life
Hi there; Birdie here!
It's been a busy week--so busy I didn't have time to update my blog yesterday. Well, most of that particular business was from taking two hours to try and get my computer back (as far as I know they haven't run any diagnostics, and they've had it for nearly two weeks) and finding them closed. Coupled with the fact that I have an anatomy exam next week (which is basically two exams since it's a practical and a written), I didn't even have time to cook a proper dinner, much less tell y'all about my life. Hopefully I'll be able to make my pasta bake tonight...I've been wanting to all week!
As I mentioned last week, my family came to see me last Saturday. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 was REALLY fun! It was full of food puns and The Power of Friendship and I really enjoyed it. It was also really nice just to watch things with other people...I used to do that all the time in undergrad, but I haven't really got people to watch with here. I miss it. Since they didn't come until evening, I also spent the morning at the work day with Raptor Rehab. I helped with physical exams on a red-tailed hawk and on Professor, the owl I was also feeding. He was definitely much better than BAMF about climbing on my fist, even if sometimes by the third time or so he would get sick of it and try to just squeeze my hand and not put the other foot up. I also trimmed an owl's talons (I think it was BAMF? Don't really remember) and apparently I was pretty good at it. :) There was a potential hurricane in the area, so we moved them inside to the exotics part of the teaching hospital, but the hurricane never came through.
This week's tests were physio and diagnostic imaging. I'll be happy with my grade as long as we can get one question thrown out, which we definitely should because there were no correct answer options. I rocked everything that wasn't therio...luckily, there's no more therio in our physio class or on the next test! Diagnostic imaging wasn't too bad; our grades just went up today and I did well. We're all getting pretty sick of the constant tests thing, but we're halfway through the semester now. And in a couple weeks (after anatomy and the physio final), we actually have a week with no tests! Okay, it's followed by two tests in a week, but I don't have to think about that yet. I'm really looking forward to the break.
Besides the exam, I also had my diagnostic imaging lab this week. It's split up alphabetically so there are about 6 groups spread throughout the semester. I was in the second group, so my lab was the second hour on the first lab day. I honestly didn't get too much out of it. Part of that is because I already saw the x-ray room with the club tour, plus I could largely visualize the concepts we discussed in class from working with an x-ray machine in a clinic for vet experience. For the other part of the lab, it was just radiographic anatomy, which we've had in anatomy class alongside our studies of the skeleton (sidenote: the spine is on our exam, and I've decided to call the vertebral column from my bone box Leviathan. It's a Skullgirls refrence). We didn't even get to hang up the radiographs ourselves, despite how much emphasis they put on the proper orientation. The groups were small enough that we could have had a little personalized attention, like in anatomy lab, if we'd only had a little more time. Instead it was mainly just an opportunity to ask questions. At least I got the 10 points for showing up?
I'm still not sure what I want to do over the summer. Really I should have already contacted a teacher if I want to do Summer Scholars here, but I haven't. Kind of worried I might have already missed the boat, even though the deadline isn't until February. I did get an email about a NASA internship that looks really cool, and I think I'd really like to do it, but I don't know all the details yet; it's a lot harder to follow the links when I don't have my computer. I might be able to stay with family in Houston, so that should work nicely, but I'm sure that's super competetive as well.
I've officially joined farm animal club, and I'm thinking about joining integrative medicine club as well. Our anatomy professor gave a talk on Thursday about her acupuncture certification, and apparently there's a way to work it into clinics so that you get the certificate when you graduate. I'm definitely thinking about doing that; I don't see any downside to having more skills in treating animals.
We also had a VBMA meeting yesterday about "marketing yourself" which turned out to really be more about marketing your veterinary clinic on the web. I actually took a bunch of notes on my phone...parts of it were about how to trick Google so your result is one of the top, but she also talked about marketing to pet owners rather than other vets (aka don't have a giant unavoidable picture of heartworms on your home page). I'm really glad I'm in VBMA because I really like learning about the non-medical part of veterinary medicine, too. Of course, the free food at their meetings helps too. ;)
On the medical side though, I actually went with several of my classmates to New Orleans for the Dream Clinic, to "practice practicing medicine." The Dream Clinic is a free clinic in downtown New Orleans--they have human medicine, dentistry, and veterinary services. It's run under a couple of tents in the parking lot of an abandoned church, and a good number of people came. Definitely over 40...I think we only had about 15 vaccines left from the 70 or 80 we started with. For the most part it's physical exam, rabies and 7-in-one vaccines, and deworming from us; then they get sent home with flea and heartworm preventatives. All of us students who came are first years (apparently I'm part of a particularly active class!), and there were about a dozen of us. It was largely us as the "doctors" giving the physical exams, with the husband-and-wife team in charge floating around to diagnose anything abnormal and prescribe medications. There was also a vet from the community, whom I was working with. I thought it would be a good way to ease into it, but mostly it meant that I was relegated to tech work running for vaccines, drawing up dewormer, and holding dogs. Next time I'll try to work with a student who's been a couple of times instead. I know one of my classmates who had a stethoscope from his old clinic used it plenty of times. At least I got to see some really cute puppies, including a litter of five pit bull puppies and an adorable little Catahoula. I definitely want to do this more often...maybe not next month but definitely in the spring semester, every time I can.
Friday, October 4, 2013
This week I learned...
This week I learned that I'm incredibly boring. A friend from undergrad messaged me, and I had nothing interesting to say to him--and he was just commenting on comics he was reading! I guess that means vet school is officially eating my life...although I did manage to watch 4 episodes of Supernatural yesterday. I went over my therio lectures, too, don't worry!
I still haven't got my laptop back yet, either. I dropped it off at a place in town on Tuesday since the IT people at school couldn't do anything, and they still haven't called me back about it. I hope it's not too expensive, and that I can get it back soon!
So what have I done lately? Not much. Took yet another exam and finished off our cell bio/histo course with an A, so that's good. We're starting histology and developmental biology in its place next week, but today we also started our intro to diagnostic imaging class, which I think I'm going to like a lot. It's not a big course, largely just one hour a week. But I'm really interested in diagnostic imaging, and the course coordinator is awesome. She's also in charge of diagnostic imaging club, and she's really cool. Maybe I should email her about research this summer. I'm also feeding an owl again this week--Professor this time. He's a lot more chill than BAMF, and he lets me fist him--multiple times even, although by the third time yesterday he really didn't want to put his second foot up on my hand.
I did also go to a couple of lunch talks. One was by VCA and was all about how their company is great and you should do an internship, which I'm not sure I trust fully. The last thing I read is that doing an internship means you earn less over your career unless you do a residency and specialize, but the speaker claimed that people who do internships get significantly higher salaries. With an example from her practices, of course. The other talk was with critical care club, about colloidal fluids.
I guess I should write about last weekend, too. Dr. DeBowes was awesome and really inspirational, although I liked the first day much better than the second. If I get a chance to do the VLE program (leadership workshop/retreat sort of thing he created), I'm definitely going to go for it. We walked around with a blindfolded partner and talked about a bunch of topics. I can't even remember them all now...I should have written it up over the weekend, really, but I didn't have a lot of time then and I spent most of it studying. There was a lot of Meyers-Briggs Type stuff on the second day, which I was kind of over. Then on Sunday I volunteered at my school's Spay Day. I was on surgery prep: doing subcutaneous injections of vaccines and antibiotics and clipping and scrubbing surgical sites on anaesthetized cats. I'd never given an injection before, but I gave a ton of them on Sunday! I also learned that penicillin can be really difficult to inject when it's been sitting for a while (we pulled up a bunch in the morning to use throughout the day). I'll probably try to work somewhere different next time, just to change it up.
Luckily, this weekend won't be nearly so busy. I have a test next week, as always (physio again), but I don't have so much school stuff. I'm going to try and get a couple of the books Dr. DeBowes recommended from the library since this will probably be my best chance for a while to read them. Also, my family's coming up to visit tomorrow. We're going to go see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2; I think my little brother is really looking forward to it.
I still haven't got my laptop back yet, either. I dropped it off at a place in town on Tuesday since the IT people at school couldn't do anything, and they still haven't called me back about it. I hope it's not too expensive, and that I can get it back soon!
So what have I done lately? Not much. Took yet another exam and finished off our cell bio/histo course with an A, so that's good. We're starting histology and developmental biology in its place next week, but today we also started our intro to diagnostic imaging class, which I think I'm going to like a lot. It's not a big course, largely just one hour a week. But I'm really interested in diagnostic imaging, and the course coordinator is awesome. She's also in charge of diagnostic imaging club, and she's really cool. Maybe I should email her about research this summer. I'm also feeding an owl again this week--Professor this time. He's a lot more chill than BAMF, and he lets me fist him--multiple times even, although by the third time yesterday he really didn't want to put his second foot up on my hand.
I did also go to a couple of lunch talks. One was by VCA and was all about how their company is great and you should do an internship, which I'm not sure I trust fully. The last thing I read is that doing an internship means you earn less over your career unless you do a residency and specialize, but the speaker claimed that people who do internships get significantly higher salaries. With an example from her practices, of course. The other talk was with critical care club, about colloidal fluids.
I guess I should write about last weekend, too. Dr. DeBowes was awesome and really inspirational, although I liked the first day much better than the second. If I get a chance to do the VLE program (leadership workshop/retreat sort of thing he created), I'm definitely going to go for it. We walked around with a blindfolded partner and talked about a bunch of topics. I can't even remember them all now...I should have written it up over the weekend, really, but I didn't have a lot of time then and I spent most of it studying. There was a lot of Meyers-Briggs Type stuff on the second day, which I was kind of over. Then on Sunday I volunteered at my school's Spay Day. I was on surgery prep: doing subcutaneous injections of vaccines and antibiotics and clipping and scrubbing surgical sites on anaesthetized cats. I'd never given an injection before, but I gave a ton of them on Sunday! I also learned that penicillin can be really difficult to inject when it's been sitting for a while (we pulled up a bunch in the morning to use throughout the day). I'll probably try to work somewhere different next time, just to change it up.
Luckily, this weekend won't be nearly so busy. I have a test next week, as always (physio again), but I don't have so much school stuff. I'm going to try and get a couple of the books Dr. DeBowes recommended from the library since this will probably be my best chance for a while to read them. Also, my family's coming up to visit tomorrow. We're going to go see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2; I think my little brother is really looking forward to it.
Friday, September 27, 2013
It's going to be a long weekend, too
Hi there; Birdie here!
It's 5:00, I just got out of my second two-hour session of Therio with Third-Years, and I'm still at school. We didn't have class on Wednesday (more on that later), so I guess the second lecture set today was to make up for that. Luckily, today's lectures were the last of the repro part of physiology--no more classes with third years until I'm a third year! As for why I'm still at school, it's (obviously) not to study, as evidenced by my very-much-not-studying as I write my blog post. I'm staying for Dr. DeBowes' leadership workshop in an hour. He gave a talk at lunch, and he's the first VBMA speaker I've actually really liked. His talk was all about improving communication/compliance because "good medicine is good business." Especially since my undergrad thesis was on client communication and compliance, he was right up my alley. I'm pretty excited about tonight.
The workshop is continuing tomorrow, too, as a day-long thing. And Sunday is a Spay Day, which will get me 1) a SCAVMA point so I can stay in good standing and stay in clubs and 2) handling experience with cats. That's also pretty much all day (though it is until 3 instead of 5), so I hope I can manage to do all of that and also manage to study for histology and (hopefully) start on anatomy. Luckily cell bio/histo is the class I rocked my last test in, so I've got a little bit of buffer if I don't get to study as much as I'd like. Also, the exam isn't on Monday (for once)--it's not until Wednesday for the written, Thursday for the lab.
Speaking of exams, I also got back both last week's Anatomy test and the physio test we took on Tuesday. I'm still not entirely sure about the grading scale (though I know a 91-point-something is a B, since that's what I have for PBL with the last couple of grades at 0 since they aren't up yet). I didn't do as well as I would have liked on either of them, but between getting points back/questions thrown out on physio and potentially getting back points on Anatomy, I think I actually did pretty well. Definitely not so well that I'm not going to stress about the next exam (and the next...and the next), but well enough that I'm not freaking out about those.
Remember how I said I didn't have classes on Wednesday? That's because it was Phi Zeta Day, a research emphasis day. There were two speakers--one in academia and one in the human pharmaceutical industry--which we had to attend as part of our Intro to Vet Med course. In between, there were poster presentations of students who did research (as well as some faculty, and PhD students), and some of them got awards. I asked a bunch of the students about the Merial Summer Scholars program since I'm thinking about doing it next summer. It was kind of annoying when they took the opportunity to sell the experience as a Great Opportunity(tm). I know it is a valuable experience, that's why I'm interested, I want to find out more about specifics that can help me decide what to do with it! I'm not sure if I want to stay at LSU or go somewhere else (a large reason I didn't go to Missouri for vet school was so I would be free to leave the state for more than a week or two). I'm kind of unsure whether it's worth applying, too...apparently clinical projects are a lot harder to get funded than biomedical basic research, and I think I'd rather do clinical. And I'm sure it will be very competitive (have I mentioned how my class likes applying for everything? It took two days of the bookstore being closed for them to interview all the applicants). Between those two, I'm worried I'll get really invested in an idea and then not get it--or get it, but only for something I don't really want to do. Honestly, I really don't want to think about next summer at this point...but for this application I probably kind of have to.
I also participated in a necropsy wet lab hosted by path club last night. Only 4 of us showed up, and all first years. First the head doctor did a demonstration. It was really hard to watch...between my lab coat in the heat, the smell, and looking at the dog's blood and viscera (especially with the knowledge that I had to dissect fresh tissue today), I started feeling really uncomfortable and didn't want to do that. I asked permission and stepped out and was getting all ready to leave when the resident (I think?) met me in the hall to tell me how This Is an Important Skill and You'll Need To Do This In Fourth Year And Probably Your Career. He also told me it's important to equine practitioners because I'd mentioned that I knew how to use the disposable plastic booties after my experience at an equine hospital. I'm not actually going into equine. I've spent time in an exotics clinic, too, and I'm DEFINITELY not doing exotics. I calmly explained that I will do it, just not today when it's optional...though his talk made me think he meant even the wetlab wasn't optional. I have NEVER hated vet school as much as I did in that moment. But after that I would basically be questioning myself forever about whether I shouldn't be in vet school and am paying 10k a semester just to blow it all when I fail out of my fourth year rotations. I came back without the lab coat and had no problems whatsoever (though I did have to go back for my coat before I started my own necropsy). In fact, the doctor I was working with kept telling me how well I was doing--that he was surprised it was my first necropsy and that I "must be doing well in anatomy." I got up to taking off the dog's head but didn't want to fight with the saw enough to get it's brain out, but I did everything else, including getting a bone marrow sample. I'm still not sure it was worth it or whether it was a better use of my time than doing a run/walk with a couple more of my classmates, but anyway, it's done.
Speaking of running, I went on Sunday last weekend without my usual running partner. I still met up with the rest of the usual group (they missed her actually). I don't know whether it was the weather change (chillier than usual and heavy, humid about-to-storm weather) or my lack of music (because I didn't want my ipod to get wet if it started raining) or what, but I don't feel like I did as well as I have been doing. Without my usual partner-in-slowness, though, I did not cross the finish line alone. In fact, every one of the others (3 people) turned around at some point to come back for me so that we would all get back together. I felt kind of bad for slowing them down, but it also felt kind of nice--like I was part of a team. For our Tuesday run, my best partner was back, and with new running shoes! We finished the 5k in ~36 minutes--better than our previous times. I hope I can keep improving, even though I'm probably too busy to go run this weekend.
It's 5:00, I just got out of my second two-hour session of Therio with Third-Years, and I'm still at school. We didn't have class on Wednesday (more on that later), so I guess the second lecture set today was to make up for that. Luckily, today's lectures were the last of the repro part of physiology--no more classes with third years until I'm a third year! As for why I'm still at school, it's (obviously) not to study, as evidenced by my very-much-not-studying as I write my blog post. I'm staying for Dr. DeBowes' leadership workshop in an hour. He gave a talk at lunch, and he's the first VBMA speaker I've actually really liked. His talk was all about improving communication/compliance because "good medicine is good business." Especially since my undergrad thesis was on client communication and compliance, he was right up my alley. I'm pretty excited about tonight.
The workshop is continuing tomorrow, too, as a day-long thing. And Sunday is a Spay Day, which will get me 1) a SCAVMA point so I can stay in good standing and stay in clubs and 2) handling experience with cats. That's also pretty much all day (though it is until 3 instead of 5), so I hope I can manage to do all of that and also manage to study for histology and (hopefully) start on anatomy. Luckily cell bio/histo is the class I rocked my last test in, so I've got a little bit of buffer if I don't get to study as much as I'd like. Also, the exam isn't on Monday (for once)--it's not until Wednesday for the written, Thursday for the lab.
Speaking of exams, I also got back both last week's Anatomy test and the physio test we took on Tuesday. I'm still not entirely sure about the grading scale (though I know a 91-point-something is a B, since that's what I have for PBL with the last couple of grades at 0 since they aren't up yet). I didn't do as well as I would have liked on either of them, but between getting points back/questions thrown out on physio and potentially getting back points on Anatomy, I think I actually did pretty well. Definitely not so well that I'm not going to stress about the next exam (and the next...and the next), but well enough that I'm not freaking out about those.
Remember how I said I didn't have classes on Wednesday? That's because it was Phi Zeta Day, a research emphasis day. There were two speakers--one in academia and one in the human pharmaceutical industry--which we had to attend as part of our Intro to Vet Med course. In between, there were poster presentations of students who did research (as well as some faculty, and PhD students), and some of them got awards. I asked a bunch of the students about the Merial Summer Scholars program since I'm thinking about doing it next summer. It was kind of annoying when they took the opportunity to sell the experience as a Great Opportunity(tm). I know it is a valuable experience, that's why I'm interested, I want to find out more about specifics that can help me decide what to do with it! I'm not sure if I want to stay at LSU or go somewhere else (a large reason I didn't go to Missouri for vet school was so I would be free to leave the state for more than a week or two). I'm kind of unsure whether it's worth applying, too...apparently clinical projects are a lot harder to get funded than biomedical basic research, and I think I'd rather do clinical. And I'm sure it will be very competitive (have I mentioned how my class likes applying for everything? It took two days of the bookstore being closed for them to interview all the applicants). Between those two, I'm worried I'll get really invested in an idea and then not get it--or get it, but only for something I don't really want to do. Honestly, I really don't want to think about next summer at this point...but for this application I probably kind of have to.
I also participated in a necropsy wet lab hosted by path club last night. Only 4 of us showed up, and all first years. First the head doctor did a demonstration. It was really hard to watch...between my lab coat in the heat, the smell, and looking at the dog's blood and viscera (especially with the knowledge that I had to dissect fresh tissue today), I started feeling really uncomfortable and didn't want to do that. I asked permission and stepped out and was getting all ready to leave when the resident (I think?) met me in the hall to tell me how This Is an Important Skill and You'll Need To Do This In Fourth Year And Probably Your Career. He also told me it's important to equine practitioners because I'd mentioned that I knew how to use the disposable plastic booties after my experience at an equine hospital. I'm not actually going into equine. I've spent time in an exotics clinic, too, and I'm DEFINITELY not doing exotics. I calmly explained that I will do it, just not today when it's optional...though his talk made me think he meant even the wetlab wasn't optional. I have NEVER hated vet school as much as I did in that moment. But after that I would basically be questioning myself forever about whether I shouldn't be in vet school and am paying 10k a semester just to blow it all when I fail out of my fourth year rotations. I came back without the lab coat and had no problems whatsoever (though I did have to go back for my coat before I started my own necropsy). In fact, the doctor I was working with kept telling me how well I was doing--that he was surprised it was my first necropsy and that I "must be doing well in anatomy." I got up to taking off the dog's head but didn't want to fight with the saw enough to get it's brain out, but I did everything else, including getting a bone marrow sample. I'm still not sure it was worth it or whether it was a better use of my time than doing a run/walk with a couple more of my classmates, but anyway, it's done.
Speaking of running, I went on Sunday last weekend without my usual running partner. I still met up with the rest of the usual group (they missed her actually). I don't know whether it was the weather change (chillier than usual and heavy, humid about-to-storm weather) or my lack of music (because I didn't want my ipod to get wet if it started raining) or what, but I don't feel like I did as well as I have been doing. Without my usual partner-in-slowness, though, I did not cross the finish line alone. In fact, every one of the others (3 people) turned around at some point to come back for me so that we would all get back together. I felt kind of bad for slowing them down, but it also felt kind of nice--like I was part of a team. For our Tuesday run, my best partner was back, and with new running shoes! We finished the 5k in ~36 minutes--better than our previous times. I hope I can keep improving, even though I'm probably too busy to go run this weekend.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Football
Hi there; Birdie here!
They say it never rains in Tiger Stadium, but man was there some liquid sunshine tonight! My dad came up so we could go to the LSU vs. Auburn game. He had invites to two tailgates, and we checked out both of them. One was under a tent/pavilion thing--it was really big, though. I spent some time talking to an '04 LSU business graduate before we moved on to check out the next party. That one was way class; it was on a balcony of the Journalism building, and it was HUGE. They had these really awesome cups that turned purple when cold (well, some turned orange for Auburn). I got one and was really excited about it, but apparently cups aren't allowed in the stadium for some reason. Even if they're empty. I really don't understand that one. What could possibly be dangerous to them about an empty plastic cup? They don't even have to refill it or anything! What's the point in having a cool cup if I'm just going to have to throw it away? I also feel bad because it got thrown away and it wasn't meant to be disposable. So that wasn't the best start.
The game was pretty fun, even though I don't really understand football. My dad was explaining everything to me, and he seemed to enjoy it. Just before we left, the Tigers (er, purple and gold tigers) scored a touchdown three times before it counted because they got penalties on the first two. We left in the third quarter, with the score 28-7 for LSU. Geaux (LSU) Tigers! I actually liked Auburn's band better, though...largely because they played the Imperial March from Star Wars, and their halftime show was Bond-themed. If LSU's band made any references, I didn't get them.
My dad also brought up my bound copy of my undergrad thesis. The psych department keeps copies of everyone's thesis, and they give us each a free copy of ours as well. It's very fancy; we had to get it printed on high quality paper first, and now it's in this hardbound dark green cover with my name and (part of) the title and 2013 on the spine. Yes, I did my undergrad in the psych department even though I was headed for vet school; I liked the classes, and it was an easy enough major that I could fit all the prereqs in. My thesis was actually vet-related, though; the first part of the title is "Relating to Clients for Effective Practice." So now if I ever think I haven't accomplished anything, I can look at those shiny gold letters on the spine and nearly 50 pages (counting references) of high quality paper with my writing on them. Nice to have something physical like that.
In other news, my computer totally crashed (I'm typing this on my tablet). It was really random--it just froze and ran slow and then when I went to restart it "Windows was not able to successfully start." So I'll have to take it in tomorrow and hopefully they can fix it. I'm really glad I already finished, printed, and turned in my SOAP assignment for PBL or that would be a real problem. It's still pretty upsetting because one lecturer in physio likes to give us questions to research on our own that will be on the exam. I'd already done a few of them and typed them in with my notes, but now I'll probably have to look them all up again. Oh, and it really puts a damper on how I was planning to catch up on typing up my notes this weekend. Hopefully I can get it fixed before too long.
Anyway, I just wanted to write a quick update about my first college football game. See you next week!
They say it never rains in Tiger Stadium, but man was there some liquid sunshine tonight! My dad came up so we could go to the LSU vs. Auburn game. He had invites to two tailgates, and we checked out both of them. One was under a tent/pavilion thing--it was really big, though. I spent some time talking to an '04 LSU business graduate before we moved on to check out the next party. That one was way class; it was on a balcony of the Journalism building, and it was HUGE. They had these really awesome cups that turned purple when cold (well, some turned orange for Auburn). I got one and was really excited about it, but apparently cups aren't allowed in the stadium for some reason. Even if they're empty. I really don't understand that one. What could possibly be dangerous to them about an empty plastic cup? They don't even have to refill it or anything! What's the point in having a cool cup if I'm just going to have to throw it away? I also feel bad because it got thrown away and it wasn't meant to be disposable. So that wasn't the best start.
The game was pretty fun, even though I don't really understand football. My dad was explaining everything to me, and he seemed to enjoy it. Just before we left, the Tigers (er, purple and gold tigers) scored a touchdown three times before it counted because they got penalties on the first two. We left in the third quarter, with the score 28-7 for LSU. Geaux (LSU) Tigers! I actually liked Auburn's band better, though...largely because they played the Imperial March from Star Wars, and their halftime show was Bond-themed. If LSU's band made any references, I didn't get them.
My dad also brought up my bound copy of my undergrad thesis. The psych department keeps copies of everyone's thesis, and they give us each a free copy of ours as well. It's very fancy; we had to get it printed on high quality paper first, and now it's in this hardbound dark green cover with my name and (part of) the title and 2013 on the spine. Yes, I did my undergrad in the psych department even though I was headed for vet school; I liked the classes, and it was an easy enough major that I could fit all the prereqs in. My thesis was actually vet-related, though; the first part of the title is "Relating to Clients for Effective Practice." So now if I ever think I haven't accomplished anything, I can look at those shiny gold letters on the spine and nearly 50 pages (counting references) of high quality paper with my writing on them. Nice to have something physical like that.
In other news, my computer totally crashed (I'm typing this on my tablet). It was really random--it just froze and ran slow and then when I went to restart it "Windows was not able to successfully start." So I'll have to take it in tomorrow and hopefully they can fix it. I'm really glad I already finished, printed, and turned in my SOAP assignment for PBL or that would be a real problem. It's still pretty upsetting because one lecturer in physio likes to give us questions to research on our own that will be on the exam. I'd already done a few of them and typed them in with my notes, but now I'll probably have to look them all up again. Oh, and it really puts a damper on how I was planning to catch up on typing up my notes this weekend. Hopefully I can get it fixed before too long.
Anyway, I just wanted to write a quick update about my first college football game. See you next week!
Friday, September 20, 2013
It's been a long week
Hi there; Birdie here!
I've survived my first anatomy exam! We had the hour-long practical on Tuesday afternoon and the two-hour written part on Wednesday morning. For the next one I really want to start studying earlier...it was pretty tough to be studying so intensely, especially between the practical and the written, and I wasn't quite 100% comfortable with my knowledge. Luckily my classmate who makes flashcards on the iflascards app (sidenote: I got iOS7 on my iphone and it's really weird) apparently agrees and has already made a set for origins and insertions.
On Sunday one of our class reps (he actually interviewed at the same session I did, and he's a pretty awesome rep) set up a mock practical. It was great practice, and the real practical was much easier than that mock practical was! For instance, the real thing only had two 3-part questions instead of nearly every question being 3 or 4 parts, with some of those parts including questions about insertions or action. Apparently that's pretty standard for mock practicals set up by students, according to one of our anatomy professors. The practical exam was really clear--it even listed what exactly we needed to include in our prepositional phrases (like process, bone, and side for acromion of the right scapula), so I guess I didn't need to worry so much about whether I would get points off for leaving something out. The written wasn't bad either, even if it wasn't all multiple choice like it was last year. After the exam I didn't even want to talk about it with my classmates--you know, the whole "47 was D, right?" thing. That was definitely a well-deserved night off studying. I made a cherry pie and watched Netflix instead. :) We still haven't gotten our grades back, but the coordinator said so far we've all done well, so that's good.
We haven't gotten back our PBL grades, either--one of my classmates theorized it's so we'll all put effort into the last little assignment (due Monday) instead of knowing it won't affect our grade--but we did get back the cell bio exams. I'm happy with how I did, but there were some mean questions and several that we as a class disputed. Unfortunately, one particular professor is notorious for mean questions and is too politically powerful for us to dispute his questions. We really want to...his supposed "gimme" question only had 35% of the class get it correct! When our reps went to talk to him, he said we should have looked at his old test questions and that these questions were the same as last year. We do have test files from our bigs, but the most recent test in there is from 2007 or 2008. His response when the reps reminded him we aren't supposed to have last year's tests--"Well, aren't you smart enough to get a copy?" I don't even need the credit back on his questions, but I am really upset about that. He's just...WRONG! We've gone to the year coordinator and the department chair, and I really hope they can get past the politics and do something about him.
Speaking of policy decisions that aren't necessarily a good idea...they're restructuring our physiology course to include reproduction/therio stuff. That's not the bad idea; the bad idea is that this year for the transition, they put the therio stuff much earlier in the class and put us in the same lecture as third years. Seriously, who thought that sounded like a good idea to put the noobs in with the ones who are about to start clinics? Especially when our first joint lecture was Wednesday right after the anatomy exam--NONE of us followed it at all. It's actually been much better after the first day, in my opinion at least, but we're still pretty worried for the exam (which is next Tuesday--luckily it got moved from Monday).
By the way, I did end up going running on Saturday in my new shoes. I just happened to go at 8 instead of 6:30...a little more reasonable. ;) They worked out really well. I also did the 5k again this week, but it felt much shorter. Maybe I'm getting used to it? I was such a nerd while running it, actually. The mass of us running in a group reminded me of red blood cells in circulation, and there was one part where we did a little loop with a turn where we could see the runners ahead of us that reminded me of a loop of Henle in the kidneys. This weekend there's a football game so we might end up doing a run on Sunday instead of Saturday.
In fact, I'm going to the football game. I'm not really big into football, but my dad wants to go so he got us tickets. He knows some people tailgating, and I know some second years tailgating as well, so we're going to hang out with them. I actually went to the bookstore on main campus (during the two hours I didn't realize we didn't have class this morning...the third years had an exam so our joint lecture was moved to late afternoon) and bought a Tigers T-shirt to wear tomorrow. I have a lot planned next weekend, too. SCAVMA is doing a cat spay day on Sunday that I'm going to help out with, and there's some sort of business not-really-clinic that VBMA is putting on that I want to do as well. Path club is going to be doing wetlabs during the week soon, too...lots to look forward to.
I've survived my first anatomy exam! We had the hour-long practical on Tuesday afternoon and the two-hour written part on Wednesday morning. For the next one I really want to start studying earlier...it was pretty tough to be studying so intensely, especially between the practical and the written, and I wasn't quite 100% comfortable with my knowledge. Luckily my classmate who makes flashcards on the iflascards app (sidenote: I got iOS7 on my iphone and it's really weird) apparently agrees and has already made a set for origins and insertions.
On Sunday one of our class reps (he actually interviewed at the same session I did, and he's a pretty awesome rep) set up a mock practical. It was great practice, and the real practical was much easier than that mock practical was! For instance, the real thing only had two 3-part questions instead of nearly every question being 3 or 4 parts, with some of those parts including questions about insertions or action. Apparently that's pretty standard for mock practicals set up by students, according to one of our anatomy professors. The practical exam was really clear--it even listed what exactly we needed to include in our prepositional phrases (like process, bone, and side for acromion of the right scapula), so I guess I didn't need to worry so much about whether I would get points off for leaving something out. The written wasn't bad either, even if it wasn't all multiple choice like it was last year. After the exam I didn't even want to talk about it with my classmates--you know, the whole "47 was D, right?" thing. That was definitely a well-deserved night off studying. I made a cherry pie and watched Netflix instead. :) We still haven't gotten our grades back, but the coordinator said so far we've all done well, so that's good.
We haven't gotten back our PBL grades, either--one of my classmates theorized it's so we'll all put effort into the last little assignment (due Monday) instead of knowing it won't affect our grade--but we did get back the cell bio exams. I'm happy with how I did, but there were some mean questions and several that we as a class disputed. Unfortunately, one particular professor is notorious for mean questions and is too politically powerful for us to dispute his questions. We really want to...his supposed "gimme" question only had 35% of the class get it correct! When our reps went to talk to him, he said we should have looked at his old test questions and that these questions were the same as last year. We do have test files from our bigs, but the most recent test in there is from 2007 or 2008. His response when the reps reminded him we aren't supposed to have last year's tests--"Well, aren't you smart enough to get a copy?" I don't even need the credit back on his questions, but I am really upset about that. He's just...WRONG! We've gone to the year coordinator and the department chair, and I really hope they can get past the politics and do something about him.
Speaking of policy decisions that aren't necessarily a good idea...they're restructuring our physiology course to include reproduction/therio stuff. That's not the bad idea; the bad idea is that this year for the transition, they put the therio stuff much earlier in the class and put us in the same lecture as third years. Seriously, who thought that sounded like a good idea to put the noobs in with the ones who are about to start clinics? Especially when our first joint lecture was Wednesday right after the anatomy exam--NONE of us followed it at all. It's actually been much better after the first day, in my opinion at least, but we're still pretty worried for the exam (which is next Tuesday--luckily it got moved from Monday).
By the way, I did end up going running on Saturday in my new shoes. I just happened to go at 8 instead of 6:30...a little more reasonable. ;) They worked out really well. I also did the 5k again this week, but it felt much shorter. Maybe I'm getting used to it? I was such a nerd while running it, actually. The mass of us running in a group reminded me of red blood cells in circulation, and there was one part where we did a little loop with a turn where we could see the runners ahead of us that reminded me of a loop of Henle in the kidneys. This weekend there's a football game so we might end up doing a run on Sunday instead of Saturday.
In fact, I'm going to the football game. I'm not really big into football, but my dad wants to go so he got us tickets. He knows some people tailgating, and I know some second years tailgating as well, so we're going to hang out with them. I actually went to the bookstore on main campus (during the two hours I didn't realize we didn't have class this morning...the third years had an exam so our joint lecture was moved to late afternoon) and bought a Tigers T-shirt to wear tomorrow. I have a lot planned next weekend, too. SCAVMA is doing a cat spay day on Sunday that I'm going to help out with, and there's some sort of business not-really-clinic that VBMA is putting on that I want to do as well. Path club is going to be doing wetlabs during the week soon, too...lots to look forward to.
Friday, September 13, 2013
I should probably be studying
Hi there; Birdie here!
I'm still not very sure I'm studying enough. I didn't feel bad about how I did on either of this week's tests. The only thing we've gotten back so far is the lab portion of the cell bio exam, though. I did well on that, but it's not really enough feedback for me to be comfortable with how little I seem to be studying compared to everyone else. I know, I shouldn't compare myself to others...but it worries me that some people are trying to study five hours a day and I still sometimes watch two hour-long episodes of Supernatural instead of studying. If it works for me, that's all that matters, right?
We have our first anatomy exam next week (practical Tuesday, written Wednesday), and that's what I'm really worried about. Part of it is that I'm worried I won't know all the stuff, but I know that I'll learn what I know I have to by the exam, so that's pretty small. But then I'm worried that I won't know things because I don't know that I have to learn them--things like ligaments of the manus (which I almost wouldn't have studied unless they're on the terms sheet until I heard the group behind me going over them) or muscles in specific gait phases (which we might need to know but I'm not sure where to find). Mostly, though, I'm worried that I'll know what I need to but I won't write it in the perfect formula they want and will get points off for it. It's entirely possible that will happen on every question and I'll do poorly on the entire practical because of it. Apparently the mastoid part of the cleidocephalicus muscle isn't good enough for cleidocephalicus muscle pars mastoidea.
With problem solving class over (although we still have one assignment for it due on the 23rd), we've started physiology I. It used to be the biochem class too, but they've apparently revamped it since last year. Just looking at those notes for the first day stressed me out, but it's gotten better. Our current instructor, who also happens to teach biochem to undergrad students on main campus, is much easier to follow. We get notes for every class except anatomy (which we had to pay $300 for, I'm still upset about that), and I like the way she did her notes. Actually, she doesn't give us a lot and we have to write most of it ourselves, but there's space for that and she gives us chemical structures even if we don't have to know them. It's much better than the first instructor who gave us double the information on the slides and nowhere to put it.
In other news, despite the fact that I'm already probably in too many clubs/paying too much in dues, I also joined pathology club. They have 4 wetlabs planned this year; totally worth the price of admission. I also went to two VBMA meetings this week. The first speaker really annoyed me. It seemed like he was totally ignoring the client's perspective and purely focusing on economics, which is what I hate most about business. Today's speaker was really good, though. He talked about mentorship--apparently AAHA has a free toolkit online all about skills employers want. They can be used to evaluate expectations to prevent high turnover of new grads, but they can also help little first years like me know what we should be working on. I actually learned some stuff there, and it wasn't just yet another presentation on how much debt we'll have and how miserable our outlook as vet students is.
I've managed to go running twice this week. Well, mostly walking both times really, but I did a 5k with a HUGE group on Tuesday--it was amazing to be part of this pack and see them all running up a slight hill--and then walked around the lakes with a friend while going over parts of the pelvic limb bones. Since I'm apparently going to be doing this a lot (and my parents agreed to pay for it), I got new running shoes. They just came in today, so I'm tempted to go running with some fellow students tomorrow...only problem is that they're running at 6:30 am and I have enough of waking up so early on weekdays. Guess we'll see.
But in the meantime...I have some origins and insertions to learn.
I'm still not very sure I'm studying enough. I didn't feel bad about how I did on either of this week's tests. The only thing we've gotten back so far is the lab portion of the cell bio exam, though. I did well on that, but it's not really enough feedback for me to be comfortable with how little I seem to be studying compared to everyone else. I know, I shouldn't compare myself to others...but it worries me that some people are trying to study five hours a day and I still sometimes watch two hour-long episodes of Supernatural instead of studying. If it works for me, that's all that matters, right?
We have our first anatomy exam next week (practical Tuesday, written Wednesday), and that's what I'm really worried about. Part of it is that I'm worried I won't know all the stuff, but I know that I'll learn what I know I have to by the exam, so that's pretty small. But then I'm worried that I won't know things because I don't know that I have to learn them--things like ligaments of the manus (which I almost wouldn't have studied unless they're on the terms sheet until I heard the group behind me going over them) or muscles in specific gait phases (which we might need to know but I'm not sure where to find). Mostly, though, I'm worried that I'll know what I need to but I won't write it in the perfect formula they want and will get points off for it. It's entirely possible that will happen on every question and I'll do poorly on the entire practical because of it. Apparently the mastoid part of the cleidocephalicus muscle isn't good enough for cleidocephalicus muscle pars mastoidea.
With problem solving class over (although we still have one assignment for it due on the 23rd), we've started physiology I. It used to be the biochem class too, but they've apparently revamped it since last year. Just looking at those notes for the first day stressed me out, but it's gotten better. Our current instructor, who also happens to teach biochem to undergrad students on main campus, is much easier to follow. We get notes for every class except anatomy (which we had to pay $300 for, I'm still upset about that), and I like the way she did her notes. Actually, she doesn't give us a lot and we have to write most of it ourselves, but there's space for that and she gives us chemical structures even if we don't have to know them. It's much better than the first instructor who gave us double the information on the slides and nowhere to put it.
In other news, despite the fact that I'm already probably in too many clubs/paying too much in dues, I also joined pathology club. They have 4 wetlabs planned this year; totally worth the price of admission. I also went to two VBMA meetings this week. The first speaker really annoyed me. It seemed like he was totally ignoring the client's perspective and purely focusing on economics, which is what I hate most about business. Today's speaker was really good, though. He talked about mentorship--apparently AAHA has a free toolkit online all about skills employers want. They can be used to evaluate expectations to prevent high turnover of new grads, but they can also help little first years like me know what we should be working on. I actually learned some stuff there, and it wasn't just yet another presentation on how much debt we'll have and how miserable our outlook as vet students is.
I've managed to go running twice this week. Well, mostly walking both times really, but I did a 5k with a HUGE group on Tuesday--it was amazing to be part of this pack and see them all running up a slight hill--and then walked around the lakes with a friend while going over parts of the pelvic limb bones. Since I'm apparently going to be doing this a lot (and my parents agreed to pay for it), I got new running shoes. They just came in today, so I'm tempted to go running with some fellow students tomorrow...only problem is that they're running at 6:30 am and I have enough of waking up so early on weekdays. Guess we'll see.
But in the meantime...I have some origins and insertions to learn.
Monday, September 9, 2013
First test down
Hi there; Birdie here!
As the title says, I finished my very first vet school exam. Technically a final, I guess, since that class is over. It wasn't too bad, especially since it was just for the problem solving course and not any heavy science material. It was a little trickier than I was expecting, and there was one term we were supposed to define that I'm pretty sure was never mentioned in class, but overall I think I did well. I even finished the extra, take-home library portion.
Now I need to study for the next exam, cell bio tomorrow. This one's more of a midterm, not a final. Apparently one specific teacher writes particularly bad/tricky questions, so I definitely need to look over his lectures again. And I want to look over it some more in general. Plus I need to learn the intrinsic muscles of the thoracic limb (that means muscles only on the limb itself, not attached to the trunk) AND the bones of the pelvic limb for an anatomy quiz Friday. I know I can do it, I'm just not sure how.
I did get to do something other than study this weekend, though. I went to my first wetlab with Diagnostic Imaging Club! I got to ultrasound a horse's distal limb with and without a plastic standoff. We haven't had any horse anatomy yet--that's next semester--but I had some idea what was going on from the lecture on Friday. And I got the muscle memory of the tiny shifts you need to make to try and find a good image. Ultrasound is pretty hard on the arm--you have to press hard, not to mention holding your arm out for whatever length of time you're looking for something. I feel more comfortable with ultrasound in general now, even if I'm not likely to be working with horses when I'm in practice. And it was really nice to see a live animal for once. I'm really glad I got to go...I wish I could afford to be in more clubs and go to their wetlabs, too! I did finally pay my VBMA dues, though.
Well, back to studying...
As the title says, I finished my very first vet school exam. Technically a final, I guess, since that class is over. It wasn't too bad, especially since it was just for the problem solving course and not any heavy science material. It was a little trickier than I was expecting, and there was one term we were supposed to define that I'm pretty sure was never mentioned in class, but overall I think I did well. I even finished the extra, take-home library portion.
Now I need to study for the next exam, cell bio tomorrow. This one's more of a midterm, not a final. Apparently one specific teacher writes particularly bad/tricky questions, so I definitely need to look over his lectures again. And I want to look over it some more in general. Plus I need to learn the intrinsic muscles of the thoracic limb (that means muscles only on the limb itself, not attached to the trunk) AND the bones of the pelvic limb for an anatomy quiz Friday. I know I can do it, I'm just not sure how.
I did get to do something other than study this weekend, though. I went to my first wetlab with Diagnostic Imaging Club! I got to ultrasound a horse's distal limb with and without a plastic standoff. We haven't had any horse anatomy yet--that's next semester--but I had some idea what was going on from the lecture on Friday. And I got the muscle memory of the tiny shifts you need to make to try and find a good image. Ultrasound is pretty hard on the arm--you have to press hard, not to mention holding your arm out for whatever length of time you're looking for something. I feel more comfortable with ultrasound in general now, even if I'm not likely to be working with horses when I'm in practice. And it was really nice to see a live animal for once. I'm really glad I got to go...I wish I could afford to be in more clubs and go to their wetlabs, too! I did finally pay my VBMA dues, though.
Well, back to studying...
Friday, September 6, 2013
Now the real fun starts...
Hi there; Birdie here!
Had a bit of internet trouble, so I think this published somewhere about halfway through my typing it? Anyway, this is the full post.
For a short week with a Labor Day holiday at the start, it sure
feels pretty long. I guess being at school from before 8 until after 5 or 6
will do that to you. That's not normally the case around here--I'm looking at
my schedule and there's only a handful of days we're scheduled until 5. A
little of it was from anatomy lab, but mostly it was problem solving class:
moving it to the end of the day for rabies vaccines, adding two hours of it to
the end of the day for presentations, and of course preparing for those
presentations. Our group did well on the presentations--only lost fractions of
a point on our learning issues, probably for not being complete enough; I am so
not worried about that.
I'm also feeding an owl at the raptor rehab facility. It's a rotation
such that any one person is responsible for a single bird only about once a
month for a five day period, and my first one is this week. He’s an owl named
BAMF (he earned it, apparently). Since he’s a night bird, he gets fed after
5pm. Every day except today, that’s meant “when I get out of class” more or
less, including staying late in anatomy.
I missed the initial
training session so I’m not sure what I’m doing and haven’t tried “fisting” him
(holding him on my glove), but a fellow feeder showed me the super basic basics
on Tuesday. The first day I had to wait in the rain for like 10 minutes for the
coordinator since the lock wouldn’t open—it turned out I just needed to push it
up! That made me feel smart, not.
We had our second rabies vaccines this week. I'd heard the second
one is the worst, and I'm pretty inclined to agree. My first one wasn't bad at
all, but the day after this one I felt absolutely miserable. Combined with the
fact that I needed to feed BAMF and study still, it meant I didn’t make the run
this week. Definitely next week, though—and I might try and join tomorrow, too.
I only had one club this week, but they’ve started feeding me!
Apparently radiology always has the best food, or so they say. Diagnostic Imaging
Club also has the honor of being the first club I’ve actually paid my dues for.
They’re having an ultrasound lab on the equine distal limb on Sunday, and I’m
going. The meeting today was in preparation for it, and it was really positive.
A doctor from radiology showed some slides of some normal ultrasounds and some
with lesions, and explained them well enough that I totally understood
everything. I could really see what was abnormal! Of course, it was just one
view of one area and I don’t really know what to do with that diagnostically,
but it felt really nice. DIC is totally worth the dues.
We had a “fresh” dog in anatomy today, as opposed to the embalmed
one we’ve been working on. It a lot worse than the usual anatomy lab smell: wet
dog + raw meat. A lot of the muscles looked different when they were fresh
(especially when they were already cut). The fresh tendons and muscle
attachments were really pretty though! Some of the fibers had yellows and blues
in them. Not in a sick way, just like a sheen to them. I’m not sure my description
is getting it across, but it was really nice. I still need to study my muscles
a LOT, but I’m feeling a little better about it. And after the instructors got
to the first two for us, my partner and I found ligaments ourselves. I for one
was pretty proud of that, considering that ligaments are just thickenings of
the joint capsule and I’m pretty sure we cut through the first one we tried to
find.
Tomorrow is the first home game for LSU football, and I am so NOT
excited about it. I don’t get football, so to me it just means 1) everything is
really crowded/traffic and 2) they changed the parking rules and I’m not sure
where I can park without being towed or ticketed. Guess I’m not going to school
to study tomorrow…
This is the first weekend I’m actually spending here in BR, and I
know exactly what I’m doing: lots of studying. We have our first two exams next
Monday and Tuesday, in problem solving and cell bio. So far I’m studying cell
bio the way I studied in undergrad: typing my notes (though I’m about 6
lectures behind now) and going over all the notes every night for a week before
the test. It’s a pretty time-intensive way of studying (it took me 3 hours last
night), so I doubt I can keep it up. I haven’t started studying problem solving
at all yet, but that’s what the weekend is for.
Speaking of studying, I should get to it. I have a lot of cell bio
to get through.
Friday, August 30, 2013
In which I've survived the first tests of vet school
Hi there; Birdie here!
I've survived the first tests of vet school! And no, I don't mean exams. For one thing, there's the first graded assignments we've had: a group assignment for problem solving and our bone quiz in anatomy. Everyone got a 5/5 on the group assignment for being more effective than the (problematic) PBL group in the video we were discussing. I got the same on the bone quiz, too. It was super easy--a single "identify x" question where x is a term for some bone part we needed to know from the thoracic limb. We didn't even have to be able to tell whether it was on the right or left limb yet.
The other thing I mean by first test of vet school is the first of the rabies series. I've taken to thinking that if you're smart enough to get in and strong enough to manage the rabies shots, you can get through vet school. I couldn't find anything cheaper than the $200/shot through school, so I get to deal with mine during weeks of classes. We have two-hour blocks built into our schedule for three weeks, right after lunch, for vaccine administration/monitoring for reactions. For anyone who already got the vaccine, it means you get a three-hour lunch break. For people like me who need the vaccine then, it means you have to sit around doing nothing important for an hour or so. I ended up waiting in line for half the first hour and then randomly browsing reference books in the library once I could leave the auditorium (we had to stay for half an hour after the shot so they could make sure we didn't have a reaction). Well, I did some bone studying for anatomy, too. I actually had no negative effects from my first shot at all--my arm was kind of sore if I tried to sleep on it, but by the next day--nothing! I've heard the second shot's the worst, so I'm not totally in the clear, but it's nice to know I'm not ridiculously allergic to the vaccine or anything.
I guess this is only the first full week of classes? It seems like it's been longer. We started and finished our first problem solving assignment and are working on the second one. We've also got a third problem that's basically a straight-up PBL case--we have a signalment, history, and physical exam on this cat and need to create a problem list (what's wrong with the animal--being as specific as possible!), list of learning issues (what we needed to look up/research to understand the case), differential diagnoses, and I think just a diagnostic plan but maybe also a treatment plan. We got a chance to ask more questions to improve the history today in class. Our (oldish male) professor played the lady who owns this cat and loves him...it was really cute, actually! He would tell little stories about the cat stealing bread, leave out things to tell us later if we asked the right question, and do that "now that you mention it..." reaction to leading questions to let us know the information is probably more self-convincing than reliable data. I'm going to miss this class, and it's the first one that ends.
We also got yet another lecture on how we're going to die of debt. It's for this Intro to Vet Med class we have once a week--it's pass/fail based on attendance, and for the most part it's a chance to expose us to areas of vet med outside of private practice. But this week it was about Don't Borrow More Than You Need, and Don't Need Much. We did not like that lecturer. In a list of how to keep costs down (you know, budgeting, distinguishing wants from needs, buying things used) he included "can you live without a pet?" That's the first strike against him. He talked about how he's on the scholarship committee and people have explained that they need the scholarship because their horse needed some expensive treatment or something. "Horse?" he asks. "Why would you have a horse?" We can kind of understand that too; horses are expensive. That's why I'm not riding anymore, but riding was a great way for me to have some physical activity and stress relief in undergrad. But then our lecturer goes on to say that someone wanted the scholarship because her dog needed an ACL repair. Of course he starts off with "Dog?" but then he goes on to finish with "let it limp! It won't hurt it!" At that point, we all just look at each other. Right, because pain isn't the reason the dog is limping. He also went on about how you can't give away your time volunteering to get experience and you need to be working. At some point I was frustrated enough to raise my hand and ask how he expected us to stay SANE doing all the things he recommended, which sounded like study and work all the time, and don't even have a pet to help you. He just said something about of course you need balance, he's just focusing on one part now, etc. I think that opened more people up to ask questions, but he decided in favor of further lecturing instead of answering any. I'm kind of disappointed this guy is in lab animal med; I was interested in finding out more about that area but the fact that I'd most likely be working with him is a turn-off.
Now that we've started lab, anatomy is...well, it's frequently overwhelming at first, but it's really cool when you start to get it. The first couple of days we just had lab time to study the bones, but with a little radiology thrown in just to look at flat images of the structures we were studying. Yesterday, we started dissecting our dogs. We work in groups of 2. My partner and I named our dog Tobey. We were really anxious about cutting anything, afraid we were going to cut muscles/mess things up. Once we ended up trying things, though, we managed to do pretty well. Today we definitely cut through some muscles in the wrong spots, but between our muddling and occasional help from the teachers, we actually got there in the end! We finished cutting all of the extrinsic muscles to the thoracic limb (aka we took off the front leg), which is what we needed to have finished by Tuesday, so I'm super happy with our progress so far. It's going to take a lot of studying before I really know those muscles (much less insertions, origins, actions, and innervations!). I did a lot of prep work for the dissection, too. I highlighted my guide in three colors (terms, definitions/notes, and actual instructions) and made a sheet listing all the steps (it's something I had to do for organic chem lab in undergrad, and it was definitely helpful in terms of knowing how much of that section we'd done). I'm not really sure how I'll be able to keep this up AND type notes for cell bio histo at the same rate they're presented AND type notes for other classes once I have something more involved than problem solving with those two.
Speaking of things I'm not sure I'll be able to manage, let's talk about extracurriculars. This week I went to two speakers, a club meeting, and a club's rounds. The speakers gave us free food, which was great! But apparently clubs aren't allowed to give us food at the first meeting (/probably until we pay dues) so I don't get the two weeks of free pizza students at other schools might get. I will point out that our free food thus far has, with one exception, been way better than pizza (the one exception was pizza, and thus exactly the same as pizza. ;)). One of the speakers was from VBMA, but I still haven't paid my dues since I was too busy getting back to class to find an officer to give them to. I think I missed my window for the club fair discount, unfortunately. The other speaker wasn't a club, but was from Purina's Lunch N Learn; I think they do those monthly? That speaker was great, except for starting 15-20 minutes late (as we all grabbed food) and subsequently running over; our professor wasn't super pleased with that. I also went to surgery club and rounds for farm animal club. I think I want to do farm animal club for a semester, just because I have no experience with that, and then drop it next semester and do lab animal for the same reason. Rounds were pretty boring this week (apparently it's a slow season), but we got to see the tilting chute and some lambs being used for research. Surgery club during lunch was a little tough...maybe I'll get used to it?
And of course I had my live-in interview. It ended up being moved to Thursday during the lunch hour instead of Tuesday "after school" but technically during lab time. I kind of wish it hadn't moved--I would rather miss a few minutes at the very end of a pure study day in anatomy lab than try to change from "professional clothing" into my scrubs in just a couple of minutes between my interview and our first foray that puts the gross in gross anatomy. But I took this the same way I took the original technically-during-class timeslot: they're kind of my boss here and if it's physically possible to do it, I should do it and make it look as effortless as possible for their benefit. The interview went pretty well for the most part. They asked things like what I do to relive stress, how far from the school I live, and what was the longest commitment I've made (since this job is a 2-year commitment). I think I failed my doorknob question, though. You know--you're about to leave, hand on the doorknob, and they say "just one more thing"--possibly the most important one? This guy had told me that most of the job (the one I'm applying for here) is "knowing where things are." Then just as he's leaving he throws out "where can I get a Coke around here?" I told him there's a vending machine in the cafeteria, but mostly just pointed in a vague direction--totally not what he was looking for. And this is a second-year student, so he knows where to go. Well, I guess I can't do anything about it now...I think I might have to apply for a job as a Purina rep or something if I don't get this, though. At least that's less of a time sink?
I'm home for the weekend again this weekend. This time, I actually am with my parents--it's Labor Day weekend and there's nothing really going on at school, plus one of my friends from high school is having a party tomorrow, so I figured I might as well make the drive. I have decided I'm going to go the whole day without touching my car on Sunday, though! At least I can get one day of a break from driving.
When I get back, I've got more group work and more dissection, so I really need to actually prepare some stuff over this weekend. Luckily I've got some time since over the weekend I don't need to wake up at 6:30!
I've survived the first tests of vet school! And no, I don't mean exams. For one thing, there's the first graded assignments we've had: a group assignment for problem solving and our bone quiz in anatomy. Everyone got a 5/5 on the group assignment for being more effective than the (problematic) PBL group in the video we were discussing. I got the same on the bone quiz, too. It was super easy--a single "identify x" question where x is a term for some bone part we needed to know from the thoracic limb. We didn't even have to be able to tell whether it was on the right or left limb yet.
The other thing I mean by first test of vet school is the first of the rabies series. I've taken to thinking that if you're smart enough to get in and strong enough to manage the rabies shots, you can get through vet school. I couldn't find anything cheaper than the $200/shot through school, so I get to deal with mine during weeks of classes. We have two-hour blocks built into our schedule for three weeks, right after lunch, for vaccine administration/monitoring for reactions. For anyone who already got the vaccine, it means you get a three-hour lunch break. For people like me who need the vaccine then, it means you have to sit around doing nothing important for an hour or so. I ended up waiting in line for half the first hour and then randomly browsing reference books in the library once I could leave the auditorium (we had to stay for half an hour after the shot so they could make sure we didn't have a reaction). Well, I did some bone studying for anatomy, too. I actually had no negative effects from my first shot at all--my arm was kind of sore if I tried to sleep on it, but by the next day--nothing! I've heard the second shot's the worst, so I'm not totally in the clear, but it's nice to know I'm not ridiculously allergic to the vaccine or anything.
I guess this is only the first full week of classes? It seems like it's been longer. We started and finished our first problem solving assignment and are working on the second one. We've also got a third problem that's basically a straight-up PBL case--we have a signalment, history, and physical exam on this cat and need to create a problem list (what's wrong with the animal--being as specific as possible!), list of learning issues (what we needed to look up/research to understand the case), differential diagnoses, and I think just a diagnostic plan but maybe also a treatment plan. We got a chance to ask more questions to improve the history today in class. Our (oldish male) professor played the lady who owns this cat and loves him...it was really cute, actually! He would tell little stories about the cat stealing bread, leave out things to tell us later if we asked the right question, and do that "now that you mention it..." reaction to leading questions to let us know the information is probably more self-convincing than reliable data. I'm going to miss this class, and it's the first one that ends.
We also got yet another lecture on how we're going to die of debt. It's for this Intro to Vet Med class we have once a week--it's pass/fail based on attendance, and for the most part it's a chance to expose us to areas of vet med outside of private practice. But this week it was about Don't Borrow More Than You Need, and Don't Need Much. We did not like that lecturer. In a list of how to keep costs down (you know, budgeting, distinguishing wants from needs, buying things used) he included "can you live without a pet?" That's the first strike against him. He talked about how he's on the scholarship committee and people have explained that they need the scholarship because their horse needed some expensive treatment or something. "Horse?" he asks. "Why would you have a horse?" We can kind of understand that too; horses are expensive. That's why I'm not riding anymore, but riding was a great way for me to have some physical activity and stress relief in undergrad. But then our lecturer goes on to say that someone wanted the scholarship because her dog needed an ACL repair. Of course he starts off with "Dog?" but then he goes on to finish with "let it limp! It won't hurt it!" At that point, we all just look at each other. Right, because pain isn't the reason the dog is limping. He also went on about how you can't give away your time volunteering to get experience and you need to be working. At some point I was frustrated enough to raise my hand and ask how he expected us to stay SANE doing all the things he recommended, which sounded like study and work all the time, and don't even have a pet to help you. He just said something about of course you need balance, he's just focusing on one part now, etc. I think that opened more people up to ask questions, but he decided in favor of further lecturing instead of answering any. I'm kind of disappointed this guy is in lab animal med; I was interested in finding out more about that area but the fact that I'd most likely be working with him is a turn-off.
Now that we've started lab, anatomy is...well, it's frequently overwhelming at first, but it's really cool when you start to get it. The first couple of days we just had lab time to study the bones, but with a little radiology thrown in just to look at flat images of the structures we were studying. Yesterday, we started dissecting our dogs. We work in groups of 2. My partner and I named our dog Tobey. We were really anxious about cutting anything, afraid we were going to cut muscles/mess things up. Once we ended up trying things, though, we managed to do pretty well. Today we definitely cut through some muscles in the wrong spots, but between our muddling and occasional help from the teachers, we actually got there in the end! We finished cutting all of the extrinsic muscles to the thoracic limb (aka we took off the front leg), which is what we needed to have finished by Tuesday, so I'm super happy with our progress so far. It's going to take a lot of studying before I really know those muscles (much less insertions, origins, actions, and innervations!). I did a lot of prep work for the dissection, too. I highlighted my guide in three colors (terms, definitions/notes, and actual instructions) and made a sheet listing all the steps (it's something I had to do for organic chem lab in undergrad, and it was definitely helpful in terms of knowing how much of that section we'd done). I'm not really sure how I'll be able to keep this up AND type notes for cell bio histo at the same rate they're presented AND type notes for other classes once I have something more involved than problem solving with those two.
Speaking of things I'm not sure I'll be able to manage, let's talk about extracurriculars. This week I went to two speakers, a club meeting, and a club's rounds. The speakers gave us free food, which was great! But apparently clubs aren't allowed to give us food at the first meeting (/probably until we pay dues) so I don't get the two weeks of free pizza students at other schools might get. I will point out that our free food thus far has, with one exception, been way better than pizza (the one exception was pizza, and thus exactly the same as pizza. ;)). One of the speakers was from VBMA, but I still haven't paid my dues since I was too busy getting back to class to find an officer to give them to. I think I missed my window for the club fair discount, unfortunately. The other speaker wasn't a club, but was from Purina's Lunch N Learn; I think they do those monthly? That speaker was great, except for starting 15-20 minutes late (as we all grabbed food) and subsequently running over; our professor wasn't super pleased with that. I also went to surgery club and rounds for farm animal club. I think I want to do farm animal club for a semester, just because I have no experience with that, and then drop it next semester and do lab animal for the same reason. Rounds were pretty boring this week (apparently it's a slow season), but we got to see the tilting chute and some lambs being used for research. Surgery club during lunch was a little tough...maybe I'll get used to it?
And of course I had my live-in interview. It ended up being moved to Thursday during the lunch hour instead of Tuesday "after school" but technically during lab time. I kind of wish it hadn't moved--I would rather miss a few minutes at the very end of a pure study day in anatomy lab than try to change from "professional clothing" into my scrubs in just a couple of minutes between my interview and our first foray that puts the gross in gross anatomy. But I took this the same way I took the original technically-during-class timeslot: they're kind of my boss here and if it's physically possible to do it, I should do it and make it look as effortless as possible for their benefit. The interview went pretty well for the most part. They asked things like what I do to relive stress, how far from the school I live, and what was the longest commitment I've made (since this job is a 2-year commitment). I think I failed my doorknob question, though. You know--you're about to leave, hand on the doorknob, and they say "just one more thing"--possibly the most important one? This guy had told me that most of the job (the one I'm applying for here) is "knowing where things are." Then just as he's leaving he throws out "where can I get a Coke around here?" I told him there's a vending machine in the cafeteria, but mostly just pointed in a vague direction--totally not what he was looking for. And this is a second-year student, so he knows where to go. Well, I guess I can't do anything about it now...I think I might have to apply for a job as a Purina rep or something if I don't get this, though. At least that's less of a time sink?
I'm home for the weekend again this weekend. This time, I actually am with my parents--it's Labor Day weekend and there's nothing really going on at school, plus one of my friends from high school is having a party tomorrow, so I figured I might as well make the drive. I have decided I'm going to go the whole day without touching my car on Sunday, though! At least I can get one day of a break from driving.
When I get back, I've got more group work and more dissection, so I really need to actually prepare some stuff over this weekend. Luckily I've got some time since over the weekend I don't need to wake up at 6:30!
Friday, August 23, 2013
And so it begins
Hi there; Birdie here!
I am now officially a vet student--I've picked up bones and everything. Right now our schedule consists of three classes, each for two hours, every day...at least, that's what it's been today and yesterday. I say right now because it's scheduled so that we don't have all 8 or so classes at once and we can focus a little more on all three. Each block for a class lasts 50 minutes, with 10 minute breaks in between so that classes start on the hour. Frequently the break separates lectures by two different teachers even if it's for the same course (these classes are team taught--afaik all classes here are) but sometimes it's just a good stopping point in a single long lecture.
The three current classes are Problems Solving, Cell Biology & Histology, and Anatomy.The first two don't seem very difficult right now--Problem Solving is one of those non-medicine communication-type courses, and the cell biology we're going over now is pretty much stuff I learned in high school. It's pretty hard for me to be patient and pay attention, actually. I know some people might not have had a biology class in maybe five years, but it's so familiar to me. I don't want to start typing my notes and working on studying it, but I know I should start doing it correctly now so that when we get to the histology stuff I don't know I'll be prepared.
Of course, anatomy is the really intimidating class. We have to know everything about everything! I know I can do it, but it's pretty hard to believe that when nearly every word out of our lecturer's mouth seems like a foreign language. I know the directional terms pretty well, but today the lecturer used words like "cancellous" like we knew what they mean! We also had some physics/engineering today in the biomechanics of bone section. So if you're a pre-vet wondering why you need physics...for bone, apparently. The course coordinator is also making a point of not saying "right" to mean something like yes or correct, so that it only corresponds to the direction and you won't be saying "the left eye, right." I've already started doing it...that "correctly" in the last paragraph used to say right.
I managed to trade all of my scrubs in for a smaller size, even the sponsored ones we can't exchange at the bookstore--I found a classmate who wanted to make the complementary switch. We haven't actually used the scrubs yet; we start anatomy lab and histology lab both on Monday. We did pick our partners (mine is the girl who sits next to me in the classroom--hopefully we don't get sick of each other), get lockers, and pull out our bone boxes. We each have a scapula, radius, ulna, and humerus to look at at home or in class since we're doing the thoracic limb first. Of course, it's the dog we're working on (with comparative points for the cat) this semester; large animal anatomy is next semester. There's about twelve names to learn for parts of each bone, plus we have to know all the muscles and their origins and insertions, and eventually all the blood vessels and nervous tissue too...I just keep reminding myself that all the vets and all the vet students above me have done this and I can too.
Outside of class at the vet school...there's a lot I want to do outside of class, actually. I applied for a live-in job at the clinic. If I get it, I'll learn some clin path stuff, get good experience, and get to know the clinicians...not to mention making some money! On the negative side, though, it consists of working overnights, and if I get it I'll have to stay at school over most breaks. So it will be really good for me if I get it, but it's pretty competitive, and I won't be too upset if I don't. If I don't, I'm thinking of trying to get involved in the blood bank program, but I don't need to worry about that until sometime after my interview on Tuesday. Also, we had our club fair today. There are so many clubs! I signed up for AAHA (mostly because it's zero commitment--it seems pretty similar to VBMA really, but with some vet med wet labs I think?), and put my name on the lists for VBMA and the Josh Project. VBMA offers business training for vet students, since that's not in the curriculum much, and the Josh Project is a charity that brings plush dogs and books to children in the hospital telling them it will be okay. There are also a bunch of vet med related clubs that I want to get involved in: farm animal and lab animal medicine, since I've never done either of those things, and surgery and diagnostic imaging since those will probably be important to me in practice and I could use the experience. Oh, and I also signed up to feed the night birds in raptor rehab. It's not much of a time commitment since it's only once a month or so, but it's associated with opportunities to learn physicals, care, blood draws, etc. on the birds of prey they have there.
I'm not sure how I'll have time for everything vet med related, much less anything outside of that, but it's the outside part that keeps us sane, right? I'm planning to join a gym, but I haven't picked one yet. I'd also like to get involved in some improv group or DnD or something to have friends outside of school. All of this is purely theoretical, though. I want to, but I doubt I really will. I miss being able to ride horses, but it's way too expensive for me right now.
There's a ton of stuff going on this weekend at the vet school, from an 80's themed party to painting dog houses for a shelter to learning blood draws on birds. Unfortunately, I won't be there for it. I'm still glad I'm going to this convention and seeing some friends from high school, but MAN this is a lot of driving. And I have to do even more tomorrow to help my sister move into her dorm. It's a good thing I don't really need this weekend to study since I'm away. Well, regardless...I'll be back in that classroom soon. I'm pretty excited about starting the labs. I hope things don't get too overwhelming...
I am now officially a vet student--I've picked up bones and everything. Right now our schedule consists of three classes, each for two hours, every day...at least, that's what it's been today and yesterday. I say right now because it's scheduled so that we don't have all 8 or so classes at once and we can focus a little more on all three. Each block for a class lasts 50 minutes, with 10 minute breaks in between so that classes start on the hour. Frequently the break separates lectures by two different teachers even if it's for the same course (these classes are team taught--afaik all classes here are) but sometimes it's just a good stopping point in a single long lecture.
The three current classes are Problems Solving, Cell Biology & Histology, and Anatomy.The first two don't seem very difficult right now--Problem Solving is one of those non-medicine communication-type courses, and the cell biology we're going over now is pretty much stuff I learned in high school. It's pretty hard for me to be patient and pay attention, actually. I know some people might not have had a biology class in maybe five years, but it's so familiar to me. I don't want to start typing my notes and working on studying it, but I know I should start doing it correctly now so that when we get to the histology stuff I don't know I'll be prepared.
Of course, anatomy is the really intimidating class. We have to know everything about everything! I know I can do it, but it's pretty hard to believe that when nearly every word out of our lecturer's mouth seems like a foreign language. I know the directional terms pretty well, but today the lecturer used words like "cancellous" like we knew what they mean! We also had some physics/engineering today in the biomechanics of bone section. So if you're a pre-vet wondering why you need physics...for bone, apparently. The course coordinator is also making a point of not saying "right" to mean something like yes or correct, so that it only corresponds to the direction and you won't be saying "the left eye, right." I've already started doing it...that "correctly" in the last paragraph used to say right.
I managed to trade all of my scrubs in for a smaller size, even the sponsored ones we can't exchange at the bookstore--I found a classmate who wanted to make the complementary switch. We haven't actually used the scrubs yet; we start anatomy lab and histology lab both on Monday. We did pick our partners (mine is the girl who sits next to me in the classroom--hopefully we don't get sick of each other), get lockers, and pull out our bone boxes. We each have a scapula, radius, ulna, and humerus to look at at home or in class since we're doing the thoracic limb first. Of course, it's the dog we're working on (with comparative points for the cat) this semester; large animal anatomy is next semester. There's about twelve names to learn for parts of each bone, plus we have to know all the muscles and their origins and insertions, and eventually all the blood vessels and nervous tissue too...I just keep reminding myself that all the vets and all the vet students above me have done this and I can too.
Outside of class at the vet school...there's a lot I want to do outside of class, actually. I applied for a live-in job at the clinic. If I get it, I'll learn some clin path stuff, get good experience, and get to know the clinicians...not to mention making some money! On the negative side, though, it consists of working overnights, and if I get it I'll have to stay at school over most breaks. So it will be really good for me if I get it, but it's pretty competitive, and I won't be too upset if I don't. If I don't, I'm thinking of trying to get involved in the blood bank program, but I don't need to worry about that until sometime after my interview on Tuesday. Also, we had our club fair today. There are so many clubs! I signed up for AAHA (mostly because it's zero commitment--it seems pretty similar to VBMA really, but with some vet med wet labs I think?), and put my name on the lists for VBMA and the Josh Project. VBMA offers business training for vet students, since that's not in the curriculum much, and the Josh Project is a charity that brings plush dogs and books to children in the hospital telling them it will be okay. There are also a bunch of vet med related clubs that I want to get involved in: farm animal and lab animal medicine, since I've never done either of those things, and surgery and diagnostic imaging since those will probably be important to me in practice and I could use the experience. Oh, and I also signed up to feed the night birds in raptor rehab. It's not much of a time commitment since it's only once a month or so, but it's associated with opportunities to learn physicals, care, blood draws, etc. on the birds of prey they have there.
I'm not sure how I'll have time for everything vet med related, much less anything outside of that, but it's the outside part that keeps us sane, right? I'm planning to join a gym, but I haven't picked one yet. I'd also like to get involved in some improv group or DnD or something to have friends outside of school. All of this is purely theoretical, though. I want to, but I doubt I really will. I miss being able to ride horses, but it's way too expensive for me right now.
There's a ton of stuff going on this weekend at the vet school, from an 80's themed party to painting dog houses for a shelter to learning blood draws on birds. Unfortunately, I won't be there for it. I'm still glad I'm going to this convention and seeing some friends from high school, but MAN this is a lot of driving. And I have to do even more tomorrow to help my sister move into her dorm. It's a good thing I don't really need this weekend to study since I'm away. Well, regardless...I'll be back in that classroom soon. I'm pretty excited about starting the labs. I hope things don't get too overwhelming...
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
I guess I'm officially oriented now
Hi there; Birdie here!
I've never felt so official as a vet student--we had our coating ceremony this afternoon. I got my blue coat and I'm ready to put it to use! The stage in the auditorium is apparently equipped to show cows--there's a drain in the middle--but none of us tripped on either that or the raised bits at either end by the stairs. Apparently at least one person does usually, so our coordinator was proud of us. Most of the girls wore dresses, but I was in slacks and a short-sleeved button up blouse I've worn to interviews. I felt very doctorly in it, especially with my security ID badge stating that I'm a vet student clipped to my belt loop. At the end of orientation, I fully feel like I'm going to be a doctor--and that, hard as it will be, it will be worth it.
Let me back up and start from the beginning.
Our first day of official orientation (as opposed to our fun leadership activities) consisted of a lot of sitting around and listening to people. First sitting in the auditorium and being introduced to people, then sitting in our classroom and listening to people talk about the army and SCAVMA. I seriously considered applying to the army scholarship, but more of my debt is from undergrad so I'd be better off in a post-graduation repayment program--not something I have to think about right now. I'd already joined SCAVMA as soon as the email went out about how to pay dues--I'm not sure I want to be part of our student chapter of the AVMA (American vet med association), but it's the umbrella for all of our clubs. Which means you can't join clubs without being in SCAVMA, and I definitely want to join clubs. We also got our ID badges for the vet school, but unfortunately those aren't actually student IDs and we still need the student IDs from main campus. Those were a pain to get--the office is only open 8-4:30, which means it's pretty hard for us to be free to go there when they're open.
Days two and three were more of the same, except that we sat in our classroom the whole day. There were a lot of talks about stress management, about how hard this will be, etc. We got tons of free stuff (backpacks, water bottles, even a set of scrubs!) from food companies and other sponsors. I'm going to miss the free food...although honestly I'll probably still be set for a while with club lunch meetings. Four pet food companies came and talked to us--I think they all have discount/free food programs for students, too. Luckily I took notes in case I acquire a pet and those become relevant. Okay, for when I acquire a pet. I got a tablet to take my notes on, and I've been using orientation to figure it out. OneNote seems to be what most people I know use for tablet notetaking, but in my experience, it sucked. I ended up downloading LectureNotes--I paid $5 for it, but it recognizes my keyboard, is searchable as long as I type, and lets me highlight and draw, so it's better than anything else I tried.
One major talk we got that's actually worth writing about was "Your Financial Future." I was totally expecting it to be doom and gloom--I know the state of the profession lately. But actually, despite being realistic, it left me feeling positive. The average starting salary was higher than we as a class had expected, and he ran a debt calculator that showed a reasonable debt load (15% debt:income ratio) that could be paid off on a new vet's starting salary was pretty close to the debt I'll have when I graduate. And that would be paid off in 10 years, without consolidation. It's the first time I've seen anything that made this seem manageable, rather than doable with great sacrifice, and it's made me feel a lot more positive about vet school.
That doesn't do much to reassure me on employment prospects of course. I'm still worried about that, despite the fact that approximately everyone tells me I don't need to yet. One of the alumni who came in (who works in private practice, a non-specialist) could only get part time work and had to fill in with relief work. She's very happy with it, but it wasn't originally by choice. There was something promising here, too, though: apparently, there's some guy who recruits heavily from my school for vets to work in Las Vegas. They were the highest paid new graduates last year, and they get tons of respect. It's hard hours and maybe it's not what I'd want to do for long, but it might mean I can have a job right out of vet school! And if not, well, maybe the army will take me.
That logical, cautious hope combined with the feeling of signing my oath and going up on stage in my new blue coat make me more excited than ever to start vet school. This isn't just a dream anymore--I'm doing it! I hope I can make it, but for now I'm going to assume I can. Classes start tomorrow--wish me luck!
I've never felt so official as a vet student--we had our coating ceremony this afternoon. I got my blue coat and I'm ready to put it to use! The stage in the auditorium is apparently equipped to show cows--there's a drain in the middle--but none of us tripped on either that or the raised bits at either end by the stairs. Apparently at least one person does usually, so our coordinator was proud of us. Most of the girls wore dresses, but I was in slacks and a short-sleeved button up blouse I've worn to interviews. I felt very doctorly in it, especially with my security ID badge stating that I'm a vet student clipped to my belt loop. At the end of orientation, I fully feel like I'm going to be a doctor--and that, hard as it will be, it will be worth it.
Let me back up and start from the beginning.
Our first day of official orientation (as opposed to our fun leadership activities) consisted of a lot of sitting around and listening to people. First sitting in the auditorium and being introduced to people, then sitting in our classroom and listening to people talk about the army and SCAVMA. I seriously considered applying to the army scholarship, but more of my debt is from undergrad so I'd be better off in a post-graduation repayment program--not something I have to think about right now. I'd already joined SCAVMA as soon as the email went out about how to pay dues--I'm not sure I want to be part of our student chapter of the AVMA (American vet med association), but it's the umbrella for all of our clubs. Which means you can't join clubs without being in SCAVMA, and I definitely want to join clubs. We also got our ID badges for the vet school, but unfortunately those aren't actually student IDs and we still need the student IDs from main campus. Those were a pain to get--the office is only open 8-4:30, which means it's pretty hard for us to be free to go there when they're open.
Days two and three were more of the same, except that we sat in our classroom the whole day. There were a lot of talks about stress management, about how hard this will be, etc. We got tons of free stuff (backpacks, water bottles, even a set of scrubs!) from food companies and other sponsors. I'm going to miss the free food...although honestly I'll probably still be set for a while with club lunch meetings. Four pet food companies came and talked to us--I think they all have discount/free food programs for students, too. Luckily I took notes in case I acquire a pet and those become relevant. Okay, for when I acquire a pet. I got a tablet to take my notes on, and I've been using orientation to figure it out. OneNote seems to be what most people I know use for tablet notetaking, but in my experience, it sucked. I ended up downloading LectureNotes--I paid $5 for it, but it recognizes my keyboard, is searchable as long as I type, and lets me highlight and draw, so it's better than anything else I tried.
One major talk we got that's actually worth writing about was "Your Financial Future." I was totally expecting it to be doom and gloom--I know the state of the profession lately. But actually, despite being realistic, it left me feeling positive. The average starting salary was higher than we as a class had expected, and he ran a debt calculator that showed a reasonable debt load (15% debt:income ratio) that could be paid off on a new vet's starting salary was pretty close to the debt I'll have when I graduate. And that would be paid off in 10 years, without consolidation. It's the first time I've seen anything that made this seem manageable, rather than doable with great sacrifice, and it's made me feel a lot more positive about vet school.
That doesn't do much to reassure me on employment prospects of course. I'm still worried about that, despite the fact that approximately everyone tells me I don't need to yet. One of the alumni who came in (who works in private practice, a non-specialist) could only get part time work and had to fill in with relief work. She's very happy with it, but it wasn't originally by choice. There was something promising here, too, though: apparently, there's some guy who recruits heavily from my school for vets to work in Las Vegas. They were the highest paid new graduates last year, and they get tons of respect. It's hard hours and maybe it's not what I'd want to do for long, but it might mean I can have a job right out of vet school! And if not, well, maybe the army will take me.
That logical, cautious hope combined with the feeling of signing my oath and going up on stage in my new blue coat make me more excited than ever to start vet school. This isn't just a dream anymore--I'm doing it! I hope I can make it, but for now I'm going to assume I can. Classes start tomorrow--wish me luck!
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Welcome Week
Hi there; Birdie here!
This is officially the end of my first week at the vet school, even if we haven't technically started yet. I got all of my stuff here last Sunday in the family van, even if it did take until 10 at night before I was back with my own car due to a variety of family stuff cropping up.
Monday was my real moving in day, rather than just moving up here. I attempted to build a dresser and had it collapse three times until it was irreparably damaged. I got a new dresser though and managed to build it successfully with my flatmate's help, and finally had a place to put my clothes! I'm living with two other vet students: a third year and another first year. The first year, Lauren, and I bonded over my inability to put together a dresser. Once we got the second one to work, though, I concluded that it was physically impossible to put the first one together (alone at least)--totally not my fault!
Monday night was also the first welcome week activity: a barbecue in the vet school courtyard. Apparently the turnout was much greater than last year, and since everyone who came brought a food item, there was a LOT of food. Lauren drove both of us, so we stuck together, and somehow--by way of hovering until we were noticed/had something to contribute to the conversation, mainly--became part of a decent-sized group of first years all hanging out. We stayed right up until the end of the barbecue, but didn't hit up the house party afterwards--I still had to do something about all the stuff I'd tossed on my bed to deal with later.
Tuesday meant more trips to Target and STILL failing to find a nighttable. The one I bought wasn't tall enough--I finally gave up and ordered one online. Hopefully it will be here soon. And that evening, our second activity: bowling! Well, it was originally meant to be bowling, until the activity coordinators found out that league bowling was actually going on that night. Luckily, they found a new place to hold our activity. It's called Quarters, and there we got to not only do some bowling but also play laser tag and mess around on arcade games for a while. This time I drove, and my GPS took us to some apartment complex called "the Quarters" instead of the arcade before we input the address instead of the name. Luckily, another girl from our group of first years also showed up half an hour late, so the three of us got to bowl together. Laser tag was supposed to be two games until a different team won each of the rounds. My team lost the last round, but I personally was in the top players in the first two games! I think laser tag was the best part of that event. :D
I didn't actually attend the welcome week activity on Wednesday; instead, I spent the day with my sister, who is spending the week at her boyfriend's house in Prairieville. We went to the Mall of Louisiana--it's huge!--and got snowballs at a little roadside stand not too far from where I'm living. I had a flavor called "Snowman Cream" (the stand's name was related to snowman), which was light blue and tasted almondy.
I didn't really mind skipping the activity Wednesday since I knew I'd be spending all day (9:30am to 4 or so) with my vet school classmates for Tiki Tubing. It was a pretty good time. The group I'd driven up with kept floating ahead of the huge, loud, crazy drunk group. We also met up with some other cool people, including a couple of guys who took the opportunity at every sand bar we stopped on to try and throw rocks into abandoned tubes on the other side of the river and a couple of girls from my hometown. I even made sure to reapply sunscreen when we stopped, but it didn't stop me from getting an utterly awful sunburn where my bikini top didn't cover. My shoulders are RED. I'm not sure it's possible to do Tiki Tubing and NOT get a sunburn.
Then on Friday was the mandatory FLE--Freshman Leadership Experience. I thought it was amusing that we had to RSVP for it--"are you coming to the mandatory FLE?"--along with RSVPing our families for coating ceremony. For this we were split into small groups, and then had to complete little exercises like moving a pyramid of cups using only a rubber band we were each holding by a string without speaking or turning over a tarp while we were all standing on it. Our name tags had different animals on them to split us into groups, and mine was the snakes. *clap* *clap* SSSSS! We also made shields for our groups, which will be hanging in our classroom all year. Each of the challenges, if we completed them on time, won us a supply for the boat race that finished out the day. We used cardboard, duct tape, box cutters, and a trash bag to make a boat that was supposed to get across the YMCA's pool with two people in it. Our group wasn't the fastest to make it across, but we were the first to have a boat that made it all the way! The group that did have the fastest boat, the puppies, also managed to beat the facilitators' cardboard boat--and those second years cheated, with multiple trash bags and cling wrap and all kinds of stuff we weren't able to use.
Orientation officially starts Monday, but this afternoon there's one more important thing: seat picking. The classroom doors open at 5 today, but I'm going to get there rather earlier--partly because other people are already going to be lining up, and partly because we can pick up what we ordered from the bookstore starting at 3.
Bonus: all the groups and their boat names, since some of them were pretty great
This is officially the end of my first week at the vet school, even if we haven't technically started yet. I got all of my stuff here last Sunday in the family van, even if it did take until 10 at night before I was back with my own car due to a variety of family stuff cropping up.
Monday was my real moving in day, rather than just moving up here. I attempted to build a dresser and had it collapse three times until it was irreparably damaged. I got a new dresser though and managed to build it successfully with my flatmate's help, and finally had a place to put my clothes! I'm living with two other vet students: a third year and another first year. The first year, Lauren, and I bonded over my inability to put together a dresser. Once we got the second one to work, though, I concluded that it was physically impossible to put the first one together (alone at least)--totally not my fault!
Monday night was also the first welcome week activity: a barbecue in the vet school courtyard. Apparently the turnout was much greater than last year, and since everyone who came brought a food item, there was a LOT of food. Lauren drove both of us, so we stuck together, and somehow--by way of hovering until we were noticed/had something to contribute to the conversation, mainly--became part of a decent-sized group of first years all hanging out. We stayed right up until the end of the barbecue, but didn't hit up the house party afterwards--I still had to do something about all the stuff I'd tossed on my bed to deal with later.
Tuesday meant more trips to Target and STILL failing to find a nighttable. The one I bought wasn't tall enough--I finally gave up and ordered one online. Hopefully it will be here soon. And that evening, our second activity: bowling! Well, it was originally meant to be bowling, until the activity coordinators found out that league bowling was actually going on that night. Luckily, they found a new place to hold our activity. It's called Quarters, and there we got to not only do some bowling but also play laser tag and mess around on arcade games for a while. This time I drove, and my GPS took us to some apartment complex called "the Quarters" instead of the arcade before we input the address instead of the name. Luckily, another girl from our group of first years also showed up half an hour late, so the three of us got to bowl together. Laser tag was supposed to be two games until a different team won each of the rounds. My team lost the last round, but I personally was in the top players in the first two games! I think laser tag was the best part of that event. :D
I didn't actually attend the welcome week activity on Wednesday; instead, I spent the day with my sister, who is spending the week at her boyfriend's house in Prairieville. We went to the Mall of Louisiana--it's huge!--and got snowballs at a little roadside stand not too far from where I'm living. I had a flavor called "Snowman Cream" (the stand's name was related to snowman), which was light blue and tasted almondy.
I didn't really mind skipping the activity Wednesday since I knew I'd be spending all day (9:30am to 4 or so) with my vet school classmates for Tiki Tubing. It was a pretty good time. The group I'd driven up with kept floating ahead of the huge, loud, crazy drunk group. We also met up with some other cool people, including a couple of guys who took the opportunity at every sand bar we stopped on to try and throw rocks into abandoned tubes on the other side of the river and a couple of girls from my hometown. I even made sure to reapply sunscreen when we stopped, but it didn't stop me from getting an utterly awful sunburn where my bikini top didn't cover. My shoulders are RED. I'm not sure it's possible to do Tiki Tubing and NOT get a sunburn.
Then on Friday was the mandatory FLE--Freshman Leadership Experience. I thought it was amusing that we had to RSVP for it--"are you coming to the mandatory FLE?"--along with RSVPing our families for coating ceremony. For this we were split into small groups, and then had to complete little exercises like moving a pyramid of cups using only a rubber band we were each holding by a string without speaking or turning over a tarp while we were all standing on it. Our name tags had different animals on them to split us into groups, and mine was the snakes. *clap* *clap* SSSSS! We also made shields for our groups, which will be hanging in our classroom all year. Each of the challenges, if we completed them on time, won us a supply for the boat race that finished out the day. We used cardboard, duct tape, box cutters, and a trash bag to make a boat that was supposed to get across the YMCA's pool with two people in it. Our group wasn't the fastest to make it across, but we were the first to have a boat that made it all the way! The group that did have the fastest boat, the puppies, also managed to beat the facilitators' cardboard boat--and those second years cheated, with multiple trash bags and cling wrap and all kinds of stuff we weren't able to use.
Orientation officially starts Monday, but this afternoon there's one more important thing: seat picking. The classroom doors open at 5 today, but I'm going to get there rather earlier--partly because other people are already going to be lining up, and partly because we can pick up what we ordered from the bookstore starting at 3.
Bonus: all the groups and their boat names, since some of them were pretty great
- Horses: Seabiscuit
- Snakes: SS Cobra
- Cows: Cirrhosis of the River
- Chickens: The Mother Clucker
- Puppies: SS Doggy Paddle
- T-Rexes: Jurassic Ark
- Pigs: Miss Piggy
- Monkeys: SS Monkey
Friday, August 16, 2013
Welcome to my blog
Hi there; Birdie here.
If you're reading this, you might want to know a little bit about me. Well, I'm a c/o 2017-er at LSU Vet School...at least, if I don't fail out first.
What the adcoms know about me (aka what was in my personal statement) is that I spent last summer in Ireland at an equine hospital, I've loved horses and riding since I was young, and I'm really interested in learning how to make sense of the diagnostic tools veterinarians use. Oh, and I'm also skilled at helping other people edit their essays--as evidenced by my position in the writing center at my undergrad in upstate NY (yes, New York state, even though I'm a Louisiana resident).
What they don't know about me includes the fact that I have three Giant Microbes in my room (African sleeping sickness, rhinovirus, and red blood cell), I love anime and comics, and I really wish I could find a D&D group around here. In other words, I'm a giant nerd. I'm not sure how much of that will come out in my blogging, but I want you to be prepared, dear readers.
Between all the bloggers on my forum and the book I'm currently reading (If Wishers Were Horses by Dr. Loretta Gage, DVM), I thought it would be a good idea to keep track of what's going on in vet school both for myself/future reference and for any potential vet students who want to know what they're getting themselves into.
I'm not 100% sure what I'm getting myself into right now, but I'm in it to win it, with "it" referring to a DVM degree. Despite what you may think, I'm not going for an exotics or avian focus. I'm thinking I'll do companion animal GP, but I'm keeping my options open. There's a lot I haven't really been exposed to yet, and I'm both excited and horribly nervous to start.
Look forward to more posts about my application process, moving in, orientation, and my attempts at staying sane in the craziness I'm sure vet school will be.
If you're reading this, you might want to know a little bit about me. Well, I'm a c/o 2017-er at LSU Vet School...at least, if I don't fail out first.
What the adcoms know about me (aka what was in my personal statement) is that I spent last summer in Ireland at an equine hospital, I've loved horses and riding since I was young, and I'm really interested in learning how to make sense of the diagnostic tools veterinarians use. Oh, and I'm also skilled at helping other people edit their essays--as evidenced by my position in the writing center at my undergrad in upstate NY (yes, New York state, even though I'm a Louisiana resident).
What they don't know about me includes the fact that I have three Giant Microbes in my room (African sleeping sickness, rhinovirus, and red blood cell), I love anime and comics, and I really wish I could find a D&D group around here. In other words, I'm a giant nerd. I'm not sure how much of that will come out in my blogging, but I want you to be prepared, dear readers.
Between all the bloggers on my forum and the book I'm currently reading (If Wishers Were Horses by Dr. Loretta Gage, DVM), I thought it would be a good idea to keep track of what's going on in vet school both for myself/future reference and for any potential vet students who want to know what they're getting themselves into.
I'm not 100% sure what I'm getting myself into right now, but I'm in it to win it, with "it" referring to a DVM degree. Despite what you may think, I'm not going for an exotics or avian focus. I'm thinking I'll do companion animal GP, but I'm keeping my options open. There's a lot I haven't really been exposed to yet, and I'm both excited and horribly nervous to start.
Look forward to more posts about my application process, moving in, orientation, and my attempts at staying sane in the craziness I'm sure vet school will be.
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