Study Break

I thought that I would give everyone a quick update before getting back to studying Toxicology. The picture above is of me auscultating an Alpacas heart from my Alpaca clinical skills lab last Friday.
This Sunday I am volunteering at a free spay and neuter clinic. If you live in the southern California area and are interested in spaying or neutering your dog or a FERAL cat, check out the link for more information: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/pet/282249698.html

On my rotation yesterday I palpated a small mass on the throat of my patient. At first I felt proud of myself for finding something so small that even my colleague and professor didn't notice it. However, I quickly felt the reality of the situation. This was the first time as a veterinary student that I had to deal with the reality of becoming a doctor. While I do get to help save animals lives, I also have to deal with the reality of sickness and death. My professor aspirated the growth (stuck a small needle in it to suck out cells) and looked at it on a slide. The sample turned out to be cellular so we sent it to a pathologist for further tests. I am hoping that it is benign.