Laurie at Vet School

National Boards

2009-01-27T16:40:00.000-08:00

I passed the NAVLE (The National Board Exam)!!! I just got my scores today! I don't have time to write right now (I am busy on my cardiology rotation) but I will publish an updated blog soon!

4th Year

2008-11-21T17:23:00.000-08:00

I am so sorry that I haven't written in such a long time. School has consumed my life! The rest of 3rd year was great. I loved my equine ambulatory rotation and all of my small animal rotations. I had 2 weeks off for "summer vacation" before starting 4th year. I spent one of those weeks camping with a bunch of my classmates up in Big Sur and the other week my parents visited me and we took a roadtrip up the coast to San Francisco.

My first clinical rotation of 4th year was surgery. I loved it! It has been one of my favorite rotations to date. I got to do more spays and neuters then I can count. I even got to do one mass removal and I scrubbed in and assisted with the more complicated procedures such as orthopedic surgeries etc. On my last day I got to spay a cat with a closed pyometra. My second rotation was internal medicine and then I did a 2 week soft tissue surgery externship in NY followed by a week of Rural Area Veterinary Services (RAVS) down in Tennessee. RAVS was an amazing experience and I recommend it to anyone in veterinary school or anyone who is a veterinary technician. Basically RAVS is a program that combines community service and veterinary education to bring free veterinary services to underserved rural communities where poverty and geographic isolation make regular veterinary care inaccessible. Here is a link to their website for more info: http://www.ruralareavet.org/

Following RAVS I spent a month at Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine for Oncology. It was my other favorite rotation. I was lucky enough to receive The Winston Award (a scholarship that provides money to a 4th year vet student to study cancer), which paid for all of my travel expenses for the rotation. Following Colorado I came back to L.A and had my imaging rotation which I also liked a lot. I am currently taking November "off" from rotations and I have been studying for my National Boards (I'm taking them on December 4th!), State Boards, applying to rotating small animal internships and going on working interviews. Well I have to get back to studying for Boards and writing my letters of intent. I will try to write again soon.

Finals Week

2007-12-15T15:38:00.000-08:00

Last Day of Zoo Rotation

Finals begin this Monday and end on Friday. I can't wait until exams are over and I can go home for the holidays!
My past two rotations have been my favorite so far. I spent 2 weeks at the Los Angeles Zoo and then 2 weeks at Antech Diagnostics. Even though the zoo was technically a "hands off" rotation I learned so much. I was able to monitor anesthesia for a variety of animals and was even able to help out with some of the diagnostics. I also got to make a presentation on the anatomy and physiology of air sacs in Orangutans. Unfortunately I am not allowed to go into too much detail about what I did and saw at the zoo or post any of the pictures that I took
I also loved my diagnostic laboratory and pathology rotation at Antech. For the first time in 2 1/2 years I was able to have some lectures instead of only doing problem based learning. I finally feel like I understand clinical and gross pathology. It was like a huge light-bulb came on when the pathologists taught us. I am excited to apply what I've learned when I do my small animal rotations later on this year. During this rotation I also got to do my first small animal necropsy and write up my own necropsy report.
In addition to studying for finals I am also in the middle of planning out and applying for clinics next year. So far I am doing a Cardiology and Internal Medicine rotation at Angell Memorial Hospital in Boston and a Pathology rotation at Antech. My core surgery rotation and my core internal medicine rotations are in the O.C and in L.A. I am applying for an Oncology rotation in Colorado and still haven't decided where I am going to complete both my Emergency and Imaging rotations.
I will write again after exams.

Surgery Rotation- November 2007

2007-11-18T12:54:00.000-08:00

Picture: My first spay!
I just finished my 2 week long Shelter Medicine and Surgery Rotation. This rotation was by far the hardest rotation that I will have this year. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays begin at 8am when all of the shelter animals get checked into the hospital. I pick an animal, do a complete physical exam and run bloodwork and any other tests that need to be done. I then analyze the clinical pathology of the bloodwork results and decide if that animal is healthy enough to spay/neuter or if it's not I develop a plan to diagnose and treat the patient. I then either go into surgery or pick another patient and start all over again. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I work on cadavers performing more difficult surgeries such as a cranial cruciate ligament surgery, total ear canal ablation surgery, transpalpebral eneucleation etc.I spent my birthday practicing orthopedic surgery (repairing a cranial cruciate ligament, patella luxation, and using a normograde technique to place an intramedullary pin in a tibia).
Most of my patients were too sick to spay/neuter. However, I did get to spay one cat and neuter two kittens. I learned more about internal medicine these past two weeks then I have in the past two years combined.

Dairy Rotation- October 1, 2007

2007-11-18T12:48:00.000-08:00

Picture: Sunrise at the Dairy.
I have been on my large animal dairy rotation in Los Banos California for over a week now. I have been waking up at 3am and been getting to the veterinary clinic around 4am every day. I spend most of the morning palpating cows for pregnancy. I spend the early afternoon doing miscellaneous stuff like vaccinating and removing supernumerary teats off of calves. I have been sharing/living in a hotel room with Dainna. Even though the hotel is nice, I have only been able to use the hot tub and gym once because I am so busy with work.
Today I humanely euthanized my first two animals ever. Both were down cows. The first one was in lateral recumbancy and was on its death bed. The second one was really sick but was still sternal and was staring at me as I injected the sodium pentabarbital into its jugular vein. I have restrained countless animals for the veterinarian to humanely euthanize as a veterinary technician, but nothing can really prepare you for the first time that you inject and kill the animal yourself. Both of the cows needed to die, and they passed on in a very calm and humane way. I don't regret euthanizing them but I still can't shake the feeling that I actually killed an animal. I can't imagine how difficult it is going to be when I have to euthanize my first companion animal.

Third Year Presentation- September 19, 2007

2007-11-18T12:32:00.000-08:00

This morning I presented my Third Year Seminar. Each third year veterinary student is assigned a day to give a 15 minute oral presentation to the faculty and first and second year students on a topic in veterinary medicine that they thoroughly researched in primary literature. The topic of my presentation was, "The Potential Use of Adipose Derived Stem Cells for the Treatment of Canine Osteoarthritis." I was so nervous for the presentation but as soon as I got on stage I felt confident and I think that the presentation went great! I am so relieved that it's over.

Nebraska Day ???

2007-11-18T12:23:00.000-08:00

It feels like I have been here forever! I am sooo looking forward to going home in less then 48 hours! This week we got to work with sheep, I got to bleed them, tip them and do physical exams on them. I also got to necropsy a pig that died from torsion of the root of the mesentary. I can't explain how exhausted I am! We have lecture and labs from 8am-5ish and then we have so much homework and assignments that we have to do at night. Tonight I am working on my Epididymitis power point that I have to present tomorrow.
Last night our professors took us out for pizza in Fairfield. It felt so good to get out of the doorms. Tonight we are on Tornado Watch.

Nebraska Day 8- September 3, 2007

2007-11-18T12:21:00.001-08:00

Picture 1: Downtown Oak
Picture 2: Trimming hooves

Today was pretty good despite having to work on Labor Day. We had a lecture this morning and then headed 40 miles to the Oregon Trail in Oak Nebraska (population 60, yup 60 not 600 or 6000). We spent the entire morning weaning and vaccinating angus calves on a farm there. Afterwards we went to "downtown Oak" which consisted of 1 block with a Saloon and Country Store and a tiny park where we ate lunch. Afterwards we toured the Oregon Trail Museum. After the museum we were taken to "The Narrows" which is a really cool spot on the Oregon trail where a bunch of pioneers were killed by Indians. At this spot their is this huge old famous tree- it's apparantly over 125 years old.

Nebraska Day 2- August 28, 2007

2007-11-18T12:15:00.000-08:00

Today was a lot of fun! This morning we practiced our cow handling clinical skills by running a bunch of Freemartins (sterile cows) through a shoot. I was able to perform my first rectal palpation on a cow. I got to feel a bunch of organs such as the bladder and the rumen. I also took blood from the tail vein, passed a stomach tube, put on a halter and learned a bunch of knots. This afternoon we had a lecture and then had study time. A big thunderstorm rolled in during the late afternoon, it was so beautiful with all the lightening over the cornfields. During one of the breaks in the storm a bunch of us went outside and played some wall ball.

Nebraska Day 1- August 27, 2007

2007-11-18T12:05:00.000-08:00

Last night 20 third year veterinary students arrived at the Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center Nebraska to start our Meat Animal Rotation. Despite being surrounded by nothing but cornfields Nebraska isn't that bad. Today started out with an orientation session followed by a tour of the facilities. My group (Me, Vanessa, Vivian, and Gael) were the first group to be "on call." Right after we got back from the tour we got a call and so headed out to the barns. We examined and took samples from a two and a half year old cow that had calved a few days ago and presented with a pitting edema on her caudal abdomen that has grown larger then what it was yesterday. We ran a urinalysis and a California Mastitis Test which confirmed what we already suspected......mastitis. Afterwards we went to necropsy rounds. I think that I learned more about pathophysiology in the 45 minutes of rounds then I have in the past 2 years of veterinary school. After rounds we made the 20 mile drive to Walmart to pick up food for the next 2 weeks.
The picture is of Me, Vanessa, Gael, and Vivian with our samples that we collected from our patient.

Update

2007-11-18T11:54:00.000-08:00

Sorry that I have not updated the website in so long. Third year is a lot more time consuming then the first two years of school. I have been jotting down some notes from each rotation that I was on but never had the opportunity to post them, so I am going to upload them all right now.

Pictures from this Summer!

2007-08-12T20:34:00.001-07:00

Whitewater rafting in NY

Trapeze lessons in the Bahamas

Year 3 of Veterinary School

2007-08-12T20:14:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone, sorry that I have not updated my blog in such a long time! I don't even know where to begin. The last block of PBL was the hardest for me because it focused a lot on equine medicine but I managed to get through it fine. With the realization of having only a few more weeks of problem based learning left before starting rotations I really buckled down with studying and practicing all of the clinical skills that I learned in the first two years of veterinary school. At the beginning of May the second year students were required to take the PAVE exam. The PAVE exam is the board exam that all veterinarians that graduated from veterinary schools outside of the United States have to take in order to practice in the country. The second year students were required to take the exam to measure what we have learned so far.
I spent the summer preparing for my third year seminar, studying for national boards, planning out my fourth year clinical rotations and going to a lot of weddings. The summer went by way too quick and now I am already back at school. Last week I had a one credit Practice Management course. The course went over how to write a resume, cover letter, CV, letter of intent and how to negotiate a contract. Overall it taught us how to make the transition from student to employed veterinarian. Tomorrow morning at 9 am I start my third year clinical rotations! I am doing a two week USDA rotation on campus followed by a two week large animal rotation in Nebraska. Following Nebraska I am back on campus for another two weeks for Public Health and then I go up to Los Banos California for my other large animal rotation. While I am so excited to finally be out of the classroom and on rotations, I am also scared because I don't know what to expect! Wish me luck! I will write again soon, I promise.

Last Block of PBL!

2007-03-29T21:39:00.000-07:00

The picture is from the Bull Riding Activity from SAVMA Symposium. (From Left to Right: Bree, Me, Marlene and Alex).

I survived another round of exams! I can't believe that this is my last block of Problem Based Learning and that I will be out on rotations in 7 weeks. The first 2 years of veterinary flew by! It is only the second week of the block and I can't stress enough how much harder it is compared with the last year and a half of school. Instead on having only 1 case per week, we have already done 3 cases in 2 weeks. On top of the extra case we have taken an ethical exam along with a critical thinking test and spent an entire day at the California Regional Educational Symposium. Next week I have a clinical competancy oral exam, to make sure that my communication skills are strong enough for rotations. I also have a clinical competancy exam on performing a physical exam on large animals later in the block. In addition to all of this, I am also taking a bunch of weekend and evening wet labs such as Dental Techniques and Emergency Techniques to help me prepare for rotations.
While I am very stressed with the amount of work that I have, I am also extremely excited to be getting out of the classroom and working in real practices. In the next week or so, I will be choosing my rotation order for my third year of veterinary school. Yesterday I had my very last rotation at Hills Wellness Center (only 1st and 2nd years rotate through this site). It feels like just yesterday was my first rotation there.
For Spring Break I went to the Student American Veterinary Medical Association Symposium (SAVMA) in North Carolina. Each year the SAVMA symposium is held at a different veterinary school and allows students from all different schools to get together to compete in academics and sports. Their are also tons of lectures given by some of the top veterinarians in the country. This year I got to meet Dr. Ettinger, who wrote THE BOOK on Small Animal Internal Medicine. He gave a really inspiring lecture on what to do when we graduate vet school, in terms of internships, externships and residencies.
Well I have to get back to learning about all of the disorders of the equine tarsus, I will write again when I get a free second.

Midterm Week

2007-03-06T20:43:00.000-08:00

Today was Day 2 of Midterms. This afternoon I had my MDC exam which includes, Anatomy, Radiology, Pathology, Parasitology, and Histology. The exam was just as hard as I expected it to be. I have 3 days left of exams and then I am on Spring Break! The picture above is of me and my classmates at the Trap, Neuter and Release Clinic that we volunteered at last weekend in San Pedro. A total of 71 feral cats were spayed/neutered.

Good News

2007-02-22T13:22:00.000-08:00

The pathology report came back and their is no evidence of malignancy! That's great news. The pathologist believes that the growth consists of proliferative lymphocytes due to a spider bite, panniculitis or other form of immune stimulation.

Study Break

2007-02-22T00:21:00.000-08:00

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.

Quick Update

2007-02-13T16:02:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone. As usual school has been taking up all of my time. This block I have been learning a lot about metabolic disorders along with continuing with Neurology, Virology, Oncology, and Orthopedics. In addition I have had my first Lizard and Llama case which means that I've had to learn the anatomy and phsiology of both of those species. The picture above is of the Clinical Skills Lab where I learned to place hard casts on Lizards. As you can see my classmates and I practiced applying the casts on each other as well.
This weeks problem based learning case is a neurological Llama. The major differentials of the case include: Polioencephalomalacia, Rabies, Lead (or other heavy metal) toxicity, Vitamin A deficiency, Ethylene Glycol toxicity, Salt toxicity and an infection with a Meningeal Worm. So needless to say I am busy learning about all of these differentials along with studying the normal anatomy and physiology of Llamas. Neurology is one of my least favorite things to study, not because it isn't interesting but becauseI am having a hard time learning how to localize the lesion. If anyone has any tips please let me know! On Friday I will be doing my very first physical exam on a Llama, I can't wait.
I can't believe that I will be out on 3rd year rotations in 10 weeks! I only have 10 more problem based learning cases, 3 Banfield Rotations, 2 Hills Wellness Rotations and 1 VACS rotation to go! The 2nd year rotations that I just mentioned are getting a lot harder in order to prepare us for our 3rd year rotations in hospitals scattered throughout California. For example, one of my classmates was able to close up one of the surgery patients at our rotation the other day. As far as I know, most other veterinary schools don't have students do that until the 3rd or 4th year.
Well I have to get back to writing my Learning Issue on the Pathophysiology of Tremors. I will try to write again soon.

Bunny Bunch

2007-01-11T19:38:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I had my Veterinary Ambulatory Community Service (VACS) rotation. On today's rotation we spayed and neutered animals brought in by Bunny Bunch which is a no-kill, non-profit rabbit rescue. I was able to scrub in to surgery and assist with an open castration of a Guinea Pig! Not only was this my first guinea pig neuter but it was also my first open castration on any small animal! I also monitored anesthesia for several bunnies and a chinchilla surgery. The rotation made me realize how different all of the different species of animals that I will be treating as a doctor are. If you live in the Southern California area and are interested in adopting a rabbit, please visit the Bunny Bunch website for information: http://www.bunnybunch.org/about2.html
The picture above is of Wynken, one of the rabbits that I monitored anesthesia for. Both Wynken and her sister Blynken are in need of a home!

Happy New Year

2007-01-07T13:21:00.000-08:00

Sorry that I have not written in so long but the last two months of veterinary school have been very difficult. In the weeks leading up to finals we had a dermatology, oncology, neurology, opthalmology and other sensory system cases. Having only one week to spend on each subject and the fact that they aren't very intertwined made school a bit more stressful. The final exams were the hardest exams that I have taken so far. I had thought that I did really badly however, I did as well as I usually do.
So what else have I been up to? I have been fostering a cat that I named Las Vegas (see picure above) since October. He had followed me home one day and has not left since then. After months of searching I have finally found him the perfect home. One of the DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) students named Chris at Western University adopted him! It really is the perfect home.
After finals I flew home to NY for 2 weeks. I did nothing but relax. It felt so good to go to the movies, read a non-veterinary related book and wake up late. The one thing that most people don't understand about veterinary school is that we do not have any days off. While I might not have classes on Saturday and Sunday I am still at school or studying at home.
I am flying back to California tonight and then classes start at 8am tomorrow morning. I am really excited for my last semester of Problem Based Learning. I have a great group and have been assigned one of the larger classrooms which is a huge difference from being in the smallest room last semester. My facilitator this block is Dr. Voith. She is well recognized as one of the founders of, and foremost contributors in, the field of clinical companion animal behavior. I usually only get to work with her during my two behavior rotations each block so I am looking foward to learning more about behavior this semester being in a PBL room with her three times a week. I am also excited because I will have my first lizzard case next week. Well I have to get to the airport, I will try to write again soon!

Good Luck Class of 2007!

2006-11-15T23:13:00.000-08:00

Starting next week, the Charter Class at Western University College of Veterinary Medicine will be sitting for the National Boards. I wish them all the best of luck!

Softball

2006-11-03T18:27:00.000-08:00

Last night the 2009 Veterinary Softball Team played the 2010 Veterinary Team. My class (2009) won! The game was a lot of fun. A lot of the veterinary students along with the faculty came to cheer on both teams.

Surgery

2006-11-03T18:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I scrubbed into surgery for the very first time! It was so much fun. The only way that I can describe it, is like finally taking the training wheels off of a bike and riding on your own for the first time. I went to my VACS rotation expecting to perform the usual duties of physical exams, inducing and monitoring anesthesia and recovering animals along with watching and being quizzed about the procedure. However, our professor felt confident enough in all of our abilities to scrub in and assist. I was the first of my group members to scrub in. I had a little bit of trouble with the closed gloving but did it properly. The procedure that I assisted with was an ovariohisterectomy (aka Spay) on a dog. I positioned the instruments in the appropriate places and with the help of my professor used the blade to remove the tissues.
It made me realize just how much I love veterinary medicine!

Yosemite

2006-11-03T17:55:00.000-08:00

I spent last weekend camping in Yosemite National Park. Despite it being very cold at night, I had such a great time! We spent all day Saturday hiking to the top of Vernal Falls. The view from the top was well worth the hike. I can't wait to go back again!

Veterinary Issues

2006-10-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

. I just recieved my first veterinary issues reflection back (I got and A :-) ) and I thought that some people might be interested in learning about some of the topics that we discuss in class, so I am posting a copy of my paper:

Today Elisabeth Sliva, Assistant District Attorney and Jackie Cruz, Deputy Sheriff, San Diego County shared their experience of the avian quarantine due to an outbreak of Exotic Newcastle Disease (END) and how it led to the Woodchipping Chickens Case. As preparation to their presentation I read several articles about the END outbreak and the woodchipping incident.
The two major questions that arose to me after during class were:
1. Is the current method of slaughter of poultry for consumption humane?
2. What is going to be done differently the next time a disease that has the potential to affect meat for consumption such as the Avian Flu comes to California?

After reading the many one sided media stories regarding the woodchipping of chickens prior to attending the presentation in class I totally understand the publics outrage that the AVMA would stand beside Dr. Cutler’s opinion that woodchipping chickens was an effective method to dispose of a large number of chickens quickly. One of my classmates posed the question, “what would have happened to all of the woodchipped chickens if they had gone to slaughter if their was no quarantine in place?” I was shocked at the presenters reply. The method of slaughter that they described taking place at the slaughtering house seemed less humane to me then the woodchipper, however, I had to research for myself to see if what they reported to us was true. I was appalled at how uneducated I am about how beef and chickens are slaughtered in the U.S. The Woodchipping of Chickens Case made me realize that I have fallen for the food companies marketing campaign to make the chicken nugget look less like chicken. My question is, how can I, as a future veterinarian and an animal lover both play a role in making the slaughtering of food animals more humane and educate the public about the current methods of slaughtering chickens?
While I feel that educating school children at a young age about the importance of respecting animals and how the chicken goes from the farm to the dinner plate I feel like it will still be no match for the billions of dollars that food companies spend each year on marketing their food. Also how would I even begin to determine a more humane way to slaughter animals? This topic really overwhelms me like I’m sure it overwhelms many other veterinarians. Therefore I feel that the veterinarians of the AVMA should unite to brainstorm to start finding solutions to these and many other questions before another animal welfare case comes along in the media. I think that it would be especially beneficial if both veterinarians in the food animal industry and veterinarians in the animal welfare or rights sector can join together to find the most humane method of slaughter while also keeping the farmers in mind.
The second major topic that I focused on in the woodchipping of chickens case is what is going to be done differently the next time a disease enters the country and threatens the food animal business? I was very disappointed at the presenter’s lack of answers to this question. It seemed to me that many birds were killed out of fear of Exotic Newcastle Disease unnecessarily. Why are their not committees being formed to organize how a quarantine would be implemented, how to go about testing the animals, responding to the media and slaughtering those animals that need to be disposed of? I also did not fully understand the role of cockfighting in the Exotic Newcastle Disease Outbreak. If cockfighting was the source and can also be a future source of introduction of disease into the U.S, and the presenters claimed that many of these cockfighting rings are also a source of drug smuggling, why then is their not a task force being developed comprising of both veterinarians (possibly a special branch created in the AVMA), the police narcotics unit and other appropriate officials to decrease both the risk of introduction of disease and drugs into this country? It made me realize the need for many more veterinarians working in politics and in government agencies. Overall this topic made me see how in the present state of the country, with the constant threat of terrorism and with nutrition being at its poorest, the job of the veterinarian is shifting from an animal clinician to a more political, educational and human health role. I think that the AVMA really needs to address the changing profession and needs to unite and become more media savvy so that the next time an event occurs that questions the AVMA, the organization can use the media attention to educate society on the reason behind its position.

The Perks of being a Vet Student

2006-10-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

Today I went to a Novartis sponsored lunch talk. The talk was on Novartis' product Deramaxx which is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to help comfort osteoarthritic dogs. I won the raffle at the end of the presentation and will be recieving a gift card to the bookstore.
After lunch the first Iams pet food shipment of the school year came in. Iams allows veterinary students to take an online quiz about pet nutrition every month and then lets us select free food from the company. So I got a gift certificate and free pet food in the same day:-)

Block 6

2006-10-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

After having 2 whole days to catch up on sleep and cleaning I started my 6th Block at Western U. The first day went well. It started at 8am today with a Clinical Skills Presentation on "Dealing With the Elephant in the Room" ie. how talk to clients about their pets veterinary bill. We watched a few videos and critiqued both the veterinarians and the clients body language and attitude about discussing the cost of service.
Next, I had my first Problem Based Learning (PBL) session with my new group. Even though my group is stuck in the smallest PBL classroom in the building (its known as "the closet") I think that we will do fine together. Everyone is really nice and considerate of each other. Our first case of the block is an 11 year old, spayed, female, indoor, domestic long haired cat with a history of seizures and currently has severely elevated liver enzymes, cholesterol, T. bilirubin etc. indicating liver disease AND also has a non-regenerative anemia. So basically I am going to be studying all things LIVER this week.
Tomorrow I have my first Banfield Rotation of the block. To prepare for my rotation tomorrow I had to get a 90% or higher on two online Dentistry quizzes.
I also have to write a two page veterinary issues paper that is due this Friday.
Well I have to get back to studying all things LIVER. I will post another update soon!
Oh and I almost forgot, I recieved my first set of midterm grades and I PASSED :-)

Midterms

2006-10-14T18:08:00.000-07:00

Exam week is over! I have two days to relax before getting back to studying. All of the tests were really challenging but I think that I did ok. I couldn't have studied any harder then I did. I really liked my Clinical Skills exam. Their were 15 stations and we had 2 minutes at each station. Some of the skills tested were the Ford Interlocking, Simple Continuous, Simple Interrupted and the Utrecht suture patterns, placing a catheter, venipuncture, interrpreting ECGs, gloving for surgery etc...

Herd Health Rotation

2006-10-05T16:33:00.000-07:00

Herd Health Examination

2006-10-05T16:26:00.000-07:00

I had a herd health rotation today at Cal-Poly. I got to do a lot of fun stuff such as physical exams on pigs and palpating umbilical hernias. One of the hernias was large enough for me to stick three fingers into the abdominal cavity, therefore making it a repairable hernia. I posted some pictures of me and my classmates on our rotation above.

Jeeves

2006-09-09T21:59:00.000-07:00

Meet Jeeves. He is a handsome male adult cat that has taken to living in the bushes outside of my house. He is really sweet and needs a home! I am planning to get him neutered during the next spay/neuter clinic at school. After he is neutered I would like to find him a loving home. If you are interested in adopting him please email me.

Busy as Ever

2006-09-07T16:42:00.000-07:00

I am still extremely busy with school. I am an officer in both the Student Chapter of the American Association of Feline Practitioners (SCAAFP) as well as the Student Chapter of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians (SCASV). Both clubs are very active so I have been busy helping to organize all of the events that the clubs will be sponsoring this year. For example, last week the SCAAFP sponsored a lunch talk entitled, Vaccinology The Good The Bad and The Ugly given by Dr. Alice Wolf. Last week was also the first vaccine clinic at the Inland Valley Humane Society (which I volunteer at through the SCASV). I was able to vaccinate probably over 100 dogs in less then 2 hours. While I usually feel that a vaccine protocol should be individualized to each patient, I do feel a need for vaccinations in the community that I am currently living in. Many of the people where I live still think of dogs as outside animals and therefore live their lives in the backyard and often escape and roam the streets. The vaccine clinic allows me protect many of these dogs against Rabies and respiratory infections that they might encounter living outside.
My classes are still as hard as they were a few weeks ago. This week I am studying Dystocia in Cows. This afternoon in lab I was able to practice delivering calves using chains.
I want to thank everyone who has been donating money through the website. I try to respond personally to each donation, however with school taking up so much of my time sometimes I do not get a chance to respond for awhile.

Second Year of Veterinary School

2006-08-23T17:17:00.000-07:00

I spent this summer working as a technician at Park East Animal Hospital. It was truly one of the best work experiences and summers of my life. The doctors there were so supportive of my learning and constantly quizzed me on all of the skills that I learned in my first year of veterinary school and helped me to refine the skills that needed improvement.
After a great summer I am back at Western University for my second year of veterinary school. Although I could have never imagined school being harder then it was last year, it definately is! Their have been a lot of positive changes to the curriculum to make it stronger, however in doing so I will be in class for more hours every week and will have an additional final exam in clinical skills. In the two weeks that I have been back to school I have been overwhelmed with work. Take today's schedule for example:
8-10am Grand Rounds
10-12am Problem Based Learning
12-1pm Lunch Seminar
1-3pm Molecular and Cellular Biology
3-4pm Independent Study
4-5pm Surgery Skills
Tonight I have three post-lab clinical skills assignments to complete, each of which is expected to take an hour to do. Then I have to write a paper for my study group on The Role of Pharmacokinetics in the Renal System. After that, I have to read and memorize a 28 page paper on AAHA's Vaccine Guidelines for the quiz that I am having tomorrow. Then if their is time I have to do some actual studying for the current PBL Case dealing with Ectopic Ureters. By Friday I am expected to know the Pathophysiology of Pyelonephritis, the Embryology of th Urogenital System, Surgical Approaches to Ectopic Ureters, How to perform and interpret Urograms, and the Anatomy and Physiology of the Urogenital System among a few other smaller learning issues.
So as you can see I have been very busy studying a lot!
The picture above is of my last day at Park East Animal Hospital. My co-workers were so amazing that they even went out and bought me a going away cake.

Officially Employed

2006-06-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

I had a great interview today at Park East Animal Hospital in NYC. I arrived early so I decided to go and take a walk to the Central Park Zoo which is only a few blocks away. In the few free minutes that I had, I got to watch the sea lions being fed.
I was hired on the spot at the animal hospital and start tomorrow morning! One of my co-workers from the CSVC (where I worked last year) is currently employed at Park East so I am excited to already have friends there. I can't wait to start working and to actually utilize all of the knowledge that I have gained this year.
Wish me luck on my first day!

http://www.parkeastanimalhospital.com/

Help Save Lewis

2006-06-04T21:37:00.000-07:00

Lewis is a 6 year old male cat that has been in the news a lot lately. He has allegedly attacked an Avon lady and a neighbor and now may be sentanced to death. His owner is willing to take measures including keeping him inside to make sure that he has minimal contact with strangers rather then euthanizing him. Their is also an animal haven that is willing to take Lewis to spare his life. Please visit the link below and sign the petition to Save Lewis! Lewis also has a Cafe Press store in which proceeds go to pay for his legal fees:
http://www.petitiononline.com/Lewis/petition.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Lewiscat.jpg

25% Veterinarian!

2006-06-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

I am done with my first year of veterinary school! I can't believe how fast it went by. I am going to be spending my summer working at home in NY and will be heading back to California in early August to start my second year of veterinary school. Even though I am officially on summer vacation, I have been reading a chapter of my anatomy text every single night. I also finally have had a chance to read some of those veterinary magazines such as Compendium, that have been piling up in my mailbox since September.
After finals, their was a big end of the year party sponsored by the student government. The pictures above are of the party and our cake.
I can't believe how much I have learned in just one year and I can't believe that I only have three years left!

Happy Ending

2006-04-13T21:41:00.000-07:00

As I was taking Pongo for a walk today, a cute, friendly pit bull came over to us and followed us home. She didn't have any tags or even a collar on but she seemed as though she was owned by someone. I spent the morning making flyers and posting them in the neighborhood and contacted the Humane Society to let them know that I found a dog in case anyone called looking for a brown and white female pit bull. Tonight the owners contacted me and came by to pick her up. It was a very happy ending.

Busy Busy Busy

2006-04-12T21:02:00.000-07:00

This week has been so busy. On Monday I had an Opthalmic rotation where I finally got to examine the fundus of the eye through an indirect lens. Seeing the fundus through a direct lens is difficult without a lot of practice but luckily the Opthamologists that were running the rotation brought indirect lenses to make viewing the fundus easier. On Tuesday I had a Psychomotor rotation where I was able to develop my tactile skills through palpating miscillaneous items inside cloths and then guessing what it was. Today was extremely busy. I had a Neurology lecture from 8-10am, Molecular and Cellular Biology from 10-12, a lunch talk by Dr. Elaine Wexler-Mitchell on how to become a boarded feline practitioner from 12-1pm, Problem Based Learning from 1-3pm, Grand Rounds from 3-5pm and then the Vaccine Clinic from 6-8:30pm. So now its 9pm and I am just getting started on studying portosystemic shunts which is one of the topics of this weeks case.

So Depressing

2006-04-05T13:00:00.000-07:00

I just returned from the presentation on consolidating student loans and it turns out that President Bush signed a Bill 2 months ago which as of July 1, 2006 will put an end to in school student loan consolidation.

Mid-block

2006-04-05T11:43:00.000-07:00

This is week #4 of our 8 week block. So far our cases have focused around the gastrointestinal system, T-cell immunology, the endocrine system and now this week is the pathophysiology of the eye.
Since it's getting close to the end of the school year all of the clubs are electing new officers. So far I have been elected to be Secretary for the Student Chapter of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians and the PR/Fundraising Chair for the Student Chapter of the American Association of Feline Practitioners.
Sorry this blog is so short but I have to run to a talk on consolodating student loans during my lunch hour.
Here's a link to a live webcam of a nesting Bald Eagle:
http://lastream001.galaxytelevision.net/hh001

Good News!

2006-03-16T14:33:00.000-08:00

I passed my midterms! The best part is that I met my goal of bringing up my Multi-Disciplinary Center grade (which includes Anatomy, Histology, Parisitology, Radiology and Pathology).

The picture is of everyone in my class that went to symposium.

Jack Hanna and the SAVMA Symposium

2006-03-14T00:29:00.000-08:00

For Spring Break I went to the SAVMA (Student American Veterinary Medical Association) Symposium which was held this year at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. It was a great experience. Each day of the symposium I attended lectures from 10am-5pm. Some of the lectures that I went to include: Aquatic Animal Medicine; Cardiac Ascultation; GI Motility Disorders; Fluid Analysis; Kidney Disease; How to do a Great Neurologic Exam; Drugs in Small Animal Neonates and Emerging Animal Diseases and their Impact on Human Health. A few of the lectures were even given by the veterinarians who wrote my textbooks.
While I was very busy attending lectures, meeting and learning about the different veterinary sponsors and competing in academic competitions I also found some free time to visit the Mall of America and visit downtown Minneapolis. On the last night of Symposium, I got to hear the keynote speaker Jack Hanna speak and also work with exotic animals.
One of my motivations for attending symposium was to see what all of the other veterinary schools are teaching and where I am in comparison (because Western University is the only vet school in the U.S that has a totally Problem Based Learning Curriculum). Competing in the Anatomy challenge along with talking to a lot of other veterinary students made me more confident in Western University's teaching style. I felt that I knew just as much or even more then first year students in other veterinary programs. I am not saying that one program or school is better then others, but rather that each school is different and has its own strengths and weaknesses.
I flew back to California yesterday afternoon and have not had time to unpack or anything before starting the last block of my first year of veterinary school. This morning at 8am I had a microchipping lecture followed by my first PBL session with my new group (our groups change every 8 weeks) and then I had a clinical skills rotation where I got to microchip a cat.
Our first case this block is a porcine (pig) that aborted. Only 8 cases and 9 more weeks left until I am done with my first year of veterinary school!
The picture above is of me and other Western U students with Jack Hanna.

Exhausted

2006-03-01T19:35:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow morning I have my Molecular and Cellular Bio exam followed by the IVPACT. Then tomorrow night we have a take home assignment that gets turned in on Friday morning before the second half of the IVPACT exam and then I am OFF (kind of) for a whole week.
I have never studied so hard in my life and felt so disappointed with exams. I feel (along with the majority of my class) that the written exam (aka testing in all of the major "ologies") on Tuesday did not actually test us on what we have have studied this semester. We had about 20 questions on avian anatomy, immunology and reproduction when we only had a 2 day chicken case at the end of the semester, whereas urogenital physiology in other species was a huge topic and was not asked as much or in as much detail! The whole exam was such a disappointment because it did not test us on what we learned this semester but rather in areas that we haven't gone into detail yet. Another thing that was frustrating with the exam was that it asked so many detailed questions in immunology, however, the cases that we were presented with led us to believe that we should approach immunology from more of a microbiology or virology point of view and not in the the specific molecular details of heavy chains etc. I wrote my Masters Thesis in Canine Lymphosarcoma, which is based on immunology and I couldn't answer many of the questions asked on this exam so I don't understand how the professors expected most of the people in my class who have limited immunology experience (usually only one class in undergrad) to be able to answer the questions.
Everyone at school is completely burnt out. After our Anatomy, Histology, Radiology, Pathology and Parisitology Practical Exam today everyone just crashed. I am too overtired to sleep and too exhausted and frustrated to study for my MCB test tomorrow. I am even too tired to pack for spring break.
Even though I am excited to be going to Miami and Minnesota for the SCAVMA conference, I wish that I had a few extra days to reorganize before leaving and starting classes again. I am leaving straight from my IVPACT on Friday morning and I do not get back until the following Sunday evening and classes begin on 8am Monday morning. I have not had the chance to do laundrey, clean, check my personal email or even talk to my friends from home in weeks because of all of the studying that I have been doing. I really hope all of this hard work pays off and I am a good doctor.
The picture above is of the hike that I do a couple of times during the week.

Exams

2006-02-21T10:49:00.000-08:00

Sorry that I haven't written in awhile. I have been very busy studying. Most of our cases for this block have been focused around renal physiology and reproduction. Exams begin next Monday and finish on Friday. For Spring Break I am going to the SCAVMA (Student Chapter of the the AVMA) convention in Minnesota.

Bronchitis, Bootcamp and Bovines

2006-01-27T20:18:00.000-08:00

Now that I've finally gotten over my Bronchitis, I have started Bootcamp with 2 friends from vet school. It's this fitness camp that meets Monday-Friday from 5:30-6:30am and each day we do something different. Thursdays are hike days where we hike up a mountain in the dark and watch the sunrise over L.A and then hike back down. Heres a link if you want to sign up: http://www.inlandempirebootcamp.com/

This week I had a rotation at the Cal-Poly Bovine Unit where I practiced my physical exams on beef cattle. The picture above is of a fistulated cow. The hole leads to rumen.

The Diagnosis

2006-01-11T20:59:00.000-08:00

So I was right....the diagnosis is chronic renal failure.
It has been such a long day of classes today:
8-10am Parasitology
10-12 Molecular and Cellular Biology
12-1pm Shelter Club Meeting
1-3pm Problem Based Learning
3-5pm Grand Rounds
5-? Study, study, study.

On a lighter note here's the parasitology joke that my professor told this morning....
One Sunday a pastor gave this sermon to his congregation:
When you take worms and place them in a jar filled with smoke and close the lid, the worms die. When you take worms and place them in a jar with sperm and close the lid, the worms die. And finally when you take worms and place them in a jar with alcohol the worms die. Now what does this teach you?
A woman in the back of the church raised her hand and answered...."As long as you drink, smoke and have sex you won't get worms."

What I'm Learning This Week

2006-01-10T21:17:00.000-08:00

This weeks Problem Based Learning Case is really interesting. It's a 16 year old male, neutered domestic short hair cat named Rambo. Rambo presented with inappetance and losing weight over several weeks duration. In recent weeks he has also become PU/PD (drinking a lot of water and peeing a lot). His owner has brought him in because he has stopped eating, drinking, urinating and defacating the past 2 days. So far we have submitted and are awaiting results of a full blood profile and urinalysis along with a urine culture and sensitivity (results will be back tomorrow). In the meantime we have taken survey radiographs and noticed that his kidneys are smaller and irregularly shaped. Also their are crystals on the radiographs that appear to be nephroliths and ureterliths. So far I am guessing that this is a case of Chronic Renal Failure (CRF). CRF is one of the most common diseases to affect older cats. The bloodwork results that I get tomorrow will hopefully confirm my presumed diagnosis.
I have spent the past 2 days learning all about renal physiology (how the kidneys function) and researching how I should treat Rambo if indeed this is CRF. On physical examination Rambo was 10% dehydrated, so I have also been researching what type of fluid therapy would be appropriate in this situation. One of the things that I have found really interesting so far is that dehydration causes a decrease in tubular flow rates which would then result in increased Blood Urea Nitrogen(BUN), even before glomerular filtration rate is decreased. Basically what I've learned is that the BUN can be falsly elevated due to dehydration and that CRF patients may have a better prognosis then I would originally expect by just looking at the BUN alone. From what I've read so far, you should first re-hydrate the patient and then re-evaluate the bloodwork to truely measure the kidneys ability to remove urea from the blood and to give a correct prognosis. Interesting stuff, hugh?

Back to School

2006-01-08T16:53:00.000-08:00

After a relaxing 2 weeks off I went back to vet school. Unfortunately I was pretty sick during the first week of classes and had to miss 2 days due to Bronchitis and possible Pneumonia.
Our first case of this block was Mariah, a young stray cat. The whole point of the case was to learn basic wellness care. Mariah was Feline Leukemia positive and then had a secondary toxoplasmosis flare up due to her immunocompromised state.
It has been sunny and in the 80's the past few days which is making studying a lot more difficult, but I'm doing the right thing and keeping up with my school work.
Oh, I forgot to mention that we were given our new PBL room and group assignments for the next 8 weeks and I was lucky enough to get one of the big rooms and have a great group!

Happy Holidays!

2005-12-27T02:31:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays Everyone! I am enjoying every second of my 2 weeks off from veterinary school, although I have been reading my Veterinary Physiology Textbook and Anatomy of the Dog Textbook so that I am prepared for next semester. For Christmas I recieved 2 textbooks, Guide To The Dissection of the Dog and Veterinary Radiology. I never thought that I would be so happy to recieve textbooks as gifts but it totally made my day. Also, some family members gave me gift certificates to Barnes and Nobles so that I can buy even more textbooks!
So far I have had a great vacation. I went to the Bronx Zoo Holiday Light Show for Bobbi's Birthday and then I went to the Central Park Zoo while I was in NYC after seeing the tree at Rockefeller Center. I have also been catching up on my sleep and seeing all of my friends that I have missed for the past 5 months.

I survived my first semster of Vet School!

2005-12-18T22:27:00.000-08:00

Sorry that it's been so long since my last entry but I have been really busy with school. I took my last final this past Friday which marked the end of my first semester of veterinary school. I flew back home to NY on the red-eye last night and am going to enjoy a whole 2 weeks off before school starts again.
I have spent a lot of the past 8 weeks in Anatomy Lab trying to figure out the best way to study all of the muscles, veins, arteries and innervations in all of the different species. I can't tell you how many nights I was in Anatomy Lab until midnight, but it definately paid off. I think that I did a lot better on my Anatomy Final during this block as opposed to the first 8 week block of vet school.

Grace the Cat

2005-11-06T14:59:00.000-08:00

This week's case was Grace the cat who presented to us with dyspnea (trouble breathing), including open mouth and abdominal breathing. It turned out that she was hit by a car three weeks ago but the owners did not want proceed with diagnostics at that time. We auscultated (listened) to her chest and heard muffled lung sounds in all lung fields. Borborygmus (noises from the abdomen) was also auscultated in the caudoventral thorax. So far all of these signs pointed to diaphragmatic hernia (when the abdominal organs move through the diaphragm and into the thoracic cavity). We then took a radiograph and confirmed our diagnosis. Grace underwent surgery to repair the diaphragmatic hernia, a thoracostomy tube was placed and her collapsed lung was re-inflated. Grace went home a few days later.

PAWS L.A

2005-10-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

Last week I had a rotation at PAWS L.A, which is a non-profit agency which provides pet care to people who have disabling illnesses. So far it has been my favorite rotation. It was the first time that I not only had a a patient but I was able to deal directly with the client as well. My patient was Charlie-Girl, a cute pekinese mix that has a history of skin problems which was being treated with steroids, however, the treatments were no longer effective so I had to figure out other options to treat Charile-Girl with. The client, was extremly warm and friendly and was very appreciative of the care that was being provided to Charlie-Girl. For the first time I felt like I was a doctor.
Last weeks case in school was a difficult one, we had a recurring meningioma (tumor in the brain), so I had to learn the anatomy of the brain, all of the cranial nerves and their tracts along with the anatomy of the eye.
We are going to be assigned this weeks case in about 10 minutes, so far all I know about it, is that it's a "sleepy sheep".

More Pictures

2005-10-13T20:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of Santa Barbara and one of me, Steve and Henry at a street fair in San Diego.

Pictures

2005-10-13T20:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of Henry and the Mustang in front of my house and a picture of Henry hugging a palm tree (he's never seen one before!)

Pongo!

2005-10-13T19:53:00.000-07:00

We have a new edition to our house, his name is Pongo and he is a 2 year old Chow-mix that was abused by his former owner. Back in March Pongo had to have surgery to remove a kite string (which was being used as a leash) that was embedded in his neck. He has been living at the Inland Empire Humane Society since March because he was not allowed to be put up for adoption until his court case was over with. Two-weeks ago the judge ruled against the former owner and Pongo was put up for adoption. Brandon (one of my roommates) fell in love with him right away and took him home. He gets along really well with Coco (the other dog) but is still adjusting to Oasten (the cat).

A relaxing long weekend!

2005-10-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

Henry and Steve came to visit me over the long weekend. It was perfect timing because I had just finished my first quarter and exam week so their was nothing to study. On Friday I took Henry to the Yardhouse after my last exam for lunch with the rest of my class. Afterwards we drove to Santa Monica and Venice Beach in his rented Mustang Convertable, then we headed up the Pacific Pallisades to Malibu where we saw the sunset over the ocean and had dinner at this secluded restaurant on the water.
Steve flew in at midnight. On Saturday we took the Mustang down the Pacific Pallisades to San Diego where we stayed with Andrew and Dave (friends from UMASS who moved to Cali in August). We toured the city and spent the following day at the beach. The water was freezing (most people were wearing wetsuits) and the waves were big but we went swimming anyway. On Monday we drove up north to Santa Barbara. So far Santa Barbara is my favorite place in California, it's this cute little beach town surrounded by mountains. On our way home we stopped at a small pumpkin patch to pick a pumpkin. Henry and Steve left late on a midnight flight that night and I started my second quarter of veterinary school on 8am Tuesday morning!
The picture above was taken on the Pacific Pallisades on our way to Malibu.

I survived Exam Week!

2005-10-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

Last week was the longest week of my life! We had end of the quarter exams Monday through Friday in every single subject and ology. Heres a quick breakdown of what exams were like:
Monday 10am-12pm Veterinary Issues
Tuesday 10am-2pm Written exam on all of the disciplines (Anatomy, Behavior, Epidemiology, Genetics, Immunology, Microbiology, Nutrition, Parasitology, Pathology, Pharmacology, Physiology and Toxicology).
Wednesday 8am-12pm Anatomy, Parisitology, Radiology and Histology Practical
Thursday 8am-10am Molecular and Cellular Biology
12pm-2pm IVPACT (tests our problem based learning analytical skills)
2pm-8am Take home portion of IVPACT
Friday 10am-12pm IVPACT part II (Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology)

So far I have only recieved the results of how I did in each of the ologies on Tuesday's exams. I actually got a 100% in Epidemiology and Immunology. I also did really well in Pharmacology. I did ok in all of the other subjects and am not in danger of having to remediate any of the subjects on this test.
The anatomy practical was ridiculously difficult and I don't think that I did well BUT everyone feels the same way so their should be a big curve.

Sunset

2005-09-25T13:40:00.000-07:00

Here is picture of the sky after the thunderstorm (also courtesy of Manpreet).

Another Rainbow

2005-09-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

Heres a picture of another Rainbow (courtesy of Manpreet).

Rainbow

2005-09-25T12:38:00.000-07:00

It finally rained in southern California! Afterwards the sky was streaked orange and their were a couple of rainbows, it was really beautiful and the best part of the thunderstorm was that it cleared the smog away for a couple of hours so you can actually see the mountain range near my house.
Finals are getting really close now, they start next Monday and end on Friday. Everyone at school is really stressed.
Last week I had orientation at the Inland Empire Valley Humane Society so that I can work at their low cost vaccine clinics that they offer to pet owners in the Inland Empire every couple of weeks. It was really sad because most of the animals at the shelter came from very negleted homes and will most likely be euthanized (especially the cats). This whole area is definately very different then what I am used to at home. Most of the people here are very poor and uneducated. The kind of medicine that we are practicing when we are on our rotations (at hospitals and the VACS bus) is focused more on preventative medicine (vaccines, heartworm, spaying, neutering and educating clients) as opposed to more complex medical cases.
If you would like to adopt a pet you should visit the Inland Valley Humane Society: http://www.ivhsspca.org/

Labor Day Weekend

2005-09-08T18:54:00.000-07:00

A couple of my fellow veterinary students and I actually took some time off this weekend to do something other then study. On Saturday we went to West Hollywood and walked around. Sunday was spent studying some more but at 11pm a bunch of us loaded up our surf boards onto our cars and drove to San Onofre Beach. We camped out overnight and woke up in the morning to miles of beach and surf. It was my first time using my Mini-malibu board. It was a lot different then the long boards that I have surfed on in the past. While I didn't actually get to stand and ride a wave on my new board I still had a great time. The waves weren't huge but they were definately bigger then the east coast. All of the sufers at this spot were also super friendly. After a long day on the beach I went back home to study study study.
This weeks case in school introduces us to Neurology and while its nice to finally have a break from the thoracic and pelvic limb it's still a difficult subject to grasp.
I can't wait for this weekend, Steve is coming to visit. Also, the Los Angeles county fair starts, for all you east coasters it's the equivilent of the Big E! Well I have to go learn all of the cranial nerves but I will write again soon.

Class and the cat

2005-09-07T12:40:00.000-07:00

I had a 2 hour lecture on neurology this morning followed by a 2 hour lecture on immunology, now we get an hour break before our next 2 classes.

ps-This is a picture of Ouston in my room!

Cocoa

2005-08-18T22:39:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of my roomate James' dog Cocoa, she likes to hang out on the floor in my room while I am studying.

I forgot to mention that I have also joined 2 clubs so far.....
On Tuesday I joined the student chapter of SCAVMA and then today I joined the shelter club. My roomate Brandon and I are going to be fostering/socializing a feral kitten and then will be putting it up for adoption.

Study, study, study

2005-08-18T22:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry that I haven't updated this section in awhile but school has been very difficult. Both last week and this week's case has dealt with the musculoskeletal system of the dog and cat which basically means that I need to know every bone, muscle (superficial and deep) and their origin, insertion, action and innervation (the nerve supply). And if that isn't enough we are also supposed to know the histology, physiology and pathophysiology of bone growth and repair. Oh and I forgot to mention the pharmokinetics involved in this area and the surgical approaches. So you can see why I have been too busy to write.
I think that I have learned more in the first 2 weeks of veterinary school then I did during my 4 years of undergrad. A lot of people have already had breakdowns but no one has dropped out. I usually get to campus between 8 or 9 am and stay until the veterinary building closes at midnight.
To get my mind off of vet stuff, I am learning Spanish by listening to a CD on my drive to and from school. Here's a glimpse of what I've learned so far: Hablo castellano un poco.

White Coat Ceremony

2005-08-07T23:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our White Coat Ceremony which is when all of the veterinary students recieve their white coats. When we graduate we will be given our longer DVM coats. It was a really nice ceremony. The keynote speaker, Dean Michael Blackwell, DVM, MPH gave a really great speach about public health. It gave me a new perspective of veterinary medicine.
After the ceremony their was a lunch at the school and I got to show my parents around the college and my PBL (problem based learning) classroom which I will be in for the next 8 weeks.
Classes start tomorrow morning at 8am.

Orientation

2005-08-02T23:39:00.000-07:00

The first 2 days of orientation has been focused around Team Building. All of the DVM 2009 students went to a Team Building course led by Reality Check. http://www.ropescourse.com/index1.html
It has been such a loooong 2 days and I am exhausted!
Everyone in the class seems really nice and I have made some new friends.

Home Sweet Home

2005-07-27T21:58:00.000-07:00

I finally made it to California! Last night we stopped in Needles California. It is a small town in the middle of the desert where it was 110 degrees in the shade! I tried to go swimming but the pool water was so hot.
Today I arrived at my new house! I had a pretty white and pink surfboard waiting for me when I got to my room! It was the perfect present. Thank you Steve! And to top it off my roomates gave me an autographed poster of Chris Ward (a pro-surfer). It felt like Christmas in July.
I went to Ikea and got some cheap furniture and then spent most of the day assembling it with my dad.
I would like to write more but I have had an extremly long day and am not used to the time difference yet. I will write more tomorrow.

On the Road

2005-07-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

I am 600 miles closer to veterinary school. Today my parents and I drove from NY to Ohio. 600 miles down and 2100 miles to go!

Leaving for Vet School

2005-07-22T20:54:00.000-07:00

I am all packed and ready for vet school. Tomorrow morning I will be leaving NY and driving across the country to Western U.

Going Away Party

2005-06-07T18:12:00.000-07:00

Twelve days until I leave for veterinary school. I went to Staples and bought boxes to pack my stuff in.
This weekend was my Going Away Party in the Hamptons. I had an amazing time. Thanks Steve for organizing it and thank you to everyone who came!