Friday, October 30, 2009
You know it's Friday when...
...you're giving a tour of the teaching hospital, and when talking about the Animal Cancer Center, it takes you two times of saying "replaced with healthy boner done" before you can successfully say "replaced with healthy donor bone." Sigh. I am such a good ambassador for my school.
I'm so short that even my ulna is short
I got a call yesterday from the physician at student health that I saw on Tuesday about my wrist.
A radiologist reviewed my x-rays, and thankfully everything looked good bone-wise.
There was, however, a semi-incidental finding of "ulnar minus variance," which actually can dispose you to wrist problems and wrist pain.
"Translate all this medical speak for us!" you cry.
Basically it means that my ulna (the bone that forms the point of your elbow and runs in your forearm to end on the side of your wrist where your pinky is) is shorter than it's supposed to be in comparison with my radius (the other bone in the forearm).
Yep, even my bones are short. Thanks, parents!
(Also, the Dr. knew right off the bat what Factor V Leiden was. Go him!)
A radiologist reviewed my x-rays, and thankfully everything looked good bone-wise.
There was, however, a semi-incidental finding of "ulnar minus variance," which actually can dispose you to wrist problems and wrist pain.
"Translate all this medical speak for us!" you cry.
Basically it means that my ulna (the bone that forms the point of your elbow and runs in your forearm to end on the side of your wrist where your pinky is) is shorter than it's supposed to be in comparison with my radius (the other bone in the forearm).
Yep, even my bones are short. Thanks, parents!
(Also, the Dr. knew right off the bat what Factor V Leiden was. Go him!)
Q: What is better than chocolate chip cookie dough?
A: Chocolate chip cookie dough rolled into balls and covered in chocolate.
Bye-bye, blizzard!
So our blizzard started on Tuesday night.
It was in full force by midday on Wednesday.
At 2 pm on Wednesday, we got sent home from school.
At 6 pm on Wednesday, CLH found out that he got to stay home from work on Thursday, too.
At 6:45 am on Thursday, I woke up expecting to find out that my classes were cancelled. I was so wrong. (Side note: I HATE the perky voice of the lady on the university's snow hotline.) I was bummed.
In retrospect, the roads were never all that bad. Certainly there wasn't really any need to cancel the university's classes on Thursday.
Today it is in the 40s and most of the snow is gone.
Colorado is so weird.
It was in full force by midday on Wednesday.
At 2 pm on Wednesday, we got sent home from school.
At 6 pm on Wednesday, CLH found out that he got to stay home from work on Thursday, too.
At 6:45 am on Thursday, I woke up expecting to find out that my classes were cancelled. I was so wrong. (Side note: I HATE the perky voice of the lady on the university's snow hotline.) I was bummed.
In retrospect, the roads were never all that bad. Certainly there wasn't really any need to cancel the university's classes on Thursday.
Today it is in the 40s and most of the snow is gone.
Colorado is so weird.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Blizzard update
Yes, we are having one.
Yes, CLH got school cancelled first thing this morning. Good thing he JUST had a four-day weekend, too!
Yes, I still got to make the drive into Fort Collins at 8 this morning, but fortunately the roads were pretty good (though that didn't mean there weren't some noodlehead drivers going 85 down I-25 - and ending up in the ditch).
When I woke up this morning, we had maybe 2 inches of snow on the ground in Windsor - but nothing that was even sticking on the roads, and it wasn't currently snowing.
As it usually does, the snow picked up the closer I got to Fort Collins. They had gotten a little more than we had overnight.
It just kept coming down during my morning classes, with probably a good 6 inches accumulated by lunchtime.
They closed part of the campus, where the snow was so heavy that tree branches were collapsing. They cancelled most of the clubs and meetings for the next two days. They cancelled a free lunch we were supposed to have tomorrow.
And yet, school was still in session.
At 12:15, I made an executive decision to head home. With the snow continuing to come down heavily, and remembering some terrible driving conditions last winter, it just didn't seem worth it to stick around for BoD and Pharmacology just to end up with a dangerous drive home.
At 12:45, as I was driving through Windsor, I got a text message from the university saying that all operations and classes were suspended at 2 pm. Ha!
So in the end, I only missed Pharmacology (gee, darn) and not BoD (a class I really like). The drive home at noon wasn't bad at all, but it's gotten colder as the day progresses and the snow keeps coming - I'm sure there's plenty of ice on the roads by now.
What did I do with my afternoon off? A little studying, a little nap on the floor (induced by studying), a little watching of "House" on Hulu and catching up on "Television Without Pity," some enchiladas for dinner, getting my email down to a remarkable 7 messages in my inbox, and working on stuff for a potential scholarship. And it's only 7:30 pm!
Here's hoping the weather either (a) clears up overnight, enough that CLH and I can both get to work/school safely, or (b) is horrible throughout the morning so we both get another day off!
Yes, CLH got school cancelled first thing this morning. Good thing he JUST had a four-day weekend, too!
Yes, I still got to make the drive into Fort Collins at 8 this morning, but fortunately the roads were pretty good (though that didn't mean there weren't some noodlehead drivers going 85 down I-25 - and ending up in the ditch).
When I woke up this morning, we had maybe 2 inches of snow on the ground in Windsor - but nothing that was even sticking on the roads, and it wasn't currently snowing.
As it usually does, the snow picked up the closer I got to Fort Collins. They had gotten a little more than we had overnight.
It just kept coming down during my morning classes, with probably a good 6 inches accumulated by lunchtime.
They closed part of the campus, where the snow was so heavy that tree branches were collapsing. They cancelled most of the clubs and meetings for the next two days. They cancelled a free lunch we were supposed to have tomorrow.
And yet, school was still in session.
At 12:15, I made an executive decision to head home. With the snow continuing to come down heavily, and remembering some terrible driving conditions last winter, it just didn't seem worth it to stick around for BoD and Pharmacology just to end up with a dangerous drive home.
At 12:45, as I was driving through Windsor, I got a text message from the university saying that all operations and classes were suspended at 2 pm. Ha!
So in the end, I only missed Pharmacology (gee, darn) and not BoD (a class I really like). The drive home at noon wasn't bad at all, but it's gotten colder as the day progresses and the snow keeps coming - I'm sure there's plenty of ice on the roads by now.
What did I do with my afternoon off? A little studying, a little nap on the floor (induced by studying), a little watching of "House" on Hulu and catching up on "Television Without Pity," some enchiladas for dinner, getting my email down to a remarkable 7 messages in my inbox, and working on stuff for a potential scholarship. And it's only 7:30 pm!
Here's hoping the weather either (a) clears up overnight, enough that CLH and I can both get to work/school safely, or (b) is horrible throughout the morning so we both get another day off!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Blizzard!
We are having our first "winter storm" of the season (which seems uncharacteristically early in the year, based on my prior experience of one winter in Colorado).
It was raining earlier this evening, but started snowing about half an hour ago - big wet beautiful flakes that make it look like you are driving into the opening sequence in Star Wars.
The weather channel predicts 12-24 inches accumulating by this time tomorrow.
I am hoping (but not really expecting) school to be canceled tomorrow. Maybe CLH will get the day off, but I'm guessing that I'll end up getting up 20 minutes early tomorrow morning in order to spend an hour muddling my way through sleet and bad drivers to get to class.
But at least the snow is pretty!
It was raining earlier this evening, but started snowing about half an hour ago - big wet beautiful flakes that make it look like you are driving into the opening sequence in Star Wars.
The weather channel predicts 12-24 inches accumulating by this time tomorrow.
I am hoping (but not really expecting) school to be canceled tomorrow. Maybe CLH will get the day off, but I'm guessing that I'll end up getting up 20 minutes early tomorrow morning in order to spend an hour muddling my way through sleet and bad drivers to get to class.
But at least the snow is pretty!
Some restored faith in the health care system
Today I decided it was finally time to take my ouchy wrist to see the human doctor.
I called Student Health before I left for class, and lo, they had an appointment open at 2:15 today!
I arrived to check in at reception at 2:05 pm.
I was checked in by a nurse at 2:20 pm. (Also, apparently I am 5'3"? Whatever.)
I saw the doctor at 2:30.
By 2:55 pm, I had had a plethora of awesome digital radiographs taken.
At 3:05 pm, the doctor showed me the x-rays (nothing abnormal).
By 3:20 pm, I had a splint for my wrist (and had gotten to see the awesome orthopedics/physical therapy department), handed my charges form to the cashier to be sent up to the insurance dept, paid nothing, and was on my way.
Hooray for fast, courteous, and decent healthcare!
(Could I have gone to Walgreen's and bought a splint and gotten basically the same results? Sure. But I'd rather get a little something for the thousands of dollars in insurance costs and health center fees I'm paying this year....)
Now off to see if I can ring handbells with a splint on my wrist! Wish me luck.
I called Student Health before I left for class, and lo, they had an appointment open at 2:15 today!
I arrived to check in at reception at 2:05 pm.
I was checked in by a nurse at 2:20 pm. (Also, apparently I am 5'3"? Whatever.)
I saw the doctor at 2:30.
By 2:55 pm, I had had a plethora of awesome digital radiographs taken.
At 3:05 pm, the doctor showed me the x-rays (nothing abnormal).
By 3:20 pm, I had a splint for my wrist (and had gotten to see the awesome orthopedics/physical therapy department), handed my charges form to the cashier to be sent up to the insurance dept, paid nothing, and was on my way.
Hooray for fast, courteous, and decent healthcare!
(Could I have gone to Walgreen's and bought a splint and gotten basically the same results? Sure. But I'd rather get a little something for the thousands of dollars in insurance costs and health center fees I'm paying this year....)
Now off to see if I can ring handbells with a splint on my wrist! Wish me luck.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Looking for minute-by-minute blog updates??
Okay, maybe you don't want to know about my blogs quite that much, but....
If you're interested, I can add your email address to a list so that you will get an email every time I post something new on my blog.
You can get these email updates for:
* The Vet School Journey
* Vet Med Word of the Day
* Paul & Becky's Recipes
* Monkey Business
Or any or all of the above!
If you think you'd like to sign up for this super awesome premium blog followership status, just email me at beckyy86@aol.com and tell me which blog(s) you want email updates for.
(This offer is limited to the first 10 extra-lucky people who notify me.)
(Ha, how awesome would it be if there were actually 10 different people who read my blogs?)
If you're interested, I can add your email address to a list so that you will get an email every time I post something new on my blog.
You can get these email updates for:
* The Vet School Journey
* Vet Med Word of the Day
* Paul & Becky's Recipes
* Monkey Business
Or any or all of the above!
If you think you'd like to sign up for this super awesome premium blog followership status, just email me at beckyy86@aol.com and tell me which blog(s) you want email updates for.
(This offer is limited to the first 10 extra-lucky people who notify me.)
(Ha, how awesome would it be if there were actually 10 different people who read my blogs?)
Is four blogs too many?
I have, after careful consideration, decided to take the plunge and start a fourth blog.
A fourth blog, you ask? Am I crazy?
I don't think so.
Am I addicted to blogging?
Erm.... perhaps.
Seriously, though, Paul & Becky's Recipes (http://www.pbrecipes.blogspot.com/) and Vet Med Word of the Day (http://vetword.blogspot.com/) don't take much upkeep.
Yes, I will admit to writing my fair share of posts for this, my illustrious, informative, and endlessly entertaining main blog.
But as I spend day after day watching our two hilarious cats, I can't help but feel that they deserve a space to post their own anecdotes.
Therefore, I introduce to you: Monkey Business! ("A chronicle of the antics and mischief of two feline brothers living the good life in Colorado.")
Since the URL http://monkeybusiness.blogspot.com/ was already taken (albeit not by anything good), you'll find MY Monkey Business blog at:
http://johnnyandsimon.blogspot.com/
Look for periodic updates on the hilarity that ensues when two young and crazy cats are forced to live in a mere 1200 square feet of condo space.
A fourth blog, you ask? Am I crazy?
I don't think so.
Am I addicted to blogging?
Erm.... perhaps.
Seriously, though, Paul & Becky's Recipes (http://www.pbrecipes.blogspot.com/) and Vet Med Word of the Day (http://vetword.blogspot.com/) don't take much upkeep.
Yes, I will admit to writing my fair share of posts for this, my illustrious, informative, and endlessly entertaining main blog.
But as I spend day after day watching our two hilarious cats, I can't help but feel that they deserve a space to post their own anecdotes.
Therefore, I introduce to you: Monkey Business! ("A chronicle of the antics and mischief of two feline brothers living the good life in Colorado.")
Since the URL http://monkeybusiness.blogspot.com/ was already taken (albeit not by anything good), you'll find MY Monkey Business blog at:
http://johnnyandsimon.blogspot.com/
Look for periodic updates on the hilarity that ensues when two young and crazy cats are forced to live in a mere 1200 square feet of condo space.
Registration update
Since I know you all have been waiting with bated breath for an update on whether I was able to register for all my desired spring classes this morning, let me end the suspense: I was.
(Although apparently we vet students are all Type A personalities [gee, really?], because I heard that some of the sections had filled up by 6:40 am.)
(Although apparently we vet students are all Type A personalities [gee, really?], because I heard that some of the sections had filled up by 6:40 am.)
Sunday, October 25, 2009
A week with... NO EXAMS????
Whatever shall I do with all of my copious free time???
(Just kidding.)
But seriously, tomorrow starts the first week in recent memory without a single exam on the schedule.
I welcome the opportunity to finally get caught up and/or stay ahead in all of my classes.
Really, though: NO exams?
As much as I'm planning to enjoy this moderately relaxing 5-day period, it does make you wonder why we had to have two weeks with an exam in every single class.
Maybe professors could talk to each other a little more and not try to sink us with enormous tests, all at the same time?
Guess I could stop complaining and just enoy the free time... Toxicology and Pharmacology flash cards, here I come!
(Just kidding.)
But seriously, tomorrow starts the first week in recent memory without a single exam on the schedule.
I welcome the opportunity to finally get caught up and/or stay ahead in all of my classes.
Really, though: NO exams?
As much as I'm planning to enjoy this moderately relaxing 5-day period, it does make you wonder why we had to have two weeks with an exam in every single class.
Maybe professors could talk to each other a little more and not try to sink us with enormous tests, all at the same time?
Guess I could stop complaining and just enoy the free time... Toxicology and Pharmacology flash cards, here I come!
Spring registration tomorrow
At promptly 6:30 am tomorrow, I'll be on RamWeb registering for spring classes.
After looking at the schedule in some detail, I've come to the unfortunate conclusion that I've been spoiled by my schedule this semester.
This fall, I've had class at 9 on Mondays and Wednesdays, 10:40 on Fridays, and 11 on most Tuesdays and Thursdays (though 9 am on some Tues/Thurs).
I'm done with class at 3 every day except Tuesday (4 pm).
I get lunch breaks on Tuesday and Thursday, as well as on the Mon/Wed/Fri's when I choose not to go to Management.
Next semester, all those luxuries will be a thing of the past.
(But I think the trade-off is that the classes will be more interesting.)
Yes, as I discussed previously, I am still planning on taking 27 credits. Call me crazy. (You'd probably be right.)
Here is the schedule that I am, very seriously, planning to register for tomorrow:
Monday
8-9 am: Biology of Disease III
9-10 am: Anesthesia
10-11 am: Clinical Sciences I or II
11 am-12 pm: Imaging Interpretation
12-1 pm: Legal/Ethical Issues in Business
1-2 pm: Clinical Sciences I or II
2-3 pm: Clinical Sciences I or II
Tuesday
8-9 am: Sleep in!
9-10 am: Anesthesia
10-11 am: Surgery
11 am-12 pm: Break!
12-1 pm: Lunch!
1-2 pm: Theriogenology
2-3 pm: Theriogenology
3-4 pm: Shelter Medicine
Wednesday
8-9 am: Surgery
9-10 am: Clinical Sciences I or II
10-11 am: Clinical Sciences I or II
11 am-12 pm: Legal/Ethical Issues in Business
12-1 pm: Clinical Sciences I or II
1-2 pm: Theriogenology
Thursday
8-9 am: Biology of Disease III
9-10 am: Biology of Disease III
10-11 am: Break!
11 am-12 pm: Lunch!
12-1 pm: Problem-based Learning
1-2 pm: Clinical Sciences I or II
2-3 pm: Clinical Sciences I or II
3-4 pm: Clinical Sciences II
Friday
8-9 am: Surgery
9-10 am: Surgery
10-11 am: Clinical Sciences I or II
11 am-12 pm: Clinical Sciences I or II
12-1 pm: Legal/Ethical Issues in Business
1-2 pm: Anesthesia
2-3 pm: Theriogenology
Wow.
Hey, that's only 28 credits...
In defense of my sanity:
After looking at the schedule in some detail, I've come to the unfortunate conclusion that I've been spoiled by my schedule this semester.
This fall, I've had class at 9 on Mondays and Wednesdays, 10:40 on Fridays, and 11 on most Tuesdays and Thursdays (though 9 am on some Tues/Thurs).
I'm done with class at 3 every day except Tuesday (4 pm).
I get lunch breaks on Tuesday and Thursday, as well as on the Mon/Wed/Fri's when I choose not to go to Management.
Next semester, all those luxuries will be a thing of the past.
(But I think the trade-off is that the classes will be more interesting.)
Yes, as I discussed previously, I am still planning on taking 27 credits. Call me crazy. (You'd probably be right.)
Here is the schedule that I am, very seriously, planning to register for tomorrow:
Monday
8-9 am: Biology of Disease III
9-10 am: Anesthesia
10-11 am: Clinical Sciences I or II
11 am-12 pm: Imaging Interpretation
12-1 pm: Legal/Ethical Issues in Business
1-2 pm: Clinical Sciences I or II
2-3 pm: Clinical Sciences I or II
Tuesday
8-9 am: Sleep in!
9-10 am: Anesthesia
10-11 am: Surgery
11 am-12 pm: Break!
12-1 pm: Lunch!
1-2 pm: Theriogenology
2-3 pm: Theriogenology
3-4 pm: Shelter Medicine
Wednesday
8-9 am: Surgery
9-10 am: Clinical Sciences I or II
10-11 am: Clinical Sciences I or II
11 am-12 pm: Legal/Ethical Issues in Business
12-1 pm: Clinical Sciences I or II
1-2 pm: Theriogenology
Thursday
8-9 am: Biology of Disease III
9-10 am: Biology of Disease III
10-11 am: Break!
11 am-12 pm: Lunch!
12-1 pm: Problem-based Learning
1-2 pm: Clinical Sciences I or II
2-3 pm: Clinical Sciences I or II
3-4 pm: Clinical Sciences II
Friday
8-9 am: Surgery
9-10 am: Surgery
10-11 am: Clinical Sciences I or II
11 am-12 pm: Clinical Sciences I or II
12-1 pm: Legal/Ethical Issues in Business
1-2 pm: Anesthesia
2-3 pm: Theriogenology
Wow.
Hey, that's only 28 credits...
In defense of my sanity:
- Thursday afternoon's Clinical Science II from 3-4 pm will be only the second half of the semester.
- I sort of think (but am not sure) that Surgery only goes for the first half of the semester - so after spring break, I'd have free time on Tuesdays 10-11 am, Wednesdays 8-9 am, and Fridays 8-9 am and 9-10 am. That would give me class at 8 am only on Mondays and Thursdays. Hooray!
I'm not so bummed about having class at 8 am again. I tend to be most productive in the morning, with a rapid decrease in my attention span as soon as I've eaten lunch. (However, it would be nice to have class earlier in the more in exchange for getting done earlier in the afternoon, not in addition to having class till 3 or 4 pm every day.)
I'm actually mostly bummed because I think this class schedule is really going to mess up the nice exercise routine I've gotten into this semester. I've been working out on the treadmill every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday morning before class.
Now, getting up to exercise before school isn't a huge deal when I have class at 9. That just means I get up about 6:15.
But running before class at 8 am? That's reminscent of last year, when I got up twice a week or so at 5:30 to work out. I'd love to not have to get back into that habit again. But I've found that I'm much more reliable about sticking to an exercise routine when I work out in the morning, so I'm hesitant to try and fit an afternoon or evening workout into my regular schedule.
Ah, well, we'll see. If nothing else, I'll hopefully be on my feet a bit more, so perhaps I can get up at 5:30 am and jog for 45 minutes instead of getting up at 6:15 and working out for an hour... We shall see.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Ok, time to talk about grades again
You got one post that didn't consist completely of me going on and on about my grades, so I now feel justified in providing you with one of my usual posts. :-)
Good things have been happening this week, grade-wise.
I have now really passed Toxicology, since the professor sort of randomly gave everybody extra points on the midterm exam. I'm not sure how it worked, but my grade went from 31/42 to 37/45. I'm okay with that. He also finally sent us an email apologizing for taking so long in putting up the grades and for initially posting inaccurate scores. It's funny how far an apology can go in making me like and respect him again.
We also got our grades for the second Preventive Medicine exam. I thought I did well, but as on the first exam, there were several questions where I felt I had guessed a little or didn't totally know the correct answer. However, I got a second 100%! That made my day.
The only actual exam that took place this week was our fourth Biology of Disease exam. This one covered diseases of the liver and pancreas, and was, as usual, open on RamCT for 48 hours.
I took it at 10 pm on Tuesday, after getting home from handbells. Didn't study much and didn't want to. Still got 22 out of 28, which I am absolutely happy with, given my previous scores of 28/28, 28/28, and 26/28.
On Tuesday in Biology of Disease, we got our usual professor back. (Another teacher taught the liver/pancreas unit.) The regular prof said she had missed us during the last two weeks, and the entire class started clapping and cheering that she was back. Hooray for actually understanding the material and getting something out of lectures again....
Other than that, the week was pretty uneventful. Just the way I like it!
Good things have been happening this week, grade-wise.
I have now really passed Toxicology, since the professor sort of randomly gave everybody extra points on the midterm exam. I'm not sure how it worked, but my grade went from 31/42 to 37/45. I'm okay with that. He also finally sent us an email apologizing for taking so long in putting up the grades and for initially posting inaccurate scores. It's funny how far an apology can go in making me like and respect him again.
We also got our grades for the second Preventive Medicine exam. I thought I did well, but as on the first exam, there were several questions where I felt I had guessed a little or didn't totally know the correct answer. However, I got a second 100%! That made my day.
The only actual exam that took place this week was our fourth Biology of Disease exam. This one covered diseases of the liver and pancreas, and was, as usual, open on RamCT for 48 hours.
I took it at 10 pm on Tuesday, after getting home from handbells. Didn't study much and didn't want to. Still got 22 out of 28, which I am absolutely happy with, given my previous scores of 28/28, 28/28, and 26/28.
On Tuesday in Biology of Disease, we got our usual professor back. (Another teacher taught the liver/pancreas unit.) The regular prof said she had missed us during the last two weeks, and the entire class started clapping and cheering that she was back. Hooray for actually understanding the material and getting something out of lectures again....
Other than that, the week was pretty uneventful. Just the way I like it!
A day in the life of a vet student
Sometimes I feel like all I use my blog for is ranting about exams and grades, and/or talking about items and events completely unrelated to veterinary medicine. So I decided that maybe I should post something about (novel idea): the vet school experience!
Hence, please enjoy my summary of Thursday, October 22, A Day In The Life Of A Vet Student.
7:15 am: First alarm goes off. Ignore.
7:25 am: Second alarm goes off. Ignore.
7:33 am: Second alarm still going off. Resign myself to actually getting out of bed today.
7:35 am: Put in contacts, brush teeth, check FarmVille, give cats fresh water, get dressed, make bed, brush hair, deodorize.
7:55 am: Standard breakfast of toast and crunchy peanut butter, with a glass of orange-peach-mango juice and a vitamin. Check email and blogs I read.
8:15 am: Pack lunch (apple, yogurt, and string cheese). Debate what leftover entree to bring, then remember I left an extra pork chop in the fridge at school.
8:25 am: Get a kiss from CLH, make sure I put my ethics essay in my backpack, then leave for school.
8:55 am: Arrive at school. Look in the microscope lab and realize that some of the juniors have a class in there. Recheck the schedule for who is using the microscope lab and re-confirm that nobody was on the schedule to be using it. Meet friend who was going to do a microscope assignment with me; we are both disappointed that our early arrival at school has gone to waste.
9:00 am: Brief stop in the computer lab to check on FarmVille and RamCT. Discover I got another 100% on the second Preventive Medicine exam. (Equals happiness.)
9:10 am: Leave the computer lab intending to get away from the computer and be productive. Instead grab a newspaper and sit on the couches in the Pathology building lobby, getting a jump start on the crossword and sudoku puzzle.
9:40 am: Distracted from newspaper puzzles by nearby classmates engaging in a vigorous debate about health care.
9:50 am: Leave Pathology building and head over to our old haunts, the Anatomy/Zoology building.
10:00 am: Ethics class. Group debate and discussion about emerging social ethics in relation to animals. Discuss the topic of the essay we turned in today (How can veterinarians promote the "infinite human-animal bond" to market their services to the public, yet claim in malpractice suits that the owner of a deceased pet should only be awarded "market value" for that animal?). Relatively productive and interesting class, as far as Ethics goes.
10:50 am: Hike back over to the Pathology building. Decide I need a snack to make it through the next class, so get my yogurt out of my locker.
11:00 am: Bioanalytical Pathology (a.k.a. Clinical Pathology) lecture. Finish talking about tests for gastrointestinal disease (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, intestinal malabsorption, etc.). Discuss several GI cases based on hypothetical clinical pathology results. Start talking about laboratory analysis of muscle damage and muscle disease.
11:50 am: Back to the computer lab to check email and FarmVille. Harvest strawberries; plant aloe.
12:15 pm: Head to the lunchroom to heat up my leftover pork chop. Also eat my string cheese.
12:30 pm: Make use of extra lunch time to work on Pharmacology flash cards.
12:45 pm: Classmate brings in a grocery bag full of junk food from his house. Grab myself a Snickers bar. Eat it and regret it, but only a little bit.
1:00 pm: Pharmacology lecture. The scheduled instructor is out with the flu, so one of the regular instructors has thrown together a last-minute lecture. The topic is phenothiazines, alpha-2 agonists, and alpha-2 antagonists.
1:40 pm: Lecture done early! Back to the computer lab intending to briefly check email, then work more on Pharm. flash cards.
1:55 pm: Leave computer lab, realizing I never worked on the flash cards.
2:00 pm: Preventive Medicine lecture. Entertaining professor. The topic is equine vaccinations - what to vaccinate for, what disease to use, how often to use, and how to decide all this stuff. Interesting information but nothing you need to take notes on, so I multitasked -- listened while working on those darned Pharmacology flash cards. Got through NSAIDs and midway into steroids. Still a ways to go.
2:50 pm: Yes, another trip to the computer lab. (No, I don't typically spend this much time there in a given school day.)
3:00 pm: Exit computer lab and head back to the couches in the Pathology lobby. Review recent Clinical Pathology notes -- mostly tests of renal function, as well as urinalysis findings.
3:15 pm: Hungry (again). Eat my apple. Continue studying.
3:45 pm: Realize how sleepy I am, and check the time. It's only 3:45! Put my notes down, pull up my hood, and curl up on the couch for a nap.
4:05 pm: Arise from 20 minutes of light dozing when a random group of vet students has apparently decided to hold a club meeting on the couches right next to me. I attempt to resume studying.
4:10 pm: The club meeting is getting loud and distracting, so I pack up my notes and move into the lunch room. I finish studying all the Clin Path notes, including liver tests, pancreas tests, reasons for hypo/hyperglycemia, tests of GI disease, and the muscle injury tests we started learning today.
5:10 pm: Stop by my locker to collect the rest of my things, then head to the parking lot.
5:20 pm: Arrive at the VTH.
5:30 pm: Attend dinner/lecture/wetlab hosted by the Behavior Club. Dinner is sandwiches, chips, soda, cookies, and brownies. Yum! Free, too (well, free after I paid $10 dues for the year).
6:00 pm: Second-year equine internal medicine resident lectures about equine behavior. Interesting material.
6:45 pm: Head to the back of the VTH to observe two of the teaching horses in the round pen. Watch them for awhile; pet them; they are curious and nosy. And huge. After awhile they get silly and start chasing each other around the pen and going crazy.
7:45 pm: Half the club is still with the horses, but I left my jacket at home today and have gotten chilly after an hour outside after dark. Decide to head home.
8:10 pm: Arrive home. Get the mail. Put out the garbage.
8:15 pm: Johnny & Simon can't wait another minute for food, or they might die. Good Lord, their dinner is almost 4 hours overdue. Feed them before they pass out from hypoglycemia.
8:20 pm: Change into pajamas. Check email and FarmVille. Decide to indulge in some Conceptis Puzzles while listening to last week's "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me." Hilarity and entertainment ensues.
9:30 pm: Decide to write a blog post about my day. Wonder to myself if it will sound boring. Decide to write it anyway.
9:50 pm: Surprised at how long it took to summarize my day. Currently feeling tired. Hoping CLH gets home soon so I can go to bed. Looking forward to another Friday and another weekend.
9:51 pm: Signing off.
Hence, please enjoy my summary of Thursday, October 22, A Day In The Life Of A Vet Student.
7:15 am: First alarm goes off. Ignore.
7:25 am: Second alarm goes off. Ignore.
7:33 am: Second alarm still going off. Resign myself to actually getting out of bed today.
7:35 am: Put in contacts, brush teeth, check FarmVille, give cats fresh water, get dressed, make bed, brush hair, deodorize.
7:55 am: Standard breakfast of toast and crunchy peanut butter, with a glass of orange-peach-mango juice and a vitamin. Check email and blogs I read.
8:15 am: Pack lunch (apple, yogurt, and string cheese). Debate what leftover entree to bring, then remember I left an extra pork chop in the fridge at school.
8:25 am: Get a kiss from CLH, make sure I put my ethics essay in my backpack, then leave for school.
8:55 am: Arrive at school. Look in the microscope lab and realize that some of the juniors have a class in there. Recheck the schedule for who is using the microscope lab and re-confirm that nobody was on the schedule to be using it. Meet friend who was going to do a microscope assignment with me; we are both disappointed that our early arrival at school has gone to waste.
9:00 am: Brief stop in the computer lab to check on FarmVille and RamCT. Discover I got another 100% on the second Preventive Medicine exam. (Equals happiness.)
9:10 am: Leave the computer lab intending to get away from the computer and be productive. Instead grab a newspaper and sit on the couches in the Pathology building lobby, getting a jump start on the crossword and sudoku puzzle.
9:40 am: Distracted from newspaper puzzles by nearby classmates engaging in a vigorous debate about health care.
9:50 am: Leave Pathology building and head over to our old haunts, the Anatomy/Zoology building.
10:00 am: Ethics class. Group debate and discussion about emerging social ethics in relation to animals. Discuss the topic of the essay we turned in today (How can veterinarians promote the "infinite human-animal bond" to market their services to the public, yet claim in malpractice suits that the owner of a deceased pet should only be awarded "market value" for that animal?). Relatively productive and interesting class, as far as Ethics goes.
10:50 am: Hike back over to the Pathology building. Decide I need a snack to make it through the next class, so get my yogurt out of my locker.
11:00 am: Bioanalytical Pathology (a.k.a. Clinical Pathology) lecture. Finish talking about tests for gastrointestinal disease (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, intestinal malabsorption, etc.). Discuss several GI cases based on hypothetical clinical pathology results. Start talking about laboratory analysis of muscle damage and muscle disease.
11:50 am: Back to the computer lab to check email and FarmVille. Harvest strawberries; plant aloe.
12:15 pm: Head to the lunchroom to heat up my leftover pork chop. Also eat my string cheese.
12:30 pm: Make use of extra lunch time to work on Pharmacology flash cards.
12:45 pm: Classmate brings in a grocery bag full of junk food from his house. Grab myself a Snickers bar. Eat it and regret it, but only a little bit.
1:00 pm: Pharmacology lecture. The scheduled instructor is out with the flu, so one of the regular instructors has thrown together a last-minute lecture. The topic is phenothiazines, alpha-2 agonists, and alpha-2 antagonists.
1:40 pm: Lecture done early! Back to the computer lab intending to briefly check email, then work more on Pharm. flash cards.
1:55 pm: Leave computer lab, realizing I never worked on the flash cards.
2:00 pm: Preventive Medicine lecture. Entertaining professor. The topic is equine vaccinations - what to vaccinate for, what disease to use, how often to use, and how to decide all this stuff. Interesting information but nothing you need to take notes on, so I multitasked -- listened while working on those darned Pharmacology flash cards. Got through NSAIDs and midway into steroids. Still a ways to go.
2:50 pm: Yes, another trip to the computer lab. (No, I don't typically spend this much time there in a given school day.)
3:00 pm: Exit computer lab and head back to the couches in the Pathology lobby. Review recent Clinical Pathology notes -- mostly tests of renal function, as well as urinalysis findings.
3:15 pm: Hungry (again). Eat my apple. Continue studying.
3:45 pm: Realize how sleepy I am, and check the time. It's only 3:45! Put my notes down, pull up my hood, and curl up on the couch for a nap.
4:05 pm: Arise from 20 minutes of light dozing when a random group of vet students has apparently decided to hold a club meeting on the couches right next to me. I attempt to resume studying.
4:10 pm: The club meeting is getting loud and distracting, so I pack up my notes and move into the lunch room. I finish studying all the Clin Path notes, including liver tests, pancreas tests, reasons for hypo/hyperglycemia, tests of GI disease, and the muscle injury tests we started learning today.
5:10 pm: Stop by my locker to collect the rest of my things, then head to the parking lot.
5:20 pm: Arrive at the VTH.
5:30 pm: Attend dinner/lecture/wetlab hosted by the Behavior Club. Dinner is sandwiches, chips, soda, cookies, and brownies. Yum! Free, too (well, free after I paid $10 dues for the year).
6:00 pm: Second-year equine internal medicine resident lectures about equine behavior. Interesting material.
6:45 pm: Head to the back of the VTH to observe two of the teaching horses in the round pen. Watch them for awhile; pet them; they are curious and nosy. And huge. After awhile they get silly and start chasing each other around the pen and going crazy.
7:45 pm: Half the club is still with the horses, but I left my jacket at home today and have gotten chilly after an hour outside after dark. Decide to head home.
8:10 pm: Arrive home. Get the mail. Put out the garbage.
8:15 pm: Johnny & Simon can't wait another minute for food, or they might die. Good Lord, their dinner is almost 4 hours overdue. Feed them before they pass out from hypoglycemia.
8:20 pm: Change into pajamas. Check email and FarmVille. Decide to indulge in some Conceptis Puzzles while listening to last week's "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me." Hilarity and entertainment ensues.
9:30 pm: Decide to write a blog post about my day. Wonder to myself if it will sound boring. Decide to write it anyway.
9:50 pm: Surprised at how long it took to summarize my day. Currently feeling tired. Hoping CLH gets home soon so I can go to bed. Looking forward to another Friday and another weekend.
9:51 pm: Signing off.
Monday, October 19, 2009
I passed Toxicology!
(Barely!)
After nearly two long weeks of suspense, our grades on the first toxicology exam were finally released.
With a sudden jump in my heart rate, I hesitantly clicked on the link to see my score and found....
a 73.8%!
Well, heck, that's a whole lot better than it coulda been! Let's all keep in mind that 70% is all I need to pass.
That exam was worth 40% of our grade. I got 100% on the first homework assignment (worth 10% of the grade) and I'm anticipating another 100% on the second homework (also 10% of the grade). That means I'll have to get at least a 50% or so on our second and final exam for that class.
It's absolutely going to bring down my overall grades for this semester (which I anticipate to be all A's, otherwise).
But I doubt it will affect my class rank much, since everybody else just about failed too.
I would have loved a better score, but nonetheless I'm pleased to have still not failed an exam in vet school. Gotta have high standards, you know!
After nearly two long weeks of suspense, our grades on the first toxicology exam were finally released.
With a sudden jump in my heart rate, I hesitantly clicked on the link to see my score and found....
a 73.8%!
Well, heck, that's a whole lot better than it coulda been! Let's all keep in mind that 70% is all I need to pass.
That exam was worth 40% of our grade. I got 100% on the first homework assignment (worth 10% of the grade) and I'm anticipating another 100% on the second homework (also 10% of the grade). That means I'll have to get at least a 50% or so on our second and final exam for that class.
It's absolutely going to bring down my overall grades for this semester (which I anticipate to be all A's, otherwise).
But I doubt it will affect my class rank much, since everybody else just about failed too.
I would have loved a better score, but nonetheless I'm pleased to have still not failed an exam in vet school. Gotta have high standards, you know!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
All good weekends must come to an end
This weekend was an especially good one.
Saturday was the first time in a month that I've had the opportunity to sleep in as long as I wanted. Admittedly, I woke up at 8:30, although that amounted to 10 hours of sleep.
I had a nice workout on Saturday morning, including 2 miles of jogging and 2+ additional miles of walking.
CLH decided to utilize his free time on the weekend by doing some intensive cleaning, all of his own accord! He vacuumed the downstairs (including moving the furniture), the carpeted stairs, and the upstairs. He swept and mopped the kitchen, foyer, and downstairs bathroom. He helped with laundry. He organized the pantry and the spice cabinet. He cleaned up the cat litter that the cats have kicked all over the floor. He promises that next weekend he will tackle the bathrooms -- toilets, sinks, mirrors, etc. I sure married a good guy.
I got some study time in on Saturday afternoon, though not as much as I'd hoped. That's okay, though, since I only have ONE (!) exam this week and I'm not planning on doing real well on it (nor do I need to).
We went to the grocery store yesterday, and stocked up on some awesome fresh produce - apples, carrots, bananas, nectarines, pears, grapes, avocado, and squash.
Dinner was a giant pepperoni pizza from Papa Murphy's. (Alas, they were not yet offering the "Jack O'Lantern" design of pizza... we'll have to go back again before Halloween.)
Yesterday evening we drove down to Longmont to attend the Longmont Chorale's first concert of the season, in conjunction with a pretty awesome marimba ensemble (7 marimbas).
I didn't get enough sleep last night, but that's pretty usual for Sundays these days and I'm getting used to it.
CLH got to lead part of the choir rehearsal this morning when the regular director had other obligations, and he did an awesome job. Just a minor reminiscence of what it was like to have him as our regular church choir director in AZ.
Delicious post-church brunch today, including donuts, cinnamon rolls, fresh fruit, cheese squares, and chocolate-covered raisins.
Stopped at Target and got some much-needed shopping done. Don't want to run out of shampoo, or conditioner, or acne soap, or razor blades, or hand soap, or Kleenex, or contact solution, or.... you get the idea.
It was crazily warm today -- nearly in the 80s -- so we walked to the library this afternoon to return books then walked to the nearby elementary school and played on the jungle gym and swings.
Leftover tacos for dinner, plus slices of the No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars that I made for dessert (they taste just like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup).
Chatted with Mom & Dad, caught up on (most of my) emails, put the finishing touches on the presentation I'll be giving for Diagnostic Imaging Club tomorrow afternoon, contemplated studying some more and decided I'm enjoying my Sunday too much to ruin it with schoolwork!
Tomorrow starts another week, and it's going to be a good one.
Saturday was the first time in a month that I've had the opportunity to sleep in as long as I wanted. Admittedly, I woke up at 8:30, although that amounted to 10 hours of sleep.
I had a nice workout on Saturday morning, including 2 miles of jogging and 2+ additional miles of walking.
CLH decided to utilize his free time on the weekend by doing some intensive cleaning, all of his own accord! He vacuumed the downstairs (including moving the furniture), the carpeted stairs, and the upstairs. He swept and mopped the kitchen, foyer, and downstairs bathroom. He helped with laundry. He organized the pantry and the spice cabinet. He cleaned up the cat litter that the cats have kicked all over the floor. He promises that next weekend he will tackle the bathrooms -- toilets, sinks, mirrors, etc. I sure married a good guy.
I got some study time in on Saturday afternoon, though not as much as I'd hoped. That's okay, though, since I only have ONE (!) exam this week and I'm not planning on doing real well on it (nor do I need to).
We went to the grocery store yesterday, and stocked up on some awesome fresh produce - apples, carrots, bananas, nectarines, pears, grapes, avocado, and squash.
Dinner was a giant pepperoni pizza from Papa Murphy's. (Alas, they were not yet offering the "Jack O'Lantern" design of pizza... we'll have to go back again before Halloween.)
Yesterday evening we drove down to Longmont to attend the Longmont Chorale's first concert of the season, in conjunction with a pretty awesome marimba ensemble (7 marimbas).
I didn't get enough sleep last night, but that's pretty usual for Sundays these days and I'm getting used to it.
CLH got to lead part of the choir rehearsal this morning when the regular director had other obligations, and he did an awesome job. Just a minor reminiscence of what it was like to have him as our regular church choir director in AZ.
Delicious post-church brunch today, including donuts, cinnamon rolls, fresh fruit, cheese squares, and chocolate-covered raisins.
Stopped at Target and got some much-needed shopping done. Don't want to run out of shampoo, or conditioner, or acne soap, or razor blades, or hand soap, or Kleenex, or contact solution, or.... you get the idea.
It was crazily warm today -- nearly in the 80s -- so we walked to the library this afternoon to return books then walked to the nearby elementary school and played on the jungle gym and swings.
Leftover tacos for dinner, plus slices of the No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars that I made for dessert (they taste just like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup).
Chatted with Mom & Dad, caught up on (most of my) emails, put the finishing touches on the presentation I'll be giving for Diagnostic Imaging Club tomorrow afternoon, contemplated studying some more and decided I'm enjoying my Sunday too much to ruin it with schoolwork!
Tomorrow starts another week, and it's going to be a good one.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
At least I'm going to pass Pharm (and ClinPath and PrevMed and Ethics and BoD and.....)
Monday's Pharmacology exam grades were released today.
As predicted, I did really well (missed two questions, giving me a score of 65/70).
As predicted, diuretics were my downfall.
As predicted, the two questions I had a "bad feeling" about as I turned in my test were the two questions I missed.
As I could have figured would happen, the one question where I put down one answer, then went back and changed my mind later, was one of the questions I got wrong (and I think the answer I had originally was correct --- why have I not yet learned to go with my first choice??).
But, overall, I'm really happy with that grade. That makes for A's on all Pharm quizzes, exams, and assignments so far, and starting new material this week has made me look at Pharmacology in a whole new light --- a light that says, "Maybe I can actually do this!"
[Now, Toxicology may still be a problem. It is 8 days post-exam and we have heard nothing from the course coordinator about the exam results. Word has it he is out of town all this week. But I'm still pretty sure they have email in San Francisco. It's not that he has to put up the grades right this minute.... but how about a courteous email to say, "I know you are anxious to get your scores on the exam, so I just wanted to let you know I am still working on it. Sorry for the delay"?]
As predicted, I did really well (missed two questions, giving me a score of 65/70).
As predicted, diuretics were my downfall.
As predicted, the two questions I had a "bad feeling" about as I turned in my test were the two questions I missed.
As I could have figured would happen, the one question where I put down one answer, then went back and changed my mind later, was one of the questions I got wrong (and I think the answer I had originally was correct --- why have I not yet learned to go with my first choice??).
But, overall, I'm really happy with that grade. That makes for A's on all Pharm quizzes, exams, and assignments so far, and starting new material this week has made me look at Pharmacology in a whole new light --- a light that says, "Maybe I can actually do this!"
[Now, Toxicology may still be a problem. It is 8 days post-exam and we have heard nothing from the course coordinator about the exam results. Word has it he is out of town all this week. But I'm still pretty sure they have email in San Francisco. It's not that he has to put up the grades right this minute.... but how about a courteous email to say, "I know you are anxious to get your scores on the exam, so I just wanted to let you know I am still working on it. Sorry for the delay"?]
The terrible silent 'G'
Yesterday in our Clinical Pathology lab, we were looking at urine sediments with a microscope. You had to set up a special level of illumination in order to be able to see certain things, which entailed adjusting several components of the microscope.
One of those components was the condenser. The other was the diaphragm.
Or, as one of the instructors wrote on the whiteboard, "diaghphram."
Being a stickler for spelling, I noticed the error(s) immediately and pointed them out to my lab partner.
I was pleased to see, several minutes later, a different instructor approach the whiteboard and proceed to correct the misspelled word (or so I thought).
He erased all the letters except "diag" and proceeded to change the spelling to "diagphragm."
Rolling my eyes, I decided to focus on the big things in life.
But there were 2 more lab sections after mine, and I really hope "diaphragm" was spelled correctly by the end of the last lab.
(Note to self: In the case of diaphragms, one silent 'g' is plenty.)
One of those components was the condenser. The other was the diaphragm.
Or, as one of the instructors wrote on the whiteboard, "diaghphram."
Being a stickler for spelling, I noticed the error(s) immediately and pointed them out to my lab partner.
I was pleased to see, several minutes later, a different instructor approach the whiteboard and proceed to correct the misspelled word (or so I thought).
He erased all the letters except "diag" and proceeded to change the spelling to "diagphragm."
Rolling my eyes, I decided to focus on the big things in life.
But there were 2 more lab sections after mine, and I really hope "diaphragm" was spelled correctly by the end of the last lab.
(Note to self: In the case of diaphragms, one silent 'g' is plenty.)
Monday, October 12, 2009
Pre-vet students: don't know how to talk??
This afternoon's pre-vet tour was somewhat less rewarding than I had expected. To be sure, I gave a decent tour -- perhaps somewhat more scatterbrained than usual, but mostly a good tour. It was a little disconcerting to have such a large group of people, none of whom asked any questions!
They had some neat extra stuff set up for the pre-vet students, including an anesthesia tech to talk about the anesthesia/pain management department, a bunch of antique veterinary tools in the student ophtho lab, a trip to the junior surgery lab, and a really fun presentation by one of the pathologists in the new necropsy lab.
But really, I expected these kids to be full of questions about what vet school is like, how to get in, what they should be doing now, etc. Certainly there was plenty that I wanted to know when I was at that point.
I don't know if they were scared by the hospital? Intimidated by me? (Come on, I'm like 5 feet tall!) Drained from recent big exams? Disinterested in vet med despite being in the pre-vet club? It was like pulling teeth.
In any case, I hope that even if they didn't want to learn anything about vet school life from me or the other guides, at least they got something out of the tours.
They had some neat extra stuff set up for the pre-vet students, including an anesthesia tech to talk about the anesthesia/pain management department, a bunch of antique veterinary tools in the student ophtho lab, a trip to the junior surgery lab, and a really fun presentation by one of the pathologists in the new necropsy lab.
But really, I expected these kids to be full of questions about what vet school is like, how to get in, what they should be doing now, etc. Certainly there was plenty that I wanted to know when I was at that point.
I don't know if they were scared by the hospital? Intimidated by me? (Come on, I'm like 5 feet tall!) Drained from recent big exams? Disinterested in vet med despite being in the pre-vet club? It was like pulling teeth.
In any case, I hope that even if they didn't want to learn anything about vet school life from me or the other guides, at least they got something out of the tours.
A brief respite
Today's Pharmacology exam seemed to go surprisingly well. Out of 28 questions, there were about 2 that I wasn't really sure I knew how to answer. I'm afraid diuretics were my downfall (the last section we discussed, and the only section I decided not to make flash cards for). Still, I would be happy with a 26/28.
Plans for tonight include:
-- watching last week's episode of House on Hulu
-- cleaning up the kitchen
-- catching up on FarmVille (which wasn't working for almost 48 hours!!!!!!)
Tomorrow, the review for Thursday's Preventive Medicine exam will commence. Not too worried about that since it only covers about 2 weeks of material (and pretty easy material, at that).
Meanwhile, October keeps plugging along. I'm really looking forward to next week's near lack of exams (only a BoD online exam, which never really counts...).
Plans for tonight include:
-- watching last week's episode of House on Hulu
-- cleaning up the kitchen
-- catching up on FarmVille (which wasn't working for almost 48 hours!!!!!!)
Tomorrow, the review for Thursday's Preventive Medicine exam will commence. Not too worried about that since it only covers about 2 weeks of material (and pretty easy material, at that).
Meanwhile, October keeps plugging along. I'm really looking forward to next week's near lack of exams (only a BoD online exam, which never really counts...).
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Need to back off the posting...
It appears I'm at 19-20 posts for October so far, though it's only the 10th.... that's about 2 posts a day. Think maybe I'm trying to kill time / avoid doing more important things???
P.S. Everyone should have a blog, it's really fun.
P.S. Everyone should have a blog, it's really fun.
Still doing well on Pharm
I am, somewhat surprisingly, not yet too far behind on my Pharmacology studying.
Last night, I almost finished the autonomic critical care drugs (which I was supposed to finish entirely), so clearly I didn't get to antiarrhythmics (which I'd hoped to at least start).
This morning, I arrived at church at 7:45, a solid hour before anybody else got there. However, I was having some pretty serious pain in my right wrist (maybe too many flash cards??) so I reviewed my current flash cards instead of making more. That definitely got me off-track since I was supposed to use the morning time to finish the antiarrhythmics (and I hadn't even started those yet).
This afternoon and evening, though, I've nearly made up for it. My wrist is back in action (though still feeling ouchy). I am through antiarrhythmics (the longest and most difficult section), as well as vasodilators.
I had intended to get to positive inotropic agents and diuretics yet tonight, but it's after 9 pm and that's clearly not gonna happen. But I don't think I really even need to make flash cards for the diuretics, so that just leaves the positive inotropes for tomorrow.
I'll drive to church tomorrow morning, and ideally have some down time before and after the service to run through some of the flash cards I made today. Then I'll let CLH drive back to Windsor so I can drill more flash cards in the car.
After lunch, I'll finish up with the positive inotropic agents, and possibly make diuretics flash cards if I'm ahead of schedule. Then spend the rest of the evening running through my lovely flash cards. Plus Monday morning.
I'm expecting to have about 300 flash cards total. I think that should be plenty!
It sure is nice that Pharmacology is our only exam in the early part of this week... Preventive Medicine coming up on Thursday (but I got 99% on the first homework assignment and 100% on the first exam, so HA!), and Management exam on Friday (meh... doesn't really count). So I'm super-glad Pharm. is my only task for this weekend!
Last night, I almost finished the autonomic critical care drugs (which I was supposed to finish entirely), so clearly I didn't get to antiarrhythmics (which I'd hoped to at least start).
This morning, I arrived at church at 7:45, a solid hour before anybody else got there. However, I was having some pretty serious pain in my right wrist (maybe too many flash cards??) so I reviewed my current flash cards instead of making more. That definitely got me off-track since I was supposed to use the morning time to finish the antiarrhythmics (and I hadn't even started those yet).
This afternoon and evening, though, I've nearly made up for it. My wrist is back in action (though still feeling ouchy). I am through antiarrhythmics (the longest and most difficult section), as well as vasodilators.
I had intended to get to positive inotropic agents and diuretics yet tonight, but it's after 9 pm and that's clearly not gonna happen. But I don't think I really even need to make flash cards for the diuretics, so that just leaves the positive inotropes for tomorrow.
I'll drive to church tomorrow morning, and ideally have some down time before and after the service to run through some of the flash cards I made today. Then I'll let CLH drive back to Windsor so I can drill more flash cards in the car.
After lunch, I'll finish up with the positive inotropic agents, and possibly make diuretics flash cards if I'm ahead of schedule. Then spend the rest of the evening running through my lovely flash cards. Plus Monday morning.
I'm expecting to have about 300 flash cards total. I think that should be plenty!
It sure is nice that Pharmacology is our only exam in the early part of this week... Preventive Medicine coming up on Thursday (but I got 99% on the first homework assignment and 100% on the first exam, so HA!), and Management exam on Friday (meh... doesn't really count). So I'm super-glad Pharm. is my only task for this weekend!
Maybe we should have blessed the monkeys...
I spent the morning attending our church's "Blessing of the Animals" event. Highlights included:
- Decent attendance despite cold, snowy weather -- including a number of people not from our church
- About 40-50 dogs
- A herd of Greyhounds wearing fleece pajamas
- A muzzled Chihuahua
- An incessantly yappy Schnauzer
- One very brave, unflappable orange tabby cat
- One black rabbit (also quite stoic)
- One gecko in a Tupperware container
- A brief blessing ceremony in the sanctuary (complete with barking and howling along with the organ music)
- Three pastors to do the blessing
- One small dog poop on the sanctuary carpet
- One incident of explosive Greyhound diarrhea in the fellowship hall
- Donuts, bagels, coffee, and hot chocolate served by the youth group
- 3 rescue groups with animals (a cat shelter, a retired racing greyhound rescue, and a puppy mill rescue)
- A local vet and some of his staff
- A professional "come to your house and scoop your poop"-er
- Several local pet food and supply stores
- A groomer offering free nail trims
- A lady who makes jackets, sweaters, and other attire for chilly dogs
- Some pretty tasty-looking Cheeto-like snacks (sadly for the dogs, not the people)
- Almost no dog fights or "disagreements"
All in all it was a neat event, probably good publicity for the church, and enjoyable for all people and animals involved. It looks to be an annual event (though perhaps we can avoid snow next year and actually hold it outside....).
My to-do list
I love being able to cross "nap" off of my weekend to-do list.
(Hey, after awakening at 5:40 am to find an inch of snow already on the ground, and leaving the house at 6:20 to drive to Denver on icy roads with the snow still coming down, and record low temperatures for the day, I think I deserve it!)
(Hey, after awakening at 5:40 am to find an inch of snow already on the ground, and leaving the house at 6:20 to drive to Denver on icy roads with the snow still coming down, and record low temperatures for the day, I think I deserve it!)
Friday, October 9, 2009
Casual Friday
Today I learned that, apparently, my new Biology of Disease instructor interprets "casual Friday" to mean he doesn't have to wear the usual pocket square along with his fancy suit and tie...
(Seriously, I have never seen anybody in vet school, dean, administrator, faculty, student, or otherwise, with a pocket square... It is amusing. :-) )
(Seriously, I have never seen anybody in vet school, dean, administrator, faculty, student, or otherwise, with a pocket square... It is amusing. :-) )
To be a pre-vet student
On Monday, I will give a special tour of the VTH to a group of pre-vet students at the university. It will be basically the usual tour, plus some added info about admissions, curriculum, vet student life, etc.
After the tour, we'll spend another hour and a half in the junior lecture hall having a question and answer session about vet school.
I'm pretty interested to talk to these students. It was only a year ago that I had just frantically finished the VMCAS application and supplemental applications (I think it's an October 1st deadline) and everything was out of my hands.
The kids hoping to get acceptance letters in the spring are still probably close enough to the application deadline that they are still thinking:
After the tour, we'll spend another hour and a half in the junior lecture hall having a question and answer session about vet school.
I'm pretty interested to talk to these students. It was only a year ago that I had just frantically finished the VMCAS application and supplemental applications (I think it's an October 1st deadline) and everything was out of my hands.
The kids hoping to get acceptance letters in the spring are still probably close enough to the application deadline that they are still thinking:
- Should I have re-taken the GRE?
- Should I have taken another anatomy class instead of an elective?
- Did I ask the right people to write my recommendation letters?
- Have I worked for a vet long enough?
- Should I have applied to more schools?
- Is my veterinary experience varied enough?
- Did I make any grammar errors or typos in my personal statement?
- Am I going to stick out enough to get the attention of the admissions committee?
- Can I really afford to attend that out-of-state school I applied to?
- What am I going to do when I get a bunch of rejection letters?
- How am I supposed to prepare for my interview?
- Was that essay I wrote dumb?
- etc. times about infinity
I don't remember much about that feeling and wondering, despite it being only a couple years ago. I know that I didn't honestly have a lot of doubt that I wouldn't get into vet school. I never really considered a back-up plan or a Plan B in case of non-admission. It's interesting to think what I might have been doing for the last 12 months, had I not been lucky enough to be admitted on my first try.
Mostly, I'm just glad that now I'm in vet school and I don't have to worry about the application details any more. It's nice to know you have a "place" to be for a certain period of time. I guess I'll get to start worrying again in a couple years when I have to think about actually finding a job... (well, first I guess I have to pass the NAVLE....).
The Pharmacology study plan
....is revealed!
Our 2nd, and much scarier, Pharmacology exam is on Monday afternoon.
Now, granted, I got 15/15 on our first and only quiz, and 28/29 on the first exam. So it's not like I have to ace this exam or I'm in big trouble.
But I would really like to do well on Pharm, especially in light of the horror of this past Tuesday's Toxicology exam.
The fundamental basis of the Study Plan is an intense and overwhelming production and review of flash cards.
Thus far I've made flashcards for almost all of the autonomic nervous system pharmacology (ANS basics, cholinergic agonists and antagonists, adrenergic agonists and antagonists, ganglionic blockers, and neuromuscular junction blockers). That is about 120 flash cards. I'm doing really well on the ANS basics and cholinergic agonists. I'm doing moderately well on cholinergic antagonists. I just started the other ones today.
The rest of this evening includes:
Our 2nd, and much scarier, Pharmacology exam is on Monday afternoon.
Now, granted, I got 15/15 on our first and only quiz, and 28/29 on the first exam. So it's not like I have to ace this exam or I'm in big trouble.
But I would really like to do well on Pharm, especially in light of the horror of this past Tuesday's Toxicology exam.
The fundamental basis of the Study Plan is an intense and overwhelming production and review of flash cards.
Thus far I've made flashcards for almost all of the autonomic nervous system pharmacology (ANS basics, cholinergic agonists and antagonists, adrenergic agonists and antagonists, ganglionic blockers, and neuromuscular junction blockers). That is about 120 flash cards. I'm doing really well on the ANS basics and cholinergic agonists. I'm doing moderately well on cholinergic antagonists. I just started the other ones today.
The rest of this evening includes:
- Critical care autonomic drugs
- Possibly starting on antiarrhythmics
Tomorrow morning's trip to Denver will include:
- A review of all the flash cards I've made so far
- Hopefully finishing up the antiarrhythmic flash cards
Tomorrow afternoon and evening:
- Vasodilators
- Positive inotropic agents
- Diuretics
The Plan is to finish ALL my flash cards by the end of tomorrow, thus reserving Sunday for intensive flash card review (I'm glad I bought the 500-pack of index cards).
Monday, prior to 1 pm, will also be used for flash card review.
I'm feeling like this will probably be manageable. I would love to continue to get A's in all of my classes (well, except Toxicology).
But I'm pretty sure that after this test, I'm going to start making flash cards a lot sooner before the exam approaches...
Thursday, October 8, 2009
How does the Lyme vaccine work?
(by special request) :-)
Hey, I actually know this one!
So, Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi which is transmitted by several species of ticks. The bacterium expresses several different antigens depending on where the bacterium is existing. I think that the bacterium expresses the OspA antigen when the bacterium is living in the tick, and the OspC antigen when the bacterium is living in the mammalian host (dog, human, etc.).
The Lyme vaccine, when administered to a dog, induces the dog's immune system to make antibodies against the OspA antigen. (Seems counterintuitive because the OspA antigen isn't expressed in the dog, right?)
The deal is that the tick must be attached to the mammalian host and feeding for a certain period of time before the bacterium can be transmitted.
When the tick starts taking a blood meal from the dog, it also ingests the antibodies against OspA that are circulating in the dog's bloodstream thanks to the vaccination.
The antibodies against OspA then enter the tick's digestive organs where the bacterium is waiting before it can be transmitted to the dog. Since the bacterium is still expressing the OspA antigen, the antibodies against OspA can bind up the OspA antigen and neutralize it and thus prevent it from being transmitted to the dog.
(At least that's how it works in theory.)
Whoa, I learned something in vet school!!!
Hey, I actually know this one!
So, Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi which is transmitted by several species of ticks. The bacterium expresses several different antigens depending on where the bacterium is existing. I think that the bacterium expresses the OspA antigen when the bacterium is living in the tick, and the OspC antigen when the bacterium is living in the mammalian host (dog, human, etc.).
The Lyme vaccine, when administered to a dog, induces the dog's immune system to make antibodies against the OspA antigen. (Seems counterintuitive because the OspA antigen isn't expressed in the dog, right?)
The deal is that the tick must be attached to the mammalian host and feeding for a certain period of time before the bacterium can be transmitted.
When the tick starts taking a blood meal from the dog, it also ingests the antibodies against OspA that are circulating in the dog's bloodstream thanks to the vaccination.
The antibodies against OspA then enter the tick's digestive organs where the bacterium is waiting before it can be transmitted to the dog. Since the bacterium is still expressing the OspA antigen, the antibodies against OspA can bind up the OspA antigen and neutralize it and thus prevent it from being transmitted to the dog.
(At least that's how it works in theory.)
Whoa, I learned something in vet school!!!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Ready for a good day
After Monday's ups and downs, and a rough Tuesday** culminating in a terrible, terrible Toxicology exam (which we won't talk about right now), I am ready for a happy Wednesday. Bring it on!
**Although I did find out that I got 100% on my Preventive Medicine exam from last week, and I also won a backpack in a raffle at the Royal Canin luncheon (where I also got my fill of free pizza)...
**Although I did find out that I got 100% on my Preventive Medicine exam from last week, and I also won a backpack in a raffle at the Royal Canin luncheon (where I also got my fill of free pizza)...
Monday, October 5, 2009
The ups and downs of my Monday
Today was a Monday full of pros and cons, positives and negatives, boos and bravos, yays and nays.
Up: Slept all the way through the night (which, thank goodness, is becoming a more common occurrence lately)
Down: Woke up to a gloomy morning and had to get out of bed and leave CLH asleep
Up: Made it through a grueling 19 minutes of jogging (tomorrow I'll do 20!)
Up: Packed an awesome lunch
Down: It was raining during my drive to school, resulting in an overabundance of what I've decided to start calling "noodlehead" drivers (because it's harder to yell "You noodlehead!" with a straight face than it is to yell some other remarks)
Up: Our new lecturer in Preventive Medicine was pretty awesome, and funny too -- although basically I would have been thrilled with anything that wasn't statistics
Up: Bioanalytical Pathology exam went really well -- I had felt pretty prepared for it, and I'm almost sure I got an 'A' -- there was only 1 question where I felt I sort of guessed between two answers, but it sounds like I guessed right
Up: Skipped management class
Down: Did not study tox at all during the lunch break, even though needing to study tox was my excuse for skipping management
Up: Found out that in recent years the tox professor has surprised the class on exam day or the day before and made it an open-note or take-home exam
Down: Found out that this year's juniors did terribly on the tox section of their capstone exam, so people are guessing we won't get a take-home exam tomorrow after all
Up: Ate my banana, canteloupe, strawberries, yogurt, and carrot. Yum!
Down: Spilled my entire Tupperware container of chicken parmesan, spaghetti, and pasta sauce all over my sweatshirt and jeans and the communal couch. Friends laughed.
Up: Chicken parmesan et al was still tasty after scooping it back into the container and reheating
Up: Achieved level 8 in Farmville and now can plant raspberries
Down: Was quizzed on tox material by a friend and failed miserably at coming up with 80% of the correct answers. Drop in self-esteem.
Up: Noticed the sun had come out!
Up: My preferred lecturer taught in Pharmacology
Up: Sounds like the format of the upcoming Pharm exam will be fair and not too terrible
Down: Tox professor rushed through about 30 new poisonous plants that we are supposed to learn/memorize before tomorrow's exam; no mention of it being open-book or take-home
Down: Spent several hours in the computer lab studying tox; did not get nearly as far as I needed to
Down: Gloomy again by the time I left school
Up: Got gas for $2.19/gallon
Down: Went to Sunflower and couldn't find 2 of the 3 things CLH asked me to get
Up: Did find a decent-looking cucumber at a reasonable price
Up: Remembered that Sunflower has the awesome watermelon-flavored licorice that I used to eat all the time in Arizona
Down: Could not find said licorice; maybe it is sold at Sprouts, not Sunflower?
Up: Got some tropical-flavored gummy bears and a tub of chocolate pecan clusters instead; sampled both on the way home and found them to be delicious
Down: Raining again on the way home; serious reappearance of noodlehead drivers (you would think that since these people can drive confidently through a snowstorm, a slight drizzle wouldn't bug them...)
Up: Saw the sneaky highway patrol car in time to drop 10 mph off my speed and avoid a ticket (which wouldn't be good since I lack proof of insurance and registration for the car.... gotta fix that)
Up: Remembered we're having lasagna for dinner. Yum!
Down: Found out that it was weird chicken lasagna with carrots and peppers. Yuck.
Down: 'A' and 'P' keys are hardly working on my laptop (try typing "laptop" with your 'A' and 'P' keys not working)
Up: Remembered that I don't have to go to class until 11 am tomorrow. Hooray for sleep, exercise, and extra study time!
Up: Slept all the way through the night (which, thank goodness, is becoming a more common occurrence lately)
Down: Woke up to a gloomy morning and had to get out of bed and leave CLH asleep
Up: Made it through a grueling 19 minutes of jogging (tomorrow I'll do 20!)
Up: Packed an awesome lunch
Down: It was raining during my drive to school, resulting in an overabundance of what I've decided to start calling "noodlehead" drivers (because it's harder to yell "You noodlehead!" with a straight face than it is to yell some other remarks)
Up: Our new lecturer in Preventive Medicine was pretty awesome, and funny too -- although basically I would have been thrilled with anything that wasn't statistics
Up: Bioanalytical Pathology exam went really well -- I had felt pretty prepared for it, and I'm almost sure I got an 'A' -- there was only 1 question where I felt I sort of guessed between two answers, but it sounds like I guessed right
Up: Skipped management class
Down: Did not study tox at all during the lunch break, even though needing to study tox was my excuse for skipping management
Up: Found out that in recent years the tox professor has surprised the class on exam day or the day before and made it an open-note or take-home exam
Down: Found out that this year's juniors did terribly on the tox section of their capstone exam, so people are guessing we won't get a take-home exam tomorrow after all
Up: Ate my banana, canteloupe, strawberries, yogurt, and carrot. Yum!
Down: Spilled my entire Tupperware container of chicken parmesan, spaghetti, and pasta sauce all over my sweatshirt and jeans and the communal couch. Friends laughed.
Up: Chicken parmesan et al was still tasty after scooping it back into the container and reheating
Up: Achieved level 8 in Farmville and now can plant raspberries
Down: Was quizzed on tox material by a friend and failed miserably at coming up with 80% of the correct answers. Drop in self-esteem.
Up: Noticed the sun had come out!
Up: My preferred lecturer taught in Pharmacology
Up: Sounds like the format of the upcoming Pharm exam will be fair and not too terrible
Down: Tox professor rushed through about 30 new poisonous plants that we are supposed to learn/memorize before tomorrow's exam; no mention of it being open-book or take-home
Down: Spent several hours in the computer lab studying tox; did not get nearly as far as I needed to
Down: Gloomy again by the time I left school
Up: Got gas for $2.19/gallon
Down: Went to Sunflower and couldn't find 2 of the 3 things CLH asked me to get
Up: Did find a decent-looking cucumber at a reasonable price
Up: Remembered that Sunflower has the awesome watermelon-flavored licorice that I used to eat all the time in Arizona
Down: Could not find said licorice; maybe it is sold at Sprouts, not Sunflower?
Up: Got some tropical-flavored gummy bears and a tub of chocolate pecan clusters instead; sampled both on the way home and found them to be delicious
Down: Raining again on the way home; serious reappearance of noodlehead drivers (you would think that since these people can drive confidently through a snowstorm, a slight drizzle wouldn't bug them...)
Up: Saw the sneaky highway patrol car in time to drop 10 mph off my speed and avoid a ticket (which wouldn't be good since I lack proof of insurance and registration for the car.... gotta fix that)
Up: Remembered we're having lasagna for dinner. Yum!
Down: Found out that it was weird chicken lasagna with carrots and peppers. Yuck.
Down: 'A' and 'P' keys are hardly working on my laptop (try typing "laptop" with your 'A' and 'P' keys not working)
Up: Remembered that I don't have to go to class until 11 am tomorrow. Hooray for sleep, exercise, and extra study time!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Vet school joke of the day
Q: What are the two sexiest animals?
A: Brown chicken brown cow.
Seriously, that has been cracking me up all weekend.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
If you don't get it: think "bow chicka wow wow."
.
.
.
.
.
.
If you still don't get it, I'm afraid I can't help.
A: Brown chicken brown cow.
Seriously, that has been cracking me up all weekend.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
If you don't get it: think "bow chicka wow wow."
.
.
.
.
.
.
If you still don't get it, I'm afraid I can't help.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Need to prioritize
I think I've posted about this before.... the all-too-common phenomenon by which I have a lot of important stuff to do and yet I choose to do something else entirely.
What should I be doing this weekend? Studying.
What should I be studying? Bioanalytical pathology (exam on Monday), Toxicology (exam on Tuesday), and Biology of Disease (exam online next week).
What did I choose to study last night? Preventive medicine.
When was my last preventive medicine test? Two days ago.
When is my next preventive medicine test? In about two weeks.
How many other exams do I have before then? Four or five.
Pretty much I'm just sick of studying for Bioanalytical Path, I don't even know where to begin for Tox, and I'm already basically caught up on BoD.
Still, time to press onward....
What should I be doing this weekend? Studying.
What should I be studying? Bioanalytical pathology (exam on Monday), Toxicology (exam on Tuesday), and Biology of Disease (exam online next week).
What did I choose to study last night? Preventive medicine.
When was my last preventive medicine test? Two days ago.
When is my next preventive medicine test? In about two weeks.
How many other exams do I have before then? Four or five.
Pretty much I'm just sick of studying for Bioanalytical Path, I don't even know where to begin for Tox, and I'm already basically caught up on BoD.
Still, time to press onward....
A 5 minute mile is a little too fast for me
Today's 5k hosted by the One Health Club went pretty well. (No, that does not mean I enjoyed getting up at 6:15 and huddling outside in the 28 degree weather for almost two hours before the race started.)
They were hoping for about 100 participants but ended up with 43 people running although 60 people registered (some pre-registered and didn't show up). I actually counted about 45 dogs there, so that was a pretty good dog-to-person ratio. Apparently some of the other local 5k's don't allow canine participation, so that was a plus for ours.
The winner of the race completed it in about 16 minutes, which came to 5 minutes and 10 seconds per mile.
Ok, seriously? Is that, like, humanly possible? I think I could run that fast for about 8 steps before collapsing. Ten minute miles are more my speed.
I didn't run but did do physicals on canine participants for about an hour and talk to people about obesity. Fortunately, most of the doggies that attended were in pretty good shape, because it is often awkward to explain to people that their dog is really fat. (Denial, anyone? "No, she's just fluffy." "It's her winter weight." "I can't stop giving her treats, she'll hate me!")
I got home around 11:30, listed to some "Whad'ya Know" on NPR, had some lunch, and dove into my books and notes in preparation for my upcoming terrible exams.
And, surprisingly, I have managed to stay awake all afternoon so far! Though a nap has been constantly calling....
They were hoping for about 100 participants but ended up with 43 people running although 60 people registered (some pre-registered and didn't show up). I actually counted about 45 dogs there, so that was a pretty good dog-to-person ratio. Apparently some of the other local 5k's don't allow canine participation, so that was a plus for ours.
The winner of the race completed it in about 16 minutes, which came to 5 minutes and 10 seconds per mile.
Ok, seriously? Is that, like, humanly possible? I think I could run that fast for about 8 steps before collapsing. Ten minute miles are more my speed.
I didn't run but did do physicals on canine participants for about an hour and talk to people about obesity. Fortunately, most of the doggies that attended were in pretty good shape, because it is often awkward to explain to people that their dog is really fat. (Denial, anyone? "No, she's just fluffy." "It's her winter weight." "I can't stop giving her treats, she'll hate me!")
I got home around 11:30, listed to some "Whad'ya Know" on NPR, had some lunch, and dove into my books and notes in preparation for my upcoming terrible exams.
And, surprisingly, I have managed to stay awake all afternoon so far! Though a nap has been constantly calling....
Friday, October 2, 2009
Brown stool, anyone?
Today while playing Farmville on Facebook, I got enough points to get upgraded to Level 5.
As part of my congratulations, Facebook informed me that as a Level 5 farmer, "Now you can buy pumpkin, white stool, brown stool."
Being a semi-immature vet student, I laughed.
As part of my congratulations, Facebook informed me that as a Level 5 farmer, "Now you can buy pumpkin, white stool, brown stool."
Being a semi-immature vet student, I laughed.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Conspiracy
I swear the whole world is trying to get me to start drinking coffee!
Today I got a $10 Starbucks gift card in the mail as a thank-you from the Giant Veterinary Corporation I worked for this summer.
I may not drink coffee (yet), but I sure as heck enjoy delicious and fattening pastries!
Today I got a $10 Starbucks gift card in the mail as a thank-you from the Giant Veterinary Corporation I worked for this summer.
I may not drink coffee (yet), but I sure as heck enjoy delicious and fattening pastries!
1 scary exam down, 2 (3?) more to go
Today's terrifying-exam-of-the-day was our first Preventive Medicine exam. It covered about 5 weeks of material, about half of which was statistics. (Ugh. Did I mention yet that I already took statistics as an undergrad and I don't like it?!)
The exam went okay, but I'm pretty sure I got somewhere around a B although I would have liked to do better. The best part is that we are now done with lectures on statistics (although we still have some statistics material on our second exam, coming up in two weeks --- after that, I hope to be done forever).
This weekend, I'll be spending plenty of time prepping for the 3 exams occurring on Monday and Tuesday:
The exam went okay, but I'm pretty sure I got somewhere around a B although I would have liked to do better. The best part is that we are now done with lectures on statistics (although we still have some statistics material on our second exam, coming up in two weeks --- after that, I hope to be done forever).
This weekend, I'll be spending plenty of time prepping for the 3 exams occurring on Monday and Tuesday:
- Bioanalytical Pathology ("Clin Path") on Monday: our first exam, covering 6 weeks of material with 6 hours of lecture/lab every week; includes material that we will be learning tomorrow (way to wait till the last minute, dudes); will require the integration of a lot of different pieces of material that we haven't necessarily had much practice putting together
- Toxicology ("Tox") on Tuesday: our first exam, covering 6.5 weeks of material; the first half of the lectures were given by a random, off-the-wall, disorganized prof; the second half of the lectures were given by a more organized but overly informative prof who has not really clarified how much of the pages and pages of info he actually expects us to know for the test
- Biology of Disease ("BoD"): our third exam, covering a mere two weeks of cardiology; I am not really worried about this one because I got 100% on the first two exams and I am pretty sure I understand how the prof asks questions and what she expects us to know (this is a great class); this exam is online so I can take it anytime between 5 pm Monday and 5 pm Wednesday -- I'm thinking I'll do it Tuesday afternoon once Tox is out of the way
The following week (October 12), I get to look forward to our second Pharm exam, and believe you me, I am certainly glad at this point that the first exam was a breeze, because the second will surely be a struggle. Thankfully, I'll have a solid 5.5-6 days next week to study for nothing but Pharm.
Our second PrevMed exam is coming up on Oct. 15. Shouldn't be too tough since it'll only cover 2-3 weeks of info.
All that, and I'm still glad I'm not a freshman again! Poor, poor them.
Early Saturday #2 approaches
Ok, so last Saturday wasn't so bad. I ended up getting to sleep in till almost 8 before heading down to Denver for the zoo trip.
[Which, incidentally, was pretty awesome. It was only supposed to be an hour long but ended up running from 10:15-noon. Our tour guide was the "Curator of Behavioral Husbandry" -- isn't that an awesome title. We talked about a few exhibits from the front, where the public goes, then went behind the scenes. We met a cute little zebra who was isolated from the herd because he was growing up and his dad kicked him out. He really wanted attention. We went into the cheetah (or leopard?) house to see where the cats sleep at night and where they are trained. The coolest thing we saw was the inside of the large African predator facility, which houses the lions, hyenas, and wild dogs. It is apparently a state-of-the-art building and was totally awesome. We got to see a couple of the trainers working with two of the hyenas (which, note to self, are huge up close). All in all it was a really neat trip.]
I just got home from an organizational meeting for the One Health Club's 5k this Saturday. I volunteered to help out with physical exams and body condition score assessments on the dogs that are expected to come and run with their humans. The race starts at 9 am, and we found out tonight that they want all the volunteers to be there at 7:30 am (!). So I guess I will be getting up even earlier on Saturday than I usually do on Sundays, or on school days. But it should be fun, and good practice on doing PEs. We practiced exams tonight on four or five dogs, and Simon is currently giving my jeans and sweatshirts a thorough and suspicious scent examination.
[Which, incidentally, was pretty awesome. It was only supposed to be an hour long but ended up running from 10:15-noon. Our tour guide was the "Curator of Behavioral Husbandry" -- isn't that an awesome title. We talked about a few exhibits from the front, where the public goes, then went behind the scenes. We met a cute little zebra who was isolated from the herd because he was growing up and his dad kicked him out. He really wanted attention. We went into the cheetah (or leopard?) house to see where the cats sleep at night and where they are trained. The coolest thing we saw was the inside of the large African predator facility, which houses the lions, hyenas, and wild dogs. It is apparently a state-of-the-art building and was totally awesome. We got to see a couple of the trainers working with two of the hyenas (which, note to self, are huge up close). All in all it was a really neat trip.]
I just got home from an organizational meeting for the One Health Club's 5k this Saturday. I volunteered to help out with physical exams and body condition score assessments on the dogs that are expected to come and run with their humans. The race starts at 9 am, and we found out tonight that they want all the volunteers to be there at 7:30 am (!). So I guess I will be getting up even earlier on Saturday than I usually do on Sundays, or on school days. But it should be fun, and good practice on doing PEs. We practiced exams tonight on four or five dogs, and Simon is currently giving my jeans and sweatshirts a thorough and suspicious scent examination.
I love fall
Today was a (nearly) perfect fall day. It was brisk (in the mid-50s) but clear and sunny. The leaves are starting to turn and the mountains have a little snow on top. I like it!
Want a pair of cats?
Dear, darling Johnny and Simon were up on top of the refrigerator today, and evidently knocked the freezer door open on their way down. It was wide open when I got home just now, and by the look of things inside, had been that way for most of the 10 hours I was gone.
Anybody looking to adopt two adorable but undeniably and unapologetically mischievous felines??
Anybody looking to adopt two adorable but undeniably and unapologetically mischievous felines??
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