"Aw, it's like a Christmas present!"

Well a very odd Christmas present. This was the exclamation of my classmate as we put away our cadavers this morning. At AVC, every second Wednesday morning, we have field trips to farms in Semester 1. We didn't have one today, so five of us diligently headed into the formalin den (I mean, anatomy lab) to go over anatomy. We spent about an hour and a half, going over muscles and insertions and trying to figure our way through the extrinsic muscles of the thoracic limb. Then we put them away - the cadaver bags are bright red, and we tie them off with green twine. So in a way, she was right. They do look like Christmas presents. Odd colour combination if you ask me.

As we were putting them back in the cold room, I did a double take. To my right, a dead goat. To my left, a dead goat in a tub of formalin. In front of me, a single horse leg wrapped in plastic, and a dead pony hanging upside down from the ceiling. In short, the cold rooms of vet schools vaguely resemble a scene from a horror movie. You get used to it. (For the record, the goats and pony are probably specimens to be used for next semester - I fully expect to see them in January when we start large animal dissection.)

We're almost done Week 1 here. I'm still in the stupidly giddy phase - I'm sure that will wear off soon. I'm weird excitedly for a class called Integration of Structure and Function. It's the first chance that we really get to apply the new knowledge we have to actual cases, even if they're hypothetical. We did a little of this at Dalhousie when I took Medical Bacteriology (by the way, if you're a Dal student right now, take this course - it's awesome, and Dr Davidson is awesome). I learn really well this way, and I'm a bit jealous of some American friends I know who are at schools with a more problem-based curriculum. I won't get to see what it's really like until the middle of next week though.

"Hey! I think that's the clavicular intersection!"

Yes, the cries of the first year vet student when she finally finds something on her dog cadaver. It's a bit like a baby when they learn to balance on two feet. Oh, they're so proud of themselves! (Whether the baby in it's stinky diaper or the vet student smelling of formalin smells worse is still up for debate...)

Classes officially started today. The first two hours were a bit dull - hospital safety stuff. Important, but dry and I was thankful to finally get to physiology. Loved physiology! The professor is quick and funny and so far, the material is fairly basic (don't worry, I expect that to change...).


Then came anatomy. Every vet student DREADS anatomy. It's a ton of information in not a lot of time. On went the scrubs and the boots and gloves and into the lab we went. All the dogs seemed to be freaking huge - I think my group ended up with some sort of German Shepherd mix type dog. Over the course of the three hour lab I learned:
Various muscles of the thoracic limb (which I'm now going over, and over, and over some more)
Dog preserved in formaldehyde has the same consistency as well done steak
Fingers are often a far better dissection tool then scalpels
Dead dogs aren't very cooperative

But every now and then you'd manage to match up what you saw on the dog to the perfect illustration in the textbook and get a little tiny shining moment of "Hey, maybe I can do this!"

Note: The author would like to remind everyone to keep their dogs lean and healthy. Because one day, a vet student may have to dissect it, and extra fat is a real pain in the ass to clean off the muscle.

Vet school photo dump!

Finally getting a chance to decompress (if briefly) today. My bedroom is organized, the rest of the house is almost organized. So I'm taking some time to upload some photos!

Blue Coat Ceremony

It was really beautiful. My riding instructor came up to be my presenter for it. It was a very emotional night, lots of people in tears of joy and pride. S, my instructor, held herself together until just as she was leaving and I saw her eyes get quite red and puffy and starting to tear up. (Admittedly, I think I look dumb in my blue coat. I got a 34, and should have gotten a 32, and the sleeves are a bit too long, so I look like a kid playing dress up. *sigh*)

Housemates and I had a few moments of "Wow, we're really doing this" after the ceremony as we stood around in the kitchen chatting. I'm sure it will sink it on Monday. Still need to buy my dissection kit, now that I think abot it.

Does anything need to be 2166 pages long??

Apparently, it does. "It" in this case in Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary. Comprehensive in this case might be the understatement of the century. It's 2166 pages long, and 2.5 inches thick. What have I got myself into?? Though  I suppose if the vet thing doesn't pan out, I can always use it as a step stool for getting things off high shelves.

Meanwhile, Guide to the Dissection of the Dog is deceptively small. I don't trust it. I keep waiting for it to spontaneously get six inches bigger. Of course, I think it might be the academic equivalent of a neutron star - a huge amount of material packed into a ridiculously tiny space. Still has that new textbook smell too! Soon to be replaced by the smell of formaldehyde. Hurrah!

T-minus 19 days

I most likely won't update daily, hopefully weekly. Photos, funny stories, frustrations - this will be a no holds barred look at my years in vet school.

I'm a 24 year old Nova Scotian. I have a BSc in Biology from Dalhousie University. I'm moving to Charlottetown on August 25, where I'll be staying with two other first year vet studets. Orientation for the Atlantic Veterinary College is August 26 (yes, cutting it close, I know!).

Last night, my riding club threw me a wonderful surprise party. Most of the members turned out, and even those that didn't, sent cards and well wishes. My wonderful riding instructor, who has been like a mother to me for 7+ years, gave me a personalized Littmann Classic II S.E. stethoscope. If I would have been the crying kind, I would have been. I will miss them all terribly!