Explanation of my absence

My father passed away on February 22. I was actually planning an update that day (I have no excuse for where I vanished to between the 7th and the 21st).

The reception after the funeral actually sparked the idea for this post. See, I saw a lot of relatives that I haven't seen in a really long time. They know I'm in vet school. They don't seem to know anything about vet school beyond that. I can't blame them. I mean, I don't know anything about law school.

Common questions I got:
- So, how many years is that? (I've heard that some people think it's a two year community college thing. Luckily none of my friends and relations fell into that category and most thought it was around four years.)
- Small animal or large animal? (There's only two kinds of vets to the general public.)
- My dog needs to go to the vet college. Can I ask for you? (Um... I'm a first year. I only get to deal with dead things.)
- How many in your class? Really, 60? That's a lot! (This was especially funny to me, because AVC has one of the smallest classes in North America, and my cell biology undergraduate class was 500+)

Fortunately, no one asked me to diagnose anything.

I'd like to deviate a moment to give a shout-out to all the faculty at AVC. They have been amazing to me, helping me to reschedule tests and get back on track. My classmates have been equally as fantastic. I will say that for anyone with an acceptance to AVC who is considering the school, the community within the school is so close knit and helpful. 

A note during interview season

So, first off, I'm not doing this to be patronising. And I know that some of you will ignore it, and I don't really blame you, I would have too. But I thought I'd put it out there anyway. If nothing else, it's a brief distraction from studying about heartworm and the eight million things that all look the same and can appear in poo.

The Class of 2016 hopefuls are starting to appear at AVC for their interviews. For now it's the internationals, but in a bit, the Atlantic Canadians will show up (PS - if you're an Atlantic Canadian with an interview, let me know. I love to meet people!) My classmates and I have been talking a lot about what it was like for us to be in those shoes. Those god awful uncomfortable shoes, if I remember correctly (both metaphorically uncomfortable, and literally uncomfortable because I hate high heels as I hate Hell, all Montagues and thee).

I'm going to start by being a massive downer. Not all of you will get in. Depending on where you're applying from, the odds are better or worse, but the cold hard truth is that there's way more applications than seats. On our first day, we were told that there were 360 applications for 60 seats. Some of you will get rejection letters right out of the gate. Some of you will get them after interviews. Some of you will get waitlisted and then never hear anything. Now, an addendum to my previous statement - Not all of you will get in this year. I really can't stress that enough. Yes, it will probably be shattering when you get rejected. But there's always next year. I threw a god forsaken fit when I got rejected post-interview in 2010 the first time around. I sobbed and moaned about how it's just not fair. Eventually, I picked myself up, did a post-mortem review and set a plan into action to spit and polish next year's application. Amazingly, that first fit was really nothing compared with the fit I had in 2011 when I was waitlisted. For crying out loud, what else could I do?! "I'm never getting in!" I mournfully remarked to my mother. (My poor mother...) Lo and behold though, a week later, that waitlist moved and here I am.

Even if you're flat out rejected, there is hope. Chances are, you can improve in some way to boost your chances. And if you're rejected, please remember, it is not a reflection of you as a person. Everyone comes into this with a different background. Different skills, different opportunities, different talents. It may be easier for A to get experience than it is for B. C may be better at science courses than D. Maybe E would have had better marks, but she was working a full time job while going to school, so couldn't devote as much time to physics as F. Everyone's circumstances are different. When you get into vet school, you will be over the moon that everyone is so diverse. I can't tell you how often I go see a classmate because they know cows. Or ferrets. Or physiology. Meanwhile, people come to me because I know histology, and horses, and etymology (you laugh, but it's amazingly helpful in anatomy). My long-winded point is, be the best applicant you can be. Don't complain about how so-and-so had it easier. It won't get you anywhere.

While you're touring the school, take a look at the students around you. They were you. Hell, some of us were you two or three times in a row. We got in. It wasn't easy, it may not have been immediate, but we got in. We're not superheroes. If we got in, so can you. Throw your all at it, have some confidence and persistence, and you'll be in. Maybe not this year, maybe not next year, but you will be in. And then it'll be you blogging at 10:30 at night to avoid studying for a parasitology test.

One month in and back in the swing

Yes, we're pretty much back in full swing. We've written two tests since my last post, with a quiz tomorrow, and another test next Thursday. We seem to have a never-ending stream of tests this semester, due to some courses having more than 1 midterm. For example - for histology, we have a midterm and a final. But histology only officially goes until March 5. So we just wrote the midterm for it on Monday. The final is March 5. Then we switch to embryology. And that has a midterm and a final. Anatomy has quizzes this semester. Parasitology has 3 tests and a final. You get the picture. I counted the other day - this semester, by April 27 when we write our last final exam, we'll have written 19 tests/exams this semester. There's only 17 weeks in the semester. Meaning we have a minimum of one test every single week. Yikes.

On the whole though, I am enjoying the semester. Anatomy is a bit tedious this semester. It's both the pain of learning new stuff, and the pain of trying to remember old stuff. I'm enjoying epidemiology, more or less. I like the concepts, I just haven't really liked any of the lecturers at this point.

My structure and function group is doing our presentation this Friday. That will be nice to have out of the way. At least we're doing it on a week when we don't have much else to worry about. Last week's group had the parasitology test on Thursday and then had to present on Friday. Our presentation is on the function of the udder. My section is on the milk ejection reflex so I'm mostly talking about hormones and neural pathways. Nothing too hard, though I'm hoping I can manage to say "magnocellular neurosecretory cell" without stumbling. While researching "milk ejection reflex", I remembered a rule I should know by now: Always specify the species. I got a bazillion results on breastfeeding. As in, human breastfeeding. (Not that I'm against breastfeeding, I'm all for it in both humans and non-human animals. It just wasn't what I wanted!)

So there's January gone already. Three months to summer break. Bring it on! To my pre-vet readers from Atlantic Canada - I know that time may be flying for me, but I know it's dragging for you. Hang in there, those interview invites WILL come. I look forward to meeting you!

(And my foot has more or less healed up. Never got a big impressive bruise, unfortunately. Boo. And she was very good this week, no fuss with her feet at all.)

Ending with a bang

Unfortunately, that "bang" was the sound of our assigned horse stepping on my foot. Ow. She's usually a doll. This is sort of how it went.

Me: *picks up her hind foot*
Horse: Nooo. I'm a mare, and I'm cranky because the dumb horse keeps making faces at me and kicking the wall. *pulls foot away*
Me: *holds on to it* Nope, mine, not done picking this out yet.
Horse: Nooo! *yank*
Me: *loses grip on the hoof*
Horse: *puts foot down toe first on to my foot*

Luckily, she spared my toes and got me higher up on the foot. Still hurt like a bugger though. I'm hypotensive though, and had a vasovagal (re: dizzy) spell and had to lean against a wall in the barn with my head between my knees for awhile. Thank you to my concerned classmates who asked if I was okay. It passed though, and back I went to finish what I started. Then I walked the Beagles again. Then I went home and I've been icing it on and off ever since, keeping it propped up on the bed. There's a mild purple tinge to the skin but nothing worth writing home about. Harrumph. If I'm going to get stepped on, I'd at least like something impressive! Maybe tomorrow my immune's system artistic side will have come out.

Beagle Day!

Yes, Mondays are a little better this semester for me. Even though it's a Monday and I have to be up earlier than any other day. Classes start at 8:30 as usual, but I run the student laundry office from 8-8:30, so I'm there a half hour earlier. But I do that on Tuesdays too. So what's special about Mondays?

Mondays are the day I walk my group's Beagles. Yes it's stupidly cold out and I get to school before the sun even comes up (lazy sun, loafing around...), but what can I say? I love to watch them play. They skid around on the ice and run along the fence line with each passing car and then I call them and they zoom back to me, usually ducking between my legs at the last second. I'm dog deprived these days. My girl was put to sleep November 2010, so she didn't make the trek to PEI with me. I have housemates now, so not really in a position to get another dog. I plan on getting my own place next year, but still don't think I'll be able to get a new dog. I'm just gone too much, it wouldn't be fair to the dog. I think it's one thing to do that to a dog you've had for years, but not one you've just gotten. I may become a cat person. There's lots of humane society cats that need adopting. I don't dislike cats. I just find them a little odd. But they can be loveable. And I'm loveable and a little odd, so maybe we'll go very well together.

Speaking of the future, it's summer job application time. Yes, already! The positions don't start until May, obviously, but they're starting to post ads now. AVC hires students in various positions every summer. I'm hoping to get something with them, and to be honest, I don't really care what it is. I have preferences, but there's not a lot that I'd really hate doing. Maybe basic small animal care would be a no-go, but even something like ICU would be cool. I put in one application already for a position that closes on Jan 26. We will see!

Oh glorious Wednesday!

We have some scheduling issues this semester. Mostly the issue is asking ourselves "Who came up with this??" Case in point - Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Wednesdays are wonderful (if you'll pardon the alliteration).We start at 9:30, an hour later than usual. We have an hour of Physiology, and then an hour of Structure and Function and since it's a discussion based class, it's a nice break from the usual lecturing. Then we have a two hour (!) lunch. Finally, we have an hour of Epidemiology* and then we may or may not have an Epidemiology lab.

*And today was a bonus because one of my favourite professors was guest lecturing.

Then there's through-the-wringer Thursdays (okay, that alliteration was just bad, and I apologize). Four straight hours of lecture in the morning. Four different subjects, none of them particularly easy. After lunch, it's three hours of Anatomy lab. Not to mention that it's Thursday, so you're just generally tired all ready anyway.

We had our first Parasitology lab on Monday. Fecal samples! Huzzah! We were eagerly awaiting our samples to come out of the centrifuge the way that other people might await cookies from the oven (well, okay, not quite THAT eager). I was largely unsuccessful in finding anything in my chosen sample of foal poo. I had to get one of the faculty over to locate something for me. Just not used to looking for the eggs yet. I know what they should look like, I just don't know what they should look like in relation to everything else on a microscope slide.

They also had some preserved specimens in jars of formalin. People always compare intestinal worms to spaghetti or rice. Poppycock, I say! They look like bean sprouts. At least Ascaris suum does.

Two weeks already?

Once again, we're moving right along. Most of our classes are pretty good. Clinical Orientation is presenting some challenges for some people though. Not all the horses are good to work with, especially for those in our class who have no prior horse experience. And even though I have experience, I don't know what to do with them, because I don't know how the college wants us to discipline their horses. On the bright side, my friends and I got a little giddy when one of the professors informed us we'd be learning blood draws later this semester. Our first really procedure! We may still have training wheels, but we are pedalling on our own!

I signed up for the Large Animal Intensive Care team today. It used to be mostly just sleeping in the barn and assisting with foalings, but they're expanding it this year to all large animal cases. They're going to organize it so no one is in the barn overnight before they have a test. We'll be in teams, checking on the animals, helping where we can, and probably mostly being "gophers" for the residents/interns/doctors. But it's a great way to get experience, build relationships with clinicians and build up my resume! Plus maybe make a difference to some fretting owner and their beloved ponies. (And I can relate to that. Even in cases that don't end well, people are usually just glad to know that someone cared.)

Histology is a bit "meh". I don't worry about it too much (I do worry about it's horrific cousin Embryology though...). I do better with histological tissue sections of organs, which is mostly what we're doing this semester.

I keep falling a little more in love with Pathology. (Except the rotting chickens today...) It's just so COOL. The faculty that teach it are so great. They do a fantastic job of encouraging us to guess at what something is.

Anatomy is like learning to walk again. You think you know the movements, but your feet don't know what to do. My group got smart this time though. We're making videos at the end of each sessions, rather than waiting to make them at the end before the midterm/exam. But like learning to walk again, it IS coming back. Slowly but surely we're getting more in the hang of it.

I know all you AVC 2016 hopefuls are (im)patiently waiting for invites now. I wish you the best of luck and I hope to see you on campus for interviews in a few months!

Finally, a quick shout out to all the AVCers (and everyone else, really) at the SCVMA Symposium at OVC this year. I hope you're having a ball and wishing I could have scrounged the cash to join you! The wetlabs looked really cool, especially the ones on equine joint injections and forensic pathology. Oh, and alpacas too! Oh well, next year AVC is playing host to the Symposium, and I'm sure we'll blow it out of the water.