Well, yesterday was another active day at the clinic. Not that I mind those. No, I love getting my hands dirty and really participating in things that make a positive difference for the animals. This day in particular was full of opportunities for me to do just that. It wasn't until the afternoon that I realized why I am getting to do so many cool things: Dr. J is making me work for my letter of recommendation. She will write it, but I also need to do my share and perform tasks for the clinic when I am asked to. I have the skill and the experience, so why not?
As before, I started off my day in surgery. We just had a canine spay and a cat dental. Nothing too exciting. I did more anesthesia monitoring, temperature taking, and patient transporting (i.e., back to the kennel after surgery). I helped restrain a cat for intubation (putting the breathing tube down its throat) and catheterization. I even did some light cleaning of the surgery room after the vet was done for the day. And this was all before lunch!
After lunch, I went to see an appointment with Dr. N. Dr. J's was just for vaccines, but Dr. N's was a three-year-old post-partum black lab/Newfoundland mix. It's easy to see why I went with Dr. N. It was such a cool case, and one in which I played a big part. First, I helped Dr. Nicole hold the old girl while performing a vaginal exam. The dog was not feeling well, especially since she lost all 10 of her pups from the litter, her third. I felt really bad for her and the owner. All that work and no puppies survived. Poor girl. Then, I got the exhausted momma some water because she was a little dehydrated. I guess she didn't drink any because I was soon called to administer two liters of fluids subcutaneously from an IV drip bag. I was a little nervous at first because I have never done anything so big in my life. Dr. N showed me the ropes, though. Each bag is one liter, so there were two. I just had to fit the bag into a special inflatable sleeve that did all of the muscle work for me, ensuring a steady stream of liquid through the tube and needle and into the dog. I did most of the work of keeping the sleeve inflated and adjusting the needle and its location when one lump of fluid got too big or the flow was decreased for some reason. It was pretty straightforward after awhile. I watched the dog and the drip to make sure everything was going smoothly while chatting with her owner. The sweet girl kept nudging my hand whenever I stopped petting her. Her owner said she seemed to like me, which I always enjoy hearing. No sense being a vet unless I have a true way with animals, right!? Dr. N was very grateful, and Peej (a technician) helped me a lot to fix any problems. She seemed impressed because she told me that she had never given two liters before. One liter was about the most she had ever given. Another tech said it looked like I knew what I was doing, which I took as very high praise. I guess I did feel pretty comfortable. My glutes really got a workout, though, from all of the crouching (it was hard to sit and work at the same time, even though Sophie was lying on the ground at her owner's feet). I felt so accomplished afterwards because I saw what a positive impact my work was having on the dog. She looked brighter, like she was feeling better. I enjoyed interacting with the owner and being appreciated by the staff. I liked being in charge of something, taking full responsibility for an animal's health. Cases like this make me want to be a veterinarian even more. More importantly, they tell me that I have the ability to be a veterinarian. And that feels too cool for words.
The rest of the day was pretty eventful, too. I helped restrain a large German Shepard while Dr. J examined his paw and while Peej clipped his nails (two different restraining sessions), which was not easy because I'm pretty sure his limbs were thicker than my arms! I got pretty messy on the nail trim because I kept getting dusted with cracked pieces of nail. I also got to see some cute Dachshund/Pekinese puppies. Finally, I ended my day by helping restrain a couple of animals during an ultrasound (a dog and a cat). The dog was in for suspected Cushing's disease, and the cat was having abdominal problems, which turned out to be cancer. I love watching the radiologist work on her high-tech ultrasound computer. She does everything so effortlessly, and she can read those ultrasounds like they were stories in a book. It just amazes me. It's so cool to see what's going on in the body as it's happening and also cool to see that ultrasounds aren't just for pregnancies.
So, as you can see, I have a lot to do at the clinic, and it seems like they like having me there (and need me...I was kind of in high demand yesterday). This is all good since I really like being there and getting to have all of these cool experiences that I can share with you! Next week will be great because I am also shadowing on Monday at the VCA clinic, so I'll have two things to write about. Yay!
Oh, and the vet application opens a week from today. AAAAH! At least I have all of my letter writers figured out.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Summer 2012--St. Francis Vet Clinic Visit #1: Blast from the Past
Yesterday (Wednesday) was my first shadowing day of the summer, and I am very fortunate to be back where it all began: the lovely St. Francis Vet Clinic. The vet that I shadow also lives in St. Anthony, so she drives me with her to work on Wednesdays. It's a wonderful arrangement, and I really like Wednesdays because she works 8-6, which gives me ample time to see both surgeries and appointments. It makes for a more varied and, therefore, more interesting day for me.
I started off yesterday with a tumor removal surgery. Then, I watched Dr. K cauterize a dog's nose and put in staples, which she said she had never done before. I am constantly amazed at all of the new things that I encounter in veterinary medicine and at how resourceful the veterinarians I know are. I consider myself pretty resourceful in my own right, so I'm looking forward to the day when I get to exercise this skill for myself. After the nasal cautery, I watched two dentals (one for a dog and one for a cat). I helped a lot with surgery yesterday, including filling out the anesthesia sheet for all four surgeries, restraining a couple of the animals for catheterization, and carrying a couple of the patients back into the kennel room after surgery. I also helped take pre-operative and post-operative temperatures on the patients. One of the vet technicians even let me administer a pre-operative antibiotic through the catheter. Very cool. On the whole, I felt very involved and like I was actually assisting the clinic instead of standing around or getting in people's way.
I don't know if I've ever mentioned this before, but the clinic is run exclusively by women. All four doctors are women, the support staff is all women, and all of the vet techs are women. There used to be a male doctor there, but he left about a year ago to join his wife's practice. Since then, it's been all girl power all the way! I think that this is pretty cool because it is not often that you see an all-women business or establishment anywhere. The US is still a fairly patriarchal society, so I am encouraged by these situations of women's leadership. It inspires me as a young woman.
After lunch, I went with Dr. J to see a few appointments. One of the vet techs also had me unpack a box of supplies and divide the contents according to what each person at the clinic ordered (as specified on the order sheet that came with the box). It was a simple job, but everyone else seemed busy, and I really didn't mind doing it. I carefully checked the sheet, bound the items together with a rubber band, and attached a Post-It note to each bundle indicating what supplies belonged to which staff member or doctor. The running joke at the clinic is that I'm free slave labor, which is actually pretty funny to me. I don't mind the title because I just really enjoy the atmosphere and being back at the clinic with which I am most familiar.
I was pleased to make the acquaintance of some new members of the clinic yesterday, as well. These four-legged residents are looking for a home, but unfortunately, I cannot give them one. I said hello to my favorite clinic cat, Odie, who is something of a special-needs child. I think I have talked about him before: he belongs to one of the doctors (Dr. T, if I'm thinking correctly), he has no teeth and no claws, and he has some chronic respiratory problems. But he is such a sweetheart! The clinic has other feline friends for Odie to play with, but they don't like him very much. One is a cream-colored cat with blue eyes and tan patches on his paws and tan stripes on his tail. His name is Amos, a name I really like for a cat. If it weren't for his slim physique and those tan parts, he would remind me very strongly of Thomas. Another is Cheeks, a black cat with a shock of soft fur. He's bald near his ears, making him look kind of freakish. A third is a lovely cat named Bailey. Bailey has brown fur with caramel flecks in it. She is so incredibly sweet. She'd be perfect if she were nicer to Odie. She kept rubbing her head on my arm and under my chin. She even rolled over so I could scratch her belly--most cats don't seem to like it too much. Anyway, I had fun being introduced to these kitties, and I'm excited to see them again next week.
Next week will also be awesome because Dr. N has three ultrasounds planned: one for a dog with urinary problems, one for a dog with general abdominal problems, and one for Bailey, who they suspect has a hernia (they think some of her intestines got jammed up in the pericardial sac near her lungs and heart). Dr. J told me that they will need an extra pair of hands to help restrain the animals during the procedure, so I will be very useful to the clinic. It should be a good time.
I was hoping to get to shadow at another clinic this week, too, but plans kind of fell through. The clinic never e-mailed me back, and my other options have all given me times in June and July when they are available. Since it's still May, I feel bad about pressuring them for shadowing opportunities. No matter. It is not a huge deal if I only shadow once per week for the first couple weeks. I'll just have to step up my game during the remainder of the summer. I am, however, looking into going to work one day with Uncle Steve, one of my dad's brothers, who tends to turkeys on a turkey farm here. I am really interested to see what turkey husbandry is all about. Even though it wouldn't count toward shadowing hours, it would count toward animal experience hours, which the vet school admissions committees do take into account (not as much as clinical experience, but animal experience hours do count for something). Even more basic than that though is the fact that I just really have a deep concern for and interest in animals, and I just think his job is kind of cool. So, we'll see how that goes. In the meantime, thanks for reading, and I hope you tune in next week for my second summer post.
I started off yesterday with a tumor removal surgery. Then, I watched Dr. K cauterize a dog's nose and put in staples, which she said she had never done before. I am constantly amazed at all of the new things that I encounter in veterinary medicine and at how resourceful the veterinarians I know are. I consider myself pretty resourceful in my own right, so I'm looking forward to the day when I get to exercise this skill for myself. After the nasal cautery, I watched two dentals (one for a dog and one for a cat). I helped a lot with surgery yesterday, including filling out the anesthesia sheet for all four surgeries, restraining a couple of the animals for catheterization, and carrying a couple of the patients back into the kennel room after surgery. I also helped take pre-operative and post-operative temperatures on the patients. One of the vet technicians even let me administer a pre-operative antibiotic through the catheter. Very cool. On the whole, I felt very involved and like I was actually assisting the clinic instead of standing around or getting in people's way.
I don't know if I've ever mentioned this before, but the clinic is run exclusively by women. All four doctors are women, the support staff is all women, and all of the vet techs are women. There used to be a male doctor there, but he left about a year ago to join his wife's practice. Since then, it's been all girl power all the way! I think that this is pretty cool because it is not often that you see an all-women business or establishment anywhere. The US is still a fairly patriarchal society, so I am encouraged by these situations of women's leadership. It inspires me as a young woman.
After lunch, I went with Dr. J to see a few appointments. One of the vet techs also had me unpack a box of supplies and divide the contents according to what each person at the clinic ordered (as specified on the order sheet that came with the box). It was a simple job, but everyone else seemed busy, and I really didn't mind doing it. I carefully checked the sheet, bound the items together with a rubber band, and attached a Post-It note to each bundle indicating what supplies belonged to which staff member or doctor. The running joke at the clinic is that I'm free slave labor, which is actually pretty funny to me. I don't mind the title because I just really enjoy the atmosphere and being back at the clinic with which I am most familiar.
I was pleased to make the acquaintance of some new members of the clinic yesterday, as well. These four-legged residents are looking for a home, but unfortunately, I cannot give them one. I said hello to my favorite clinic cat, Odie, who is something of a special-needs child. I think I have talked about him before: he belongs to one of the doctors (Dr. T, if I'm thinking correctly), he has no teeth and no claws, and he has some chronic respiratory problems. But he is such a sweetheart! The clinic has other feline friends for Odie to play with, but they don't like him very much. One is a cream-colored cat with blue eyes and tan patches on his paws and tan stripes on his tail. His name is Amos, a name I really like for a cat. If it weren't for his slim physique and those tan parts, he would remind me very strongly of Thomas. Another is Cheeks, a black cat with a shock of soft fur. He's bald near his ears, making him look kind of freakish. A third is a lovely cat named Bailey. Bailey has brown fur with caramel flecks in it. She is so incredibly sweet. She'd be perfect if she were nicer to Odie. She kept rubbing her head on my arm and under my chin. She even rolled over so I could scratch her belly--most cats don't seem to like it too much. Anyway, I had fun being introduced to these kitties, and I'm excited to see them again next week.
Next week will also be awesome because Dr. N has three ultrasounds planned: one for a dog with urinary problems, one for a dog with general abdominal problems, and one for Bailey, who they suspect has a hernia (they think some of her intestines got jammed up in the pericardial sac near her lungs and heart). Dr. J told me that they will need an extra pair of hands to help restrain the animals during the procedure, so I will be very useful to the clinic. It should be a good time.
I was hoping to get to shadow at another clinic this week, too, but plans kind of fell through. The clinic never e-mailed me back, and my other options have all given me times in June and July when they are available. Since it's still May, I feel bad about pressuring them for shadowing opportunities. No matter. It is not a huge deal if I only shadow once per week for the first couple weeks. I'll just have to step up my game during the remainder of the summer. I am, however, looking into going to work one day with Uncle Steve, one of my dad's brothers, who tends to turkeys on a turkey farm here. I am really interested to see what turkey husbandry is all about. Even though it wouldn't count toward shadowing hours, it would count toward animal experience hours, which the vet school admissions committees do take into account (not as much as clinical experience, but animal experience hours do count for something). Even more basic than that though is the fact that I just really have a deep concern for and interest in animals, and I just think his job is kind of cool. So, we'll see how that goes. In the meantime, thanks for reading, and I hope you tune in next week for my second summer post.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Now, Where Were We?--Week 10 and Finals Week
Right now, I am sitting in my room having just finished my last final! Huzzah! Junior year has come to a successful close. I can't believe that I started out this year in LONDON. It seems like a dream. A really good dream, but a dream nonetheless. And now here I am. I traveled the world. I completed my senior research project. I shadowed a large animal veterinarian. Yeah, my life is awesome. Thank you for caring enough about me to read about it!
I've continued to do well in classes (A on my last Anatomy exam and an A on my final debate). I was very flattered to receive an e-mail from my speech instructor telling me that I should join Debate Team because I "prepared really well for [my] speeches" and am "an excellent speaker." Wow. I never would have thought I would receive that compliment. I think I'm a terrible speaker. The only reason I'm good at speeches is because I write them out and memorize them. I'm a decent speaker because I'm a fantastic writer. It just makes me giggle a little.
I really enjoyed my last week at the Aledo clinic. I made everyone brownies and wrote them a note thanking them for all of the time they committed to teaching me about large animal medicine. I am so glad that I spent those 63 hours at the clinic this term. Sure, there were times when I hated my alarm clock when it went off at 6 AM, me feeling like I was hit by a ton of bricks. But towards the end, I really got involved in the daily functioning of the clinic and came to look forward to that time as a nice break from classes and homework, a great way to start out my day. I liked the long drive through rolling hills past farms, radio up and singing along like my life depended on it.
On Tuesday of Week 10, Dr. W had me helping him restrain animals for blood draws and injections, putting a dog back in the kennel area before surgery, and counting out pills for a prescription. On Thursday, I got to help Mrs. F walk the dogs who are boarding at the clinic. It was an absolutely glorious morning, and since I hadn't been out to the farms in awhile, it was a great way to start out my day. I would not have traded where I was at that moment for the whole wide world.
Having had such a great experience this term, I'm looking forward to finishing up my shadowing this summer. The vet that I regularly shadow has agreed to let me shadow her again like I did last summer, which is awesome. There are also a few other veterinary clinics (two of them emergency clinics) that will let me come once or twice during the summer. All in all, I think I should be pretty set for hours. I know I will be a bit behind, but I'm aiming for above 400 hours by the time I submit the application. I've had numerous responses from vet schools who tell me that they worry if the hours are less than 400, so over 400 seems to be a good way to go. Because of these shadowing opportunities, I am thinking about blogging over the summer, too. I want to keep this blog centered on my academic and veterinary experiences, so that's mostly what I'll write about (i.e., less about the normal summer stuff or work). I don't know how frequent it will be because I'll hopefully be busy all the time with shadowing, working, and filling out the VMCAS (Veterinary Medical College Application Service) when it becomes available in June.
On Sunday the 13th, I was inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success along with several of my friends. We had a nice dinner and ceremony in the College Center. I received a membership certificate, t-shirt, and pin (which I affixed to my shoulder bag along with my Mortar Board pin).
Then, of course, this week was all about los finales. I think my Physics final went well. I felt pretty prepared, and the test didn't seem too difficult. Anatomy seemed to go well, too. I was really worried about it because I feel like I have been slacking a bit in my studying and like I did not have as good a grasp on the most recent material as I had on earlier material. However, I really buckled down and concentrated on the troublesome stuff when I was reviewing, and I think it paid off. I felt pretty sure of myself when I was taking the test, so I am sure it will all be great. I am hopefully getting two or three percent extra credit for participating in the Anatomy research study, so that eases my mind quite a bit. My other "finals" were not really finals. I had to write an overall reflection paper for my large animal internship telling what I had learned and why I still wanted to be a veterinarian after all of it. And for Oral Advocacy, our final was a take-home essay final. I found it quite easy to complete, especially since the topics for the essays were pretty interesting. We could pick five essay prompts and write about one of four or five subjects. I was able to write about why I would make a good wildlife veterinarian, why I chose Biology as my major, and why The Lord of the Rings is awesome. So, I think I had about as much fun as someone can have with a final. I am anxious to see my grades for this term, but they will not be up until Wednesday. Ugh. So long to wait!
Today is a bittersweet day. I am glad to have finished this year strong. It wasn't always easy, especially when I had to come back and hit the ground running after London. But the support of my friends, family, God, and my readers (you may be friends and family, too) really helped me pull through when the going got rough. However, I am sad to be leaving my roommates. Devon and Sarah are amazing girls, some of the best roommates and now friends that a girl could ask for. I was disappointed when I heard that Hannah was not coming back for Winter or Spring Terms, but Devon and Sarah became very good friends, and we had so many fun times together. In fact, on Tuesday we rode our bikes to the Freight House Farmers Market in Davenport, and just last night we had a really nice final "fancy" dinner at Olive Garden. I wish I could live with them next year, but that is one of the prices I must pay for having gone to London. My roommates next year will be just fine. We will all get along and be polite and pleasant to each other, but I cannot think that we will be as good of friends to me as Devon and Sarah have been. But it will be a great senior year, and I will be able to see Devon and Sarah often. We will still do things together. Hannah is also coming back, and she will even graduate on time! It's going to be so strange to be seniors in college. Time flies so fast. But I will be honored to walk at Commencement with all of my classmates. We've been through it all together, and I've met so many incredible people this year.
Tomorrow Mom will come to take me home. The summer awaits with all of its possibilities and opportunities: shadowing, hopefully working, watching my brother race, vacationing, gardening, and more. I miss my family, and I am eager to be with them again and to see friends from home, too. I'm also very ready to start applying to vet school. I've wanted this for so long, and filling out the application will put me just that much closer to my dream. It's give-it-all-you've-got time, and I intend to do just that.
Oh, and for your viewing pleasure, a few last images from the school year.
I've continued to do well in classes (A on my last Anatomy exam and an A on my final debate). I was very flattered to receive an e-mail from my speech instructor telling me that I should join Debate Team because I "prepared really well for [my] speeches" and am "an excellent speaker." Wow. I never would have thought I would receive that compliment. I think I'm a terrible speaker. The only reason I'm good at speeches is because I write them out and memorize them. I'm a decent speaker because I'm a fantastic writer. It just makes me giggle a little.
I really enjoyed my last week at the Aledo clinic. I made everyone brownies and wrote them a note thanking them for all of the time they committed to teaching me about large animal medicine. I am so glad that I spent those 63 hours at the clinic this term. Sure, there were times when I hated my alarm clock when it went off at 6 AM, me feeling like I was hit by a ton of bricks. But towards the end, I really got involved in the daily functioning of the clinic and came to look forward to that time as a nice break from classes and homework, a great way to start out my day. I liked the long drive through rolling hills past farms, radio up and singing along like my life depended on it.
On Tuesday of Week 10, Dr. W had me helping him restrain animals for blood draws and injections, putting a dog back in the kennel area before surgery, and counting out pills for a prescription. On Thursday, I got to help Mrs. F walk the dogs who are boarding at the clinic. It was an absolutely glorious morning, and since I hadn't been out to the farms in awhile, it was a great way to start out my day. I would not have traded where I was at that moment for the whole wide world.
Having had such a great experience this term, I'm looking forward to finishing up my shadowing this summer. The vet that I regularly shadow has agreed to let me shadow her again like I did last summer, which is awesome. There are also a few other veterinary clinics (two of them emergency clinics) that will let me come once or twice during the summer. All in all, I think I should be pretty set for hours. I know I will be a bit behind, but I'm aiming for above 400 hours by the time I submit the application. I've had numerous responses from vet schools who tell me that they worry if the hours are less than 400, so over 400 seems to be a good way to go. Because of these shadowing opportunities, I am thinking about blogging over the summer, too. I want to keep this blog centered on my academic and veterinary experiences, so that's mostly what I'll write about (i.e., less about the normal summer stuff or work). I don't know how frequent it will be because I'll hopefully be busy all the time with shadowing, working, and filling out the VMCAS (Veterinary Medical College Application Service) when it becomes available in June.
On Sunday the 13th, I was inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success along with several of my friends. We had a nice dinner and ceremony in the College Center. I received a membership certificate, t-shirt, and pin (which I affixed to my shoulder bag along with my Mortar Board pin).
Then, of course, this week was all about los finales. I think my Physics final went well. I felt pretty prepared, and the test didn't seem too difficult. Anatomy seemed to go well, too. I was really worried about it because I feel like I have been slacking a bit in my studying and like I did not have as good a grasp on the most recent material as I had on earlier material. However, I really buckled down and concentrated on the troublesome stuff when I was reviewing, and I think it paid off. I felt pretty sure of myself when I was taking the test, so I am sure it will all be great. I am hopefully getting two or three percent extra credit for participating in the Anatomy research study, so that eases my mind quite a bit. My other "finals" were not really finals. I had to write an overall reflection paper for my large animal internship telling what I had learned and why I still wanted to be a veterinarian after all of it. And for Oral Advocacy, our final was a take-home essay final. I found it quite easy to complete, especially since the topics for the essays were pretty interesting. We could pick five essay prompts and write about one of four or five subjects. I was able to write about why I would make a good wildlife veterinarian, why I chose Biology as my major, and why The Lord of the Rings is awesome. So, I think I had about as much fun as someone can have with a final. I am anxious to see my grades for this term, but they will not be up until Wednesday. Ugh. So long to wait!
Today is a bittersweet day. I am glad to have finished this year strong. It wasn't always easy, especially when I had to come back and hit the ground running after London. But the support of my friends, family, God, and my readers (you may be friends and family, too) really helped me pull through when the going got rough. However, I am sad to be leaving my roommates. Devon and Sarah are amazing girls, some of the best roommates and now friends that a girl could ask for. I was disappointed when I heard that Hannah was not coming back for Winter or Spring Terms, but Devon and Sarah became very good friends, and we had so many fun times together. In fact, on Tuesday we rode our bikes to the Freight House Farmers Market in Davenport, and just last night we had a really nice final "fancy" dinner at Olive Garden. I wish I could live with them next year, but that is one of the prices I must pay for having gone to London. My roommates next year will be just fine. We will all get along and be polite and pleasant to each other, but I cannot think that we will be as good of friends to me as Devon and Sarah have been. But it will be a great senior year, and I will be able to see Devon and Sarah often. We will still do things together. Hannah is also coming back, and she will even graduate on time! It's going to be so strange to be seniors in college. Time flies so fast. But I will be honored to walk at Commencement with all of my classmates. We've been through it all together, and I've met so many incredible people this year.
Tomorrow Mom will come to take me home. The summer awaits with all of its possibilities and opportunities: shadowing, hopefully working, watching my brother race, vacationing, gardening, and more. I miss my family, and I am eager to be with them again and to see friends from home, too. I'm also very ready to start applying to vet school. I've wanted this for so long, and filling out the application will put me just that much closer to my dream. It's give-it-all-you've-got time, and I intend to do just that.
Oh, and for your viewing pleasure, a few last images from the school year.
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| We have a little baby bunny friend in our backyard! What a cutie!! |
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| The irises blooming on the other side of our fence. |
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| Yup, that's us. |
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| Fabio approves of the nice, sunny weather we've been having. More like, "I was wondering when that crazy girl was going to let me play outside." |
Sunday, May 13, 2012
A Quick Note
Hello, faithful readers! This is just a quick note to let you know that I have been really busy with my final week of classes and studying for finals, so I won't be blogging this week. I will try to blog soon after I return home (May 19th), so don't worry. I'll get the end-of-the-year post up eventually! Catch you on the flip side!
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Make It Stop!--Week 9
My stress levels are through the roof right now. I feel so swamped with stuff. This is probably the busiest end of the term I have ever had. I did not get to go to Aerobics at all last week because of other obligations. I think I will feel better if I can go both Monday and Wednesday this week. I just had a big Physics video project to work on, plus my final debate speech (both of which are group/partner projects, which are more stressful because then I have to coordinate meeting times and such). In addition, I have a big Anatomy lab practical on Thursday.
Yet as stressful as my classes were this week, I had an absolutely great time at the Aledo clinic. Dr. W signed me up for these Animal Care Technologies training courses, with topics ranging from cytology to triage to basic restraint. This could really help prepare me for the basic medical terminology of vet school and the basic techniques of training and handling animals. I saw a really cool tumor-removal surgery on a very old dog (15 years old and very large). I got to hold his legs while Dr. W operated because he was essentially just pinching the tumor off the dog's neck, and the dog was too big to tie down to the surgery table with the rope that is there. That was on Tuesday. On Thursday, Mrs. Z (one of the receptionists) put me in charge of spinning pig blood in the centrifuge because it was a crazy day. Dr. W was already there when I arrived because he had been called in for a semi-emergency. I also helped that day by moving a dog from isolation to the rolling cage because there were two dogs in isolation who had been diagnosed that day with parvovirus. I just felt very involved this week, and it's certainly taken me long enough to feel that way. I can't believe next week is my last week. I wish I could come back in the fall, but my schedule is just too full already.
I also found out this week that I got another A in Oral Advocacy. I need to stop worrying about that class, but I cannot. This coming week is our big final debate, and I do not feel prepared for it because my partner keeps changing things on me and isn't as quick about getting things done as I am. So, by the time I thought I was finished writing the speech, she was making comments about how my logic needed work in some places and how I might want to reconsider how I state things. I keep having to go back and edit my speech, so I feel like I can never just start memorizing it and feeling like I actually have a good grasp on what I am supposed to say. I am getting some extra credit from the course, though, so I can kind of afford to do a little less well on this speech than on the previous three.
And I guess this week was pretty cool because I was inducted into Mortar Board and attended the Circle K end-of-the-year picnic at Shantytown. I sat with my Relay for Life teammates at the induction, which was really hilarious, so I had a good time. I even got a cool pin to put on my shoulder bag. Shantytown was fun because Heather and I did most of the building for the shanty, just like last year. I brought strawberries because everyone else who signed up to bring food brought something like cookies or chips or popcorn. Ya know, the unhealthful stuff. And you know me. Fruits and veggies rock! That evening, Sarah and Devon went to dinner without me, but I was okay with it because I don't need to spend money on takeout food and because I was hanging out with my fellow CKers. But I was so excited when I got back because Sarah bought a book for me! She and Devon went to a store called The Book Rack, and she found a paperbook copy of City of Glass, the third book in the Mortal Instruments series. I am currently reading the second book (City of Ashes), which I hope to finish before the school year ends (because it's from the library). That way, I can start on City of Glass when I get home. Ah, home. Sounds good right now. I miss it. :(
Anyway, I also enjoyed Anatomy lab this week because we got a brief introduction to the cadaver lab, which I will be taking as a class in the fall. I was a little put off at first because it's, well, real human bodies. There's a reason I want to be an animal doctor. But they keep the faces covered, and there are actually some cool things to see. The bodies are all elderly, so some of them have bypasses or enlarged hearts. One woman even still had her cancerous ovaries, one as large as a grapefruit, the other more like a ping-pong ball. I'm really glad I'll only be in there once a week and that I'll have about an hour-and-a-half to clean up afterward before Physics lab because it does not smell nice in there thanks to the formalin used to preserve the bodies.
Saturday finally rolled around, and with it, Celebration of Learning! I had picked up my t-shirt on Wednesday and wore it Thursday so I could enter the raffle for a $100 Amazon gift card. I did not win, but I really like the t-shirt! Anyway, I started the morning with the keynote speaker. She was a 2004 Augie grad who now works in Milwaukee on environmentally-sustainable urban planning. Her talk was a lot about grabbing life by the horns and living it to the fullest. At 11:30, I attended the Honors Recognition to receive a pen for my achievement in earning the Anderson Swedo Science Education Endowed Scholarship, an award that I shared with two other Biology students. Afterward, I headed upstairs to stand by my Molecular Genetics poster, which I had set up before the keynote address. My first two visitors were the professor I had for the class (Dr. Scott, who has agreed to write one of my letters of recommendation for vet school) and my Botany professor. He was hilarious. I also talked to another biology professor and to a professor from the Communication Studies department. It was so funny because she told me, "Okay, now just give me an explanation in really simple terms." Finally, I talked with Alicia, another student from Minnesota who has given me many rides two and from Augustana over the past couple of years. She was there with her family giving a presentation related to Spanish, one of her majors. All in all, I think it went pretty well.
Later, Devon and I watched the Kentucky Derby, which I absolutely love! She rooted for Take Charge Indy, and I rooted for Creative Cause. Obviously, neither of us had that great of picks. Then, we watched Secretariat, which I really enjoyed. He truly was an amazing horse. Anyway, I'm excited for the Preakness in a couple of weeks. I also saw a lot of commercials for the London Olympics, which really gave me some serious chills down my spine. Wow. It's gonna be awesome. I'm going to recognize everything! Yeah. I still miss London. I'd go back in a heartbeat.
Right now, I am finishing up some homework and generally preparing for the week ahead. I already told you a lot of what is going down (my final debate, my lab practical, etc). I'm just two short weeks away from heading home for the summer, where I will hopefully be able to work a little and shadow a lot.
Let's do this!
Yet as stressful as my classes were this week, I had an absolutely great time at the Aledo clinic. Dr. W signed me up for these Animal Care Technologies training courses, with topics ranging from cytology to triage to basic restraint. This could really help prepare me for the basic medical terminology of vet school and the basic techniques of training and handling animals. I saw a really cool tumor-removal surgery on a very old dog (15 years old and very large). I got to hold his legs while Dr. W operated because he was essentially just pinching the tumor off the dog's neck, and the dog was too big to tie down to the surgery table with the rope that is there. That was on Tuesday. On Thursday, Mrs. Z (one of the receptionists) put me in charge of spinning pig blood in the centrifuge because it was a crazy day. Dr. W was already there when I arrived because he had been called in for a semi-emergency. I also helped that day by moving a dog from isolation to the rolling cage because there were two dogs in isolation who had been diagnosed that day with parvovirus. I just felt very involved this week, and it's certainly taken me long enough to feel that way. I can't believe next week is my last week. I wish I could come back in the fall, but my schedule is just too full already.
I also found out this week that I got another A in Oral Advocacy. I need to stop worrying about that class, but I cannot. This coming week is our big final debate, and I do not feel prepared for it because my partner keeps changing things on me and isn't as quick about getting things done as I am. So, by the time I thought I was finished writing the speech, she was making comments about how my logic needed work in some places and how I might want to reconsider how I state things. I keep having to go back and edit my speech, so I feel like I can never just start memorizing it and feeling like I actually have a good grasp on what I am supposed to say. I am getting some extra credit from the course, though, so I can kind of afford to do a little less well on this speech than on the previous three.
And I guess this week was pretty cool because I was inducted into Mortar Board and attended the Circle K end-of-the-year picnic at Shantytown. I sat with my Relay for Life teammates at the induction, which was really hilarious, so I had a good time. I even got a cool pin to put on my shoulder bag. Shantytown was fun because Heather and I did most of the building for the shanty, just like last year. I brought strawberries because everyone else who signed up to bring food brought something like cookies or chips or popcorn. Ya know, the unhealthful stuff. And you know me. Fruits and veggies rock! That evening, Sarah and Devon went to dinner without me, but I was okay with it because I don't need to spend money on takeout food and because I was hanging out with my fellow CKers. But I was so excited when I got back because Sarah bought a book for me! She and Devon went to a store called The Book Rack, and she found a paperbook copy of City of Glass, the third book in the Mortal Instruments series. I am currently reading the second book (City of Ashes), which I hope to finish before the school year ends (because it's from the library). That way, I can start on City of Glass when I get home. Ah, home. Sounds good right now. I miss it. :(
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| This is actually from last year, but the Dream Team of Hannah and Heather never ages. |
Saturday finally rolled around, and with it, Celebration of Learning! I had picked up my t-shirt on Wednesday and wore it Thursday so I could enter the raffle for a $100 Amazon gift card. I did not win, but I really like the t-shirt! Anyway, I started the morning with the keynote speaker. She was a 2004 Augie grad who now works in Milwaukee on environmentally-sustainable urban planning. Her talk was a lot about grabbing life by the horns and living it to the fullest. At 11:30, I attended the Honors Recognition to receive a pen for my achievement in earning the Anderson Swedo Science Education Endowed Scholarship, an award that I shared with two other Biology students. Afterward, I headed upstairs to stand by my Molecular Genetics poster, which I had set up before the keynote address. My first two visitors were the professor I had for the class (Dr. Scott, who has agreed to write one of my letters of recommendation for vet school) and my Botany professor. He was hilarious. I also talked to another biology professor and to a professor from the Communication Studies department. It was so funny because she told me, "Okay, now just give me an explanation in really simple terms." Finally, I talked with Alicia, another student from Minnesota who has given me many rides two and from Augustana over the past couple of years. She was there with her family giving a presentation related to Spanish, one of her majors. All in all, I think it went pretty well.
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| I love the color! |
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| My name in the program for the Honors Recognition. |
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| My entry in the Celebration of Learning program; this is the abstract for my project that I submitted when I signed up for Celebration at the beginning of March. |
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| All dressed up and ready to share my knowledge with the world! |
Right now, I am finishing up some homework and generally preparing for the week ahead. I already told you a lot of what is going down (my final debate, my lab practical, etc). I'm just two short weeks away from heading home for the summer, where I will hopefully be able to work a little and shadow a lot.
Let's do this!
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