Winter Term 2012-2013, Week 8: Exams and Parties and More, Oh My!

Well, another hectic week has passed, and I am just that much closer to graduation, affectionately referred to as the "G word" by a couple of my more clever and hesitant peers. You know that I am actually looking forward to it. I have enjoyed my undergraduate career more than I can express, but it is a chapter in my life that must end if I am to achieve my dream, so I am totally okay with it. Will I miss people and the experiences and everything about it? Yes. But that's okay, too. I'm so glad that I got to share this time in my life with you through blogging (well, the second half of it, anyway).

Wednesday was our big environmentally-oriented Symposium Day. The speaker was indeed much better than last time. She encouraged us to think outside the box and pursue what we want to do, regardless of our backgrounds. She spent more of her time, though, just going over the green features of the recently-rennovated Phipps Conservatory in Philadelphia. It was interesting in itself, but her talk could have been so much more; I was hoping it might be more personal as to how each of us as individuals can have a positive impact on the environment. But c'est la vie, I suppose.

Thursday was my second Microbiology exam as well as our Team Teaching day in Animal Communication. They both went okay, I think. The entire Microbiology class was pretty tired out, though, by the time we went to lab. We were basically just analyzing samples from last time, which turned out okay because my table was just slap-happy and hamming it up like nobody's business. I feel fortunate to have landed with the lab partners that I did. They are just a great bunch of people!

I received some very nice compliments this week, too. A couple of the students in the Organic lab I proctor have expressed their thanks to me for being so helpful, one of them even going so far as to say she is going to miss me next term. I just love hearing things like that because it lets me know that I am doing a good job. In addition, my Microbiology professor really, really likes the extra-credit poem I wrote and wants to feature it in some samples of creative work done well. Here is the poem if you would like to read it (it's supposed to look like the T4 phage it describes):

The

T4 phage

is a virus, just

DNA in a protein

coat, that “eats”

the bacterium

E. coli,

a

facul-

tative

an-

aer-

obe

and

meso-

phile.

T4’s

                                                                 prey    can    sur-

                                                            vive        with        oxy-

                                                         gen             or               with-

                                                     out                and                   likes

                                               the                    tem-                      pera-

                                         ture                          in                                 the

                                    mid-                             dle                                     range,

                              not                                    that                                              T4

                       cares                                        too                                                    much.

 

Friday was another busy day, too. I had my second exam in Human Physiology, and that went much better than my Microbiology exam (at least I felt that way). Later, Sarah had a little going-away party since she will be on her way to Ireland in about a month or so. I went to anothe Ireland-themed party on Saturday, which was also pretty enjoyable. I guess it's good for me to get out now and again, though.

Well, that about catches you up with my week. I'm not looking forward to this next one too much. I have two more group presentations that are kind of stressing me out. But I'll be okay. This is just the final uphill push before I can be home again, and it will feel much better to be home if I know I did a good job now. I know I've said that a million times before, but it's one of my deepest convictions. Anyway, I hope you have a fantastic week, and hopefully I'll be here next Sunday to blog about it (you know, assuming I make it out alive...).

Winter Term 2012-2013, Week 7: Wild Weather

It has really  been a strange year so far, weather-wise. We started last weekend in the high 40s/low 50s, then plunged back into the teens by the beginning of the week. Then again, we got up to the 40s and 50s this weekend. Last night and Friday night, we had some pretty high winds, and now it's down to about 11 degrees again and is going to get colder by tomorrow and Tuesday. Yesterday honestly felt like March, but it appears that winter is returning again very soon. I hate all this fickle stuff. We can't get too used to any kind of conditions around here because they are likely to change within 24 hours. It's nothing I'm not used to from back home, but I would expect a little bit more stable weather patterns here. Oh, well. What can you do? The summer is going to be pretty bad, probably, given that we haven't had a good long cold streak. All I can think about this those mosquito eggs. Those buggers will eat me alive this year, for sure.

Anyway, I've rambled far too long about the weather. For other people, it might be small talk, but it's a favorite topic among us Minnesotans. Forgive me, kind readers. Onward and upward!

This was an exciting week in Microbiology lab. We started off by testing water samples from around the area for the presence of coliforms, bacteria that inhabit the human colon and often accompany more dangerous pathogens like the causative agent of cholera. My lab partner and I tested the water from my kitchen sink here, and I am happy to report that it appears that we only have about 23 coliforms per mL of water, which is pretty darn good. For comparison, the other pair at my lab table tested water from the Mississippi River, and their results showed nearly 2400 coliforms per mL of water. The other exciting thing we did in Microbiology lab was to blend up potato salad from the school's food service and incubate it on agar plates to see what kinds of bacteria might be lurking in it after it has sat at room temperature for a few days. We have not seen the results yet, but I just think it will be funny because (as you might remember) I am not the biggest fan of school food. Never have been, never will be. I guess that's what comes from living with an Italian mother who puts half the chefs on Food Network to shame (well, that hypothesis is untested, but I'd rather eat her food than half of their strange, artsy concoctions...sometimes you can be educated beyond your mental capacity, which is a gem from my father).

I would also like to address a rather important issue in this week's blog. The campus received an e-mail on Tuesday or so informing us about a dog named Lucy, who lived in Missouri. It appeared that Lucy's owner simply decided she did not want to own a dog anymore. Nothing at all is wrong with Lucy. She is perfectly healthy and up to date on all her vaccinations and licenses. The owner just got tired of her. You can imagine my outrage. What makes it even worse was that the owner brought Lucy to the local veterinary clinic so that they could try to place her (okay, so this part wasn't bad, but what happens next is). After weeks with no luck, the clinic informed the owner that Lucy had had no takers as yet and would probably be put down. The owner didn't care. I am so upset with people like this. I know I am preaching to the choir here, but owning a dog (or any animal) is for life. It's a big-time commitment that is not to be cast aside so lightly. We humans have it easy because we have many things in our life through which we can find satisfaction and happiness. Pets have only us. We are their whole world. Imagine how confused Lucy must have been, to be dumped at the vet's office (not really the favorite place of most animals) by a person she loved with her whole heart. Animals are not playthings that we get to cast aside just because we've decided we want to move on to bigger or better things. I would understand if this owner simply could not care for Lucy anymore because of money or health issues. In that case, it's perfectly acceptable, even encouraged, to find a new home. It's noble to realize one's own limitations and to acknowledge that it is in a pet's best interest to be placed somewhere where he or she will receive better care and more attention. But to blatantly admit that you just don't feel like being a pet owner anymore and then to not show any remorse over the impending death of that pet simply because of laziness or mere whim is absolutely detestable. This is why I want to be a vet. I want to advocate for animals like Lucy and to help educate people about how animals of all shapes and sizes need to be treated. And on a happy note, Lucy was moved here to the Quad Cities, where she is waiting in a shelter for a new home. She's still looking for new people to love her, but I've heard she's a sweetheart, and at least we know now that she will not be put down.

How could you get rid of a cute face like that? She looks like such a good girl...

 I also heard some exciting news this week. I'm sure you've all heard of Body Worlds by this time, that exhibit where preserved human bodies are put on display. Well, there's an animal version called Animals Inside and Out that's coming to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago this spring through this fall. I have a friend who is going to be moving to Chicago with her sister come late July, so I think I am going to try to visit her so I can go see this exhibit! It's obviously right up my alley. I've heard they even have a giraffe and a blood-vessel cast of a shark. I just think it would be so cool.

I'm currently hard at work on three separate group projects, and it's nearly driving me up the wall. The only thing keeping me sane is having a collection of awesome group members who make me laugh. I should have expected my final term of college to go this way, but I sort of hoped that since I was done with my SI project, I wouldn't be so stressed out anymore. But clearly God has a serious sense of humor, and it will feel so awesome when I am finished and know I did a good job, so the work I'm putting in now is definitely worth it.

To preview the coming week, Wednesday is our second Symposium Day of the year, where we have no class but are required to attend a speaker and one or more activities in the Quad Cities area (in addition to two meetings with our advising groups, one in the morning and one in the afternoon). There topic this time is Nature and Human Nature, so it should be more fun than last time. I am trying to get a spot volunteering either to distribute recycling information in Rock Island neighborhoods or to help install a hydroponic system in the Local Culture House on campus so that Augie students can grow vegetables in the winter (I need about five more hours of volunteering for Mortar Board). I have two exams (Microbiology and Physiology) and my group's Team Teaching day in Animal Communication. Oy vey. But I'm looking forward to Saturday because I get to help out at a soup kitchen with my friend Grace. I feel bad that I haven't been doing as much with Circle K lately as I would have liked, but that's just the way life works. I've had to focus on my schoolwork because that comes first right now (right up there with vet stuff and keeping my health up with exercise and enough sleep...I don't want to come down with the flu; even though I've been vaccinated, I'm not 100% protected, so I can never be too careful). Anyway, like usual, I'm sure I will have plenty of great stories to share by the time next weekend rolls around. Until then, take care, everyone!

Winter Term 2012-2013, Week 6: Taking Care of Business

You probably know what I'm about to say, but I'm going to say it anyway. This first week  back from break was packed. I met with three separate groups as we worked toward completing our projects. I did all of my regular activities on top of that, plus I had an exit interview with Financial Assistance for my Stafford loans. Needless to say, the weekend was welcome when it finally arrived.

The week wasn't all bad, though. For starters, we had our Circle K holiday party--a few weeks late, perhaps, but it was still fun. I got free Italian food, plus we received our t-shirts (plain white, but hopefully I will be around when we dye them, and if not, I'll just do it myself), our pins, and a bunch of other goodies (like tissues, hand sanitizer, a notepad, pens, and more).

I also found out the exact date of my interview at Minnesota--February 7th! It was my top choice of day to go because it's sort of at the end of the term when classes are more or less winding down. I have to fly back, which I absolutely detest, but I will get through it, and I will be happy if/when it turns out well in the end. I also have to miss two days of class (which I also hate), but again, this is my future we're talking about, and like Dad says, if I get into Minnesota, we're talking serious financial savings. Not to mention location and never having to miss the Minnesota State Fair again. Because that's the whole reason I want to go to Minnesota. For the State Fair. That was sarcastic, if you couldn't tell.

Other than that, not too many interesting things happened. My classes are going well. I'm learning a lot, still. I'm managing to enjoy myself here and there.

I imagine this coming week will be similar. I may sound bored, but I'm really not. I like having a couple of weeks where I can just focus on classes; even though I just complained about how hectic this last week was, in the grand scheme of my academic career, it was fairly manageable. I know this post was short, but I just wanted to update my faithful readers and such. Hopefully, I'll have a good picture or two next time, since I know I didn't have one last time, either. Thanks for tuning in!

Winter Break 2012-2013, Part 2--Into the Shadowland

Well, happy 2013, everyone! This is going to be a very big year for me and my family, and I hope you have great things planned, too!

I trust you all had a good Christmas. I was fortunate enough to receive a really awesome book all about how to care for baby animals, and the best thing is that the book was written by a veterinarian and a vet tech. I really wanted a stethoscope, but Mom and Dad want me to pick out my own, so that's going to be my graduation present. I can't wait!

This past Wednesday, I shadowed at the clinic (hence the title of the post) for a second time before I went back to school. As always, it was a varied day of surgery plus appointments. There were six surgeries in all: a feline spay, a feline neuter, a canine spay, a canine neuter, a canine spay with a mass removal, and a canine mass removal. I thought it was kind of funny that there was one of each of the most typical kind of surgery (the feline and canine spays and neuters). I love having a full surgery schedule because I actually get to do things instead of standing in an appointment room. Don't get me wrong, I love watching the doctors talk with clients, and that's an important part of my pre-vet education, too, but I feel so much more useful when I can participate and know that I am doing something necessary for the clinic (like freeing up someone else so that they can help a doctor or another tech with a tricky animal). The best part of the surgeries was that one of the patients was a really old Brittany, just like my dog! She took so long to go under and even longer to come back out of anesthesia. She didn't even respond to me pulling hair mats out of her ears, something my dog would never stand for. She was so much like my dog, though. She was just such a nervous Nellie, and she shed like crazy. I often joke that when we clean our house, we find another dog's worth of hair lying around.

 Like last time, I was sort of like a mini-tech, which I really enjoy. I'm looking forward to getting back home after these last six weeks of school, where I can hopefully work somewhere science-y but still have time for more shadowing (you know, just so I keep myself in the right frame of mind).

Speaking of which, I cannot believe how close the end of my undergraduate career is! It will be absolute chaos to fit everything in, but when I am done, it will feel so great! This chaos will be compounded by my interview at my dream school, the University of Minnesota! I'm really hoping that I will be able to go in early February because that works best for my schedule, but we'll just see when the date and time get set. This one should be another behavioral interview, and I'm determined to do better at that format this time around than I did at Iowa State. I found out recently that Minnesota is a top-ten vet school, so I will really need to be en pointe with this one. It's going to be the hardest to get into. I know a girl who went to Augie, a very highly motivated student, who was wait-listed at Minnesota. She eventually got in because a spot opened up, but I wouldn't be surprised if something like that happened to me, too. We'll see, though, I have to try to be confident in myself because I'm an old pro at this by now (or at least, no longer a novice).

That's about if for now. I'm going to try to enjoy what little time I have left at Augustana. I'll try to have some fun with friends while I still can, too. Cheers!

Winter Break 2012-2013, Part I--Beauty Is Only Skin-Deep

I was hoping to only shadow Dr. J on Wednesdays this break because those are her long days when I get to see more. However, with my work schedule (which I didn't feel like fighting too much), I ended up with most of Thursday off, so I could go with her on her short day. I started off in surgery with Dr. N and Mrs. J, her tech. Mrs. J has been very influential in my pre-vet clinical education. She really makes me work when I am there, and for that, I am very grateful to her. She started me off with making up a bottle of cefazolin (an antibiotic) and filling a syringe with it. She then instructed me on how to set up new bags of IV fluid, which I was pleased to see is something called lactated Ringer's solution, something similar to what we have been using in Physiology lab for our frog dissections. It's just cool when I recognize terms like that. She also showed me how to use a Doppler to assess blood pressure during surgery. That was a new thing for me to consider on top of writing down numbers for anesthesia monitoring. Later, I got to help Mrs. J catheterize and intubate a young dog. He had a brother with him, and I got to walk the brother outside for a bit. He had had an accident in his kennel, so I was instructed to take him into the snow to wipe his feet off. Of course, the minute we were out the door, he assumed it was puppy playtime and wouldn't hold still for more than a second at at time. This made trying to clean his feet something of a lost cause, but I did the best I could before bringing him back inside.

However, all of these activities sort of paled in comparison to what I got to do late in the morning. A certain Dr. M, a veterinary dermatologist, came to do an allergy test on a French bulldog that belonged to another one of the techs, Mrs. B. I thought I would just get to watch--it's not often you get to learn about veterinary dermatology! However, Mrs. B told me she was feeling too nervous about the test to help the doctor, and no one else was around, so I became his assistant! In an allergy test, the doctor marks three rows of 10 dots on a shaved spot on the dog's side. Then, he administers 60 subcutaneous allergens and watches for a reaction. I could empathize with the dog in this instance because my mom took me in for allergy testing when I was about 10 or so because of persistent phlegm. I got 27 pricks in one arm and three in the other--only about half what the Frenchie got--but it was still unpleasant. Anyway, the dog was sedated for the procedure, so my job was to hand Dr. M each syringe as he needed it, and the whole test went really quickly. I had to juggle taking the old syringe from him with picking up the next syringe and making sure it was in the right orientation for him (bevel up). I had to tell him when each 10 had passed so he knew when to start a new row of intradermal injections. It was a bit nerve-wracking because I didn't want to mess up, but everyone told me later that I was doing a good job. Mrs. B was especially thankful that I was there because she was too addled to be able to help Dr. M like I was. I also got to write down numbers for him as he assessed the relative reaction of the dog to each of the allergens, which ranged from cotton to human dander (yes, animals can be allergic to us!) to dust mites to mold. Each reaction is rated from 1 to 4, with 4 being the most severe. Those with no reaction are not noted at all. Those with a reaction are noted with a plus followed by the number. There are two controls in the mix, just for good measure. The positive control is histamine, and the negative control is a simple saline solution. Overall, it was so cool to watch Dr. M at work and to hear him talk about skin scrapings and Gram staining to look for cocci as well as immunotherapy, both of which I sort of understood from Microbiology and Immunology. I love applying what I learn in school to what I see at the clinic. I've probably mentioned it before, but it just gets truer every time I go in.

This is an image that might give you a good idea of what an allergy test looks like. This animal seems to have a reaction to just about everything on the list (not fun). Photo courtesy of www.gcvs.com.

I was just starting anesthesia monitoring on the first puppy when Dr. J came to tell me we were leaving for the day. It was only 12:30, which is such an early time for me to leave. I was honestly disappointed. There were about three more surgeries that day, one of them a TPLO, which I wanted to see, but Dr. J is my ride, so I could not say no. This day was really significant for me because I was honestly doing something every minute I was there. I felt like a real tech, even though I am nowhere close. It means a lot to me that they treat me like that  because it means that they trust me to do a good job and know they can count on me to give reliable help. I feel like a vital part of the practice when I am there, instead of a passive, unhelpful bystander.

I am taking a week off shadowing because Dr. J does not work much this coming week, what with it being book-ended by two holidays (Christmas on one end and New Year's on the other). So, I will return to the clinic next Wednesday for a long day like I am used to. I will get to do a full half-day of surgery with Dr. K and Miss H, who is one of my favorite people at the clinic and the tech I spent most time with this past summer (since I only shadowed on Wednesdays during the summer). I am quite looking forward to it, as you probably can imagine by this point. With any luck, I will have heard from Kansas State by then!

In the mean time, Merry Christmas and Happy 2013! I hope you get everything on your list and that you ring in the new year with joy! It's gonna be a good one. :)

Merry Christmas from the Hart Family and our little tree!

Winter Term 2012-2013, Week 5--The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

All in all, I would say that the week leading up to Christmas Break was pretty manageable. I did well on my first Physiology exam, despite being worried that adding the extra consideration of vet school interviews was negatively affecting my studies. I feel like my other classes are probably going well, too, if Physiology is. I still make mistakes on a fairly regular basis in Microbiology lab, but I really can't be good at everything, so it's good for me to have something that challenges me, something I need to work at.

Sarah was really good as Lucia on Tuesday. I really enjoyed the program. It's funny because Saint Lucia is originally a Sicilian thing that migrated to Sweden, and Sarah is both Sicilian and Swedish, so she was perfect for the role!

Thursday night/Friday morning was the premiere of The Hobbit. It wasn't quite as good as The Lord of the Rings trilogy but was still watchable. I think it would have benefited from being just one movie instead of the first of a trilogy. There is a lot of extraneous stuff that verges on the ridiculous and unnecessary. However, the music and cinematography--not to mention the set design and makeup/costumes--were fantastic. But all the visual and auditory marvels could not make up for the lack of a certain charm and poignancy that the original Lord of the Rings movies possess. Perhaps the second two movies will be better.

Of course, the biggest part of the last seven days was my interview at Kansas State! It was quite the weekend. I got home around 9 PM on Friday and had to leave at 7 AM the next morning to make the eight-hour drive to Manhattan, Kansas. It was pretty grueling. We stopped at a really good rib joint called Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City, Missouri because Dad wasn't about to let us drive through without some good KC barbecue. That's my dad for you.

We arrived in Manhattan around 4:30 PM, so we had about an hour-and-a-half of down time before we had to be at K-State for a pizza party. Once there, we sat in on a student panel, which was really helpful! We learned a lot about the school and life in Manhattan.

The next morning was the big day, my second vet school interview. I felt just as nervous for this one as for the first one at Iowa State, which kind of didn't make sense to me. I was almost nauseated. Maybe I was just worried about making the same mistakes at K-State as I made at Iowa State. Anyway, I found everyone there to be so nice and welcoming. I learned about the great support system they have in place, with professors more than willing to answer questions, participate in club activities, and the like. I heard that residents are also willing and eager to help, and the school allows first years to have second-year buddies and fourth-year mentors, so I'm really excited for those opportunities. I also learned that the food-animal faculty there is great and that there are many food safety experiences available. My interview team told me that I might look into getting a dual DVM/MPH (Master's of Public Health), and I could complete the MPH courses during the summer when my vet courses were not in session. Overall, I got a really good vibe from the school. The area is pretty nice, and I like the rolling hills. It also seems like a very safe place. You know, K-State was the very first Land Grant university established, which I think counts for something. The interview itself went much better than Iowa State, I think. It was a more traditional-type interview in which I got asked questions about more vet-related topics and about my schoolwork. It was overall less behavioral than Iowa State, and the interviewers here (two faculty members and a Kansas practitioner) knew much more about my application than the two Iowa practitioners with whom I interviewed at Iiowa State. It's just interesting to see how different schools operate differently. Probably the best news I got was that I will find out about my application status as early as the first of the new year! This is sort of nerve-wracking for me because I did not think that I would find out so soon. I was prepared for a long wait and not finding out until I was back at school, but it looks like I will know before break is over. You gotta love the schools that do not mess around and get results out as fast as possible. Now, I intend to enjoy the rest of break. I will hopefully get to shadow a couple of times as well as work and complete some pretty major homework assignments. This is what I get for attending a college that's on trimesters where Christmas Break is right in the middle of a term. Oh, well. I always get done what I need to.

Greetings from Manhattan, Kansas! Photo courtesy of www.hannush.com.

Winter Term 2012-2013, Week 4: Make New Friends But Keep the Old

"...One is silver, and the other's gold." So goes a little ditty we learned as Brownie Scouts when I used to be a member of the Girl Scouts in elementary school (Daisy Scout is as far as I got, which I think is only one level up from Brownie, but I digress).

Anyway, the title is appropriate because I got to reconnect with a good friend of mine this week. We had dinner together in the College Center on Wednesday, and then we went to a book sale at the Rock Island Library on Thursday. That was so cool because most of the books were just 25 cents. I got 12 magazines for a nickel each, including a couple of stocking-stuffer cycling magazines for my brother. Score!

As you might imagine, the Christmas season is in full swing here at Augustana. There are fake and real Christmas trees as well as lights literally everywhere. The only thing that could make it more Christmas-y would be some snow, but I've seen the forecast for this coming week, and it doesn't look exceptionally promising. However, I have it on good report from home that Minnesota got absolutely walloped with snow over the weekend, so I think it's gonna be a white Christmas in the Mini Apple.

This past week, I had midterms in Microbiology and Physiology. As you might expect from me at this point, I was worried about how they would go because I've felt a little distracted by all of my preparations for vet school interviews. I haven't seen the grades yet, but I feel fairly confident.

Not much else happened in class or in my extracurricular activities this week. I suppose that's a good thing because last week was chaos. On Saturday, I did get to do some volunteering, and I really enjoyed myself. We went to a local Methodist church to help them serve their Saturday lunch to the homeless people in the community. There is just something I love about being in the kitchen and feeding people. I think it's the Italian in me. I was in charge of dishing out fruit, and what's better than that? I felt so good knowing that I was helping them get a good, healthy meal. I didn't even mind cleaning up after! Dishes is just one chore that I actually sort of like (as much as you can like a chore). We got to talk to some of the older members of the church, including an elderly gentleman named Frank. He was so hilarious and adorable. I just love talking to old people. They have so many stories and so much wisdom to share.

Yesterday was a pretty good end to the weekend, I must say. At the Mortar Board meeting, we got to write Christmas cards for our troops overseas, and I just felt really good about that, too. I hope that whoever receives my cards gets a smile and encouragement out of them. I also went with Sarah to the Julbord, a traditional Swedish Christmas meal put on by the Scandinavian Department. We ate such delicacies as cheese with bread, a relish made with herring and beets, meatballs (made by Sarah) and potato sausage, potato and sausage wraps with shrimp, red cabbage with apples, ham, rice pudding, and cookies. Needless to say, I was stuffed! In an effort to defray the costs of feeding about 20 people, they charged $5 this year. I would have gladly paid, especially since I feel bad eating someone else's food when I did not help nor am I affiliated with the Scandinavian Department. However, Dr. S, the chair of the department, offered to cover my share because he had already paid for two people who did not show up. I was delighted and surprised at this kindness, especially since I feel like I have taken advantage of too many people's generosity already this term, what with going to Cincinnati for Thanksgiving and borrowing Devon's car to drive to ISU. I just feel so blessed. I hope I can reciprocate soon.

This week is shaping up to be pretty excellent. Tomorrow I get to watch Sarah as Sankta Lucia, Wednesday we are going to Denny's to try the Hobbit menu before the movie comes out, Thursday is a Christmas party and going to the theater for the premiere of the movie, and Friday I get to go home! I'll only be there for the night, though, because we have to get up early on Saturday to drive to Kansas, but it'll be nice to touch base there and see Emmie before our trip.Then, I get to come home for three weeks of bliss! (And working and shadowing, of course!)

With that, I leave you to admire some Christmas-themed photos. What do you love best about this time of year?

This is one of the few real trees on campus, located in the lobby of Founders Hall. It smells SO GOOD. Nothing evokes the warm, happy memories of Christmas for me more than the aroma of a Douglas fir.

I just love Grumpy Cat. I don't know why. Meme courtesy of thefunnyway.com.

So, the story with these next four is that I wanted to cut some snowflakes, but I didn't have any construction paper. I did, however, remember that I have some Christmas wrapping paper. Behold the results!

When studying on Friday evening in the quiet room on the first floor of the library, I couldn't help but notice this lovely tree.

Winter Term 2012-2013, Weeks 2 and 3--The Shortest Week and Back to Blue and Gold

Hello, and welcome to another long-overdue blog post, also known as "Hannah's been a really bad blogger lately." I apologize most sincerely. Life has been nothing short of wacko since I started this term, but I'm not complaining. It sure as heck beats the alternative. Anyway, so many exciting things have happened to me in the past two-and-a-half weeks!

First, I'll start with the pretty routine stuff. I had a lot of fun with Sarah and her family. I enjoyed my time in Cincinnati. I saw many cool sites and ate lots of good (free!) food. I really enjoy downtown Cincinnati. I think the area is just gorgeous with all of the rolling hills, the Ohio River, and the cute neighborhoods.

My birthday was also pretty good. Sarah got me the second season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Mom and Dad sent me a Road ID. It's basically a wristband with contact information on it in case something ever happens to me when I am out for a run. It really adds to my peace of mind, I can tell you that. I also bought some new running duds for myself because it was just time for my old ones to go. Sarah and I went out to dinner at Panera on Wednesday of last week, so that was really delicious.

New Balance running shoes are by far the best. I love these! So comfy, and the support for my low arches is great!

 Classes are going pretty well, too. I am enjoying both Physiology lab and Microbiology lab. I have great people at my lab tables in both of them, which makes things even better. In Physiology lab, we have already dissected the gastrocnemius muscle (calf muscle) from a leopard frog to study its contraction, and we are about to dissect another frog to view its heart. In Microbiology lab, we have performed various staining techniques on bacteria, including Gram stains. Those are always fun because I can never get away from lab without staining myself in addition to the bacteria. I feel like a kindergartener again every time I do the Gram staining procedure! Luckily, I am not the only one who gets messy.

And finally, I can talk about my Iowa State interview! What an experience! I had a bit of a panic moment on Saturday because I went to pick up the rental car, and I found out that it was going to cost more than I was able to put on my credit card, and more than I could spare from my checking account. The rental place told me they couldn't run my card for another 24 hours, and I needed the car right then. As it turns out, Sarah was with me because I needed a ride down to the airport to get the car, and overhearing my plight, she informed me that Devon had a car with her that she said I could probably borrow for the day. Excited, I sent a text to Devon to ask her if it was okay. Being the incredibly kind individual she is, she said yes! I was so relieved. I wouldn't have to take a rental car back on Monday! I went to Target the day before the interview to pick up some pre-trip things (like CDs to listen to on the way, of course).

I woke up around 6:30 on Sunday. It was pretty foggy out, so I was a tad nervous about the drive. I walked over to Devon's, where she handed me the keys to the car and sent me on my way. Armed with my CDs and directions to Ames, I set off. It actually wasn't too bad of a drive. It's a pretty straight shot from the QCA to Ames. I basically just drove on 80 and 35 the whole way. I ran into some bad fog about an hour-and-a-half into the three-hour trip, but I just prayed and hoped I wouldn't hit anything. Fortunately, I made it out okay, and I finally arrived in Ames. I found the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) much easier than I expected, and I sat in the car and waited for Mom and Dad to arrive, which only took about 20 minutes after I got there. We walked into the Admissions building together. I was feeling okay right then because I knew it would be about three-and-a-half hours before I would have to go in, and I wasn't about to lose my cool prematurely.
 

Once inside, I got my own name tag and proceeded to put my stuff in the Alumni Room, our base for the day. We got a very warm welcome from the Dean of the College, and then it was time for my tour. I really enjoyed that part. We got to see very state-of-the-art classrooms equipped with awesome technology designed to make the learning experience the best it can be. Vet students at most schools are required to purchase a tablet PC, and this allows all students to run on the same network with the same programs (it also allows quick repair because the IT group just has to work on one model).  Professors can upload slides, lectures, and other material for everyone to quickly access and share. It's a very streamlined process. We saw the Anatomy labs, where first-years spend a lot of time. The CVM has undergone some pretty impressive renovations over the past few years, both to the Large Animal Hospital and to the Small Animal Hospital. We got a glimpse of one of the large animal surgical suites and peeked inside the Dermatology room in the Small Animal Hospital. The reception area of the Small Animal Hospital is really cool because it is separated into cubicles based on species (dogs, cats, and exotics). The CVM is also filled with art because of a law that says that 1% of all construction costs must be devoted to art. There is the ubiquitous Gentle Doctor statue as well as several other cool pieces, including a glass etching that spans a whole corridor and succinctly delineates the history of veterinary medicine. It was quite a charming atmosphere. My tour guide was from Bettendorf, IA, which is crazy because that is just across the river from me here at Augustana, basically.

This is the famous Gentle Doctor sculpture. He has large hands because the hands are the most important thing a veterinarian can use when assessing an animal. He has large feet because veterinarians must be on their feet for many hours per day. Finally, he holds a puppy to symbolize the human-animal bond. Photo courtesy of vetmed.iastate.edu.

 After the tour, I grabbed a quick bite to eat before the student panel started. I enjoyed hearing them tell me about what vet school is like on a daily basis. Who better to learn from than someone in the thick of things? Mom and Dad attended the financial aid session while I was on the tour, so we found out about some good options for making vet school affordable. Basically, if I want it badly enough, I'll find a way to make it happen, although it probably won't be easy. I've already resigned myself to being in debt the rest of my life, and I don't really care. What I care about is making a difference in the lives of both people and animals, and if money follows, great. I just want to live comfortably and well within my means. I'd be happy with simple apartment that allows a dog friend or a cat friend.

When the panel was over, I had about 45 minutes to wait until my interview. At this point, I started to get more nervous. I was comforted by people who told me that it was really more like a conversation with two doctors than like a in-depth, scary interview. Another student who was applying came out and said that it wasn't as bad as she expected. So,  I was able to relax just a bit. Mom and Dad hugged me goodbye just before I left, since they would leave, too, before I was finished with the interview. Before I even knew it, my name was being called, and I met a very nice doctor who led me to the interview room. From this point, I can't disclose anything much. The interview was behavioral, so I basically got asked questions about what I did in certain situations in my life or what I would do. I enjoyed meeting both of my interviewers, and I think it went okay. I was a bit awkward at times, but I hope I can still make the cut. I learned earlier than our academic performance and application were evaluated separately before the interview invitations were extended. All those achieving a certain combined score were invited, and there were about 400 of us in this category. Of those 400, about 150 of us will be selected, so the odds aren't horrible. We'll just see! I won't know now till February, so it's time to focus on my Kansas interview!

One thing I can say from the day is that it only reinforced how much I want this! I could see myself as one of those students on the panel, and I think Ames would be a lovely place to spend four years. It's very conveniently located for my family, so I'm hoping the CVM thinks I'm a good match, too! My dad teared up a bit when he heard about the White Coat Ceremony, which is for new students, where they present us with our white lab coats that we will wear as fourth-years when we are doing our rotations. Trying on one of the lab coats was part of the experience on Sunday, and that also helped me feel more like I'm meant for this. It just looked so right on me! But like I said, only time will tell!

Another benefit of the day was improving my driving skills! I got some bad weather driving with the fog and then some night driving on the way back, all at pretty fast speeds. I also listened to some Christmas music to get me in the mood for the season. Win!

Stay tuned for an update on Week Four, coming to you late this weekend!

Winter Term 2012-2013, Week 1: The Beginning of the End

One week of my final term as an undergraduate is over. I only have nine more weeks of class, plus finals week. This is so crazy. Life has returned to its normally-hectic state, as I jumped right into my full schedule of classes, proctoring, and extracurriculars. Oh, yeah. And I have another interview to prepare for before Winter Break. This one came as a curveball because I was not expecting to have another interview before Kansas State. But, I do. And it's with Iowa State! My second choice after good ol' Minnesota! At first, I was really worried because I wasn't sure how I'd get there and not miss class. I thought I would have to  take the Greyhound, which would require 14 hours of travel roundtrip. Instead, I have taken a big leap as an adult and booked my first rental car. They do allow you to rent as an under-25, but there's usually a fee or surcharge associated with it. Which I get. But, anyway, I found a discount code for Hertz, so that fee will be deducted from my total. All in all, for the same price as a roundtrip bus ticket, I have the freedom to make the three hour drive there and back all on my own schedule, and I won't miss class at all! Now, I will be very tired probably after my interview, but I think I will be fine. There is not much else that I can do. For right now, I have put interview preparation into hyperdrive, spending upwards of an hour-and-a-half to two hours each day formulating my answers to some of the questions I anticipate will be asked of me. It can get tedious at times, but on the whole, it is wonderful to really clarify my stand on lots of veterinary issues and to really come to a good understanding of who I am as a person and who I want to be in the future (i.e., my goals and such). I feel really prepared already, just from having answered some of the questions. I think I will go into the interview fairly confident. After all, like I said earlier, they want me there! It's quite the accomplishment to be even invited to interview, so I can take that with me. I will probably also need to treat myself to some CDs to listen to on the way there and back, just to make the drive more enjoyable and to calm my nerves. On the whole, I think it will be a big adventure, and I love those, deep down.

My classes are going pretty well so far. I need to make sure I can focus on them well enough to keep my grades as high as I would like them. I have been worried that my work quality might slip because I am preoccupied by preparation for my interviews, but now that I have a set schedule down, I can relax a little more and focus on each thing one at a time. I have the same professor for Microbiology as I did for Immunology, and I am glad, since she is a really awesome person. She is so funny and intelligent. It makes for a really great lab and class experience. We get to listen to music in Micro lab, which is sometimes fun and sometimes really distracting because I want to sing along. We also get to use the lowest grade of research microscopes, which are the highest grade of student scopes available. That is just really cool to me to be able to use such high-quality equipment. I feel like that class will really teach me things that I will use as a veterinarian.

My Human Physiology professor is a really great person, too. I talked to him a couple of days ago about my interviews and how nervous I was, and he said he felt the same way when he interviewed for a job at Augustana. He made me feel a lot better. What also makes me feel better is that I read that the interview committees understand and expect me to be nervous, and they will take that into account when they are evaluating me. Part of the test is being under pressure and for them to see how you do in an unfamiliar situation when you are off your game a little bit. I just have to show them that their invitation to interview was not a mistake!

Animal Communication is going to be a pretty interesting class, I think. It is taught in a more grad-school-type format, where most of the class will be taught by student groups presenting on a topic in the field. I have a pretty good group, and we get most of class time to work together, so I won't have to worry too much about lots of outside group work for that class. That will be good, since I have a group project for both Human Physiology and Microbiology. I had two group projects last term, so I don't think one more is going to kill me. I don't think, anyway...you can never be too sure...(I kid, I kid...)

On Friday night, I gave myself a well-deserved break from studying and went to see The Bourne Legacy in Olin with Sarah and Devon. It was a pretty good movie, mostly because of Jeremy Renner. But the original Bourne movies are much better.

Yesterday, I got to go to the animal shelter again after quite a long absence. Most of the dogs had been walked, and the FIV room is still closed (le sigh...), so we sat in the normal cat room. There were actually a couple of really affectionate cats in there, which is weird. Crazy Lucy is now not allowed out except at night when all the other cats are put away because there have been too many "incidents." I sort of feel bad for that cat, like she's a little misunderstood. She's kind of bipolar, one minute being very cuddly and the next trying to bite or scratch her handler, but for the most part, she's fine.



Finally, this week will be pretty short, as it's Thanksgiving on Thursday, one of my favorite holidays! I was really hoping and expecting to get a ride back from a fellow Minnesotan, but she is leaving too early for me. I can't miss my class on Wednesday because I have a non-makeupable quiz (yes, I know that's not really a word, but work with me here). However, being the awesome friend that she is, Sarah has agreed to let me come with her to Cincinnati for the break! We are going to her grandma's house, and Sarah said that she's looking forward to introducing me to the family and especially her grandma, who she says I will like. What would I do without my friends? I have never been to Cincinnati, so I'm hoping it's a good experience. At the very least, it will be an exciting eight-hour road trip with my best friend, which is always a recipe for insanity. I imagine much belting out of songs and dancing in the car will occur. I will really miss my family, and I was hoping to work some over break (and celebrate my birthday as well as pick up some little Christmas gifts for my roommates), but that's just how things worked out this year. This is what is so hard about going to school 380 miles away. The only thing that I would change about Augustana is its location. If I could, I would totally move it to Minneapolis, with all the same people and everything. But life doesn't work like that.

Anyway, I wish you all a very happy holiday weekend! I know I have a million things to be thankful for. What about you?

(P.S. Sorry about the lack of pictures...maybe I'll have some from Cincinnati for you next week?)

Fall Break 2012--All the News That's Fit to Blog About

Well, here I am near the end of my last Fall Break of college. I've known Dr. J for three years now! That is just crazy to me to think about. Anyway, it's been quite the break. I did very well in all of my classes this term, despite the extreme stress I felt myself under during most of it. This gives me hope that I can manage stressful situations in my life without resorting to emotional breakdowns/hysterics and that I can come out on top. I understand that the rest of my life will be very similar to the last few months, so this was really just a foretaste of things to come. It was really good for me, in retrospect, and I guess I have nothing to regret whatsoever.

I got some exciting news on Monday night. I will be interviewing at the Kansas State University (K-State, from here on out) vet school on Sunday, December 16th. I am both excited and nervous. This is NOT a guarantee that I will get in, but it does mean that the admissions committee wants to talk to me. I am given much confidence by this thought alone. I really have nothing to lose. I will go in there as well prepared as I can be. I will be myself and show them how capable I am as a student and as a person. I will be driving down to Manhattan, Kansas with Mom and Dad early the day before so we can be in time for a pizza party on the eve of the interview. It will be good because I can meet other pre-vets and talk to vet students, who can answer some questions I have about finances, what daily life is like during each year, and how much surgical experience I might gain as a student there. Like I said, this is not a for-sure thing yet, but at least it's a chance, and that's all I can ask for right now.

With that in mind, my whole shadowing experience seems to have changed. I went with Dr. J yesterday to the clinic, and even though I was only there for five hours, I still had a great time. It was wonderful to see everyone again, and they seemed pretty pleased to see me, too. I met a new clinic cat named Fig, who is so cute and is probably my new favorite clinic kitty (after Odie, of course; he'll always be my bestie there). At first he was shy of me, but when I started to pet Cheeks, he seemed interested in meeting me. He was purring as I pet him, so I picked him up. Kind of by accident, he ended up on his back being cradled like a baby, but he seemed to enjoy it and let me hold him like that and walk around with him for a bit. Then, I sat down with him on my lap and let him bite my sleeve a bit. He is such a good-sized cat. He is very light and perfect for cuddling. I guess the story goes that Dr. N found him on the side of the road, so emaciated that she and one of the techs couldn't find a muscle large enough to give an injection. He had maggots crawling all over him and a bot fly larva in his neck. Dr. N has a picture of him from "before," and while I didn't see it, I understand it was pretty bad. However, he looks pretty good now. I would say he probably still needs to gain some weight, but he's doing well under the excellent care of the clinic staff and doctors. He does have a problem using the litter box, probably the result of some brain damage suffered when he was starving, but again, I believe he will get better as time passes. I think it's wonderful how the clinic continues to take in strays and treat them. I love seeing the results and the happy endings that come when a family finally adopts one of the cats. There seems to be a lack of good veterinary care for cats these days, not because of any vet's negligence but because clients seem to be less concerned about bringing their cats in routinely than they do their dogs. As such, cats tend to be sicker when they do come in, making visits more expensive and involved. This probably adds to the negativity that some clients may feel about bringing their cats in, especially since most cats hate being put in carriers and taken for a car ride. Dr. N does a lot of work toward better veterinary care for cats, and this gives me hope that even if I do go into something like small animal medicine, I will still have important roles to play. Right now, I am pretty interested in the ideas of laser surgery for spays and neuters and the idea of only removing the ovaries during a spay instead of the ovaries and the uterus (this requires a smaller incision site, among other things).

Another thing that made this clinic visit cool was that I got to apply some of what I know from Immunology to help me answer my own questions. When Dr. N told me that it was dangerous to vaccinate an animal with a fever, I wondered why. I almost asked her before I remembered that an injection is like a wound to the body, sometimes eliciting an inflammatory response of immune cells to the injection site. During fever, the activity of those cells increases, so the inflammation may be more severe and could cause damage to the surrounding tissues. At least, this is what I conjecture based on my knowledge. I am no expert, so don't take my word for it. It was just very cool for me to be able to apply my knowledge like that.

Finally, I got to see what ringworm looks like under a blacklight. A couple of cats at the clinic have the fungal skin condition, so Dr. J took me into a dark room with the light and showed me the neon-green fungus glowing like a radioactive material. I have seen pictures of this phenomenon online but never in real life. I later got to watch Dr. J and a tech lime dip the cats, which I was not allowed to participate in because they were afraid that I might catch the ringworm, too. I was secretly glad that I could just play an observing role for that one (especially since the dip smells like sulfur, which reminds me of the selenium sulfide I've used to treat tinea versicolor on myself).

Other than all this, I just generally enjoyed seeing the changes that have been made to the clinic (like new computers!) since I have been gone. I got to follow Dr. N into some appointments, which I like because I enjoy seeing how many different vets work. Dr. N is very good about explaining everything she does to me. She gave me quite the compliment when I was helping her count pills and fill sample bags, and she commented, "It's like we're making a tech out of you!" This makes me feel welcome there and like I am gaining some competency in the field of veterinary medicine, even if it is just in an assisting role.

On an unrelated note, I got to vote for the first time on Tuesday! It went very smoothly. I won't tell you who I voted for because that's honestly pretty irrelevant, but I did enjoy the whole process. Of course, I did get my obligatory sticker, and I felt proud wearing it and seeing it on other people at the thrift store, knowing I was one of them. Our neighbors were there, too, so I got to hear their take on K-State. The wife said she had a friend go there for Marketing, and she said she loved it. I know vet med is different, but it must a good school. The husband said it was pretty scenic, rolling hills and all that. I think I have chosen some good schools that fit my speed of life. I don't think I would feel comfortable in a really big city. I'm not a country girl; I do need some culture, but I also am not a big-time NYC-type, either.

Yup, yup. I cannot tell a lie.

 I am looking forward to starting my classes on Monday. I have really enjoyed being home and even going in to work, but I am also eager to finish my final term. I think December 16th is going to come very quickly. I just hope I'm ready when it does!

I leave you with this:

My beloved dog taking a snooze in the TV room, which I guess is now one of her favorite activities in her old age.  That and eating. Well, she's always liked eating, but now all she does is sleep and ingest foodstuffs.