Blogging > Studying

Happy Saturday! I thought I would post a quick thing right now instead of studying - procrastination at its finest :) I finallyyyyy got to sleep in this morning (after Daisy woke me up at 7 am to be fed and let out - but she's good for going back to bed with me). It was a really long week, a lot of back to back lectures :(

I walked my little Ambrosia as I do every week, she's getting better at walking and happily sits for a piece of kibble. The program definitely helps those cuties get better prepared for real homes when their adoption time comes! They aren't perfect though; when we were crossing a (non-busy, thankfully) street she decided to flop onto her side and show off her belly in the middle of the crosswalk hahaha it gave me a good laugh and she just looked at me like "belly rub?" and wouldn't get up so I had to pick her up before a car came. Those stubborn beagles!

A good way to end the week was the cardiology and neurology exams we got to do yesterday. I'm super thankful for the times that we actually get hands on experience - they seem rare, but one of the 4th year students that was visiting from the US told us that they didn't have any until THIRD year so I can't complain! We got to spend 3 hours with the teaching dogs learning about the exams and practicing them - it's one thing to read about it, but actually getting to do the exams makes everything click. They also had a client come in with her dog who had a heart murmur so we could get used to hearing the difference between normal and abnormal. Of course I came home and practiced everything on Daisy (she's less squirmy than the young beagles at school) - sorry girl but you're going to have your heart auscultated and your veins held off a whole lot in the next few years!

So basically it was a tiring but beagle-filled week. This weekend I have to get ahead in physiology because we have a cardiology exam in Feb; I'm starting early because Matt is visiting next weekend for my early birthday celebration, and then the weekend after we have friends and family day, so my weekend studying time will be cut short. I just made a ton of coffee so I should probably get to work! I don't really have any pictures from this week so I'll include some of Daisy (as usual).

Winter walks :)

She takes after her mother

Anniversaries and Interviews

Hi! I can't believe it's been almost 2 weeks since I've posted - I think that's gonna become more of a habit as this semester goes on. The past 2 weeks were pretty busy, no easing back into school after the break but I wouldn't expect anything else from vet school!

We've been doing simulated client interviews this semester, we had some practice before the break but now they are recorded (eek!) and we have to do reflections on them. I've finished my 2 fake appointments and they both went pretty well. It's always awkward because you know it's fake so it doesn't seem natural at first, but I got used to it. I think my past 3+ years of retail experience helped with feeling comfortable talking to strangers. I watched one of them today and didn't find it as weird as I expected, so that's a good sign!

Our practice groups also worked on a Case Based Learning exercise which was a really good experience. We got presented with a case and had to work like clinicians, creating problem lists and treatment and ordering diagnostic tests. We would only get a little bit of info at a time, and at the end of each session we had to go home and research things that we were not familiar with. I learned a ton about esophageal dilation and eventual cancer (our "patient" was a German Shepherd that had those issues) and it really made us all feel like we were working through the case like actual vets. At the end of the week we had to present our findings to a simulated client who was acting like the dog's owner. Overall I'm loving the practical experience so far this semester, as nerve wracking as it may be!

Other than school, Matt and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary (damn!!) by going to Niagara for the weekend. I know this is a vet school blog but I can't just talk about school 24/7 and I really try to balance my life as much as I can. It was a freezing but awesome weekend, complete with Ripley's and wax museums, a night out at Club Seven (we thought it was fitting), a lot of delicious food, a walk around Niagara-on-the-Lake, and overall a much needed weekend away :)

Today Matt brought Daisy back to me! Time to go back to sacrificing my lunch breaks for her, but how could I be mad at that when she snuggles with me in bed all night? It'll also get me back into a better exercise routine to help me shed those extra Christmas pounds ;)

Here are some pics of the things I just talked about, I'm going to go catch up on some work now - too bad 10 pm is too late for coffee!
- Faith and Daisy

Here's a little sneak peak into 2nd semester! Ahhhhh

Frozen Niagara Falls :)
 

Frozen Niagara-on-the-lake
 



Already claiming the bed again

Faves :)



Frozen faces

Hot damn!!

Guess who's baaaack?

Helloooo 2015!
I just got back to Guelph after 3 weeks of holidays so I thought I'd post a summary of how my break went (other than "too fast")

- I worked a few shifts at the hospital where I've worked for the past 4 years (a research lab) before they closed for Christmas. it was nice to talk to everyone about school because they all saw my journey to get here! Not to mention I got to make some money for Christmas gifts!


- Toronto trip: one of my best friends was visiting from Halifax so 4 of us went to Toronto for the weekend for shopping, wine, food and girl time :) we survived the craziness of the Eaton center the weekend before Christmas........NEVER AGAIN. We also went to a super cute breakfast place called Smith & Co. and I had to take a pic of the adorable little milk jug that I got with my coffee :)











- I managed to squeeze in a volunteer shift at the vet clinic I've been with for the past year and I gotta say it was awesome to be greeted with "hey vet student!"

- food, food, and more food. Obviously that's what a lot of Christmas break is about! Now that I'm back home I've already bought groceries and junk food was NOT included in that haul.

- other than that, my break was spent catching up on sleep and catching up with friends and family :) I planned on looking at some school stuff but pffttt who am I kidding, I did NOT have time for that hahah. Our group of friends had a great new year's eve party too :)

How to spot a vet student at a party :)



models ;)

models again!

Merry Christmas from Daisy :)

Now it's back to reality. This semester at OVC we add a course (genetics...not my fave) to our load to make it 7 courses, wooooo! (sarcasm). I'm ready to get back into the routine though. Matt and I are going to Niagara falls this coming weekend for our anniversary, then after that it's time to get down to serious studying.
Bring on the rest of first year!