Christmas break :)

Another semester of vet school complete! Just one more semester of classes and clinical things begin :) Not gonna lie, I am beyond ready to get out of class - mainly because I may go crazy if I have to listen to one more person complain about how unfair exams are or how hard vet school is (but I'll end my rant there..)
I just got home (London), wrote my last exam this morning and got outta there ASAP! We've been hit with quite a bit of snow which I'm happy about because 1. last year was a green Christmas and it was depressing, and 2. I don't care how much snow we get because I have no plans for the next 2 weeks other than sleeping and watching movies. Although I should catch up on some notes because my to-do list just keeps growing.
Not much has happened since my last post, I came home one weekend to go to Matt's work Christmas party and also saw Fantastic Beasts (loved it), and then December was just full of studying since I had 4 tests and 2 online quizzes and an assignment and labs - the usual! It's been tiring but the busier we are, the faster time seems to go, and we always survive it somehow :)

The end of Movember - thank God that's over with now

We've been doing more 4th year stuff, ranking elective rotations and such. It's crazy that in a month or 2 I'll have my tentative schedule for 4th year!
My group had a great Secret Santa/hangout and we took some festive group photos as we do every year. This time it included some horses :)

Other than sleeping I plan on seeing all my London friends over the next 2 weeks; we have a Christmas party tomorrow and I'm looking forward to dusting off my makeup and actually looking like a normal human for the first time in awhile :)

That's all for now!

Costumes and castrations

Helloooo! :)

Since my last post I've done 3 tests, 2 surgeries and have been to 2 costume parties - and November isn't even over yet!

My wonderful surgery group mates and I have successfully completed a kitten spay and a dog neuter and both of our patients have been adopted from the humane society :) Although we were nervous, it was awesome to see how all of our surgery labs and independent practice time paid off - we really do know how to do spays and neuters! We have 3 or 4 more surgeries next semester and I'm so glad I'm getting the chance to practice my surgery skills since I am going to be doing them on my own during my externship. Eeeek time is flying by - in a year I will be writing my NAVLE (board exam)! But let's not think about that ~6 hour, 360 question exam right now hahah

So. Damn. Early. (only for animals!!)

Halloween was a blast, our group dead/zombie Disney costume was awesome and Trump showed up as well (foreshadowing?) - Matt's costume got a lot of laughs, some people wanting to take pictures with him, and one "fuck off" from someone in the bathroom (damn girl, take a joke!). I feel like I've spent a lot of time at Value Village lately because this past weekend I went home and then to Windsor for a friend's 70s and 80s themed birthday party :) I went for 80s so there was a lot of pink and a lot of spandex involved.

Surgery group aka Jesse from Toy Story, Kida from Atlantis and Elsa from Frozen :)

Zombie crew

Make America Great Again! (lol so gross)

Birthday boy :)

I'm heading home again this weekend to go to Matt's work Christmas party (I finally have a car so commuting is so much easier) and we don't have a test this upcoming Monday (unlike the last 3 Mondays in a row) so it's time to catch up on all of the notes I've been putting off. Just a few more weeks until Christmas break!

Anther month complete

Hey! I have the morning off (yay for sleeping in!) so I figured I'd post an update while I have some time.

In my last post I mentioned the doghouse challenge - it was so much fun! The 5 of us painted non-stop for the entire 2 hours and our final product turned out great and will hopefully make a northern community dog happy and warm in the winter :)

Santa and her helpers built a gingerbread/candy house :)

Thanksgiving was a nice 4 days of relaxing and eating, my best friend also got married! I'm super thankful that vet school is only an hour's drive from my hometown so that I can be home for things like that :)

I told myself I would do some work while I was home...but of course that didn't happen hahah it's ok though, my brain needed a break!

We've had 2 more tests this month and are heading into November which means a test every Monday. This weekend is our last free one for while, which is perfect because it's the Halloween party! My friends and I have not been able to stop talking about it - we clearly don't get out much! We spent this week shopping for our costumes and tomorrow night we will turn ourselves into zombified Disney princesses (because normal princesses are too basic). Matt is visiting this weekend as well, and is going to be Trump - I'm scared for that one.

Other notable news - I secured my externship for May-June, so I'll be spending 8 weeks learning about dogs cats and horses! I went to visit the clinic and got along great with everyone, the main vet was very laid back and told me that I would definitely be doing lots of surgery which was super exciting - I can't waittttt to get as much clinical practice as I can before 4th year rotations begin. I'll also be there during the season of baby horses which is the best!!

I can start working on my surgery skills as early as next week - since that is when we have our first live animal spay! Nerve-wracking but so exciting!

Needless to say the next month or so is going to be hectic! It took 2 months but I think I'm finally back in school mode - after Halloween is over, bring on the craziness!

The Craziness Continues

Hi! 2 more days of class this week (one half - yay! and one full day) and then we get a much needed 4 day thanksgiving break :)

3rd year is pretty crazy. The amount of lecture we have had in the past month is overwhelming, especially when I look at my desktop and see ~20 lectures that I have yet to review. I study by going through the lecture slides + the notes I took during class and make my own summary/review notes. It's the system that works best for me, but daaammn I'm behind this year! Oh well, I'm slowly chipping away at it and I'm hoping to get it (mostly) done this weekend :)

We've gotten one test and one assignment out of the way already - things move fast here. We've had quite a bit of lab time too: reviewing our surgery and anesthesia skills and also learning some fish stuff! Add in the chiropractor appointments that I've recently started (they are saving my back) and the time that I need to make meals and sleep, and the consensus is that there are nottttt enough hours in the day! It's times like these when I really really really love coffee.

This is the Instagram-famous Maddie the Coonhound <3

Last weekend I took some time off (oops) and visited my best friend in Toronto - we went to the makeup trade show that we went to last year (didn't spend as much money this year but it was just as fun!) and ended the weekend with a trip to a Tiki bar which was awesome and full of strong ass drinks.

Kat Von D had the best booth - complete with a liquid lipstick throne

Tomorrow night my vet school friends and I are participating in a Purina Doghouse Challenge where we paint doghouses that are later brought up to the northern communities for dogs who live outdoors to keep them warm in the winter :) I've always loved art and of course I love helping doggies so I'm looking forward to it!

Other than that, I'm excited to be going home this weekend to see friends and family (+ the family cat Alan who my mom has had for 2 months), eat a ton of food, and finally get around to catching up on notes!

Bye for now :)

Handsome guy :)

Phase 3!

Hiiii!

Well I'm ~48 class hours into third year and I'm still alive! Third year?! That sounds craaaazy to be saying out loud. Today there was a phase 2 to phase 1 info lunch talk and I was like "I'm not in either of those". Eek! The end is in sight!

Anyway, brief overview of my past week - I'm living in the same apartment this year so moving back in was quick and easy. It was (and is) super weird not having Daisy here - on one hand I can take advantage of not getting up early and missing lunch talks, but the cons definitely outweigh the pro s and I'm dying for another dog. Not gonna lie, I've been hardcore stalking greyhound rescues because they are the perfect dog for a lazy person like me...but I think I need to wait until the craziness of 4th year is at least mostly finished.

Like come on....I need

We got right back into the swing of things with 8:30 - 5:30 class all last week. I may have worked 40h weeks during the summer, but being mentally tired is a whole different thing (fellow students, you get me). It's ok though, coffee and naps will get me though :)

Each year the program gets more and more clinical and I love it. We have an entire course on medicine and surgery of dogs and cats (and one for horses and another for food animal - damn!) in addition to our surgical exercises course and I'm looking forward to feeling more and more "vet-ty" as the year goes on :)

This year's courses

I'm in the process of finalizing an externship for the summer and already have a list of to-dos for this weekend (aka notes I was too tired to make last week). Hot dates with the library coming right up!

My actual desktop sticky note...it keeps growing

Overall, we've heard multiple times this week that third year is a lot of work but also a lot of fun, and that balance is basically what I strive for all the time :) let's do this!!

Summer Update: Ups and Downs

Hi! I thought I'd sneak in a little update while I have a day off and no plans :) That's a rare situation nowadays!

I'll get the sad part over with first: my summer began with me having to say goodbye to my little Daisy. She fought hard against kidney failure for a year and really didn't show many signs until I got home from school this summer. She had zero appetite (unheard of for her) and we did some bloodwork and her kidney values were almost double what they were 2 months prior. She was also showing some signs of heart disease, she was recently diagnosed with a murmur and it got worse very quickly. She lost a lot of weight and was just not herself. When Matt came over and she didn't run to him and then she refused a McDonald's cheeseburger, I knew I was making the right decision to end her pain. I'm really glad that I was able to be in London for all of this - the clinic I'm working at this summer is also the place Daisy has gone for vet care for most of her life, so I felt comfortable with everything and my co workers were beyond understanding (shout out to them!). Once we sedated her it was the most relaxed I had seen her look in weeks, and the whole thing was very peaceful. 

Had to bug her with one final photo shoot on her last day :) Miss you baby!

Apart from that, I've been working non-stop and learning a lot - although I'm just an assistant, being immersed in the vet clinic for 40h a week has taught me so much. I'm getting better at reading radiographs, gotten the chance to practice blood draws, and have seen some pretty cool procedures and diseases. Getting referred to as "our future veterinarian" also feels pretty damn good! I'm definitely glad I chose this as my summer job and it has helped keep my mind off of my sadness. It has also made me so thankful to be a part of a field where we have the ability to relieve animals' suffering. Euthanasias are always tough to experience but when it is truly time, then it is the best thing we can do for them.

Like the nerd I am though, I'm ready to go back to school! Someone at work asked me where I'd rather be, and I said school. Sure I'm loving the $$$ aspect of working, but I'm soo used to being in class that I don't know what to do with myself when I'm not! I know 3rd year is going to be a ton of work but I'm super excited to get back into the swing of things and learn even more.

I have a month of work left and then 2 weeks off before I head back to Guelph. This summer has flown by! I'll talk to you all at some point before I get back into school mode. Thanks for reading! :)

Halfway there :)

Short recap of the last week:

- finished my last exam (best feeling!)
- packed up my apartment (always takes way longer than I anticipate - how does one person accumulate so much crap??)
- toga party (the first time all year that we've been able to go to a party and not feel guilty because we have a test coming up)
- came back to London
- slept forever
- got all my marks back and officially passed phase 2!

Work starts Monday and I'm ready to gain more clinical experience and put some of the stuff we've learned this year to the test :)

Yay summer!!

Faves :)

4 more days!

Hey everyone!

Like I said in my last post, nothing has been going on lately beside non-stop studying. Since then, I have survived:

- One written Surgery final
- One simulated client interview
- Three Principles of Disease finals back to back, 3 days in a row (finishing one exam and then having to study the same material only to find all the mistakes you made that morning is not the most fun, but yay to the monster Phase 2 course being done!)
- One Health Management final
- One Theriogenology (reproduction) final

And we only have Anesthesia & Pharmacology (which is one course) to go!

We have fewer finals than we did in first year, but the amount of material tested this year is massive and all of them are worth so much. Today's was Therio and it was worth 70%! So even if you go into the final with a good mark, it doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things. Intimidating for sure, especially since our brains are beginning to wear out.

I took a mental break this weekend though; the weather has been gorgeous and Matt came down to take Daisy back to London for me. We got to hang out for a bit and we took a nice long trail walk - it was nice to finally get some sun! I'm feeling like less of a vampire/troll/hermit and ready to get this last exam over with so I can celebrate, head home and recover for a week before starting work.

Almost 50% of a DVM!
Bye for now :)

March Craziness

I'm getting pretty crappy at updating, huh?? This month has been crazy!

Since my last post, I: 

- Checked off another 5 tests off of my to-do list (Monday morning 8:00 am tests are now done for the year!) 

- Went to the beach party, complete with real sand :)

- Got artsy at Play with Clay, a local store where you can either make your own clay piece or make your own, paint it, and then pick it up when it's been baked. I made a cupcake jewelery holder and I want to go back ASAP because it was so fun and relaxing! I was really into art when I was younger and it helped spark that feeling again. Good stress relief :)

- Got super excited about classes finally ending!

- Got a mix of scared + excited - we've had a few talks about how 4th year works and how we already need to start thinking about our plans for externships, rotations, and the national vet licensing exam (NAVLE). Crazy that we are already at that point! Time is flying :)

We have our surgery written final on Monday, and then the rest of our finals don't start until April 7 so Daisy and I are going home on Monday. I figured I'd take advantage of the free food (thanks mom and dad) and give Daisy the company of my family for a bit. I plan on going to the library (at my undergrad, bringing back memories of all the hours I spent there while trying to get good marks to apply to vet school) to get some good studying in before our 8 finals begin.

Cannot believe the end of 2nd year is already coming up! That's all for now :)

The home stretch!

Today is March 1st and I can't believe how fast this year has gone!
Last week we did our first "spay" on our DASIEs (fake surgery models). It was our last lab of the surgery course and a great way to practice our skills on a fake patient before the time comes when we have to do the real thing! 

Looking professional ;)

We also had an intro lecture about the surgery course in third year, and got to pick out surgery groups. So excited to have even more hands on time next year; this year's surgery course was definitely my favourite course so far. 

Yesterday we had a bacteriology exam and then our Clinical Medicine final OSCE. We had one last year as well, but this year involved full physical exams on large and small animals + neurology + medical record and problem lists + radiology. Needless to say, it was a busy weekend of studying and although our lab section had to be the first group to do the OSCE (other groups don't go until Friday), I'm glad I got it out of the way. I think it went well and was a good boost of confidence; sometimes I don't realize how much I have learned until the time comes to put my skills to the test :)

This week is a normal week of class, there's a frat party on Friday that matt is going to accompany me to, but unfortunately we also have 2 tests on Monday. Next thing you know, it'll be April! Time flies.
Bye for now :)

The fastest week ever

Hey everyone! Just thought I'd post a quick reading week recap before I get into what's going on in school.
I went home with a list of stuff I needed to do, and accomplished maybe 2 things? Hahah but it was a much needed week of sleep, friends and family, and Matt's family's new puppy :)
Since daisy is almost 11, I had forgotten just how much work puppies are. The biting, the scratching, the peeing everywhere, the nonstop energy.. It made me second guess my future great dane puppy! But little Sofia is the cutest and it was even cuter seeing matt interact with her and how quickly they've bonded (I have zero maternal instinct in terms of human babies, but puppies are another story). We went to petsmart and I got her a pink identification tag so she's all blinged out now :) 

Look at those paws - she's going to be a big girl!

Not sure who is cuter ;)

My best friend and I went back to visit our favourite high school teacher and gave his Biology class a lecture on life after high school - my friend is in chiropractic school so we have had similar journeys with different outcomes. It made me feel old but also so accomplished; it's crazy that it's been 7 years since I was in grade 12! I think we intimidated them a little but it was also appreciated since high school students don't get nearly as much information as they should about how university works. 

Otherwise most of the week was just spent relaxing which was very necessary since school is back in full swing now. I'll save that info for the next post :)

We got a huge snowstorm but that didn't stop this one from wanting to go for walks :)

Catching up with my lovely friends :)

Update: The Past Month

So the last few weeks have been pretty busy, we had some cool hands on labs and I've also been on the hunt for a summer job.

One of our labs was on bandaging limbs which sounds simple enough, but getting multiple layers of cotton and bandage material to lay nice and flat against the leg while maintaining the proper pressure is definitely an art! We ended the lab by doing a cast and then got yo use some power tools to saw it off once it had hardened. 

We practiced on stuffed limbs, but this is the final product on a real dog (photo from Google)

I had 2 interviews for jobs, one here in the companion animal hospital and another for a vet clinic back in my hometown. There were pros and cons to both but I was leaning toward the London one because:
1. The clinic is my personal vet clinic where I take daisy
2. I volunteered there in undergrad so I am familiar with the clinic and the staff
3. I am in regular contact with the main vet there and he is the best :)
4. I'd be closer to family and friends and get to save on some living expenses for the summer
5. Daisy wouldn't be home alone all day while I am working because my family members are off for various parts of the summer.
Thankfully, I found out that I got the London job before I heard back from the Guelph one so I took it right away. It'll be cool to go back and show the staff that I actually know things now (as opposed to being a little vet student wannabe) and get to practice things that we've learned in school this year. I'm excited to have a busy but rewarding summer :)

My birthday was last week and the girls and I went out for dinner to The Works (an amazing burger place) where I ate my weight in cheese.. Thankfully I wore my stretchy pants ;) it was nice to have some social time since we usually only see each other in class.

Tomorrow night I'm heading back to London for reading week and I'm sooo looking forward to a bit of a break. I haven't been home since new years and going home is even more exciting now, because Matt's family got a golden retriever puppy and I am DYING to see her (but then go home and not have to deal with puppy training.. I'll be the equivalent of a "cool aunt"). Goldens are one of the cutest puppies ever and I can't wait to squeeze her fuzzy little face!

KILLING ME

Little Sophia :) 

That's it for now, my week is already pretty packed with social + school related tasks so I'll definitely post an update once that's all done.

Bye from Daisy and I! :)

SCVMA Conference

Wow has it really been almost 3 weeks since my last post?? Time flies when you're super busy!

This past weekend was the Students of the Central Veterinary Medical Association Symposium and OVC got to host it which was great because I didn't have to pay for a plane ticket :) (shout out to our wonderful executive committee who made the weekend go seamlessly despite running on no sleep!)

The first day started with lectures. I chose the following:

- Minimally Invasive Surgery: how laparoscopic surgical techniques are being used in vet medicine to do procedures such as spays, gastropexies and biopsies. The benefits include smaller incisions and therefore faster healing time, as well as less tissue damage. Starting the day with a video of a laparoscopic instrument suctioning bladder stones out of a bladder was awesome!

- Obesity: such a huge problem in pets nowadays, this lecture was sponsored by Royal Canin and taught us how to discuss obesity with owners and let them know that a 9/9 is not a good thig when it comes to a Body Condition Score. We also got free digital gram scales for accurate pet food measurements :)

- Dentistry: for whatever reason, OVC doesn't have many dentistry lectures so I chose this one to get some extra exposure. It's crazy (and some would say disgusting) how mild dental disease can quickly turn ugly. Free gift = pet toothbrushes (which Daisy will be using because yes I brush her teeth)

Free things!!

Then the afternoon consisted of 2 wet labs, I did basic surgery skills and emergency procedures and got to practice things that I had never done before and probably won't get a chance to for who knows how long! Those procedures included:

- Mass biopsy and suturing
- Chest tube placement: for long term fluid drainage
- Esophogastric tube placement: aka a feeding tube
- Thoracocentesis: quickly draining the chest in an emergency situation
- Urinary catheter placement
- Tracheostomy tube placement (the coolest one!): creating an airway in an emergency situation when intubation isn't possible.

..needless to say my spellcheck is going crazy right now. I swear they're all real words!

The day ended with a country-style dinner and social night at the country bar in Guelph - I despise country music soo I had to drown it out with some vodka-cranberries ;)

Saturday was the best day ever because I chose a tour of the Donkey Sanctuary which rescues abused and unwanted donkeys and mules. I've always had a thing for donkeys and seeing 80 of them in one day just made that obsession grow - I'll try not to overload this post with pictures of them but I can't make any guarantees ;) That evening we had a semi formal banquet dinner to end the weekend.

Seriously.

SERIOUSLY.

Overall the weekend was super tiring but also totally worth it. I'll let you all know when I adopt my first donkey! (only half joking). Daisy and Matt came down on Sunday and unfortunately only one of them stayed. So I'm back to early morning walks and no more lunch talks but I wouldn't have it any other way!

-10 deg out? No biggie!

Back to begging for snacks

That's all for now :)