Finals...

...aren't that bad. Maybe I just have false confidence from doing well on the dreaded cardio test, but i feel very calm and confident. I enjoy not going to class, and using the extra time to study. Four tests in four days is not a fun experience, but my stress level hasn't raised.

Alright, study break over. I'll really have to do a better job at updating this...

Round 2

We're smack in the middle of the second round of exams, hence the gap in posting once again. Anatomy was on Thursday. Several weeks ago, our lecture professor actually had a talk with us and said we didn't do well enough. Apparently, our first test average of 78 was way lower than last year. For example, there was 35 A's last year, and ~8 for our class. Several had failed.

Everyone was peeved; it hurt my ego and I didn't even do poorly. Regardless, it actually made everyone more pumped. I noticed a lot more people in the anatomy lab at night in the days before the test. My friends even came up with a pretty cool way of studying; we would make mini-tests pinning as many structures on our dog that we could. Then we would all take the "test" and talk over our answers. Apparently we did something right, and our class average was over a 90!

In true ISU Vet Med fashion, we celebrated by partying last night. The annual hayrack ride left from the Vet School ~4:30 with everyone piling on bales of hay pulled by tractors. Everyone brought their favorite "beverage" to enjoy as we were pulled down the highway, passing cars didn't seem to be bothered. I had heard the ride would be long, and the weather would be quite chilly, but I was not prepared for the two hour drive in 40 degree weather.

After 2 hours, we ate around a bonfire on land owned by one of the Vet School professors and had a really great night. I ended up leaving at 10, which sounds early but by that point I had been out for six hours. It was a good choice to leave, as I volunteered for seven hours today for the Feral Cat Mega-Clinic. 88 feral cat were spayed or neutered, given distemper and rabies vaccines, a covennia shot, and revolution for only twenty bucks. I didn't have much hands on work, but it felt great to be a part of it.

Histo, Medical Terminology, and Cell tests complete Round 2 on Tuesday and Wednesday. I can't believe I'm already half-way through my first semester!

Tested

I couldn't update last week because I was spending my free time studying for my first official vet school tests. On Wednesday we had an easy cell bio exam. I spent quite a long time memorizing disease symptoms and intricate details, when the questions ended up being along the lines of "how are heterozygous and homozygous genes different?".

On Thursday was the dreaded anatomy exam covering the entire musculoskeletal system. I went with my lab group to the anatomy lab every night for several days before the test to and kept going over our cadaver. Then we would go over old test questions (as it is the only course we are allowed to look at old exams) and memorize functions/attachments of muscle.

I went into the test very calm and feeling well prepared. The practical portion focused a bit too much on the trunk/neck/head regions when we had only learned those areas two days prior, but I did well! I didn't get an A, but I am off to a good start and definitely feel I'm more than capable of finishing the semester.

The weekend was spent cleaning my apartment (long overdue!), studying, and a night out on the town. My class is full of pretty cool people, and we had an awesome time. We'll just forget that someone was arrested for being belligerent.

Now, back to studying. Histo and Medical Terminology tests are coming up this week!

Playing Catch-Up

It's only week two of veterinary school and I'm already falling behind in my updates. The blame falls entirely on school, as I am in class pretty much the entire day 8-4 or 5 every day. When I am not in school, I am either studying (or "studying" aka watching TV), sleeping, or eating.

We are supposed to have a lunch break, but I'm taking the medical terminology elective and usually go to club meetings the other days. Clubs, from what I'm seeing so far, have the potential to be really awesome experiences. For only $5-$10 a club, you become a member and you get food for subsequent meetings and access to all activities and guest lectures. I'm deciding between several clubs, but I'm definitely joining the Equine Club and Student Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society(SVECCS). Equine lets you tag along on rounds to hear about interesting cases, and lets you be on an emergency on-call team for late-night colics. SVECCS organizes wetlabs where you practice emergency care like placing feeding or breathing tubes.

The first meeting of each club also has had free food, always a plus. I've had Papa Johns probably 6 times already.

Scholastically, last week was pretty straightforward. We mostly just covered syllabi and had an overview of each course. The only exceptions were histology, where we had an easy lab drawing basic cell types, and anatomy. For the first day of anatomy we covered the thoracic limb (shoulder-arm-hand) by just looking at bones.

On day two, we started dissection on our dogs! Me and my group picked a medium sized white-colored female, probably a pit-mix. She seemed fairly muscular, which would be helpful when identifying them. Of course, she ends up being full of fatty tissue and having the most undefined muscles of any of the specimens! We spend most of our time picking off excess fat layers, while everyone else is reviewing their clear-as-day muscles.

We're stuck with Snow White (hey, she needed a name) for now. The hind limb is almost fully dissected, and by next week we will be finished with every muscle and bone in the entire body. Our first test is the 17th, so within the first month of vet school I should now basically the entire structure of a dog and how their muscles work!

I don't think I will be seeing the outside world much until then.

disOriented

Moving to Iowa with little more than a bunch of clothes, my cat, my girlfriend, and my school books meant buying pretty much everything I needed when I got there. We went to Wal-Mart and Target probably ten times in the day and half before orientation started. My only regret would be not making it to the mattress store before closing the first day in Ames; one night sleeping on the floor is one too many.

Orientation was an...interesting blend of activities spread out over three days, a mix of talks and team-building games. There were a ton of lectures on school procedure and getting acclimated to vet school, with a huge emphasis on professionalism and building our confidence that we can make it through the program (which was very encouraging).

The rest of the time, we were broken into groups of 10-12 students to complete generic ice-breaker games: tossing a tennis ball to remember names, linking arms to create and then escape from a human knot, getting every group member to fit on a small wooden platform and so on. It was a pretty silly, but it did break down the awkwardness of getting thrown into this alien situation without knowing anyone. A necessary evil I guess.

One thing I could really have done without? The two hour+ presentation on emotional personalities which can be summed up in one sentence: Some of us are introverts and some are extroverts, we are all different.

That's deep.

I Would Drive 1100 Miles...

I just got back from studying all night with my anatomy lab group, and decided I had to play catch-up on the blog. I only got an internet connection a few days ago, but I arrived in Ames on the 17th after an enjoyable but L-O-N-G ride.

The drive from New York was mostly uneventful until reaching Chicago, the high point being a couple stops at WaWa. Around eight hours into the drive we crossed in Cuyahoga National Park in Ohio, but decided against stopping as it seemed rather small and uninteresting.

After a mind-numbing 12-13 hours of driving, we started calling pet-friendly hotels in Chicago. Surprisingly the Hard Rock Hotel was very reasonable and accepted pets. We couldn't have picked a better location that allowed for a whirlwind tour of the city. The hotel was on Michigan Ave, equivalent to Park Avenue in New York. We did a quick run through Millennium Park, and ate some deep dish pizza (of course).

For the whole ride, Fritz did a pretty amazing job of staying quiet and relaxing. I bought him an oversized kennel carrier fit for a springer spaniel, and put a small litter box and a towel inside. Unlike some carriers, this one had a gated window on the sides as well as the front so he could see us and I think calmed him down.

After Chicago there was still a 5 hour drive to Ames. When one thinks of Iowa, they may imagine endlessly flat farmland. The second half of the drive actually proved that Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio are more vertically challenged. Iowa instead consists of rolling hills that are covered in crops and dotted by farms, silos, assorted livestock, and the occasional small town. It's not extraordinary eye candy, but the scenery was serene and more enjoyable than I had imagined.

We arrived in Ames just in time to get my apartment keys. Pictures will be up eventually, but the pad is awesome. The front door opens to the kitchen which leads into the living room, giving a great wide-open feel. My bed room and bathroom are off in an alcove next to the living room, with the bedroom fitting a desk and a full-size bed very comfortably with lots of extra room. An added bonus is being on the first floor, which made moving in a million-times easier than the 4th story walk-up I was used to in undergrad. Also, the complex has a fitness center, covered parking, tennis courts, and a pool!

Time to pass out, next post will detail getting settled and orientation.

T-Minus 10

With only a week and a half before I start my drive to Iowa I, not uncharacteristically, feel nowhere near ready. On the plus side I've purchased all my books. I decided to go the half.com/amazon/Barnes & Noble route and saved ~$150 rather than order from the school bookstore. I also ended up with a stethoscope, and a rather nice one to boot. The animal hospital was given one for free, but none of the vets needed it. Never underestimate the perks of working at a veterinary hospital!

Although I waited a while, I also signed a lease for an apartment last month. The difference in cost of living between New York is ridiculous. ~$640/month in Ames gets you a 1 bedroom apartment including utilities, Internet, and cable with many amenities and covered parking. On Long Island, you'd be paying that much to live in someones bathroom.

On the downside, I haven't packed anything. I still have to buy new clothes so I can appear somewhat decent, I can't even remember the last time I when shopping. I know my classmates aren't the fashion police, but I can't show up to class in ratty t-shirts. My car still needs to be inspected before I drive 1100 miles with an expired sticker. I have to finish getting my Grad Plus loan. I'm probably forgetting ten other things I need to do.

And how many days off to I have to finish up before I leave? 2!

Applying, Interviewing, Preparing. The stress beings long before classes do; The Joy Of Vet School knows no bounds!