Perhaps it is my retinas burning, for the sun actually came out for a bit today! Un-friggin-believable. It has been soooo dreary and nasty I was ready to start poking my eyes out with some scissors or something. Good thing I didn't, or I would not have been able to see its brilliance! It didn't visit for too terribly long, but I woke up to it so I was immediately in a great mood. I also got to take the Bingos for a 30 minute walk in the park today....it was fantastic.
Another thing that made me happy was I got to go somewhere today! Another vet student picked me up and we took her bird to Dick Vet for it's check up. Besides the bird taking a massive crap on my jeans leg (I was given the job to hold her for all of 30 seconds), it was a good day. There was a 5th year vet student doing EMS who took the bird's history. The vet finally came in and was lovely. I loved how he quizzed the 5th year on a lot of different things from behaviour matters to nutrition for the bird. Then, my friend decided to get her micro-chipped and after asking and pleading a bit, he agreed to let us watch the procedure, but only after she was anaesthetized. The bird is a young Senegal parrot and therefore not too big. He felt more comfortable putting her under since the needle is rather large and the microchip goes into the pectoral muscle, unlike a dog where it just gets inserted in the scruff of the neck. It was very cool indeed.
On the way home, we stopped by the pet store and I bought the Bingo Boyz some bones and a squeeky toy for Mugsy. He is still squeaking away on that thing and it's about to get put away for the night especially since he is now intentionally putting it places he cannot get it out of and I have to go 'rescue' it after he starts whining..ahhhh. At least I'm able to keep them amused lately.
I suppose I should crack open a book now. I'm feeling like such a slacker, but really did need a few days of nothingness. It's time to get serious about some studying while I have all of this time off and nothing to do.
Over-N-Out for now
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Biosecurity Assessment
I completed my first real practical assessment just before Christmas break. It was on biosecurity and held out at Langhill farm. There were three stations. First you had to get your waterproofs and wellies on and head to a barn for the 'Gear Washing' station. Then, you headed back, took off your waterproofs and went to the 'Hand Washing' station. Lastly, was a short 'Oral Exam' on biosecurity.
Biosecurity is basically preventing the spread of diseases from people and animals. There are enough diseases we can transfer to each other. For instance, I could go to a farm, pick up the nasties from a cow, and if I did not properly wash and disinfect, I could go right home and give it to my dogs, or to the next farm and muck up a herd of cows. So, it is a really basic, but extremely important concept. Think: Foot and Mouth disease. Bad stuff. For this reason, they were very stringent on our technique. We could get a total of 5 marks. 2 for gear washing, 2 for hand washing and 1 for the oral. You needed 3 out of 5 to pass. If you failed any one part, you have to resit in late January.
Gear Washing: For this, we got suited up, and had a bucket of mud to paint on our partner's waterproofs. When our names were called (went in pairs), we approached the washing station. We were given an index card with a dilution problem written on it. We were to work this out in our head so that once we had all of the gunk washed off and it was time to disinfect, we would have known how much disinfectant to add to our water in order to be effective. Now, I'm no math genius, so this part was actually what I was most worried about. Doing long division in my head while concentrating on getting me and my partner properly cleaned off, caused me to sweat a bit. We had 5 minutes to completely wash off, scrub ourselves, disinfect and then hose off. My partner and I managed to do this just fine and then gave our answers for the dilution problem. We both felt we received both marks for gear washing.
Hand Washing: Hand washing sounds oh-so-common-sense-easy and for the most part, it is. We had been given the proper technique a few months prior and if you practiced, it was a piece of cake. There were a couple of things that if you forgot, you immediately failed. One item would have been not thoroughly wetting your hands prior to applying soap. I took my time with the procedure and felt that I did fine on it as I left.
Oral Examination: This was performed in a room one-on-one with the assessor. You were shown a slide of something and then asked a question and given 2 minutes to explain and discuss. Mine revolved around a farmer getting ready to leave for holiday, having a contract sheep shearer come to the farm while he was gone and what advice I would give him for employing this shearer. I felt it went very well.
We received our marks the last day of the semester. I was very well pleased with my 5 marks. A lot of my classmates got 4's (mostly due to not getting dilution correct), there were enough 3's to go around and some flat out failed. I think we have 10 people who have to resit and I'm fairly certain it is mostly due to hand washing, but not positive. They will do fine. It was our first live assessment, so some people may have gotten a case of the nerves and completely blanked out on something.
We have our first major exams coming up in February and I could vomit right now thinking about them. I have to get my study-on big time. I don't want to just eek by and I REALLY do not want to have to be here in August to resit anything.
Off to get ready and head out for a bit on this rather dreary day....yuck.
Over-N-Out
Biosecurity is basically preventing the spread of diseases from people and animals. There are enough diseases we can transfer to each other. For instance, I could go to a farm, pick up the nasties from a cow, and if I did not properly wash and disinfect, I could go right home and give it to my dogs, or to the next farm and muck up a herd of cows. So, it is a really basic, but extremely important concept. Think: Foot and Mouth disease. Bad stuff. For this reason, they were very stringent on our technique. We could get a total of 5 marks. 2 for gear washing, 2 for hand washing and 1 for the oral. You needed 3 out of 5 to pass. If you failed any one part, you have to resit in late January.
Gear Washing: For this, we got suited up, and had a bucket of mud to paint on our partner's waterproofs. When our names were called (went in pairs), we approached the washing station. We were given an index card with a dilution problem written on it. We were to work this out in our head so that once we had all of the gunk washed off and it was time to disinfect, we would have known how much disinfectant to add to our water in order to be effective. Now, I'm no math genius, so this part was actually what I was most worried about. Doing long division in my head while concentrating on getting me and my partner properly cleaned off, caused me to sweat a bit. We had 5 minutes to completely wash off, scrub ourselves, disinfect and then hose off. My partner and I managed to do this just fine and then gave our answers for the dilution problem. We both felt we received both marks for gear washing.
Hand Washing: Hand washing sounds oh-so-common-sense-easy and for the most part, it is. We had been given the proper technique a few months prior and if you practiced, it was a piece of cake. There were a couple of things that if you forgot, you immediately failed. One item would have been not thoroughly wetting your hands prior to applying soap. I took my time with the procedure and felt that I did fine on it as I left.
Oral Examination: This was performed in a room one-on-one with the assessor. You were shown a slide of something and then asked a question and given 2 minutes to explain and discuss. Mine revolved around a farmer getting ready to leave for holiday, having a contract sheep shearer come to the farm while he was gone and what advice I would give him for employing this shearer. I felt it went very well.
We received our marks the last day of the semester. I was very well pleased with my 5 marks. A lot of my classmates got 4's (mostly due to not getting dilution correct), there were enough 3's to go around and some flat out failed. I think we have 10 people who have to resit and I'm fairly certain it is mostly due to hand washing, but not positive. They will do fine. It was our first live assessment, so some people may have gotten a case of the nerves and completely blanked out on something.
We have our first major exams coming up in February and I could vomit right now thinking about them. I have to get my study-on big time. I don't want to just eek by and I REALLY do not want to have to be here in August to resit anything.
Off to get ready and head out for a bit on this rather dreary day....yuck.
Over-N-Out
Friday, December 24, 2010
Christmas Eve and a Surprise
I cannot wrap my head around it. It seems so surreal that today is Christmas Eve! Today is my last day of my small mammal EMS and I'm actually a bit sad. I know, right? Get ready...for the surprise. It's coming....wait a minute....I have fallen in love with Hermie...........a.....rat. Who would have thunk it? Hermie has won me over. He/she (not sure, thus 'Hermie' for hermaphrodite) just loves running up and down my sweatshirt, in my sleeves and peeking its little head out the end underneath my palm. I have actually committed the first of all no-no's and not only considered adopting this bugger, but actually went out and bought all of the goods....cage and all! Sigh....I'm hopeless. I am now having buyer's remorse before I even have brought it home. I want to believe that the life I can give him is better than what he has...although he seems pretty darn good. Rats are very sociable and intelligent and from 99% of what I've read, should at least live in pairs. I just don't think I have time for two, am concerned about the dogs adjusting (I mean, they ARE bred for ratting!) and am hoping to travel quite a bit this summer. The rescue organization boards these guys and it is pretty easy to find someone to house a cage in their flat for a few weeks, but.....I still just don't know.
So, I'm going to talk to the owner today and have a good think about it. I don't want to take it home and then have to return him for any reason, although that's what 'foster parents' do. Fostering has crossed my mind, but then you take them out of the shop and therefore out of the sight of a potential adopter.
Another huge downside is their lifespan. It's only like 2.5-3 years. Ack...just when you start really getting attached, they croak on you! They are very easy to take care of, but do require interaction every day, as you cannot think they will be happy in their cage forever. I dunno.....this is a tough one for me. I would like to 'borrow' him for 2 weeks or so and see what I'm in for.
Well, at least I didn't do my EMS at the Humane Society.......
Off to get ready to clean cages again. We have made enormous progress on organizing the place and am really proud of how it looks. Now, if we could only talk some motivation into some of the more permanent volunteers to keep it that way. One step at a time........
Cheers and Happy Christmas Eve!!
Over-N-Out
So, I'm going to talk to the owner today and have a good think about it. I don't want to take it home and then have to return him for any reason, although that's what 'foster parents' do. Fostering has crossed my mind, but then you take them out of the shop and therefore out of the sight of a potential adopter.
Another huge downside is their lifespan. It's only like 2.5-3 years. Ack...just when you start really getting attached, they croak on you! They are very easy to take care of, but do require interaction every day, as you cannot think they will be happy in their cage forever. I dunno.....this is a tough one for me. I would like to 'borrow' him for 2 weeks or so and see what I'm in for.
Well, at least I didn't do my EMS at the Humane Society.......
Off to get ready to clean cages again. We have made enormous progress on organizing the place and am really proud of how it looks. Now, if we could only talk some motivation into some of the more permanent volunteers to keep it that way. One step at a time........
Cheers and Happy Christmas Eve!!
Over-N-Out
Monday, December 20, 2010
Indentured Servant for a Week
Today, I officially started my EMS, which stands for Extra Mural Studies. In the UK vet schools, you are required to do a LOT of EMS. Our first two years are comprised of pre-clinical, or animal husbandry, EMS of 12 weeks total. The following 3 years, we have to complete 26 weeks of clinical EMS. Bear in mind, these weeks are all on our own time during breaks and the summer. So, that is 38 weeks total of EMS. Can you say...not enough time to work and make any cashola?
My first 12 weeks, or animal husbandry EMS, is designed to give students an opportunity to handle and learn about different species of animals prior to 'working' on them. We have to do: 2 weeks Cattle (to include 1 week UK dairy), 2 weeks Sheep (to include 1 week UK lambing), 1 week Pigs, 1 week Poultry, 1 week Dogs and Cats, 2 weeks Horses, 1 week Small Mammals, 2 weeks 'Free Choice' and 1 Day livestock market.
Because the students are SO young here due to the difference in education systems, they most likely have not had the animal handling experience that the students in the US have. They basically start vet school out of high school, where we are post grads. We are allowed to apply for a certain amount of exemptions, but there are specific guidelines to qualify. Since I grew up with, showed and managed horses, I applied for exemption for my 2 weeks of horses. I managed to get 2 weeks exemption for my Free Choice. This is fine, it just means I can't use my free choice to investigate something new, or getting more experience in something I am really interested in... I will have to use it doing horses, which I am VERY comfortable handling already. Oh well, I like horses, so that is ok with me. And, I actually have no other experience, so the EMS deal suits me just fine.
I started my 1 week of small mammal EMS today. I am working at a small mammal no-kill rescue organization. Apparently, rabbits are the most neglected animals in the UK. There are approximately 32 at this unit. They also have hamsters, rats, guinea pigs, mice and ferrets. Some of the animals are being boarded over the holidays. What's interesting, is their website states that they do not believe in breeding animals, yet today they accepted 10 baby hamsters from a 'friend' who is a breeder and shows them. Yes, you read correctly....he shows hamsters. So, he kept maybe one or two and dropped off 10 because they were useless to him. They are 4 weeks and adorable, but this obviously goes against what they believe and this is a 'regular' drop off, so I'm a bit confused as to the message being sent. I'm sure there is more to the story, so I'm trying hard not to be judgemental.
The rabbits are absolutely adorable and all seem happy, relaxed and clean. I even held a rat today that was pretty darn cute. I am basically serving the role of cleaner and feeder. I cleaned a ga-dozen cages, fed animals, watered them, swept and mopped the floor and gave moral support to the other 3 vet students. It was absolutely fah-reeeezing in the joint. There is no central heat (and it's verrrry cold here), just a half-working space heater. This is my major complaint, besides the fact that the bathroom was completely and utterly disgusting. We had to pour the nasty, crap water from cleaning the cages in the toilet and it splashes all over it. I will let my bladder perforate before I use that toilet. Plus, there is no light in the bathroom and the sink is literally ripped away from the wall. I really was wishing for some rubber gloves the entire time and will invest in some. I'm not saying I expected cage cleaning to be the most glamorous job, because it's not, but done in a clean and warm surrounding environment is different than what I experienced.
I don't like to complain, because they are doing a great service and the best they can. This is simply me being grossed out about an environment I am not used to and would make some relatively minor changes to improve things greatly. That's all. I don't mind dirty, just not a fan of unclean...make sense? Like, just give me a clean, well-lit area with a big enough sink to clean the nasty stuff properly and not be surrounded in.....funk...and I'll be happy. Got it? Good.
With that... tomorrow is a new day and I'll wear warmer clothing.
Over-N-Out
My first 12 weeks, or animal husbandry EMS, is designed to give students an opportunity to handle and learn about different species of animals prior to 'working' on them. We have to do: 2 weeks Cattle (to include 1 week UK dairy), 2 weeks Sheep (to include 1 week UK lambing), 1 week Pigs, 1 week Poultry, 1 week Dogs and Cats, 2 weeks Horses, 1 week Small Mammals, 2 weeks 'Free Choice' and 1 Day livestock market.
Because the students are SO young here due to the difference in education systems, they most likely have not had the animal handling experience that the students in the US have. They basically start vet school out of high school, where we are post grads. We are allowed to apply for a certain amount of exemptions, but there are specific guidelines to qualify. Since I grew up with, showed and managed horses, I applied for exemption for my 2 weeks of horses. I managed to get 2 weeks exemption for my Free Choice. This is fine, it just means I can't use my free choice to investigate something new, or getting more experience in something I am really interested in... I will have to use it doing horses, which I am VERY comfortable handling already. Oh well, I like horses, so that is ok with me. And, I actually have no other experience, so the EMS deal suits me just fine.
I started my 1 week of small mammal EMS today. I am working at a small mammal no-kill rescue organization. Apparently, rabbits are the most neglected animals in the UK. There are approximately 32 at this unit. They also have hamsters, rats, guinea pigs, mice and ferrets. Some of the animals are being boarded over the holidays. What's interesting, is their website states that they do not believe in breeding animals, yet today they accepted 10 baby hamsters from a 'friend' who is a breeder and shows them. Yes, you read correctly....he shows hamsters. So, he kept maybe one or two and dropped off 10 because they were useless to him. They are 4 weeks and adorable, but this obviously goes against what they believe and this is a 'regular' drop off, so I'm a bit confused as to the message being sent. I'm sure there is more to the story, so I'm trying hard not to be judgemental.
The rabbits are absolutely adorable and all seem happy, relaxed and clean. I even held a rat today that was pretty darn cute. I am basically serving the role of cleaner and feeder. I cleaned a ga-dozen cages, fed animals, watered them, swept and mopped the floor and gave moral support to the other 3 vet students. It was absolutely fah-reeeezing in the joint. There is no central heat (and it's verrrry cold here), just a half-working space heater. This is my major complaint, besides the fact that the bathroom was completely and utterly disgusting. We had to pour the nasty, crap water from cleaning the cages in the toilet and it splashes all over it. I will let my bladder perforate before I use that toilet. Plus, there is no light in the bathroom and the sink is literally ripped away from the wall. I really was wishing for some rubber gloves the entire time and will invest in some. I'm not saying I expected cage cleaning to be the most glamorous job, because it's not, but done in a clean and warm surrounding environment is different than what I experienced.
I don't like to complain, because they are doing a great service and the best they can. This is simply me being grossed out about an environment I am not used to and would make some relatively minor changes to improve things greatly. That's all. I don't mind dirty, just not a fan of unclean...make sense? Like, just give me a clean, well-lit area with a big enough sink to clean the nasty stuff properly and not be surrounded in.....funk...and I'll be happy. Got it? Good.
With that... tomorrow is a new day and I'll wear warmer clothing.
Over-N-Out
Friday, December 17, 2010
Culled wine and Christmas cheer
You know you are a veterinary student when you start changing words, unbeknownst to you, that reflect what you are studying.
Take, for example, the other night. I attended a Christmas party at church where someone brought home-made mulled wine. If you are a true follower (and I hope you are), you know that I discussed this particular evening. Well, it just so happens that the editor-in-chief (ahem, that would be me) almost missed the fact that I wrote 'culled wine' and it almost made it to press.
For those of you that do not recognize this term, let me explain 'culled' for the layman. If we are talking about dairy cows, when you say you are going to cull some of your cows, you are going to get 'rid' of them. This is typically accomplished by euthanasia or slaughter. There are many reasons to cull, including: poor mothering, can no longer produce calves, abnormal teats (therefore is not a productive milker), mastitis, old age, etc. So, when writing about my evening, I wanted to share with everyone that I had had some culled wine. Yeah, that probably doesn't taste nearly as good as what I had.
This brings me to tonite. I went out with some friends to the same 'At the World's End' pub I have previously written about. And, I visited with the same Gray-hem at the store across the way. I popped my head, he had his back to me, and I said 'hiya...could you please tell me where the World's End is?' He started mumbling about how disappointed I was going to be before he even turned around. I mean, I WAS right across the street. When he finally saw me, a huge grin came across his face. I asked him if he remembered who I was (a stupid tourist over the summer asking where the pub was when I could throw a rock at it) and he smiled and said, 'why uv curs I dew. Yew rrrr da wun hew axed me last time'. I took the crowd over to see him again after dinner and we got some more fabulous pictures.
I went to dinner with three classmates and a fiancee. That should be the name of a movie, or something. It's the first time I met him and he is adorable. They make such a cute couple and she is so happy with him here. They leave for a whirlwind tour of Germany and other parts for the next 3 weeks, so I'm sad to see them go tomorrow. I look forward to hanging out when they return in January.
It was pretty darn cold tonite. We went down to the German Market and had a blast. We drank some mulled wine (just called it 'culled' again first...)and played on a trampoline. Many, many belly laughs were had and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Downtown has some lovely decorations and I am getting in the Christmas spirit.
Tomorrow will be bittersweet. I will be wishing many of my classmates a Merry Christmas and at the same time, saying good bye to some new friends for a bit.
Merry Christmas to everyone and Safe Travels!
Over-N-Out
Take, for example, the other night. I attended a Christmas party at church where someone brought home-made mulled wine. If you are a true follower (and I hope you are), you know that I discussed this particular evening. Well, it just so happens that the editor-in-chief (ahem, that would be me) almost missed the fact that I wrote 'culled wine' and it almost made it to press.
For those of you that do not recognize this term, let me explain 'culled' for the layman. If we are talking about dairy cows, when you say you are going to cull some of your cows, you are going to get 'rid' of them. This is typically accomplished by euthanasia or slaughter. There are many reasons to cull, including: poor mothering, can no longer produce calves, abnormal teats (therefore is not a productive milker), mastitis, old age, etc. So, when writing about my evening, I wanted to share with everyone that I had had some culled wine. Yeah, that probably doesn't taste nearly as good as what I had.
This brings me to tonite. I went out with some friends to the same 'At the World's End' pub I have previously written about. And, I visited with the same Gray-hem at the store across the way. I popped my head, he had his back to me, and I said 'hiya...could you please tell me where the World's End is?' He started mumbling about how disappointed I was going to be before he even turned around. I mean, I WAS right across the street. When he finally saw me, a huge grin came across his face. I asked him if he remembered who I was (a stupid tourist over the summer asking where the pub was when I could throw a rock at it) and he smiled and said, 'why uv curs I dew. Yew rrrr da wun hew axed me last time'. I took the crowd over to see him again after dinner and we got some more fabulous pictures.
I went to dinner with three classmates and a fiancee. That should be the name of a movie, or something. It's the first time I met him and he is adorable. They make such a cute couple and she is so happy with him here. They leave for a whirlwind tour of Germany and other parts for the next 3 weeks, so I'm sad to see them go tomorrow. I look forward to hanging out when they return in January.
It was pretty darn cold tonite. We went down to the German Market and had a blast. We drank some mulled wine (just called it 'culled' again first...)and played on a trampoline. Many, many belly laughs were had and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Downtown has some lovely decorations and I am getting in the Christmas spirit.
Tomorrow will be bittersweet. I will be wishing many of my classmates a Merry Christmas and at the same time, saying good bye to some new friends for a bit.
Merry Christmas to everyone and Safe Travels!
Over-N-Out
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Final Week of the Semester!
I truly cannot believe it. I am one week away from completing my first semester of veterinary school! It has been a lot of work and I'm looking forward to the 'break'. The exam system is completely different here, so it won't necessarily be a break complete from studying, but it will be devoid of any lectures, new projects, meetings and practicals. You see, my US counterparts are finished/finishing up their final exams for all of their first semester classes before they leave for Christmas break. We, on the other hand, do not have exams for our first semester classes until February! In the US, they have had tests weekly leading up to the finals, whereas we will have only been graded on a few lab projects prior to taking our exams. Sooooo, I will be studying my tail off during break. I will also be doing one week of EMS (Extra Mural Studies) for small mammals. I'm scheduled to do that Dec.20th - 24th.
My other major item to accomplish over break is finding and buying a car! I cannot wait to have my wings again. I really need at times to be able to load the Bingo Boyz in a vehicle and just go drive somewhere. I amlooking forward to all that a car will give me, other than the headache of owning a car here. They are not exactly vehicle-friendly in the UK. At all. I need it to keep my sanity, frankly, so it is worth every penny in tax, parking permits, inspections and petrol. As they say, 'Freedom is not free'.
My last week's schedule is light and I'm loving it. Here is what it entails:
Mon -
10-1050 Anatomy lecture - Trunk and Body wall
11-1130 Review with lab partner for Biosecurity Assessment
1210-1300 Meeting on intercalating a degree (getting a master's degree along with vet degree)
1400-1550 Anatomy dissection - Pharynx
Tues
10-1200 Anatomy dissection - The Body Wall
2-330pm Langhill Farm - Biosecurity Assessment
Wed
900-950 Lecture - Information Skills
1110-1300 Practical - Clinical Skills
7pm - Christmas dinner Catholic Student's Union
Thur
9-950 Lecture Sheep
10-1050 Lecture Pigs
1110-1200 Staff-Student Liaison mtg for Animal Health, Welfare and Food Safety
Fri
9-1050 Professional Studies - Ethics/Current Issues debate
1210-1300 Staff-Student Liaison mtg for Professional Studies
Overall, a very easy week considering what we have been doing. Most students are going home and leaving anywhere from Friday, Dec. 17th to the 20th. We are supposed to get an arctic storm towards the weekend again. I just pray all of my classmates can make it home safely and do not have any issues with transportation.
Sunday night and watching UFC fights, so I'm very happy. I also made a great decision tonight. It was between working out and going to mass. As much as I need to work out, I chose the latter and am so happy I did. A workout could not have given me that much satisfaction. Plus, we had a little Christmas get together afterwards and it was lovely. Someone made mulled wine. It was warm and delicious!
Over-N-Out
My other major item to accomplish over break is finding and buying a car! I cannot wait to have my wings again. I really need at times to be able to load the Bingo Boyz in a vehicle and just go drive somewhere. I amlooking forward to all that a car will give me, other than the headache of owning a car here. They are not exactly vehicle-friendly in the UK. At all. I need it to keep my sanity, frankly, so it is worth every penny in tax, parking permits, inspections and petrol. As they say, 'Freedom is not free'.
My last week's schedule is light and I'm loving it. Here is what it entails:
Mon -
10-1050 Anatomy lecture - Trunk and Body wall
11-1130 Review with lab partner for Biosecurity Assessment
1210-1300 Meeting on intercalating a degree (getting a master's degree along with vet degree)
1400-1550 Anatomy dissection - Pharynx
Tues
10-1200 Anatomy dissection - The Body Wall
2-330pm Langhill Farm - Biosecurity Assessment
Wed
900-950 Lecture - Information Skills
1110-1300 Practical - Clinical Skills
7pm - Christmas dinner Catholic Student's Union
Thur
9-950 Lecture Sheep
10-1050 Lecture Pigs
1110-1200 Staff-Student Liaison mtg for Animal Health, Welfare and Food Safety
Fri
9-1050 Professional Studies - Ethics/Current Issues debate
1210-1300 Staff-Student Liaison mtg for Professional Studies
Overall, a very easy week considering what we have been doing. Most students are going home and leaving anywhere from Friday, Dec. 17th to the 20th. We are supposed to get an arctic storm towards the weekend again. I just pray all of my classmates can make it home safely and do not have any issues with transportation.
Sunday night and watching UFC fights, so I'm very happy. I also made a great decision tonight. It was between working out and going to mass. As much as I need to work out, I chose the latter and am so happy I did. A workout could not have given me that much satisfaction. Plus, we had a little Christmas get together afterwards and it was lovely. Someone made mulled wine. It was warm and delicious!
Over-N-Out
What I Most Adore about Edinburgh
The UFC, baby! I am a ginormous Mixed Martial Arts (MMA/cage-fighting) fan as those nearest and dearest to me know. I spent a small part of my net worth on pay per view UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) fights over the years. My biggest complaint is the TV programming here (or lack thereof), so this is a complete shocker. I did buck up and get the TV package that included ESPN. Not the ESPN I'm used to, by the way. The advertised 'football' games got me hook, line and sinker only to find out it's soccer 'football' not U.S. college of NFL football. Well, we do get Monday Night Football, but that's IT.
So, imagine my complete delight when I realized the UFC fights are on ESPN here for FREE!!!!!!!! Utter disbelief. Absolutely thrilled. I squealed like a little girl when I figured this out.
So, UFC 124 is now on my TV from Saturday night and I am going to spend the next 2 hours watching it. I might glance at some anatomy on the side....
Letttttttttttttt's Get Reaaaaaaaaaaaaaddddddyyyyyyyyyyyyy to Ruuuuuuuuummmmmmmbbbbbbbbllllllllleeeeee ..............Off to get the beer and popcorn.
Over-N-Out
So, imagine my complete delight when I realized the UFC fights are on ESPN here for FREE!!!!!!!! Utter disbelief. Absolutely thrilled. I squealed like a little girl when I figured this out.
So, UFC 124 is now on my TV from Saturday night and I am going to spend the next 2 hours watching it. I might glance at some anatomy on the side....
Letttttttttttttt's Get Reaaaaaaaaaaaaaddddddyyyyyyyyyyyyy to Ruuuuuuuuummmmmmmbbbbbbbbllllllllleeeeee ..............Off to get the beer and popcorn.
Over-N-Out
Boilers and Bananas
It's been a long week, I must admit. And, I'm glad it is over. My boiler decided to take a leave of absence on Thursday morning. This is the day I had dreaded all week because I was stacked up. I had several lectures, a meeting for the staff-student liaison committee I'm a member of, followed by a 3 hour frog dissection/muscle contraction lab. Loooong day. So, to start it off with realizing my boiler (central heat) was inoperative, was rather discouraging (and cold). Mind you, it's been really, really cold lately. I turn my boiler off at night because there really isn't a thermostat here and I'd rather breathe cold air than hot as dream away each night. In the morning just after I arise (still dark, btw), I first flip on the two switches for my boiler. One switch is for hot water (seriously weirds me out) and the second for my central heat. I can see the pilot light fire up and hear the water start to course through the veins of my radiators. This unit is in my kitchen, where you can feel the draft blowing straight under the door from my back yard. This door is advantageous when I'm cooking because there is a smoke alarm directly above my stovetop, which likes to go off with the smallest wisps of smoke. My kitchen is so small, if I open the door, cold air flows directly under the smoke alarm, daring it to go off. 'Galley kitchen' is a serious stretch. I suppose it's a good thing that no one has wasted space on my lifestyle where kitchens are for making drinks.
But, I digress. So, said boiler went on holiday and being cold enough to ice over my bedside glass of water from the night before, I decided to call my landlord rather than leave for anatomy lecture. She instructed me to call the company that installed the boiler and turns out they don't want to show up until the next day. I'm not quite accustomed to service without a smile, so I try other companies with the same result. The roads have been bad for so long, it's been unbelievably cold and I know no one....so, I'm stuck. Until.....my landlord notifies me she got in touch with a personal friend who is a plumber and he will come over the same day. He did and finally figured out the fan had given up, thereby shutting down the boiler. All fine and good, but he couldn't get the part until the next day. So, he left me with two space heaters..thank God. This should give some indication of how chilly willy it was:
Friday morning I go to two lectures and then run home to meet the plumber. He showed up about 10 minutes after I should have left for anatomy dissection, but I was hugely grateful and was not going to complain. I got home after 530 pm and find the flat warmer...yay. I also find the pilot light out..ut oh. It's now Friday night and I am not optimistic he will answer his phone. Not only does he answer, but when I remind him I now don't have any heaters, he tells me he will come back out. He brought his cute little 4 yr old girl and checked out my system. The radiators got fiery hot and the pilot light kept extinguishing. Bottom line...it was finally running as it should and never had. The radiators get to a certain temp and then the system shuts down so it doesn't overheat. It has never gotten this warm, so I was concerned. All was good and he left.
That was the end to a good day. I also had an encouraging event happen that morning. Every morning, I stop by a fruit market that is owned by some Pakistani's and get a banana. It's really bizarre that there are so many fruit stores because it's obviously not the best place to grow fruit year round. They display their fruit out on the sidewalk every day and they also have a decent sized inside area. There is consistently two 'Fruit Connection' vans parked on the street seemingly all day unloading fruit. It doesn't quite add up, honestly. With the bad weather, however, I've noticed it hasn't been there as much and the banana supply was dwindling noticeably.
I'm such a regular, it's gotten to the point that regardless of what size banana I put on the scale, it's always '20 pence please'. They know I don't like the really ripe ones and want a firm, just-turned-kind-of-yellow banana for my walk to school. So, waking up to a freezing flat on Friday morning (I didn't trust keeping the two space heaters plugged in all night), I was not in the best of moods especially since everything had to go like clockwork. So, imagine my disappointment when I went to my banana section to find only really ripe, brown and yellow, baby bananas. The owner saw me fishing around, came over, broke off two bananas and said, 'Here. You go.' I went to protest and he kind of shushed me away. I thanked him and was off. That made my day. I really appreciated the gesture.
I love it when people 'get it'.
Over-N-Out
But, I digress. So, said boiler went on holiday and being cold enough to ice over my bedside glass of water from the night before, I decided to call my landlord rather than leave for anatomy lecture. She instructed me to call the company that installed the boiler and turns out they don't want to show up until the next day. I'm not quite accustomed to service without a smile, so I try other companies with the same result. The roads have been bad for so long, it's been unbelievably cold and I know no one....so, I'm stuck. Until.....my landlord notifies me she got in touch with a personal friend who is a plumber and he will come over the same day. He did and finally figured out the fan had given up, thereby shutting down the boiler. All fine and good, but he couldn't get the part until the next day. So, he left me with two space heaters..thank God. This should give some indication of how chilly willy it was:
Friday morning I go to two lectures and then run home to meet the plumber. He showed up about 10 minutes after I should have left for anatomy dissection, but I was hugely grateful and was not going to complain. I got home after 530 pm and find the flat warmer...yay. I also find the pilot light out..ut oh. It's now Friday night and I am not optimistic he will answer his phone. Not only does he answer, but when I remind him I now don't have any heaters, he tells me he will come back out. He brought his cute little 4 yr old girl and checked out my system. The radiators got fiery hot and the pilot light kept extinguishing. Bottom line...it was finally running as it should and never had. The radiators get to a certain temp and then the system shuts down so it doesn't overheat. It has never gotten this warm, so I was concerned. All was good and he left.
That was the end to a good day. I also had an encouraging event happen that morning. Every morning, I stop by a fruit market that is owned by some Pakistani's and get a banana. It's really bizarre that there are so many fruit stores because it's obviously not the best place to grow fruit year round. They display their fruit out on the sidewalk every day and they also have a decent sized inside area. There is consistently two 'Fruit Connection' vans parked on the street seemingly all day unloading fruit. It doesn't quite add up, honestly. With the bad weather, however, I've noticed it hasn't been there as much and the banana supply was dwindling noticeably.
I'm such a regular, it's gotten to the point that regardless of what size banana I put on the scale, it's always '20 pence please'. They know I don't like the really ripe ones and want a firm, just-turned-kind-of-yellow banana for my walk to school. So, waking up to a freezing flat on Friday morning (I didn't trust keeping the two space heaters plugged in all night), I was not in the best of moods especially since everything had to go like clockwork. So, imagine my disappointment when I went to my banana section to find only really ripe, brown and yellow, baby bananas. The owner saw me fishing around, came over, broke off two bananas and said, 'Here. You go.' I went to protest and he kind of shushed me away. I thanked him and was off. That made my day. I really appreciated the gesture.
I love it when people 'get it'.
Over-N-Out
Monday, December 6, 2010
And then, the buses stopped running
So, I know it's been snowing for about a week and I have yet to blog about it and show the pictures. Today, for the first time, all of the buses just stopped running! It was kind of strange because it started snowing a week ago Saturday and today's snow snuck up on us. It snowed a bit each day until this past weekend, when the sun actually came out to play for a bit. It was cold though. I really did not even know it was supposed to snow and then it started and didn't stop.
Interestingly, only 2 afternoon labs/practicals were cancelled. The first one was a dissection that we made up two days later and the second was a practical out at the farm. As I think I've mentioned, we are moving out to Easter Bush campus next year, as they are completing the project now. 3rd-5th year students are already out there in the older facilities. However, 1st and 2nd years are in the city at Summerhall. Easter Bush is a bit 'out in the country' and all of their classes were basically cancelled the entire week, whereas ours were 98% on.
Here are some pictures of my neighborhood. The first was taken just out of my flat door overlooking my front 'garden'.
This one is looking down my street towards the Meadows.
The snow removal system here is not the best, to say the least. I saw all of about 2 plows all week and the footpaths were essentially never cleared or shoveled. It's kind of strange, but the sidewalks are basically ice covered with packed snow. Which, once the packed snow gets even more packed, it becomes icy again. They use sand some, but this only creates brown slush about 6 inches thick, which is no good either. The side streets in my rather busy neighborhood did not see a plow. In all fairness, this weather is not typical here.
I was amazed we had virtually an uninterrupted schedule last week considering staff and students come from all over (even from around Easter Bush). I'm glad we don't have a ton of classes to make up because frankly there is no time, but I did feel badly for those having to commute, as I've heard some horror stories.
Our class did manage to decorate Summerhall for Christmas. Each year of classes has certain duties assigned to them, one being to decorate for Christmas. First year students always are responsible for this, as we are for putting on the Christmas party. A great job was done and many smiles were had in the dissection room, as the Christmas spirit was alive (but not kicking...yuck yuck yuck):
Speaking of Anatomy, we turned our Anatomy workbooks in today. Whew, that was a LOT of work. Basically, it's a record of all the dissections, a few histology labs and a few dry labs we've done up to this point. I took pictures of the end result of dissections, downloaded the pictures and labelled all structures that we could identify. It came out really good and I'm very proud of it. I could not have/would not have put this much effort into this project as a younger student. Many of my peers were up literally all night printing, labelling and putting on the finishing touches. That was me 20 years ago! I was on the ball and did not procrastinate for once and it came out beautifully. We have to do a Volume 2 and our first required entry is our histology lab we did today on the skin, so I'm going to get to work on it now so I can stay ahead of the game. My first volume was 79 pages if that tells you anything...
Oh, we had our first Clinical Skills Lab today. It was basic stuff, but I learned. We discussed items we would need for future clinical classes such as: clean lab coat (as opposed to using our nasty dissection room coat), digital thermometer, pen torch (light), notebook and pen, and stethoscope. We did the beginnings of how to do a physical assessment of a dog. We learned how to SOAP a dog. This acronym stands for Subjective (what you see ie. attitude, physical appearance), Objective (What you actually feel, ie Temp, Respiration, Heart Rate), Assessment (list of 'problems', what your 'assessment' is of the situation. Not a diagnosis) and a Plan (What are you going to do next. ie. order labs, send home, check 4hrs post op).
The session was given by an equine senior lecturer here who is a specialist in his field. I met him in NY at our reception last February, as he was a speaker on behalf of the Dick Vet. There was another speaker there, who concentrates on small animals, and together they were absolutely hysterical.
The introduction to clinical skills today was just that and mostly a group discussion. What was fabulous, was that he threw in some real clinical items and got us thinking as vets...already. Not that we know cow patties from horse dung, but he really drove home the point that in a few short years, after a massive learning curve, we WILL know these things. He also was apologetically adamant on driving home professionalism, what it means and how we are already in the profession. He emphasized what a small community vet med really is and gave advice that I felt was crucial. I hope my colleagues heard him. Very interactive and just what I needed today. I am also looking forward to working with him in the years to come, as I think his teaching style speaks to me very well.
Wow, I've had diarrhea of the digits tonight. I must get to work.
Over-N-Out
Interestingly, only 2 afternoon labs/practicals were cancelled. The first one was a dissection that we made up two days later and the second was a practical out at the farm. As I think I've mentioned, we are moving out to Easter Bush campus next year, as they are completing the project now. 3rd-5th year students are already out there in the older facilities. However, 1st and 2nd years are in the city at Summerhall. Easter Bush is a bit 'out in the country' and all of their classes were basically cancelled the entire week, whereas ours were 98% on.
Here are some pictures of my neighborhood. The first was taken just out of my flat door overlooking my front 'garden'.
This one is looking down my street towards the Meadows.
And, my walk to the vet school has been just beautiful:
Notice the pathway in the middle. Ok, it's snowing and covered up...I get it. But, it has remained this way for over a week and we have not had blizzards, just a few inches here or there.
Me and the Bingo Boyz' park, the Meadows, covered up:
I was amazed we had virtually an uninterrupted schedule last week considering staff and students come from all over (even from around Easter Bush). I'm glad we don't have a ton of classes to make up because frankly there is no time, but I did feel badly for those having to commute, as I've heard some horror stories.
Our class did manage to decorate Summerhall for Christmas. Each year of classes has certain duties assigned to them, one being to decorate for Christmas. First year students always are responsible for this, as we are for putting on the Christmas party. A great job was done and many smiles were had in the dissection room, as the Christmas spirit was alive (but not kicking...yuck yuck yuck):
Speaking of Anatomy, we turned our Anatomy workbooks in today. Whew, that was a LOT of work. Basically, it's a record of all the dissections, a few histology labs and a few dry labs we've done up to this point. I took pictures of the end result of dissections, downloaded the pictures and labelled all structures that we could identify. It came out really good and I'm very proud of it. I could not have/would not have put this much effort into this project as a younger student. Many of my peers were up literally all night printing, labelling and putting on the finishing touches. That was me 20 years ago! I was on the ball and did not procrastinate for once and it came out beautifully. We have to do a Volume 2 and our first required entry is our histology lab we did today on the skin, so I'm going to get to work on it now so I can stay ahead of the game. My first volume was 79 pages if that tells you anything...
Oh, we had our first Clinical Skills Lab today. It was basic stuff, but I learned. We discussed items we would need for future clinical classes such as: clean lab coat (as opposed to using our nasty dissection room coat), digital thermometer, pen torch (light), notebook and pen, and stethoscope. We did the beginnings of how to do a physical assessment of a dog. We learned how to SOAP a dog. This acronym stands for Subjective (what you see ie. attitude, physical appearance), Objective (What you actually feel, ie Temp, Respiration, Heart Rate), Assessment (list of 'problems', what your 'assessment' is of the situation. Not a diagnosis) and a Plan (What are you going to do next. ie. order labs, send home, check 4hrs post op).
The session was given by an equine senior lecturer here who is a specialist in his field. I met him in NY at our reception last February, as he was a speaker on behalf of the Dick Vet. There was another speaker there, who concentrates on small animals, and together they were absolutely hysterical.
The introduction to clinical skills today was just that and mostly a group discussion. What was fabulous, was that he threw in some real clinical items and got us thinking as vets...already. Not that we know cow patties from horse dung, but he really drove home the point that in a few short years, after a massive learning curve, we WILL know these things. He also was apologetically adamant on driving home professionalism, what it means and how we are already in the profession. He emphasized what a small community vet med really is and gave advice that I felt was crucial. I hope my colleagues heard him. Very interactive and just what I needed today. I am also looking forward to working with him in the years to come, as I think his teaching style speaks to me very well.
Wow, I've had diarrhea of the digits tonight. I must get to work.
Over-N-Out
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
No. 39
This is the name of my coffee shop. It is conveniently located 2 blocks from my flat. A quaint coffee shop with a mini deli, painted red. I found my shop during a time of great need. It was the beginning of September and I had just moved into my flat. I did not have internet for a few weeks, so in search of an 'internet cafe' I went. The sign on the door advertised free wi-fi for their customers. So, I did what all desperate Americans trying to communicate with loved ones back home would do....I became a customer.
The really interesting thing about most places here, is that you get one price to eat in and another for take-away, with take away being less expensive. I am not certain of the real reason for this, but I do have my thoughts. You would almost think it the other way around if you were in the US, due to tips and the fact that drinks bring in a larger profit margin than food. So, the longer you sit, the more you eat/drink, the higher the tab and the more you tip. But, since you really don't tip here and space is very limited, I think it is the reverse logic.. Thus, they want you to get your bum out the door, otherwise, you will pay the premium. Plus, if you order a coffee for sit in, they bring it to you in a pretty clear glass mug with a sweet biscuit, a cute little spoon and some sugar.
So, I played the game. I ordered my latte, booted up my little laptop and took my seat at the counter looking out the big window on to the street and lost myself in the world wide web. It just so happens that I am a loyal person almost to a fault. I could not simply take and not give back (even though I was a paying customer), so it quickly became my coffee shop.
It also is coincidental that I walk right past No. 39 on my way home from the vet school every day. I am finding it increasingly impossible to not swing in and get my latte. I used to allow myself only two a week and I have quickly moved on to justifying a daily dose of caffeine awesomeness. I do deserve it. I work hard AND I NEED my midday bump. The coffee here is quite good and gives a lot of bang for the buck. Or, pound for the pound......baht-a-boom.
The best thing about No. 39, is not only is it my coffee shop, but I now have my very own latte-maker. She is a sweet thing, of Spanish descent with a Scottish accent. She is the nurturing type and she knows what I like. Golden. It took us a few attempts to determine exactly what my drink of choice would be. We tried Americano, regular coffee, cappucino and ended up at the latte. Then, it was a matter of how many sugars, because you do not add your own and they do not carry splenda. The order came to be a 'skinny latte with 2.5 sugars'. Although, I didn't know this until today because I never actually had to 'order'. You see, we figured out the perfect formula and then it was set. Every time afterwards, I would walk in and she would ask, 'Latte, take away?' Why yes, thank you. She'd whip it up, I'd have 1.80 quid waiting for her and off I went. This has gone on for months. Until today.
I walked in and my girl was not there! After the initial panic subsided, I figured I could still manage to order. The owner knows my drink also, but had to ask me how many sugars. I don't know...that's why I have a personal latte maker, for crying out loud. We figured on 2 and it was not enough, so he added a wee bit. His was not as hot as hers and simply just not as good. Hers is made with true love and it can be tasted.
My lesson for the day is to not take anything for granted. And, to write down things that are really important to you :-)
I have just finished my less-than-perfect latte and need to take advantage of my caffeine buzz by getting some work done. I hope my girl is back tomorrow.
Over-N-Out
The really interesting thing about most places here, is that you get one price to eat in and another for take-away, with take away being less expensive. I am not certain of the real reason for this, but I do have my thoughts. You would almost think it the other way around if you were in the US, due to tips and the fact that drinks bring in a larger profit margin than food. So, the longer you sit, the more you eat/drink, the higher the tab and the more you tip. But, since you really don't tip here and space is very limited, I think it is the reverse logic.. Thus, they want you to get your bum out the door, otherwise, you will pay the premium. Plus, if you order a coffee for sit in, they bring it to you in a pretty clear glass mug with a sweet biscuit, a cute little spoon and some sugar.
So, I played the game. I ordered my latte, booted up my little laptop and took my seat at the counter looking out the big window on to the street and lost myself in the world wide web. It just so happens that I am a loyal person almost to a fault. I could not simply take and not give back (even though I was a paying customer), so it quickly became my coffee shop.
It also is coincidental that I walk right past No. 39 on my way home from the vet school every day. I am finding it increasingly impossible to not swing in and get my latte. I used to allow myself only two a week and I have quickly moved on to justifying a daily dose of caffeine awesomeness. I do deserve it. I work hard AND I NEED my midday bump. The coffee here is quite good and gives a lot of bang for the buck. Or, pound for the pound......baht-a-boom.
The best thing about No. 39, is not only is it my coffee shop, but I now have my very own latte-maker. She is a sweet thing, of Spanish descent with a Scottish accent. She is the nurturing type and she knows what I like. Golden. It took us a few attempts to determine exactly what my drink of choice would be. We tried Americano, regular coffee, cappucino and ended up at the latte. Then, it was a matter of how many sugars, because you do not add your own and they do not carry splenda. The order came to be a 'skinny latte with 2.5 sugars'. Although, I didn't know this until today because I never actually had to 'order'. You see, we figured out the perfect formula and then it was set. Every time afterwards, I would walk in and she would ask, 'Latte, take away?' Why yes, thank you. She'd whip it up, I'd have 1.80 quid waiting for her and off I went. This has gone on for months. Until today.
I walked in and my girl was not there! After the initial panic subsided, I figured I could still manage to order. The owner knows my drink also, but had to ask me how many sugars. I don't know...that's why I have a personal latte maker, for crying out loud. We figured on 2 and it was not enough, so he added a wee bit. His was not as hot as hers and simply just not as good. Hers is made with true love and it can be tasted.
My lesson for the day is to not take anything for granted. And, to write down things that are really important to you :-)
I have just finished my less-than-perfect latte and need to take advantage of my caffeine buzz by getting some work done. I hope my girl is back tomorrow.
Over-N-Out
Saturday, November 27, 2010
I Survived....Barely
That was a tough Thanksgiving away from home...I ain't gonna lie. I think part of the problem was that I lived closer to all of my family last year than I had been in the previous 13. I thought by doing that, it would 'tide me over' for 5 years. Ok, not really, but I thought it would help, not hurt for situations like holidays. Wrong-O. It's amazing that at the ripe old age of 39, I can still be so wrong about so many things. So, yes, I was not happy yesterday. But, yesterday is over and I woke up in a fairly good mood. I had a good morning of lectures ahead and a dissection to end the day. Plus, it IS Friday!!
And now for the massive surprise....it has SNOWED!!! What?!? I don't even follow the weather here for several reasons. 1. They do the whole UK together and I don't know where they are talking about anyways, 2. They are usually wrong and 3. The weather changes every 10 minutes, so it doesn't matter.
Now, I love, love, love snow. To look at. Not a fan of trudging around in it and certainly cannot stand it when it turns slushy and gets everything wet and dirty (oh wait, I'm already used to that). However, when it is floating down like tufts of cotton, then I love it. It's just so......romantic. And magical.
So, imagine my surprise when I tossed my boys in the back garden to find this:
Wow! How pretty. I think we are supposed to get more tomorrow, so more pictures may follow. Speaking of tomorrow, I am very excited. A classmate is having a bunch of us first year US students over to celebrate Thanksgiving. She is cooking two turkeys and I am thrilled. I am very much looking forward to some great eats, giving thanks for all that is a blessing, great eats, socializing a bit, great eats and maybe watching some more snow fall.
I have just hit the wall and am calling it a night.
Over-N-Out
And now for the massive surprise....it has SNOWED!!! What?!? I don't even follow the weather here for several reasons. 1. They do the whole UK together and I don't know where they are talking about anyways, 2. They are usually wrong and 3. The weather changes every 10 minutes, so it doesn't matter.
Now, I love, love, love snow. To look at. Not a fan of trudging around in it and certainly cannot stand it when it turns slushy and gets everything wet and dirty (oh wait, I'm already used to that). However, when it is floating down like tufts of cotton, then I love it. It's just so......romantic. And magical.
So, imagine my surprise when I tossed my boys in the back garden to find this:
Wow! How pretty. I think we are supposed to get more tomorrow, so more pictures may follow. Speaking of tomorrow, I am very excited. A classmate is having a bunch of us first year US students over to celebrate Thanksgiving. She is cooking two turkeys and I am thrilled. I am very much looking forward to some great eats, giving thanks for all that is a blessing, great eats, socializing a bit, great eats and maybe watching some more snow fall.
I have just hit the wall and am calling it a night.
Over-N-Out
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Is This How It's Supposed to Be?
Sorry, but I can't help feeling sorry for myself right now. It was bound to happen around the holidays. Even though if feels nowhere remotely like Thanksgiving Eve, I'm sad. I mean, I really do not even realize tomorrow is Turkey Day. There are no circulars in the paper for sales on turkeys, cranberries or pumpkin pies. There is no talk in the office of plans to travel/stay home/cook/bake pies/clean homes/put up guests. There are no plans to drive for hours to the relative's house hosting all of us this year. Nope, there is none of that. And, it makes me sad.
I guess it's best that there is no big fanfare and celebration here. It would just make it worse. I do not have a four day weekend to really think about all that I'm missing. No, instead I'll be in lecture all morning, followed by a neurotransmission tutorial and then headed to the farm for some good ole' cattle handling again. It's just as well that it will be my busiest day of the week. And, I suppose it's just as well that I won't be gorging on turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, sweet potato pie, cornbread and all of the sinful desserts. A few bottles of wine will be drank, buckets of ice cold beer will be consumed and cards will be played into the wee hours of the morning. And, I'll miss it all.
Happy Thanksgiving to my family and friends. I wish I were there to see you all and join in the merriment. Just know that I love you and am thinkin of ya!
Gobble Gobble and Cheers!
I guess it's best that there is no big fanfare and celebration here. It would just make it worse. I do not have a four day weekend to really think about all that I'm missing. No, instead I'll be in lecture all morning, followed by a neurotransmission tutorial and then headed to the farm for some good ole' cattle handling again. It's just as well that it will be my busiest day of the week. And, I suppose it's just as well that I won't be gorging on turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, sweet potato pie, cornbread and all of the sinful desserts. A few bottles of wine will be drank, buckets of ice cold beer will be consumed and cards will be played into the wee hours of the morning. And, I'll miss it all.
Happy Thanksgiving to my family and friends. I wish I were there to see you all and join in the merriment. Just know that I love you and am thinkin of ya!
Gobble Gobble and Cheers!
My Overpriced Paper Shredder
It was bound to happen. It's my fault. It's been raining and overcast for three days and therefore, I have not been able to tire their little behinds out. They had a little too much penned-up energy and the party began probably within 5 minutes of my departure. I have my couch backed up to my desk so that the little BBs (Bingo Boyz) can get on my desk anytime their little hearts desire. I now have a permanent bed on the desk at the insistence of Mugsy. So yes, I have ok'd it for them to spend some time on my desk.
Therefore, it's not a surprise that when I left my flat yesterday and for a fleeting moment wondered if I should leave the small package of tissues on my desk, that I knew I'd get burned. When I returned, I felt like I had walked into a confetti storm. All I could do was laugh and I knew EXACTLY who was to blame. It may have been a short party of two, but there was one who had the idea and then convinced his brother to join (and that is still questionable). He's been a shredder since day 1. I used to find all kind of paper products underneath my bed. I couldn't really tell what they were because he shreds to the specifications only a massive commercial shredder could....pin size.
I took a picture of both boys next to part of the damage. Note: neither one looks too remorseful, do they?
My floor is white (don't ask), so it's doesn't look as bad as it was. I didn't take a picture of the rest on the black carpet. Nice contrast. Who do you think is guilty? Harley (on left), the perfect gentleman? Or Mugsy, the class clown?
Well, it only took a few minutes of me sitting down at my desk for the guilty one to bring me his work......
Yep, there was no doubt this was the guilty party. Like a kid who just ate a box of doughnuts and has powdered sugar around their mouth:
Part of the problem is that the weather was terrible for 3 days (imagine that) and they were bored. The sun came out today, but it's supposed to snow this week....yipes.
Ok, time to go to bed. It's late, but for the first time we do not have a 9am lecture so I worked late and will sleep an extra hour tomorrow.
Over-N-Out
Therefore, it's not a surprise that when I left my flat yesterday and for a fleeting moment wondered if I should leave the small package of tissues on my desk, that I knew I'd get burned. When I returned, I felt like I had walked into a confetti storm. All I could do was laugh and I knew EXACTLY who was to blame. It may have been a short party of two, but there was one who had the idea and then convinced his brother to join (and that is still questionable). He's been a shredder since day 1. I used to find all kind of paper products underneath my bed. I couldn't really tell what they were because he shreds to the specifications only a massive commercial shredder could....pin size.
I took a picture of both boys next to part of the damage. Note: neither one looks too remorseful, do they?
My floor is white (don't ask), so it's doesn't look as bad as it was. I didn't take a picture of the rest on the black carpet. Nice contrast. Who do you think is guilty? Harley (on left), the perfect gentleman? Or Mugsy, the class clown?
Well, it only took a few minutes of me sitting down at my desk for the guilty one to bring me his work......
Yep, there was no doubt this was the guilty party. Like a kid who just ate a box of doughnuts and has powdered sugar around their mouth:
Part of the problem is that the weather was terrible for 3 days (imagine that) and they were bored. The sun came out today, but it's supposed to snow this week....yipes.
Ok, time to go to bed. It's late, but for the first time we do not have a 9am lecture so I worked late and will sleep an extra hour tomorrow.
Over-N-Out
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Cattle Wranglin'
Another cow practical left me sore again. The first of two Cattle Handling practicals (adults, not babies) was not only a challenge, but a lot of laughs. The goal of this first practical was to learn how to control a cow while it was in a crush so that you can examine it or give it treatment. A crush is a popular device used for cows and is effective in keeping them in place with a fair amount of built-in restraint, but still allows for some movement, so we were taught how to handle them in the crush. A crush looks like this:
They are relatively secure from side-to-side, but can move their head and neck up/down and side to side. So, you have to get your back up against the crush so you are facing forward and you loop an arm over their nose and under their chin. The idea is to bring their head to the side and get them to 'relax'. We then had to stick our a thumb in the corner of their mouth, which got them opening it, and then you could slide your opposite hand in their mouth at the end of their jaw (to stay away from the dangerous molars). You can use this hand to cover their tongue and then grab it and pull it out one side of their mouth. The idea is to be able to get a good look inside for examination. If all goes well, it's brilliant. After a few students have tried this technique, however, the cows get smart and start to either put their nose to the ground or once you get a hold of them, it's like a roller coaster ride and you better be flexible and hang on.
We also learned how to insert a gag, which is a device that slides in between their molars on one side of their mouth. It has a loop you put over your wrist just in case the gag goes into the depths of the cow's throat that you cannot reach, then you can simply pull it out! The cows were not too crazy happy about being gagged, but I was successful in getting the monster-head one gagged and a real sweetheart of one as well.
We were also shown injection sites, how to install a kick guard, how to use a pulley system to lift a leg and some other handling tips. It was an amazingly relevant practical, very well taught and lots of hands on. I was sore by the time I left the farm and felt like I had gone 10 rounds with a heavyweight the next day! It was a great sore.
I know I've said it before, but I am a huge proponent of these practicals. They keep my eye on the prize and keeps me wanting to study hard and learn more and more. There just does not seem to be enough time in the day for all that I want to read!
It's now Saturday and I've had such a productive day. Last night and ALL of today, I worked on my anatomy workbook. It is a record of all of our dissections and is quite time consuming. However, it is also a different way to study and reinforcing that I am actually learning so much.
I'm now catching up on some TV...Ramsey's Best Restaurant is one of my favorites right now. I'm missing my Food Network fix from the US, but they do have Gordon Ramsey (Hell's Kitchen) here and he has a couple of shows. I also am becoming attached to Jamie.......Jamie.....oh, I forget his last name, but he's from the UK and very popular in the US as well. I just finished wathcing a whole series of him trying to save the most unhealthy city in the US...it's in WV.
That's all for now. Till next time...Over-N-Out.
They are relatively secure from side-to-side, but can move their head and neck up/down and side to side. So, you have to get your back up against the crush so you are facing forward and you loop an arm over their nose and under their chin. The idea is to bring their head to the side and get them to 'relax'. We then had to stick our a thumb in the corner of their mouth, which got them opening it, and then you could slide your opposite hand in their mouth at the end of their jaw (to stay away from the dangerous molars). You can use this hand to cover their tongue and then grab it and pull it out one side of their mouth. The idea is to be able to get a good look inside for examination. If all goes well, it's brilliant. After a few students have tried this technique, however, the cows get smart and start to either put their nose to the ground or once you get a hold of them, it's like a roller coaster ride and you better be flexible and hang on.
We also learned how to insert a gag, which is a device that slides in between their molars on one side of their mouth. It has a loop you put over your wrist just in case the gag goes into the depths of the cow's throat that you cannot reach, then you can simply pull it out! The cows were not too crazy happy about being gagged, but I was successful in getting the monster-head one gagged and a real sweetheart of one as well.
We were also shown injection sites, how to install a kick guard, how to use a pulley system to lift a leg and some other handling tips. It was an amazingly relevant practical, very well taught and lots of hands on. I was sore by the time I left the farm and felt like I had gone 10 rounds with a heavyweight the next day! It was a great sore.
I know I've said it before, but I am a huge proponent of these practicals. They keep my eye on the prize and keeps me wanting to study hard and learn more and more. There just does not seem to be enough time in the day for all that I want to read!
It's now Saturday and I've had such a productive day. Last night and ALL of today, I worked on my anatomy workbook. It is a record of all of our dissections and is quite time consuming. However, it is also a different way to study and reinforcing that I am actually learning so much.
I'm now catching up on some TV...Ramsey's Best Restaurant is one of my favorites right now. I'm missing my Food Network fix from the US, but they do have Gordon Ramsey (Hell's Kitchen) here and he has a couple of shows. I also am becoming attached to Jamie.......Jamie.....oh, I forget his last name, but he's from the UK and very popular in the US as well. I just finished wathcing a whole series of him trying to save the most unhealthy city in the US...it's in WV.
That's all for now. Till next time...Over-N-Out.
The Verdict is in....kind of
Enquiring minds want to know about the outcome of my wrist. Wellllll, as it seems to go with scaphoid bones, it's kind of inconclusive at the moment.
Following is a recount of my first experience dealing with socialized medicine. I took a cab to the hospital with a 'minor injuries' department within their Emergency Room because I was told it may be quicker than going to the hospital nearest me which was all emergencies. I go to the reception and mind you, I have never been sent a hospitalization card from NHS (National Health Service), a confirmation that I'm registered...nothing. My GP had confirmed I was registered, but it still felt weird to check into a hospital without a card and identification of some sort. Nope, just date of birth, name and address given verbally and boom...I was in. The funny part about being in the minor injuries check-in, was there was a sign that basically said all emergencies that came in could be triaged ahead of me....hhhhmmmm. I thought the reason for having a minor injury department was....oh, never mind.
I brought a book to study and of course this meant I never had time to open it, which was good. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I was handled. So, I am first seen by a nurse. Her name badge says 'physiotherapist'. I'm fine with this at this point because I'm sure I'm going to give her my history and then tell her what happened and she's going to send me to x-ray. And, hopefully, I will be seen by a doctor after that to discuss the results. After some poking and prodding, she agreed that I had the clinical signs of a scaphoid fracture and sent me back to the waiting room to wait for the x-ray tech. X-ray tech came and got me shortly thereafter and seemed to position my wrist properly for getting good films of the scaphoid. If the tech doesn't know what they are doing, you won't get a good enough look at the bone, because it can be overshadowed by others.
Here's where it gets a bit iffy for me. The tech tells me I can go back to the waiting room. I ask her if an orthopaedic surgeon is going to look at it, or a radiologist, or......?? She says they send it up (digitally) to the radiologist. Ok fine.
I have barely sat down, when my nurse comes and gets me. She has the xrays pulled up on her monitor and tells me everything looks good. Now.....unless the radiologist was sitting at his computer the moment those xrays were sent to him and was available to view them immediately, they were not seen by a doctor. This, I have a problem with. The nurse continued to point out on the xray how the bone looked good and there did not appear to be a fracture. But, she said I do have the clinical signs, so we need to treat it as such. She told me that since I had just injured it on Sunday (this was Wed), there could have been some re-absorption making it hard to see a fracture. Her 'treatment' was for me to keep my splint on for another 10 days (she told me my splint was better than what she could offer me, so I should use my own) and to come back. If I still had symptoms, it was likely there was a fracture since any soft tissue injury should be better by then. So, I go back next Friday. As I was leaving, I asked if I could get a copy of my x-rays to take with me (to send to my surgeon in VA) and she said 'no, they are all on the computer these days and we can't just copy them'. Ok, well that's strange because just last May, I had x-rays taken and they were put on a CD for me to take to my doctor. But, I didn't argue and moved on.
I was not comfortable with the level of personnel I saw based on my past history and the fact that I need sound and proper medical care for this issue. I know that the worst case scenario is that it's fractured and I am in a splint, so nothing is different there. I am just wondering if any of my other wrist bones were looked at? I mean, I realize I know my body and made a convincing argument, but maybe they should have done just some regular pictures of my wrist to look at the whole thing? I dunno, I guess I left not feeling confident in the care I received, as nice and professional as everyone was. Heck, it was hard for my surgeon to see the fracture in May and he's been doing wrists and hands for like 30 some years. Only when it had healed and he could compare the two, was he confident he had read the first x-ray correctly.
So, yesterday I called my ortho's office in VA and spoke with a staff member. I asked her if he could look at the x-rays (if they will give me a copy) and she said absolutely. She told me to get them on a CD, he will review and consult with me on the phone. I called the hospital today and asked someone how I could get my films. She said all departments were closed and to call medical records back on Monday. I feel pretty good about my odds of getting a copy now.
There you have it. The whole story. So, I'm still in the splint which is what I would have expected anyways and thankfully it's my left hand. Also thankfully, I'm not still lifting weights or training in the fighting arts or I'd be extremely frustrated at this point. See, there is some good that comes out of not working out :)
That's it for now. I'll post about my cattle handling experience this weekend.
Hope everyone has a great weekend.
Over-N-Out
Following is a recount of my first experience dealing with socialized medicine. I took a cab to the hospital with a 'minor injuries' department within their Emergency Room because I was told it may be quicker than going to the hospital nearest me which was all emergencies. I go to the reception and mind you, I have never been sent a hospitalization card from NHS (National Health Service), a confirmation that I'm registered...nothing. My GP had confirmed I was registered, but it still felt weird to check into a hospital without a card and identification of some sort. Nope, just date of birth, name and address given verbally and boom...I was in. The funny part about being in the minor injuries check-in, was there was a sign that basically said all emergencies that came in could be triaged ahead of me....hhhhmmmm. I thought the reason for having a minor injury department was....oh, never mind.
I brought a book to study and of course this meant I never had time to open it, which was good. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I was handled. So, I am first seen by a nurse. Her name badge says 'physiotherapist'. I'm fine with this at this point because I'm sure I'm going to give her my history and then tell her what happened and she's going to send me to x-ray. And, hopefully, I will be seen by a doctor after that to discuss the results. After some poking and prodding, she agreed that I had the clinical signs of a scaphoid fracture and sent me back to the waiting room to wait for the x-ray tech. X-ray tech came and got me shortly thereafter and seemed to position my wrist properly for getting good films of the scaphoid. If the tech doesn't know what they are doing, you won't get a good enough look at the bone, because it can be overshadowed by others.
Here's where it gets a bit iffy for me. The tech tells me I can go back to the waiting room. I ask her if an orthopaedic surgeon is going to look at it, or a radiologist, or......?? She says they send it up (digitally) to the radiologist. Ok fine.
I have barely sat down, when my nurse comes and gets me. She has the xrays pulled up on her monitor and tells me everything looks good. Now.....unless the radiologist was sitting at his computer the moment those xrays were sent to him and was available to view them immediately, they were not seen by a doctor. This, I have a problem with. The nurse continued to point out on the xray how the bone looked good and there did not appear to be a fracture. But, she said I do have the clinical signs, so we need to treat it as such. She told me that since I had just injured it on Sunday (this was Wed), there could have been some re-absorption making it hard to see a fracture. Her 'treatment' was for me to keep my splint on for another 10 days (she told me my splint was better than what she could offer me, so I should use my own) and to come back. If I still had symptoms, it was likely there was a fracture since any soft tissue injury should be better by then. So, I go back next Friday. As I was leaving, I asked if I could get a copy of my x-rays to take with me (to send to my surgeon in VA) and she said 'no, they are all on the computer these days and we can't just copy them'. Ok, well that's strange because just last May, I had x-rays taken and they were put on a CD for me to take to my doctor. But, I didn't argue and moved on.
I was not comfortable with the level of personnel I saw based on my past history and the fact that I need sound and proper medical care for this issue. I know that the worst case scenario is that it's fractured and I am in a splint, so nothing is different there. I am just wondering if any of my other wrist bones were looked at? I mean, I realize I know my body and made a convincing argument, but maybe they should have done just some regular pictures of my wrist to look at the whole thing? I dunno, I guess I left not feeling confident in the care I received, as nice and professional as everyone was. Heck, it was hard for my surgeon to see the fracture in May and he's been doing wrists and hands for like 30 some years. Only when it had healed and he could compare the two, was he confident he had read the first x-ray correctly.
So, yesterday I called my ortho's office in VA and spoke with a staff member. I asked her if he could look at the x-rays (if they will give me a copy) and she said absolutely. She told me to get them on a CD, he will review and consult with me on the phone. I called the hospital today and asked someone how I could get my films. She said all departments were closed and to call medical records back on Monday. I feel pretty good about my odds of getting a copy now.
There you have it. The whole story. So, I'm still in the splint which is what I would have expected anyways and thankfully it's my left hand. Also thankfully, I'm not still lifting weights or training in the fighting arts or I'd be extremely frustrated at this point. See, there is some good that comes out of not working out :)
That's it for now. I'll post about my cattle handling experience this weekend.
Hope everyone has a great weekend.
Over-N-Out
Monday, November 15, 2010
Grrrrrr......Not Again!
Yep, pretty sure I did it again. It was all for a good cause, I really NEEDED the exercise. I had a long break from soccer for various reasons, but mainly because it is a haul to get to where most practices are held and by the time I walk/run there, my feet are absolute toast. My feet are hanging on by threads these days. So, I got an email that there was a practice on Sunday in the park right near my flat...Yay. It had rained all morning, so it was nice and muddy. I played better than expected considering my absence and felt great. It was such good soup for my soul.
Well, it was very messy and slippery, so many of us fell and were muddy messes by the end. We were playing 4 v 4 without a real goalkeeper. Well, my goalie instincts kicked in a few times and I found myself deflecting balls. One particular time I actually went down to block a shot and felt an sudden 'ouch' in my left wrist. I thought, 'that probably wasn't good' and kept playing. A few hours after I got home and the adrenalin was gone, I realized what I had most likely done.....re-fractured my wrist! Yeah, I'm fairly certain of it. If I were a horse and my wrists were my feet, I would surely be euthanized! The bone I've now broken in both wrists is the same one - the scaphoid, or navicular bone. Yep, even coincides with a bone in the horse's foot. Go figure.
So, I found my splint with thumb spica in my closet and put it on. My ortho surgeon from VA actually told me to bring it here..thank goodness. During lunch, I called my GP here to set up an appointment this week, figuring I'd have to go there and then to an orthopaedic. Nope. Just proceed straight to the ER. Huh? Seriously? I have to go sit in an ER to get an xray? Oh brother, this should be good. I'm really stacked up with vet school this week, but have a half day Wednesday. I may go either Tuesday after dinner, knowing I have an 'easy' day on Wed, or I may go Wed afternoon, which is more likely. I detest this. I will write all about my first experience with socialized medicine after the fact. Wish me luck!
In other exciting news, we did our first dissection of the dog today! Just part of the head. We do a lot of dissections on the dog cadaver. Today, we took off the skin to reveal the muscles of facial expression. It was quite a delicate little dissection. The muscles lie just under the skin, so you have to be ever so careful not to cut too deep and to not peel the muscles off with the skin. Plus, we had a greyhound and they have thin skin anyway. Tomorrow, we continue with the head and investigate the course and distribution of the superficial nerves of the head. We will also look at superficial lymph nodes, major superficial blood vessels and some glands. We have to keep record of all of our work, so we take lots of pictures. We have to eventually assemble a workbook with either drawings and/or pictures from our labs all labelled. It will be a lot of work, but a great source for revision and to assist us once we get into surgeries.
Basically, I'm living the dream and loving it!
Time to wrap it up for tonight and prepare my goods for tomorrow.
GO SKINS!!!! Monday night football tonight and it will be recorded and waiting for me tomorrow!
Over-N-Out
Well, it was very messy and slippery, so many of us fell and were muddy messes by the end. We were playing 4 v 4 without a real goalkeeper. Well, my goalie instincts kicked in a few times and I found myself deflecting balls. One particular time I actually went down to block a shot and felt an sudden 'ouch' in my left wrist. I thought, 'that probably wasn't good' and kept playing. A few hours after I got home and the adrenalin was gone, I realized what I had most likely done.....re-fractured my wrist! Yeah, I'm fairly certain of it. If I were a horse and my wrists were my feet, I would surely be euthanized! The bone I've now broken in both wrists is the same one - the scaphoid, or navicular bone. Yep, even coincides with a bone in the horse's foot. Go figure.
So, I found my splint with thumb spica in my closet and put it on. My ortho surgeon from VA actually told me to bring it here..thank goodness. During lunch, I called my GP here to set up an appointment this week, figuring I'd have to go there and then to an orthopaedic. Nope. Just proceed straight to the ER. Huh? Seriously? I have to go sit in an ER to get an xray? Oh brother, this should be good. I'm really stacked up with vet school this week, but have a half day Wednesday. I may go either Tuesday after dinner, knowing I have an 'easy' day on Wed, or I may go Wed afternoon, which is more likely. I detest this. I will write all about my first experience with socialized medicine after the fact. Wish me luck!
In other exciting news, we did our first dissection of the dog today! Just part of the head. We do a lot of dissections on the dog cadaver. Today, we took off the skin to reveal the muscles of facial expression. It was quite a delicate little dissection. The muscles lie just under the skin, so you have to be ever so careful not to cut too deep and to not peel the muscles off with the skin. Plus, we had a greyhound and they have thin skin anyway. Tomorrow, we continue with the head and investigate the course and distribution of the superficial nerves of the head. We will also look at superficial lymph nodes, major superficial blood vessels and some glands. We have to keep record of all of our work, so we take lots of pictures. We have to eventually assemble a workbook with either drawings and/or pictures from our labs all labelled. It will be a lot of work, but a great source for revision and to assist us once we get into surgeries.
Basically, I'm living the dream and loving it!
Time to wrap it up for tonight and prepare my goods for tomorrow.
GO SKINS!!!! Monday night football tonight and it will be recorded and waiting for me tomorrow!
Over-N-Out
Friday, November 12, 2010
Friday again!
This was a short week and so it should not be as much of a surprise that another Friday is here, but it is.
I just took the Bingo's out and it's rather warmer today, no wind (yet) and not raining! Today is a longer than typical Friday (due to the shortened week), but it's a good schedule. I have two anatomy lectures (joints and cartilage, I believe) followed by an histology practical, then a two hour break. I will come home, take care of the pooches, grab a bite to eat and head back from 2-350pm to the dissection room for our second half of the skull practical. It's a dry lab, not a dissection (those start next week), but still a good time. Yesterday we looked at skulls of the dog, cat, horse, cow and pig. We did a lot of labeling and coloring. Today, should be a test of our knowledge....not graded.
So, off to get cleaned up and then start my Friday!
Hope everyone had a great one!
Over-N-Out
I just took the Bingo's out and it's rather warmer today, no wind (yet) and not raining! Today is a longer than typical Friday (due to the shortened week), but it's a good schedule. I have two anatomy lectures (joints and cartilage, I believe) followed by an histology practical, then a two hour break. I will come home, take care of the pooches, grab a bite to eat and head back from 2-350pm to the dissection room for our second half of the skull practical. It's a dry lab, not a dissection (those start next week), but still a good time. Yesterday we looked at skulls of the dog, cat, horse, cow and pig. We did a lot of labeling and coloring. Today, should be a test of our knowledge....not graded.
So, off to get cleaned up and then start my Friday!
Hope everyone had a great one!
Over-N-Out
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
I LOVE VET SCHOOL
There, I said it. It's like changing your Facebook status to 'in a relationship'. Because yes, I am in a full blown relationship with vet school. And for the time being, the honeymoon phase is still present! Every time I actually pause and think, 'wow, I am not only living in a beautiful international city, I am going to VET SCHOOL', it makes me smile. Most students are not too crazy about the first couple of years in vet school because it's all lecture-based (in the US anyways) and there can be some material that seems like it is not vet-related. I have to admit, cell biology is not my favorite pastime, but now that we are visiting some of the concepts in other courses, it's becoming much more relevant and interesting to me.
We also get a lot of hands-on experience here with animals from day one and this helps tremendously. And, as much as I sometimes want to complain about some practicals (labs) in the classroom, they are also a great addition to our lectures and do beat sitting in a lecture theatre. You actually feel useful and being able to apply some knowledge is fun.
Today we started our anatomy and histology lectures and we will be beginning the dissections for anatomy next week! This gets my juices flowing and as much as I know I will be crying in my corn flakes about how many terms and names and structures I will have to memorize, I still can't wait. I loved human anatomy and physiology, so I'm hoping it carries on this many years after the fact. Bring it on!
Also, it was a very sunny day today and this makes me :) Not a drop of rain today....unbelievable.
So, for now, I love vet school and am soaking it all up......just hoping there is still enough room up there in my aging sponge.
Back to enzyme revision and upon completion, I will reward myself with a look at my anatomy and histology books.
Over-N-Out
We also get a lot of hands-on experience here with animals from day one and this helps tremendously. And, as much as I sometimes want to complain about some practicals (labs) in the classroom, they are also a great addition to our lectures and do beat sitting in a lecture theatre. You actually feel useful and being able to apply some knowledge is fun.
Today we started our anatomy and histology lectures and we will be beginning the dissections for anatomy next week! This gets my juices flowing and as much as I know I will be crying in my corn flakes about how many terms and names and structures I will have to memorize, I still can't wait. I loved human anatomy and physiology, so I'm hoping it carries on this many years after the fact. Bring it on!
Also, it was a very sunny day today and this makes me :) Not a drop of rain today....unbelievable.
So, for now, I love vet school and am soaking it all up......just hoping there is still enough room up there in my aging sponge.
Back to enzyme revision and upon completion, I will reward myself with a look at my anatomy and histology books.
Over-N-Out
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Long weekend and Costco's
I'm at the tail end of my 4 day weekend. Boo. I will be sad to see it go, but I'm ready to get back to work. I did get a good bit of studying done, but certainly could have done more. It never seems like I do enough. I did relax quite a bit, get caught up on my sleep and US tv shows, put a deep clean on the flat, did my laundry, socialized a little bit and best of all......went to Costco's and Ikea!! Thanks to one friend for the use of her membership card and to another for the transport! All of you that know me well, will appreciate this:
There is nothing other than pure love in this picture. Mind you, that most of these items cannot be found in a normal store here. Ziploc bags, you ask? Why they are everywhere. True, bags with locks are everywhere, but not ziploc. No offense to my UK readers, but the 'ziploc' bags here are terrible. Terrible. They break after about the 4th zip. I have found that most plastic items here are for starters, hard to find, two, very expensive and three, of terrible quality. I get the whole recycle thing, but when you have doggie poop bags that rip like tissue paper when you are trying to separate them on the perforation, it's quite frustrating. You have been a good doggie owner by using one huge poop bag on a tootsie roll sized log and managed to touch it with your hand, as your bag is split straight down the seam. And, paid a fortune for the whole roll of them.
Back to Costco's.....I was in heaven and am still grinning from ear to ear. The mixed nuts and almonds were a bonus. I didn't see them until the very end. I couldn't find my big jug of trail mix, but it's probably best. The large jug of Pace salsa was another surprise. The UK form of salsa is very different than this, comes in a mini-me bottle and is expensive to boot. This also holds true for peanut butter. I can get by on the pastier taste, but the jars are about one quarter the size of this one and I can top one off in 3 days easily. Pretzels...oh my word...I screamed like a little girl when I spotted these. Even though they are not my favorite Snyder's....they will do! The only pretzels I've found here are in a bag that is so small it wouldn't suit my niece or nephew for a snack.
I also got the usual - paper towels, TP, coke zero, beer, half a sliced ham, a huge block of cheese and plenty of pork, chicken and lamb chops. I used my new freezer ziploc baggies to separate and freeze. So, my little bag-stingy corner store, don't worry, I won't dare ask for a free plastic bag again (since I didn't have my re-usable one with me and had just spent 12 pounds on items that I couldn't carry) and have you roll your eyes, throw it at me and make the 5 people behind me wait while my inexperienced hands bag all of my goodies that I just bought in your store. Was that eggs on the bottom, or should they be on top of the bread?
After the Costco run, we shuffled over to Ikea. I finally was able to buy a bookshelf. The dresser of drawers from the guest room was not a good substitute. I think I'm done with all of my house purchases, other than new bedding and a bathmat for my bathroom.
I was invited to a dinner get together on Saturday night to another vet student's house a 'wee bit' out of town. She and I got accepted at the same time (but she's in the 4yr program) and so I was in contact with her the entire year of my deferral. She was a great source of information and invaluable in my flat search prior to arriving. She had some of her classmates over, a few from the 4 yr program that just started and then two of us first years in the 5yr program. It was Mexican night...yum, yum. Her husband and 3 dogs are also here and it was a really fun night. You knwo it's good when the host gives you his own bottle of Bailey's to take home. I dunno how that happened, but I didn't complain!
So, I've been thinking and my next big purchase......a car. Yep, I've caved in and I'm going to do it. I'm tired of not having my full independence and think it will help on these cold, rainy, dreary days to get out and about. I sure don't want to be walking in it, so a car will be nice. I can pack up the Bingo Boyz and go on an adventure. Not to mention, just the convenience....shopping is purely a pain doing the whole bus thing. It also is a waste of precious time. Plus, I really am going to need one to do my EMS over Easter and the summer break. Not to mention, our campus moves out to Easter Bush next fall and walking to school will not be an option. But, more on that later. I don't want to have to think about moving and the possible parking nightmare at the new campus just quite yet.
So, now I must get ready. I'm headed over to my lab partner's to work on some stuff.
Hope everyone is having a great week so far.
Over-N-Out
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Milking!
Today I finally got to see the milking parlour and try it out! Unfortunately, we've come a long way from sitting on the stool hand milking. I was really looking forward to this, but it is all 'mechanical' now. Our farm, Langhill, has a 28:28 herringbone parlour. It's exactly as you would expect, being called herringbone, with the stalls at an angle. 14 cows per side can enter and the angle allows good access to the udders by the farmer. This is an example of what our parlour looks like:
The farmer would access the cows in the center aisle and be just at udder height. Directly above his head are the 'computers'.
The four ends simply attach to the teats and the clear part will be close to sitting on the floor and you can visualise the milk passing through. Pretty nifty.
Once the cluster automatically drops off, the last step is to take a hanging hose filled with iodine, and spray off the teats. This cuts down on the likelihood of infection.
We learned of the tests performed on the milk for it's quality (protein, butterfat, somatic cell count and bactoscan (for bacteria). Based on the contract with the milk company you sell your milk to, you get premium prices for certain ranges of these and can get fined for others. For instance, any antibiotics found in the milk result in fines. At Langhill, cows on anitbiotics have red bands on their legs and also have been entered into the computer, so when their electronic collar registers, a few red lights go off and the computer has to be manually overidden to ensure you have re-routed milk out of the main line.
It was a dirty deal, but not as bad as I expected. You will get feces on you at some point, more than likely...it splatters a good bit. But, this is why you wear waterproofs and wellies. A good hose-down afterwards, a cup of tea, and you are good to go.
AND, I saw Maggie Moo!!! Unbelievably, I recognized her by her face markings and confirmed it with her branded number on her bum when she walked by. She is a big girl. One of the farmhands said she might not be around too much longer. Her udder is quite stretched out and she has one wayward teat that makes it difficult, if not impossible, to get the cluster on all four. This, of course, affects her milk production. He said they will keep her as long as it makes sense. Poor Maggie Moo.
It was quite a fun practical. I had read up a bit on all of the background of the parlour, the testing and acceptable numbers beforehand, so when our instructor asked questions to our group, I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to answer most of them. It does help in the learning process to be prepared - take a look over the learning outcomes before any lecture, tutorial or practical and I think you will have more deep learning.
Another memorable day in the life of this vet student. A big 4 day weekend coming up, so that is welcome!
Till next time.....
Over-N-Out
The farmer would access the cows in the center aisle and be just at udder height. Directly above his head are the 'computers'.
One person can handle the milkings, which occur at 5am and 3pm daily. The milking is pretty high tech these days...the cows are identified by their electronic collars as they enter the parlour. The computers will flash up the number of the cow (which is also branded on their bum). The farmer checks to make sure the numbers match because each cow is fed concentrate while they are milked and it's matched to their number. They get different amounts based on their milk production (more milk requires more energy, which means more food), age, body condition, etc. Also, some cows might be on antibiotics, which means their milk cannot go into the main tank and must be re-routed into a bucket to be discarded. It is critical the farmer knows which cow is which, and therefore will confirm the first cow in. He can manually punch in the correct number, if it's not right and all of the computers after will auto-correct.
The procedure is to dry wipe off the cows teats and then place the automatic cluster on each teat. This is sometimes easier said then done! It's a vacuum system, so it's like a vacuum (hoover) and once you get it near the teat...it sticks to it. I hoovered one's tail for a moment..oops. Dairy cows are used to being handled, but you get some that stomp and move, so you do have to be aware of the potential to get kicked. Plus, you are always on the lookout of the brown shower coming from above!
Once the system detects the amount of flow decreasing to a point about 30 seconds from the cow being finished milking, a light will start blinking. At this point, you should be ready for the cluster to automatically be released and hoisted back up to it's resting area. If you are not paying attention, the cloister can peg you in the head, back...you name it. They are fairly solid and look like this:
The four ends simply attach to the teats and the clear part will be close to sitting on the floor and you can visualise the milk passing through. Pretty nifty.
Once the cluster automatically drops off, the last step is to take a hanging hose filled with iodine, and spray off the teats. This cuts down on the likelihood of infection.
We learned of the tests performed on the milk for it's quality (protein, butterfat, somatic cell count and bactoscan (for bacteria). Based on the contract with the milk company you sell your milk to, you get premium prices for certain ranges of these and can get fined for others. For instance, any antibiotics found in the milk result in fines. At Langhill, cows on anitbiotics have red bands on their legs and also have been entered into the computer, so when their electronic collar registers, a few red lights go off and the computer has to be manually overidden to ensure you have re-routed milk out of the main line.
It was a dirty deal, but not as bad as I expected. You will get feces on you at some point, more than likely...it splatters a good bit. But, this is why you wear waterproofs and wellies. A good hose-down afterwards, a cup of tea, and you are good to go.
AND, I saw Maggie Moo!!! Unbelievably, I recognized her by her face markings and confirmed it with her branded number on her bum when she walked by. She is a big girl. One of the farmhands said she might not be around too much longer. Her udder is quite stretched out and she has one wayward teat that makes it difficult, if not impossible, to get the cluster on all four. This, of course, affects her milk production. He said they will keep her as long as it makes sense. Poor Maggie Moo.
It was quite a fun practical. I had read up a bit on all of the background of the parlour, the testing and acceptable numbers beforehand, so when our instructor asked questions to our group, I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to answer most of them. It does help in the learning process to be prepared - take a look over the learning outcomes before any lecture, tutorial or practical and I think you will have more deep learning.
Another memorable day in the life of this vet student. A big 4 day weekend coming up, so that is welcome!
Till next time.....
Over-N-Out
Monday, November 1, 2010
Week 7!
It's true, I am starting week 7 already. Craziness. Over halfway through the first semester. I have to say that I am absolutely loving vet school up to this point. Yes, there is a lot of material and yes, it is overwhelming at times, but even this stuff is interesting and it is supposed to only get better each year. I'm thoroughly enjoying being in an intensive learning environment again with not only intelligent classmates all around me, but at a phenomenal university. I have been so impressed with most of our lecturers up to this point and can really tell that they are dedicated to teaching us to be the best veterinarians we can be. The testing methods here are quite different and I'm sure I will completely wig out at some point down the road. In the US, it is common to be tested quite regularly throughout the semester, or at the very least have a midterm and final exam. Many of my counterparts in the US have anywhere from 1-4 exams a week! While I'm sure this is mayhem at times, it allows you to know where you stand pretty much at all times. Here, we have 3 major 'classes' that run the whole year. The one class, the Animal Body I, is split into 2 major sections. It actually covers many modules, that US universities would have as completely separate classes with their own exams throughout the year. This is called a 'block system'.
We, on the other hand, finish up the first section in February and only then do we have exams. Three days of them! We 'sit' exams here. They call it that because there is so much writing. It's basically one day of Short Answer essays, one day of Long essays and one day of Oral and Spots Examinations. Spot exams are common in say, anatomy, where there might be 20 pins stuck in different structures and the examiner points to one and asks you to identify it. Once you do, they can then follow up with questions about that bone, nerve, muscle, etc. We will then have the second section of Animal Body I that runs from February to the end of May and then exams again at the beginning of June. so, needless to say, there is a LOT of information to be covered on exams and it is a bit daunting. I think that has kept my stress level down for now, but it's likely to skyrocket in about January. I keep having to remind myself that the mass majority of folks get through this program, so it is doable.
I had a relaxing weekend and studied/revised my notes for most of it. I finally feel like the information is all coming together. The lectures seem a bit disjointed at first, but that's only because you have to start somewhere. Now, things are starting to build on one another and you can understand better why you had a lecture at a certain time. So, yes, I am ecstatic to be here and slowly but surely getting into my groove with studies and the culture.
This weekend's big event was turning back the clocks. No more daylight savings time here. This was so needed in the mornings, as it was still black out at 7am and now it is light and I can see what I'm doing when I take the dogs out. The downside, of course, is that it's now 335pm, overcast and drizzling and cars already have their headlamps on! It gets dark, dark by 430. This is not good. At all.
Last night was a wonderful surprise. I was out getting my laundry off the line (I took advantage of two absolutley stunningly sunny days) and my next door neighbor invited me over to their neighbor's back garden for a drink. It was lovely. They had a fire going outside and we all sat on the patio chatting away. Two very lovely couples and one little stinker...Suki. She's about 8 months (I think) and lives across the hall. She is a cute little chubby-cheeked girl. Totally adorable. Her mom, Becky, is stay-at-home mom and dad, Pete, is a photographer. Really sweet and welcoming couple. I'm lucky to have them next door.
I think that catches us up to today. This week is pretty long (except the usual Wed) because the following week we do not have classes Mon and Tuesday. Four day weekend! Yay. Tomorrow, I'm looking forward to doing the chick embryo practical. We delicately cut our way into an egg with a live embryo and put a solution on it that ceases the chick's life. We then prepare a slide to look at some embryologic structures we've been studying under the microscope. It's like a mini-surgery. It's the small things that get me excited these days. Then, Thursday is our practical at the dairy farm on milking! We get to finally see the milking parlour and experience a milking session. I understand we will be getting our hands dirty.
That's all for now. Time to crack open the books again, before my espresso wears off.
Over-N-Out
We, on the other hand, finish up the first section in February and only then do we have exams. Three days of them! We 'sit' exams here. They call it that because there is so much writing. It's basically one day of Short Answer essays, one day of Long essays and one day of Oral and Spots Examinations. Spot exams are common in say, anatomy, where there might be 20 pins stuck in different structures and the examiner points to one and asks you to identify it. Once you do, they can then follow up with questions about that bone, nerve, muscle, etc. We will then have the second section of Animal Body I that runs from February to the end of May and then exams again at the beginning of June. so, needless to say, there is a LOT of information to be covered on exams and it is a bit daunting. I think that has kept my stress level down for now, but it's likely to skyrocket in about January. I keep having to remind myself that the mass majority of folks get through this program, so it is doable.
I had a relaxing weekend and studied/revised my notes for most of it. I finally feel like the information is all coming together. The lectures seem a bit disjointed at first, but that's only because you have to start somewhere. Now, things are starting to build on one another and you can understand better why you had a lecture at a certain time. So, yes, I am ecstatic to be here and slowly but surely getting into my groove with studies and the culture.
This weekend's big event was turning back the clocks. No more daylight savings time here. This was so needed in the mornings, as it was still black out at 7am and now it is light and I can see what I'm doing when I take the dogs out. The downside, of course, is that it's now 335pm, overcast and drizzling and cars already have their headlamps on! It gets dark, dark by 430. This is not good. At all.
Last night was a wonderful surprise. I was out getting my laundry off the line (I took advantage of two absolutley stunningly sunny days) and my next door neighbor invited me over to their neighbor's back garden for a drink. It was lovely. They had a fire going outside and we all sat on the patio chatting away. Two very lovely couples and one little stinker...Suki. She's about 8 months (I think) and lives across the hall. She is a cute little chubby-cheeked girl. Totally adorable. Her mom, Becky, is stay-at-home mom and dad, Pete, is a photographer. Really sweet and welcoming couple. I'm lucky to have them next door.
I think that catches us up to today. This week is pretty long (except the usual Wed) because the following week we do not have classes Mon and Tuesday. Four day weekend! Yay. Tomorrow, I'm looking forward to doing the chick embryo practical. We delicately cut our way into an egg with a live embryo and put a solution on it that ceases the chick's life. We then prepare a slide to look at some embryologic structures we've been studying under the microscope. It's like a mini-surgery. It's the small things that get me excited these days. Then, Thursday is our practical at the dairy farm on milking! We get to finally see the milking parlour and experience a milking session. I understand we will be getting our hands dirty.
That's all for now. Time to crack open the books again, before my espresso wears off.
Over-N-Out
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Sheeps
Today was a good day. It started with our first lecture in Veterinary Public Health. I can honestly say that this part of the field does not do much for me, as crucial as it is, but the lecturer was really good. He was an Italian with a strong accent. I got such a kick out of how he basically added a vowel to the end of each word. Second lecture was a kicker - embryology again with a focus on cranial nerves. I'm enjoying this part of the course; it's challenging and interesting. It's so amazing to learn which type of cells each of our body parts are formed.
This afternoon, we got to play with sheep for our 3 hour practical out at Easter Bush farm. How much fun was that?? The vet school's 'shepherd', was a fantastic teacher. Sheep are flock animals, so once you get one going in a direction, they allllll follow. They do not like to be isoloated at all. We were taught how to catch them - get them bunched into a group in the corner of the pen preferably, pick out the one you want and get right up next to him. He should be in a position where he doesn't have any room to run either with fencing or other sheep surrounding him. Then, get your hand under his chin and lift up. Voila...you have control of a sheep. You use your whole body to get him against the corral so he can't easily escape. We were shown how to age a sheep up to about 2years, 9 months by looking at his teeth, how to sex him/her, how to condition score him (feeling lower back, and vertebral protubrances) to determine how his overall body condition is on a scale of 0-5. Zero is basically dead and 5 is a fatty, fat, fat. We learned how to 'flip' them. That's not really the correct term, but it's well known. It means to put them on their butt and have their back leaning up against your body. They really cannot move once you get them there and it's easy to look at their mouth, sex them and generally check out their underside. We also learned how to judge their weight....this is harder than it sounds. Different breeds not only have different fleece (making them look bigger or smaller), but also are shorter, stockier, leggier, etc, making it all more difficult. Plus, we have to do it in kilograms, which my mind does not easily think in yet. We also practiced 'worming' them orally with water. It was a very productive practical and I feel like just a few hours with these animals, I gained so much confidence in handling them. They can get quite skiddish if you don't do some techniques properly and can jump straight in the air out of nowhere. Lots of fun and informative.
I'm now enjoying the most favorite part of my day...spending quality time with my boys and having a cocktail. They must have been awake most of the day looking for me out the window because they are both now passed out on my desk while I type. Really good thing I bought a desk with a large surface area. They have no clue they are dogs sometimes.
Time for a little bite to eat then a bit of studying. I just cannot believe tomorrow is already Friday again! The weeks are just flying by.
Over-N-Out
This afternoon, we got to play with sheep for our 3 hour practical out at Easter Bush farm. How much fun was that?? The vet school's 'shepherd', was a fantastic teacher. Sheep are flock animals, so once you get one going in a direction, they allllll follow. They do not like to be isoloated at all. We were taught how to catch them - get them bunched into a group in the corner of the pen preferably, pick out the one you want and get right up next to him. He should be in a position where he doesn't have any room to run either with fencing or other sheep surrounding him. Then, get your hand under his chin and lift up. Voila...you have control of a sheep. You use your whole body to get him against the corral so he can't easily escape. We were shown how to age a sheep up to about 2years, 9 months by looking at his teeth, how to sex him/her, how to condition score him (feeling lower back, and vertebral protubrances) to determine how his overall body condition is on a scale of 0-5. Zero is basically dead and 5 is a fatty, fat, fat. We learned how to 'flip' them. That's not really the correct term, but it's well known. It means to put them on their butt and have their back leaning up against your body. They really cannot move once you get them there and it's easy to look at their mouth, sex them and generally check out their underside. We also learned how to judge their weight....this is harder than it sounds. Different breeds not only have different fleece (making them look bigger or smaller), but also are shorter, stockier, leggier, etc, making it all more difficult. Plus, we have to do it in kilograms, which my mind does not easily think in yet. We also practiced 'worming' them orally with water. It was a very productive practical and I feel like just a few hours with these animals, I gained so much confidence in handling them. They can get quite skiddish if you don't do some techniques properly and can jump straight in the air out of nowhere. Lots of fun and informative.
I'm now enjoying the most favorite part of my day...spending quality time with my boys and having a cocktail. They must have been awake most of the day looking for me out the window because they are both now passed out on my desk while I type. Really good thing I bought a desk with a large surface area. They have no clue they are dogs sometimes.
Time for a little bite to eat then a bit of studying. I just cannot believe tomorrow is already Friday again! The weeks are just flying by.
Over-N-Out
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Feelin' mo betta
It appears as though I've kicked some nasty stomach flu before it got to me. Swollen, hard, lymph node is smaller and not sore any more. Sore throat is absent. Looks like my immune system may actually be working these days. Whew!
So, I must first complain. With that being said, I do promise to do a post on what I love about the UK and what I cannot fathom/stand about the UK. As a sneak peek, I really despise the delivery system here for mail and shipped goods. Here's the major problem, a lot of people live in tenements that have a keyed door to the outside and once you are in, has all of the separate flat doors which are also keyed. The Royal mail slots are on our private flat doors, so once the mailman is in, he can just mail through the slot. There is a buzzer/speaker system on the outside of most buildings corresponding to each individual flat (and even a 'service' one that will buzz all flats at once) so that you can unlock the outer door from inside your flat. The problem, of course, is that deliveries and postal service are usually in the middle of the day and many times...guess what...no one is home. So, the mail or delivery goes back on the truck and you are none the wiser for the most part until you finally get it and see the delivery history. It infuriates me to get an important piece of mail a week late stamped 4 times with 'no entry', or a package with multiple delivery attempts that I paid extra for the shipping. The horribly frustrating part about deliveries is that they tell you they will deliver sometime between 7am and 7pm. Great, so you really think everyone is a stay-at-home mom or a bustout hanging lying on the couch playing video games all day?
The company that tried to deliver my much needed textbooks on Monday (while I was at university) was kind enough to leave a note outside to either re-schedule a delivery or arrange to pick up. I would have been fine picking it up (since I don't have any days off), but the hub was about 30 minutes away, out near the airport. So, I took my chances and scheduled it for the day I only had two lectures and got here 20 minutes before it was delivered. Terrible system. Terrible.
Now on to brighter things. Embryology I am finding rather interesting so far. Things are moving very quickly, but at least we have great lecturers and the material is mostly new for me. Tomorrow, we get our first lecture in Veterinary Public Health and do a sheep handling practical....read: flipping sheep! I'm looking forward to the farm stuff, as usual.
So, my next post I think I will actually explain what my program is, what it entails, what I will be when I graduate (note, I did not say when I grew up) and what all the letters behind my name will mean.
I've been really productive today and need to finish on a high note, so I'm going to look over what I'm doing tomorrow.
Ciao.
Over-N-Out
So, I must first complain. With that being said, I do promise to do a post on what I love about the UK and what I cannot fathom/stand about the UK. As a sneak peek, I really despise the delivery system here for mail and shipped goods. Here's the major problem, a lot of people live in tenements that have a keyed door to the outside and once you are in, has all of the separate flat doors which are also keyed. The Royal mail slots are on our private flat doors, so once the mailman is in, he can just mail through the slot. There is a buzzer/speaker system on the outside of most buildings corresponding to each individual flat (and even a 'service' one that will buzz all flats at once) so that you can unlock the outer door from inside your flat. The problem, of course, is that deliveries and postal service are usually in the middle of the day and many times...guess what...no one is home. So, the mail or delivery goes back on the truck and you are none the wiser for the most part until you finally get it and see the delivery history. It infuriates me to get an important piece of mail a week late stamped 4 times with 'no entry', or a package with multiple delivery attempts that I paid extra for the shipping. The horribly frustrating part about deliveries is that they tell you they will deliver sometime between 7am and 7pm. Great, so you really think everyone is a stay-at-home mom or a bustout hanging lying on the couch playing video games all day?
The company that tried to deliver my much needed textbooks on Monday (while I was at university) was kind enough to leave a note outside to either re-schedule a delivery or arrange to pick up. I would have been fine picking it up (since I don't have any days off), but the hub was about 30 minutes away, out near the airport. So, I took my chances and scheduled it for the day I only had two lectures and got here 20 minutes before it was delivered. Terrible system. Terrible.
Now on to brighter things. Embryology I am finding rather interesting so far. Things are moving very quickly, but at least we have great lecturers and the material is mostly new for me. Tomorrow, we get our first lecture in Veterinary Public Health and do a sheep handling practical....read: flipping sheep! I'm looking forward to the farm stuff, as usual.
So, my next post I think I will actually explain what my program is, what it entails, what I will be when I graduate (note, I did not say when I grew up) and what all the letters behind my name will mean.
I've been really productive today and need to finish on a high note, so I'm going to look over what I'm doing tomorrow.
Ciao.
Over-N-Out
Monday, October 25, 2010
Two Great Nights.....
I had the best night ever last night. I got to see an old high school friend and her mom here in Edinburgh! We both played soccer our entire lives in VA and graduated the same year from West Springfield. She has been living in London the past 2.5 years with her husband and two daughters. Her husband is a federal agent for Homeland Security and got a post over here. Her kids were kind of at the end of their rope after a long day of traveling and sightseeing, so her husband stayed home with them while she and mom met me out. I was bummed I didn't get to meet her husband and kids, but I was told it was for the best!
We met at the Filling Station (where I had been the night before) because it was convenient and I knew where to go. We had an absolutely fabulous time catching up. She gave me some sage advice about coping with an international move. She was told (by her old employer who is a global kind of guy) that she'd be crazy to try and continue working once she got here and that it'd take 6-12 months to adjust to the culture shock. She said she was surprised, but her old boss was 100% right and she was thankful she listened. This made me feel soooo much better about things because I was a bit homesick and sad last week for no apparent reason. I thought I should have been 'over it' by now, but this is just not the case. I was reassured that it simply takes time and was given lots and lots of suggestions on how to best cope.
It seems like I'm completely going to switch subjects here, but it's so relevant. Today, we had a TWO HOUR presentation (that i thought would be a waste, but wasn't at all) on vet students' mental health and well-being. Did you know, veterinarians have one of the highest suicide rates across the board? Yes, it's frighteningly true. Our lecturer is a veterinarian and did her PhD in this area of study. There are many reasons for this fact, but basically vet and med students come from kind of the same mold - competitive, type A personalities. No, dear brother, I am not just a carefree, wind-in-my-hair, Harley-Davidson-driving free spirit...I'm pretty sure you know this after last year :).
As vets, we will have the ability to legally cease the life of animals that are considered family to people. And they will look to us for comfort and to be strong for them. There will be a ton of loss, grief, long hours, compromised family lives and an enormous amount of responsibility thrust on our shoulders. Our 'type' is to hold it all in and not admit weakness, or a mental ill-health. The studies are numerous and the numbers staggering.
The take home message from my visit last night and my lecture today were very similar.
1. Stay in close contact with your friends and family (I'll catch up on phone calls soon, I promise!)
2. Get involved in activities outside of the vet school bubble.
3. Exercise....or do something to clear your head.
4. Be wary of alcohol and/or drug dependency.
5. Know that being a veterinarian should not define you...continue with other interests and be well-rounded. You WILL have bad days/months/years as a vet and must be able to associate yourself with something other than just being a vet.
6. Get plenty of rest and get away for a weekend, if needed.
7. Be very careful of being too competitive with classmates - you will all become a vet and need each other's support to get there. We are here and are now teammates.
8. Recognize when you are having difficulties and get help, if needed.
I have a classmate who lost TWO close friends this week from college in unrelated events. She is from the US and is devastated. It is crucial that we can be her 'family' for her now. We will all need to rely on one another to get through all that will be thrown our way over the next five years. I think for us international students, it is all finally sinking in that we are indeed living in a foreign country and this is not vacation any more.
So, I am happy and relieved. I had a long day today and actually took the night off from studying. I went to the first bible study group on the Book of Isaiah led by Fr. Tim. It just so happened the postgraduate society at he church (STAGGS) was also meeting tonite in the common rooom. I joined them afterwards in the middle of quiz night. Most of them are PhD students, so the questions I found a bit difficult (even the 'nature' ones). But, there was a very inexpensive cash bar, so all was not lost. Not bad when you can have bible study in the basement, go up one flight and hang out in a lounge having a few cocktails, eats and laughs. Another good night.
I'm still feeling a bit under the weather and will go to bed NOW in order to get a good night's sleep. Looks to be a really good week. We are getting into unchartered territory now with our lectures. Today was embryology and in about 2 weeks we start Anatomy!!!! Thank goodness. I believe we will do an entire dissection of the dog over a few months. YAY!
Ok, good night and Over-N-Out
It seems like I'm completely going to switch subjects here, but it's so relevant. Today, we had a TWO HOUR presentation (that i thought would be a waste, but wasn't at all) on vet students' mental health and well-being. Did you know, veterinarians have one of the highest suicide rates across the board? Yes, it's frighteningly true. Our lecturer is a veterinarian and did her PhD in this area of study. There are many reasons for this fact, but basically vet and med students come from kind of the same mold - competitive, type A personalities. No, dear brother, I am not just a carefree, wind-in-my-hair, Harley-Davidson-driving free spirit...I'm pretty sure you know this after last year :).
As vets, we will have the ability to legally cease the life of animals that are considered family to people. And they will look to us for comfort and to be strong for them. There will be a ton of loss, grief, long hours, compromised family lives and an enormous amount of responsibility thrust on our shoulders. Our 'type' is to hold it all in and not admit weakness, or a mental ill-health. The studies are numerous and the numbers staggering.
The take home message from my visit last night and my lecture today were very similar.
1. Stay in close contact with your friends and family (I'll catch up on phone calls soon, I promise!)
2. Get involved in activities outside of the vet school bubble.
3. Exercise....or do something to clear your head.
4. Be wary of alcohol and/or drug dependency.
5. Know that being a veterinarian should not define you...continue with other interests and be well-rounded. You WILL have bad days/months/years as a vet and must be able to associate yourself with something other than just being a vet.
6. Get plenty of rest and get away for a weekend, if needed.
7. Be very careful of being too competitive with classmates - you will all become a vet and need each other's support to get there. We are here and are now teammates.
8. Recognize when you are having difficulties and get help, if needed.
I have a classmate who lost TWO close friends this week from college in unrelated events. She is from the US and is devastated. It is crucial that we can be her 'family' for her now. We will all need to rely on one another to get through all that will be thrown our way over the next five years. I think for us international students, it is all finally sinking in that we are indeed living in a foreign country and this is not vacation any more.
So, I am happy and relieved. I had a long day today and actually took the night off from studying. I went to the first bible study group on the Book of Isaiah led by Fr. Tim. It just so happened the postgraduate society at he church (STAGGS) was also meeting tonite in the common rooom. I joined them afterwards in the middle of quiz night. Most of them are PhD students, so the questions I found a bit difficult (even the 'nature' ones). But, there was a very inexpensive cash bar, so all was not lost. Not bad when you can have bible study in the basement, go up one flight and hang out in a lounge having a few cocktails, eats and laughs. Another good night.
I'm still feeling a bit under the weather and will go to bed NOW in order to get a good night's sleep. Looks to be a really good week. We are getting into unchartered territory now with our lectures. Today was embryology and in about 2 weeks we start Anatomy!!!! Thank goodness. I believe we will do an entire dissection of the dog over a few months. YAY!
Ok, good night and Over-N-Out
Sunday, October 24, 2010
the Real Mary King's Close Tour
We went on this tour last night, which was a lot of fun. It's the old underground of Edinburgh. People used to live in a lot more confined spaces than they do today and were stacked upon each other. Edinburgh is very hilly and the tour is mostly underground the city today, but was not such back in the day. Here is a link to the tour. http://www.realmarykingsclose.com/
We met at the pub first for some pints and chow. It was called the Filling Station. We are in there waving, but it's hard to see:
We had to have a group photo prior to the tour. These are all vet students (i think)....
Unfortunately, no cameras were allowed down in the dungeons, but they did take a group picture of us. One of the students bought it, but when it was printed out, it didn't look so good. They told her to come back with just our group and they'd take another one. We were back at the pub and only 5 of us were left, so we got this spooky pic. This would have been the street at that time. It was very narrow and really steep. It was also where everyone threw their waste out into twice a day and it flowed down to the water.
A few more pints after the tour and it was time to call it a night. And a fun night it was.
I can't believe it's the beginning of another week. I had a good day today. Went to Mass, played soccer with the BB, gave BB a bath, took a nap, studied some and now.........I'm going to go get ready to go see a high school friend!!! She is in town with her family and I can't wait to see her. Waiting for them to call and give me the 4-1-1, but it will be a pub somewhere near where I was last night.
In other news, I cannot believe it, but I have a sore throat starting again. I just cannot seem to stay healthy. It's not just me though, everyone is getting sick and either not getting better or feeling good for a little bit then it starts all over. I also am getting a bit of a fever blister, so not too happy about it right now. At least I still feel good enough to go out. Tomorrow may be a different story.
I have a fairly tough week coming up with lots of practicals and some pretty tough lectures. I will need to make sure I get enough rest.
Till next time...
Over-N-Out
We met at the pub first for some pints and chow. It was called the Filling Station. We are in there waving, but it's hard to see:
We had to have a group photo prior to the tour. These are all vet students (i think)....
The Plague hit Edinburgh hard and the doctors used to wear these masks because they thought it might be transmitted by smell, so they put sweet smelling herbs inside the masks. It's also where they coined the term 'Quack' for a doctor (that may or may not be true :-))
This is a diorama of the close. They ended up building the city council building on top of a good portion of it, which is portrayed in the last picture.
It was a full moon last night, which made everything that much spookier. The moon over St. Giles church was really cool. Too bad the picture didn't come out better, but still pretty neat.
A few more pints after the tour and it was time to call it a night. And a fun night it was.
I can't believe it's the beginning of another week. I had a good day today. Went to Mass, played soccer with the BB, gave BB a bath, took a nap, studied some and now.........I'm going to go get ready to go see a high school friend!!! She is in town with her family and I can't wait to see her. Waiting for them to call and give me the 4-1-1, but it will be a pub somewhere near where I was last night.
In other news, I cannot believe it, but I have a sore throat starting again. I just cannot seem to stay healthy. It's not just me though, everyone is getting sick and either not getting better or feeling good for a little bit then it starts all over. I also am getting a bit of a fever blister, so not too happy about it right now. At least I still feel good enough to go out. Tomorrow may be a different story.
I have a fairly tough week coming up with lots of practicals and some pretty tough lectures. I will need to make sure I get enough rest.
Till next time...
Over-N-Out
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