I hang out at SDN a lot (student doctor network), reading things that others write about and every now and then adding a comment. I'm more of a lurker than anything. They have threads for acceptances, rejects and accepted student statistics (as well as a ton more). I particularly like the statistics... however, they also tend to make me feel awful. I just am not up to snuff with a lot of them. It's scary, because I'm not a bad student, and so long as my grades to continue to be consistent, I won't be a bad applicant. It's just that there are so many very, very good applicants for vet school, and acceptance is regarded as a "crapshoot" by many.
Which leads me back to the title- I should never read SDN before bed. For some people, maybe it's scary movies that do it. For me it's apparently vet school stats. Last night I of course dreamed that I didn't get in to either school that I applied to (in my dream I had applied VMRCVM and CSUCVM), because I had both got a C in cell biology and didn't have enough shadowing hours. I then woke up earlier than usual and studied cell.
I think I need an intervention. That's really pathetic. I'm cutting myself off from SDN for awhile.
~Melissa
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
I know it's a little late but...
I figured no one really minded since I didn't get any angry comments! (Probably because I have so few readers!). So I guess some more detail about the ER is in order... I will tell you about the worst case and the best case- that way I'm not being overly long-winded!
The worst case was definitely the cat with saddle thrombus. The techs knew what it was the second it walked through the door (or was carried, rather). This is because cats with this condition scream, and scream terribly. Cats are creatures that will normally hide illnesses and injuries pretty well, they don't complain much. They explained the condition to me thus: Saddle thrombus occurs when a cat with heart disease (which is very difficult to detect without ultrasound) throws a blood clot. The clot gets wedged where the aorta splits at the pelvis, and blood supply is thus cut off from the heart. The back legs (normally one or the other, though sometimes both) then lose blood flow and feeling. It is extremely painful for the cat. One of the first things done to the cat was to cut a back toenail on each foot. The left did not have blood flow, while the right did. Thus it was determined that the clot became lodged on the left side. Due to lack of blood flow, the cat then went into cardiac failure. He was severely panting, and you could see his heart beat in his breathing pattern. He screamed, and hissed at the pain. We placed him in an oxygen tank and gave him a painkiller, and still he tried to drag himself around, in severe distress. He pawed at the glass and it was the most heart-breaking thing I think I have seen. The owner would not consent to euthanize for at least 20 minutes after the cat arrived, as she was hysterical. The owner's husband was screaming and yelling at everyone (including his wife). Finally, they consented, the paperwork was signed, and she came back to see him one last time. This was not the vet's idea, but the owners, and was not ideal, as she continued to cry and talk to the cat for at least another 10 minutes, despite the efforts of her son. I sympathized with her- obviously she loved the cat, and her husband was being a complete idiot (something along the lines of "It's just a cat... you'll be back in a week with another one... stop being ridiculous... get over it" continued to be repeated to her). However, I did not respect her for letting that cat be in pain for that long. There is no good prognosis for saddle thrombus. There is no cure. If caught early enough, sometimes the underlying heart conditions can be treated. But at the stage this cat was in, he was just in complete and utter pain. No matter how many times they explained this to her, she just didn't get it. Finally it was all taken care of. I, and the rest of those present, were relieved when the cat screamed for the last time. Truly that is human euthanasia.
The best case was a 17 year old jack (yes 17!), with a huge tumor on his side. He had fallen down the stairs and the owner was worried that the dog had broken his leg. After an x-ray, it was determined that it was only a soft tissue wound. To put him on the pain killers, they wanted to check the function of all of his organs. And they were truly as functional as a 2 year old! Despite his age and massive tumor, the little guy was happy, healthy and well-loved.
~Melissa
The worst case was definitely the cat with saddle thrombus. The techs knew what it was the second it walked through the door (or was carried, rather). This is because cats with this condition scream, and scream terribly. Cats are creatures that will normally hide illnesses and injuries pretty well, they don't complain much. They explained the condition to me thus: Saddle thrombus occurs when a cat with heart disease (which is very difficult to detect without ultrasound) throws a blood clot. The clot gets wedged where the aorta splits at the pelvis, and blood supply is thus cut off from the heart. The back legs (normally one or the other, though sometimes both) then lose blood flow and feeling. It is extremely painful for the cat. One of the first things done to the cat was to cut a back toenail on each foot. The left did not have blood flow, while the right did. Thus it was determined that the clot became lodged on the left side. Due to lack of blood flow, the cat then went into cardiac failure. He was severely panting, and you could see his heart beat in his breathing pattern. He screamed, and hissed at the pain. We placed him in an oxygen tank and gave him a painkiller, and still he tried to drag himself around, in severe distress. He pawed at the glass and it was the most heart-breaking thing I think I have seen. The owner would not consent to euthanize for at least 20 minutes after the cat arrived, as she was hysterical. The owner's husband was screaming and yelling at everyone (including his wife). Finally, they consented, the paperwork was signed, and she came back to see him one last time. This was not the vet's idea, but the owners, and was not ideal, as she continued to cry and talk to the cat for at least another 10 minutes, despite the efforts of her son. I sympathized with her- obviously she loved the cat, and her husband was being a complete idiot (something along the lines of "It's just a cat... you'll be back in a week with another one... stop being ridiculous... get over it" continued to be repeated to her). However, I did not respect her for letting that cat be in pain for that long. There is no good prognosis for saddle thrombus. There is no cure. If caught early enough, sometimes the underlying heart conditions can be treated. But at the stage this cat was in, he was just in complete and utter pain. No matter how many times they explained this to her, she just didn't get it. Finally it was all taken care of. I, and the rest of those present, were relieved when the cat screamed for the last time. Truly that is human euthanasia.
The best case was a 17 year old jack (yes 17!), with a huge tumor on his side. He had fallen down the stairs and the owner was worried that the dog had broken his leg. After an x-ray, it was determined that it was only a soft tissue wound. To put him on the pain killers, they wanted to check the function of all of his organs. And they were truly as functional as a 2 year old! Despite his age and massive tumor, the little guy was happy, healthy and well-loved.
~Melissa
Saturday, January 26, 2013
My first night in the ER
What a great introduction to the ER! I got to meet two of the ER vets (since I was there for a portion of each shift), and five techs (one of whom is actually a cousin I had never met before). We had a ton of cases in the 7 hours I was there including:
- Ruptured anal glands
- A dog who ingested pot cookies (and also, a McDonald's breakfast sandwich- found that in her vomit)
- A cat with saddle thrombosis (very, very sad)
- A very old cat with blood in his urine, hyperthyroidism and a huge mass in the abdomen
- A small dog who fell down the stairs (he just had a soft tissue injury)
- A chihuahua with possible hydrocephalus and definitely some sort of neurological issue
- A dog with a foot abscess filled with blood
- A dog that ripped his stitches out from a tumor removal
- A puppy who ate rat poison
- A diabetic dog who was vomiting (pancreatitis was revealed with bloodwork)
The hospital was very well-organized and I was quite impressed with the two vets I shadowed- they knew their stuff and were very good with the clients (even when one screamed at a vet to "get the *&^% out of the room"). The worst part for me is that I can't touch any of the patients since I haven't been vaccinated for rabies and it's an emergency hospital, so often the vaccine history is unknown or nil. So even when they just need an extra hand, I can't lend it, which sucks. I can't feel masses, listen to murmurs, restrain, or assist with much besides wiping up the floor and drawing up some meds, and the techs/vets are obviously not as used to having shadowers around as the small animal hospital. I guess I got spoiled there. I will get used to it though, and it is a very valuable experience. I'll give some more details in the morning about the cases (if anyone out there is actually interested).
For now, I'm hitting the sack!
~Melissa
- Ruptured anal glands
- A dog who ingested pot cookies (and also, a McDonald's breakfast sandwich- found that in her vomit)
- A cat with saddle thrombosis (very, very sad)
- A very old cat with blood in his urine, hyperthyroidism and a huge mass in the abdomen
- A small dog who fell down the stairs (he just had a soft tissue injury)
- A chihuahua with possible hydrocephalus and definitely some sort of neurological issue
- A dog with a foot abscess filled with blood
- A dog that ripped his stitches out from a tumor removal
- A puppy who ate rat poison
- A diabetic dog who was vomiting (pancreatitis was revealed with bloodwork)
The hospital was very well-organized and I was quite impressed with the two vets I shadowed- they knew their stuff and were very good with the clients (even when one screamed at a vet to "get the *&^% out of the room"). The worst part for me is that I can't touch any of the patients since I haven't been vaccinated for rabies and it's an emergency hospital, so often the vaccine history is unknown or nil. So even when they just need an extra hand, I can't lend it, which sucks. I can't feel masses, listen to murmurs, restrain, or assist with much besides wiping up the floor and drawing up some meds, and the techs/vets are obviously not as used to having shadowers around as the small animal hospital. I guess I got spoiled there. I will get used to it though, and it is a very valuable experience. I'll give some more details in the morning about the cases (if anyone out there is actually interested).
For now, I'm hitting the sack!
~Melissa
9 am on a Saturday
An update on my first week:
I am taking cell biology, organic chemistry, physics and contemporary American poetry. This semester all my pre-reqs for vet school except for biochem will be fulfilled! I am very excited about cell, as it is incredibly fascinating. It is, however, terrifying when the professor puts in his syllabus that the class average since the 1980's has remained roughly same... being a 2.4. At least a few students in the class are taking it for a second time, since they did not pass with above a C- the first time. I am determined to make above that!
I also love poetry, and this is my last class in my English minor. I have had the professor before, so I know the workload and the expectations, which is helpful. My class schedule isn't too bad- I have classes/lab from 8-5 on Mondays and Wednesdays, lab on Tuesdays from 1-4, lab every other Thursday from 1-4, and class from 8-3 on Fridays.
Today I start my new job cleaning a house in the next town up, and I also start a new internship at an Emergency hospital! I will be going there once a week for the evening shift to learn about emergency procedures and diagnostics. Since I don't have a rabies shot, I can't actually handle any of the patients, but I can still assist and observe in some capacity. I am hoping it is a great experience!
The pre-vet club schedule for the semester is almost complete, and I am quite pleased with how things worked out. We typically spend the Spring semester sending students out to a Standardbred breeding farm to get experience. Since they were shorthanded, we were unable to do this this year. Luckily, I was able to find an alternative that I think will be just as cool. Remember how the cattle vet I rode along with owned a dairy goat farm? Well his wife and son (who run it), as well as the vet, have agreed to let students come out every Sunday to learn how to handle goats, learn about the dairy, see ultrasounds, vaccines, and kidding. It should be a really neat experience, enhanced by the fact that they will be getting vet experience with Dr. C, and seeing a side of small ruminant medicine many of them would probably not have the chance to (quite a few are city kids). They have also put me on-call so that if there are any surgeries or unusual things going on, I can send out a notice to the students to see if anyone is available to head out there (it's only 20 minutes away from the school).
We are also heading to a neurologist's hospital for a tour, going to various breed and species shows in the area, having an exotics vet in, a relief vet in, talking to a current vet student at Mississippi (a sibling to a club member), and going to the VMRCVM open house. We are still trying to work out our fundraiser (we wanted to do a community dog wash), since we haven't been getting a response from anyone in any of the departments as to the feasibility of it.
All in all, I'm pretty excited.
Melissa
I am taking cell biology, organic chemistry, physics and contemporary American poetry. This semester all my pre-reqs for vet school except for biochem will be fulfilled! I am very excited about cell, as it is incredibly fascinating. It is, however, terrifying when the professor puts in his syllabus that the class average since the 1980's has remained roughly same... being a 2.4. At least a few students in the class are taking it for a second time, since they did not pass with above a C- the first time. I am determined to make above that!
I also love poetry, and this is my last class in my English minor. I have had the professor before, so I know the workload and the expectations, which is helpful. My class schedule isn't too bad- I have classes/lab from 8-5 on Mondays and Wednesdays, lab on Tuesdays from 1-4, lab every other Thursday from 1-4, and class from 8-3 on Fridays.
Today I start my new job cleaning a house in the next town up, and I also start a new internship at an Emergency hospital! I will be going there once a week for the evening shift to learn about emergency procedures and diagnostics. Since I don't have a rabies shot, I can't actually handle any of the patients, but I can still assist and observe in some capacity. I am hoping it is a great experience!
The pre-vet club schedule for the semester is almost complete, and I am quite pleased with how things worked out. We typically spend the Spring semester sending students out to a Standardbred breeding farm to get experience. Since they were shorthanded, we were unable to do this this year. Luckily, I was able to find an alternative that I think will be just as cool. Remember how the cattle vet I rode along with owned a dairy goat farm? Well his wife and son (who run it), as well as the vet, have agreed to let students come out every Sunday to learn how to handle goats, learn about the dairy, see ultrasounds, vaccines, and kidding. It should be a really neat experience, enhanced by the fact that they will be getting vet experience with Dr. C, and seeing a side of small ruminant medicine many of them would probably not have the chance to (quite a few are city kids). They have also put me on-call so that if there are any surgeries or unusual things going on, I can send out a notice to the students to see if anyone is available to head out there (it's only 20 minutes away from the school).
We are also heading to a neurologist's hospital for a tour, going to various breed and species shows in the area, having an exotics vet in, a relief vet in, talking to a current vet student at Mississippi (a sibling to a club member), and going to the VMRCVM open house. We are still trying to work out our fundraiser (we wanted to do a community dog wash), since we haven't been getting a response from anyone in any of the departments as to the feasibility of it.
All in all, I'm pretty excited.
Melissa
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Just Because
Last week when I was at the small animal hospital, we had quite an interesting "sick fit-in." These two ladies had called in about their lab. They weren't clients, but their hospital couldn't fit them in. So, of course, we did. The two ladies were a little older and a little heavyset, and were sisters. Their lab as well was a little older and a little heavyset. The conversation went as follows...
"What seems to be the problem with your dog?"
"Well, she has had really, really awful diarrhea yesterday and this morning and we have a hard time getting her outside in time."
"Do you know of anything that could have caused the diarrhea?"
"Well no... we know she has some problems with dairy, so we avoid giving her that. But I don't think she had any. Of course, she does get her tidbits every night."
"What exactly do you give her?"
"Well, you know when anything goes bad in the freezer, starts to get a little freezer burnt, I just put it in a pot and cook it off for her and then she gets that and the broth every night on her food. You know, just some extra protein."
"You might want to trim down on the extra food. Her dog food is formulated so she should be getting all of her protein and dietary needs from it. She could stand to lose a little weight- she is getting older and if she goes down, you won't be able to get her back up. "
"Oh but she loves it so much! The other night I cut her up her own pumpkin pie, just two or three pieces, you know, and put little dabs of whipped cream on each bite for her. She just loved it!"
The doctor and I stared at her in slight disbelief.
"When did you feed her the pumpkin pie?"
"Oh I guess it was just the other night. A day or two ago."
"You know that most whipped cream and pumpkin pie has dairy in it?"
She looked distraught.
"... Oh dear..."
"We will give her something to help with the diarrhea, and I would really suggest stopping feeding her the extras, or else this might be a continual problem."
She looked at us plaintively. "But what am I supposed to do with my bad freezer food?"
Neither of us summoned up a response, though her sister slid in with a snide "I told you so."
"What seems to be the problem with your dog?"
"Well, she has had really, really awful diarrhea yesterday and this morning and we have a hard time getting her outside in time."
"Do you know of anything that could have caused the diarrhea?"
"Well no... we know she has some problems with dairy, so we avoid giving her that. But I don't think she had any. Of course, she does get her tidbits every night."
"What exactly do you give her?"
"Well, you know when anything goes bad in the freezer, starts to get a little freezer burnt, I just put it in a pot and cook it off for her and then she gets that and the broth every night on her food. You know, just some extra protein."
"You might want to trim down on the extra food. Her dog food is formulated so she should be getting all of her protein and dietary needs from it. She could stand to lose a little weight- she is getting older and if she goes down, you won't be able to get her back up. "
"Oh but she loves it so much! The other night I cut her up her own pumpkin pie, just two or three pieces, you know, and put little dabs of whipped cream on each bite for her. She just loved it!"
The doctor and I stared at her in slight disbelief.
"When did you feed her the pumpkin pie?"
"Oh I guess it was just the other night. A day or two ago."
"You know that most whipped cream and pumpkin pie has dairy in it?"
She looked distraught.
"... Oh dear..."
"We will give her something to help with the diarrhea, and I would really suggest stopping feeding her the extras, or else this might be a continual problem."
She looked at us plaintively. "But what am I supposed to do with my bad freezer food?"
Neither of us summoned up a response, though her sister slid in with a snide "I told you so."
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Last Day at the Small Animal Hospital!
Well today was a long day, and also a sad one, because it was my last day shadowing for awhile at the small animal hospital. I did a full day today, from 8-7:30, and it was a really good day. Not only did I get to see quite a few interesting things, but there were also no euthanasias! Apparently the week I was gone, Dr. J. put down at least 3 animals a day. Today was pretty calm, and I got to see a neuter, an ultrasound on a cat with bowel tumors, and an x-ray on an elderly, un-neutered dog who had an enlarged testicle, prostrate and bladder, on top of a thousand skin conditions which had been being treated previously. There were two puppies, a lab and a shih-zu. A pekinese came in with a huge anal gland that was about to burst. Dr. J. tried to express it, but decided to let it rupture on it's own since it was ready and willing. I stained some slides, and made a basset hound bleed everywhere (because she was super aggressive and, I admit it, I suck at nail trims).
The end of the day was the saddest; saying goodbye to everyone. I won't be able to shadow next semester because I really just don't have time. On top of physics, orgo, cell biology and a 300-level English class, I wouldn't be able to shadow more than once a week (probably on Saturdays), and since they only take one intern at a time, I don't want to take someone else's spot. But they invited me back whenever I wanted to, and I will probably go back next Fall if I can.
Dr. J. told me she would be very happy to write me a letter of recommendation for vet school, and also invited me to come help sheer her sheep in March! The techs were the hardest to say goodbye to- they have taught me so much, had so much patience with me, and really just showed me what they loved about vet med and the practice. They were an invaluable resource for me and I will miss all of them and their varied personalities. Dr. J. and all the techs assured me when I left today that I had made an impression on them, and that they believed I would make a wonderful vet and would have no problems at all getting in to school. I can't tell you how heartening it was to hear.
Last night I did call the emergency hospital about shadowing occasionally on night shift during the semester. They were really positive about it and had me send them an email with my information. I am still waiting to hear back, but am hopeful that that will work out. If I am able to do that I will have seen equine, cattle, small animal, exotics and some emergency work! I am so grateful to have seen so many different sides of vet med already and I am really looking forward to the future... This is the year, after all, that I will be applying, and I am quite terrified that I won't get in the first shot (though it won't stop me!). I am doing my best to make myself a strong applicant and to get all the experience in that I can.
Tomorrow is my last day out with the cattle vet!
~Melissa
The end of the day was the saddest; saying goodbye to everyone. I won't be able to shadow next semester because I really just don't have time. On top of physics, orgo, cell biology and a 300-level English class, I wouldn't be able to shadow more than once a week (probably on Saturdays), and since they only take one intern at a time, I don't want to take someone else's spot. But they invited me back whenever I wanted to, and I will probably go back next Fall if I can.
Dr. J. told me she would be very happy to write me a letter of recommendation for vet school, and also invited me to come help sheer her sheep in March! The techs were the hardest to say goodbye to- they have taught me so much, had so much patience with me, and really just showed me what they loved about vet med and the practice. They were an invaluable resource for me and I will miss all of them and their varied personalities. Dr. J. and all the techs assured me when I left today that I had made an impression on them, and that they believed I would make a wonderful vet and would have no problems at all getting in to school. I can't tell you how heartening it was to hear.
Last night I did call the emergency hospital about shadowing occasionally on night shift during the semester. They were really positive about it and had me send them an email with my information. I am still waiting to hear back, but am hopeful that that will work out. If I am able to do that I will have seen equine, cattle, small animal, exotics and some emergency work! I am so grateful to have seen so many different sides of vet med already and I am really looking forward to the future... This is the year, after all, that I will be applying, and I am quite terrified that I won't get in the first shot (though it won't stop me!). I am doing my best to make myself a strong applicant and to get all the experience in that I can.
Tomorrow is my last day out with the cattle vet!
~Melissa
Monday, January 14, 2013
Money Honey
Can I tell you how wonderful it is to have a paying job, even if only for a few days? As a pre-vet student I do a lot of unpaid work. I shouldn't say 'unpaid' I suppose- it is paid for in knowledge and in experience. I even get free vet work sometimes. But in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't earn me any money, doesn't help me pay the bills or feed my animals. My part time job unexpectedly petered out a couple of months ago and left me with no income whatsoever besides a few random pet-sitting jobs. I really don't have time for a set-schedule job where I have to put in serious hours during the semester... I guess I consider being a student as my full-time job, but there again, it doesn't help with anything monetarily.
Quite nicely, my stepfather has been helping me out by letting me help fix up his rental properties. Just knowing that I will at some point in the future get paid something is a great feeling (though I would gladly do it for free as well). Plus a very nice Christmas gift from my family to help pay for books and expenses never hurt. And I have an interview tomorrow to get a job cleaning someone's house once every couple of weeks. All in all, my bank account has increased for the first time in months. It's as good of a feeling as having a full tank of gas in your car.
~Melissa
Quite nicely, my stepfather has been helping me out by letting me help fix up his rental properties. Just knowing that I will at some point in the future get paid something is a great feeling (though I would gladly do it for free as well). Plus a very nice Christmas gift from my family to help pay for books and expenses never hurt. And I have an interview tomorrow to get a job cleaning someone's house once every couple of weeks. All in all, my bank account has increased for the first time in months. It's as good of a feeling as having a full tank of gas in your car.
~Melissa
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