Thursday, March 14, 2013
Back-Up Plans
This Summer I really need a job. I'm super excited for the internships, and very hopeful that I will get one. But I'm also a realist and I know that I don't have research experience or lab animal experience, and there is a fairly large possibility that I won't be chosen for either one of the positions. Unfortunately, both of them have MAY 1st as the last day that they will be notifying students. That's a long time from now, and I get out of school just a couple days later. If it's a rejection, I don't want to be scrambling for a job. So I've been applying places. I am waiting to hear back for a time, but tomorrow I am supposed to interview at a farm near to home. It would start out with Saturdays but could move to weekdays in the Summer. They have cattle, sheep, swine and poultry, and I would be helping take care of the animals and doing things such as mowing and weeding, and possibly butchering if they needed an extra hand. I also applied for a trail guide position at the only place I have heard of in the area that does trail rides. I received a request for an interview from there, and am just waiting to hear back for date and time. I'm definitely hoping that one of them works out!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
It's Bad When You Are THAT Client
Well yesterday I went out with Doc for the day- he actually had a pretty full schedule, which is very good for him, and hopefully a sign of things to come. The first appointment was an ultrasound for breeding. The mare was obviously in heat, and one of her corpus luteum's was 45 cm and soft (perfect for breeding!), while the other was 20 and hard (not yet ready). They were able to order semen for her that day, and Doc will do the insemination today. We then went to a farm simply for Wellness exams, vaccines and coggins, and then on to a lameness re-exam (foot abscess). Finally, we headed down to do my girls. And they were the worst patients of the day.
Since I had been out with the vet, I obviously hadn't had them caught and chilling in stalls for awhile. Thus they came galloping in, and while they let me put halters on and pop them in their stalls, they were obviously whacked out and worked up. My horse started it out with trying to bolt out the door, and refusing to stand still for her vaccines. She is normally a perfect angel and doesn't even react for shots, but today she was being a brat! To make matters worse, we should never have started with her- my mom's horse is way too smart and knew what was coming. She got vastly unruly, dancing all around, and even threatened to rear! After a little calming down and some firm words, she stood still to let Doc inject her with a pre-treatment (she breaks out in massive lumps from vaccines without it), and then give her vaccines. Both of them were wide-eyed, perk-eared and all worked up, and once I let them out of their stalls, they took off bucking and farting into the pasture.
If I were a vet, I wouldn't want to work on my girls! To be fair, Doc's horses can be pretty bad as well, so I'm sure he wasn't too upset about it. But I certainly would have preferred that they did me proud!
~Melissa
Since I had been out with the vet, I obviously hadn't had them caught and chilling in stalls for awhile. Thus they came galloping in, and while they let me put halters on and pop them in their stalls, they were obviously whacked out and worked up. My horse started it out with trying to bolt out the door, and refusing to stand still for her vaccines. She is normally a perfect angel and doesn't even react for shots, but today she was being a brat! To make matters worse, we should never have started with her- my mom's horse is way too smart and knew what was coming. She got vastly unruly, dancing all around, and even threatened to rear! After a little calming down and some firm words, she stood still to let Doc inject her with a pre-treatment (she breaks out in massive lumps from vaccines without it), and then give her vaccines. Both of them were wide-eyed, perk-eared and all worked up, and once I let them out of their stalls, they took off bucking and farting into the pasture.
If I were a vet, I wouldn't want to work on my girls! To be fair, Doc's horses can be pretty bad as well, so I'm sure he wasn't too upset about it. But I certainly would have preferred that they did me proud!
~Melissa
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Kitten Pushing
It's Spring Break!! That means no driving to school for a week- very exciting. I have limited myself to shadowing just once this week, which I will be doing tomorrow, out with the equine vet. My girls need their vaccines, and I figure I might as well spend the day on the road too! I have a ton of homework, papers to write, problems to catch up with and exams to study for, as well as housework.
Last night I shadowed at the ER, which was a complete mess. When I walked in, there was only one person in the back, and it was someone I had never met. I knew they had just hired a new tech, and so I went up and introduced myself and asked if that is who she was. Unfortunately, I was completely off, and she was one of the board members! Well, I think that may have put us on the wrong foot (you know what they say about assuming...), as she acted a little annoyed by me the rest of the night, but was still pretty helpful and friendly overall. One of the vets on staff got really, really sick (she has some medical issues to begin with and these somehow got exasperated). As a result, the shelter manager called in all the help she could get- including board members; one of whom was Doc (my equine vet), one of whom was the neurosurgeon that we visited a couple of weeks ago with the club, and some others who stepped in. The other steady ER vet was in at 7 and managed to take things over, but it was crazy hectic for awhile. Very few of the vets there knew how to use the computer system, or where anything was, so the techs ended up doing a lot more teaching and fixing than being able to do their normal jobs, and the vets ended up doing teching duties!
It was certainly crazy, but I also got to help out a lot more than usual with drawing stuff up, running and fetching, and cleaning (I must have cleaned at least 10 kennels last night!). I also got to see some suturing of a nasty leg wound, and some ultrasounds on a pregnant mother cat and a dog with liver problems. I learned how to run all the phlebotomy equipment, and just felt a lot more useful than usual! Unfortunately I came down with a migraine about half an hour into being there, and though I fought it tremendously, by 10 I was having waves of nausea and light sensitivity, so I headed home a little earlier than usual.
The most touching case was a "shop cat" who came in. She was pregnant, and was brought in by a building tenant who did not own the cat, as she had only had one kitten and that was over 24 hours ago. The worst part? The cat's owner had seen the cat giving birth and when the second kitten was coming out, he decided for some unknown reason to push the kitten back inside. SERIOUSLY? The very sweet and concerned tenant had absolutely zero money, not even an exam fee, and the owner had told her to tell the hospital it was a stray and not his, as he wasn't going to pay for it. The vet on staff couldn't just let this cat walk out the door- she gave her a very brief exam, and stuck an ultrasound probe on her belly. Defying all expectations, the kitten first in row (the only on we could find) was still alive! The vet suggested she take her home and give her privacy and a dark room, and hopefully she would go into labor again and have the rest of her litter. It would have been a bugger if this cat hadn't been one of the nicest and chillest cats I have ever met, but she was. I was also impressed by the vet's compassionate actions, especially when she knew the board members were there and would know that she had donated her free services. On top of a variety of other interesting cases, the night was very educational and a great start to break!
~Melissa
Last night I shadowed at the ER, which was a complete mess. When I walked in, there was only one person in the back, and it was someone I had never met. I knew they had just hired a new tech, and so I went up and introduced myself and asked if that is who she was. Unfortunately, I was completely off, and she was one of the board members! Well, I think that may have put us on the wrong foot (you know what they say about assuming...), as she acted a little annoyed by me the rest of the night, but was still pretty helpful and friendly overall. One of the vets on staff got really, really sick (she has some medical issues to begin with and these somehow got exasperated). As a result, the shelter manager called in all the help she could get- including board members; one of whom was Doc (my equine vet), one of whom was the neurosurgeon that we visited a couple of weeks ago with the club, and some others who stepped in. The other steady ER vet was in at 7 and managed to take things over, but it was crazy hectic for awhile. Very few of the vets there knew how to use the computer system, or where anything was, so the techs ended up doing a lot more teaching and fixing than being able to do their normal jobs, and the vets ended up doing teching duties!
It was certainly crazy, but I also got to help out a lot more than usual with drawing stuff up, running and fetching, and cleaning (I must have cleaned at least 10 kennels last night!). I also got to see some suturing of a nasty leg wound, and some ultrasounds on a pregnant mother cat and a dog with liver problems. I learned how to run all the phlebotomy equipment, and just felt a lot more useful than usual! Unfortunately I came down with a migraine about half an hour into being there, and though I fought it tremendously, by 10 I was having waves of nausea and light sensitivity, so I headed home a little earlier than usual.
The most touching case was a "shop cat" who came in. She was pregnant, and was brought in by a building tenant who did not own the cat, as she had only had one kitten and that was over 24 hours ago. The worst part? The cat's owner had seen the cat giving birth and when the second kitten was coming out, he decided for some unknown reason to push the kitten back inside. SERIOUSLY? The very sweet and concerned tenant had absolutely zero money, not even an exam fee, and the owner had told her to tell the hospital it was a stray and not his, as he wasn't going to pay for it. The vet on staff couldn't just let this cat walk out the door- she gave her a very brief exam, and stuck an ultrasound probe on her belly. Defying all expectations, the kitten first in row (the only on we could find) was still alive! The vet suggested she take her home and give her privacy and a dark room, and hopefully she would go into labor again and have the rest of her litter. It would have been a bugger if this cat hadn't been one of the nicest and chillest cats I have ever met, but she was. I was also impressed by the vet's compassionate actions, especially when she knew the board members were there and would know that she had donated her free services. On top of a variety of other interesting cases, the night was very educational and a great start to break!
~Melissa
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
APVMA
Ah what a wonderful time we had this weekend in Florida. Going to the APVMA Symposium was definitely an amazing experience! Not only did I get a tour of my first vet school, but I also attended lectures on large animal anasthesia, acupuncture and rehabilitation, getting into vet school, VMCAS and theriogenelogy, and had a hands on lab where I got to examine the deceased victims of animal cruelty (though really there were euthanized shelter animals that they doctored up to look like they had been cruelty cases). I feel so much more prepared to apply to vet school, and I also feel way more knowledgeable about some of the foreign schools and opportunities (like glasgow and dublin). Not that I'm planning on going abroad, but it is good to know for other students! The food was wonderful, the hotel was fantastic, and we really had a nice time. The girls from G-burg did me proud, always being respectful and attentive to the speakers.
The most disappointing bit was that we didn't have any time to really meet other pre-vet students. They cancelled the only social event, and it was kinda disappointing. Some of the other schools as well were very disrespectful- talking and laughing through presentations and even elections for the 2013-2014 officers of the APVMA. I really had expected more from those around me, especially since it was a professional conference. There were also way too many people who showed up in jeans to the formal and semi-formal dinners. For us it was a really big deal to be going, but I guess to other schools who attend every year it is not as important.
Hoping to go next year again, as it will be held at Iowa!
The most disappointing bit was that we didn't have any time to really meet other pre-vet students. They cancelled the only social event, and it was kinda disappointing. Some of the other schools as well were very disrespectful- talking and laughing through presentations and even elections for the 2013-2014 officers of the APVMA. I really had expected more from those around me, especially since it was a professional conference. There were also way too many people who showed up in jeans to the formal and semi-formal dinners. For us it was a really big deal to be going, but I guess to other schools who attend every year it is not as important.
Hoping to go next year again, as it will be held at Iowa!
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Mixed Emotions
Well... My day has had it's ups and downs. I cut a lot of my hair off this morning (over 5 inches), and now have it above my shoulders. I'm pretty fond of it this way! I needed a change.
I also got back my physics exam and did much better than expected (yay for an A!). However, I also found out that I didn't get the dairy internship, which is pretty disappointing, since that is the one I really wanted. I should know about the FDA internship by mid-March, and I'm fairly certain that the deadline for the NIH recipients has already passed, so this one is really my last bet. If nothing pays out, I might be applying to work at Petsmart, Petco or anywhere that will take me. Not exactly what I want to do this Summer, but sometimes we just have to bite the bullet.
Tomorrow morning I am headed to the APVMA National Symposium in Florida with 6 other members of the pre-vet club. The school is footing the bill 100%, so I'm definitely happy about that! It should be a fantastic experience. We are staying at the Hilton, and will have a dinner/welcome on Friday evening, all day at the CVM on Saturday attending labs and lectures, and another dinner/social that night. Friday includes pre-vet olympics which should be... interesting.
I am pretty worried since I have my cell mid-term on Tuesday, and the last exam wasn't stellar. I have already started studying, but I'm extremely nervous. My plane rides will be full of intense study-time. Wish me luck!
~Melissa
I also got back my physics exam and did much better than expected (yay for an A!). However, I also found out that I didn't get the dairy internship, which is pretty disappointing, since that is the one I really wanted. I should know about the FDA internship by mid-March, and I'm fairly certain that the deadline for the NIH recipients has already passed, so this one is really my last bet. If nothing pays out, I might be applying to work at Petsmart, Petco or anywhere that will take me. Not exactly what I want to do this Summer, but sometimes we just have to bite the bullet.
Tomorrow morning I am headed to the APVMA National Symposium in Florida with 6 other members of the pre-vet club. The school is footing the bill 100%, so I'm definitely happy about that! It should be a fantastic experience. We are staying at the Hilton, and will have a dinner/welcome on Friday evening, all day at the CVM on Saturday attending labs and lectures, and another dinner/social that night. Friday includes pre-vet olympics which should be... interesting.
I am pretty worried since I have my cell mid-term on Tuesday, and the last exam wasn't stellar. I have already started studying, but I'm extremely nervous. My plane rides will be full of intense study-time. Wish me luck!
~Melissa
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Saturday Night Fever
On Saturday I was in to the ER again. It was a pretty busy night once things got rolling! I was in for 7.5 hours, and on my feet for almost the whole time. The cases included a 10 week old puppy that swallowed a nut (like a nuts and bolts nut), a pom that ate chocolate (but not enough to need to vomit), a cat with a very low temp (92!) whom we also found out was in kidney failure, a dog with HGE (Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis), a cat who was recovering from a blockage, an old dog who was being hospitalized overnight to euthanize in the morning when the family could come in, a dog with a huge splenic mass (diagnosed over 6 months ago), who had started to go downhill and we ended up euthanizing, a dog with a prolapsed rectum, and a patient whom I recognized from elsewhere.
The vet on staff was really good with explaining things to me between crises, and she told me about HGE in detail, which was very awesome for me. I love learning about new things, and HGE reminded me somewhat of the nature of IBS in humans... that is, it is more of a symptom than a cause, but there are ways to treat it (the symptom), and get it under control so that you can find the cause.
The diabetic dog (the one I recognized) was a very good lesson in client interaction. The owner is interesting. Her dog is 5.5 years old, HUGE, a diabetic, and has cataracts. She has spent a lot of money on him, getting him to an okay place, but is pretty bad with regulating his diabetes. They won't operate on the cataracts until his diabetes in under control, so the poor thing can't see too well. Her appointment at the ER was because the dog hadn't laid down all day and seemed very uncomfortable. The doctor spent a lot of time convincing her that because of his diabetes, it was really important to figure out what was going on. Once we were able to get bloodwork and urine on him, it showed that he had both pancreatitis and a UTI, very common things in diabetics. To convince her to let the dog be hospitalized was like pulling teeth. She obviously did not want to be separated from him. The vet had to explain at least 4 times why this was such a big deal and what needed to be done. Finally, she signed the estimate, remarking at different times, "It's all about the money isn't it?" "Did you read the article in the Times this morning? It's about hospitals ripping people off" and best of all, "It must have been those antibiotics Dr. Regular Vet put him on, they had to cause the UTI." She was a very grumpy woman, but she did what was right for the dog, and assured him she would be back at 6 am to check on him and visit with him.
What did this teach me? Patience. I think the ER is a wonderful place to see client interactions because it is a high-stress situation. The owners don't know what is wrong, are often unable, unwilling or unprepared for the fees, and they are emotional. It takes a special person to work in that environment and be able to calm them down, explain things to them at a level they can understand and accept, and sometimes even coax a smile. Quite often you are delivering awful news to owners, and being able to do so in the right manner can make all the difference. I have a lot of respect for it, and I hope that I am absorbing as much as I feel I am there.
~Melissa
The vet on staff was really good with explaining things to me between crises, and she told me about HGE in detail, which was very awesome for me. I love learning about new things, and HGE reminded me somewhat of the nature of IBS in humans... that is, it is more of a symptom than a cause, but there are ways to treat it (the symptom), and get it under control so that you can find the cause.
The diabetic dog (the one I recognized) was a very good lesson in client interaction. The owner is interesting. Her dog is 5.5 years old, HUGE, a diabetic, and has cataracts. She has spent a lot of money on him, getting him to an okay place, but is pretty bad with regulating his diabetes. They won't operate on the cataracts until his diabetes in under control, so the poor thing can't see too well. Her appointment at the ER was because the dog hadn't laid down all day and seemed very uncomfortable. The doctor spent a lot of time convincing her that because of his diabetes, it was really important to figure out what was going on. Once we were able to get bloodwork and urine on him, it showed that he had both pancreatitis and a UTI, very common things in diabetics. To convince her to let the dog be hospitalized was like pulling teeth. She obviously did not want to be separated from him. The vet had to explain at least 4 times why this was such a big deal and what needed to be done. Finally, she signed the estimate, remarking at different times, "It's all about the money isn't it?" "Did you read the article in the Times this morning? It's about hospitals ripping people off" and best of all, "It must have been those antibiotics Dr. Regular Vet put him on, they had to cause the UTI." She was a very grumpy woman, but she did what was right for the dog, and assured him she would be back at 6 am to check on him and visit with him.
What did this teach me? Patience. I think the ER is a wonderful place to see client interactions because it is a high-stress situation. The owners don't know what is wrong, are often unable, unwilling or unprepared for the fees, and they are emotional. It takes a special person to work in that environment and be able to calm them down, explain things to them at a level they can understand and accept, and sometimes even coax a smile. Quite often you are delivering awful news to owners, and being able to do so in the right manner can make all the difference. I have a lot of respect for it, and I hope that I am absorbing as much as I feel I am there.
~Melissa
Birth and Death
This is more a blog of cute pictures than anything else :)
On Sunday we headed out to the goat farm, and got there just in time to see a birth! One of the kid's front legs was twisted slightly, and it had to be rotated. The kid then came out, slimy and cute. I got to help towel it off, and held it while it's umbilicus was cut and treated with iodine dip. There was a twin to it that took about a half hour coming out, but unfortunately this little was unable to take it's first breath. It's heart was still beating, but despite what the vet was able to do, he couldn't get the little thing to breathe. It died very quickly after entering the world. It was the first dead kid of the year for them, so it was kinda disappointing. They toweled it off and laid it outside, to bury later in the day.
We got to play with the other babies, and one of them had bowed tendons in it's front legs, so they got splinted (something the vet had done in the past which had worked well). We also got to see ultrasounds, feet trimming, and got some more goat milk to drink! Here are some cute pictures:
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| The live twin, super cute! He was trying to nuzzle my jacket |
We got to play with the other babies, and one of them had bowed tendons in it's front legs, so they got splinted (something the vet had done in the past which had worked well). We also got to see ultrasounds, feet trimming, and got some more goat milk to drink! Here are some cute pictures:
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