What to do with my animal science degree?

"I am a Senior at UCD with a major in Animal Science & Management. I have been having trouble deciding what to do with my life after graduating since my GPA is less than 3.0 and I have little experience at veterinary hospital or animal clinic. I have finally decided to perhaps enroll in a Veterinary Technician program so that I can take the Veterinary Technician examination, but my major adviser and the pre-vet adviser did not know anything about it. I did some research on my own, but I am still very confused, and I am not quite sure who else can I ask about it.

I have found out that there are many colleges in California that offer accredited Veterinary Technician programs, but UC Davis is not one of them.

http://www.avma.org/education/cvea/vettech_programs/california.asp

So I assume that the courses I took to fulfill my Animal Science & Management degree are not sufficient, and I am not able to take the exam until I complete the program?

Even though I will be studying Veterinary Technology, I still hope to go to a vet school afterwords. Is there anything else I should do besides gaining more experience with animal-related internships or jobs?"

 

Having trouble deciding what to do with your life after graduation is a very important question that I am sure a lot of people have (especially animal science and pre-veterinary majors).

I think the first question I would ask you is what ARE your goals? Do you want to go to veterinary school? Do you know where you want to see yourself in 10 years? I don't think you should let a GPA lower than 3.0 prevent you from pursuing veterinary school if that is your goal/dream/passion. I have friends that got in with GPA's lower than 3.0 and are doing well (although working hard) in vet school.

Second, I would like to address your question about pursuing a veterinary technician program. Why do you want to do this? I'm wondering what you think you will get out of attending a technician program on top of your animal science degree at UC Davis. You do not have to be a licensed veterinary technician to work at a veterinary clinic. I think the technician program would be great (although expensive/time consuming) when you could just get employed working and learning veterinary technician skills at a veterinary clinic. I would also recommend internships first or volunteering at an SPCA to gain veterinary clinic technician experience if you cannot find a job in a veterinary clinic, chances are there is something out there for you. Maybe even start by working the front desk and gradually work your way to helping with patients in the back. It's important to see how all aspects of a veterinary clinic run anyways. I'm guessing that after you graduate, you might want to begin earning money, but if you are set on the technician program, I know of a local one offered by consumes river community college. http://www.crc.losrios.edu/Areas_of_Study/Careers_and_Technology/Veterinary_Technology.htm
In order to get an RVT (registered veterinary technician) you have to attend an RVT school. UC Davis animal science courses are not sufficient for that program. Some of my classmates in veterinary school were RVT's, but most of us just worked in veterinary clinics with essentially the same responsibilities as an RVT. 

 

How to Become an RVT in California

Third, before you graduate, take the chance to get involved (or more involved) in the vet aides club which will help you get experience at the MERCER clinic or feral cat clinics, actual veterinary experience with animals. This club is really great and it's only available to you while you are at Davis. If you are considering veterinary school, most applicants have over 1,500 hours of VETERINARY related experience. They want to make sure you understand the profession and demands required of a veterinarian/veterinary school.

Fourth, look at prospective veterinary schools you would like to attend. See what they require of their applications (general to specifics) and find out what they want in applicants. It is also important to select a school that you want to go to. For example, do you want to stay in the US or are you willing to go out of the US to pursue veterinary school. Most veterinary schools have the same prerequisites, but some of them are different. 

 

Fifth, why not pursue a Master's or PhD program or gain experience working with animals in a laboratory setting? I would highly suggest researching your options with higher education as I know that veterinary school admissions committees hold higher education very high on their list when selecting new applicants. I'm not saying you shouldn't also get veterinary-related experience, that is also ESSENTIAL and VITAL should you choose to pursue veterinary school.

 

Also, consider other animal science related careers, one of my back up plans was to become an agriculture education (FFA) instructor. I've always been interested in educating, but there are additional jobs as well out there as well.  

Another Helpful Link: Animal-Related Careers

 

I would highly recommend anyone in graduating in this economy start looking for jobs/careers early upon graduating. There is some intense competition out there for good jobs. Make sure you get the full experience from your education/university before graduating. Use their advising services, use their tutor centers, use their career centers, these are valuable resources right at your finger tips. School can be overwhelming (especially with science courses), but don't forget to get valuable hands-on experience that will be useful to your future. Apply for internships, make connections at job fairs, explore possible career/academic choices.  

Please let me know if you have any more questions: hamaleo11@gmail.com

 

They Grow Up So Fast!

 

Before

After

It's hard to believe little Oliver is almost one year old! He is about 10-11 months old now, and growing up to be a big boy! (I'm glad he is neutered!). He lives his life peacefully and carefree at my boyfriend's house in the Roseville area. They have 5 acres, two dogs, 3 cats, 7 horses, and a few chickens. It's the perfect place for Oliver, he spends most of his time hanging out on the back porch sitting on a large cat post watching the hummingbirds feed. I have no idea how he thinks it might be possible to ever catch one, but a cat can dream.

I got Oliver last year around the time I graduated from undergrad at UC Davis. He's always been adorable, but silly at times. He sure is one lucky cat. His name came from Oliver Twist, cause he was always a sad little beggar cat, "Please Sir, Can I have Some More?" was his motto. He is a cute little ginger kitten that was rescued from living in a Sacramento area barn. His momma was a feral cat and luckily all his brothers and sisters found loving homes, while momma was spayed. There are so many cats in the world without homes, I encourage anyone looking for a cat to adopt and if you can, adopt an older cat, kittens always find homes, but older cats don't as often and they often make better pets because they are socialized, litter trained, and know how to behave like a cat. Oliver was a bit of a challenge and appeared at the right time. 

Food Animal Nursing and New Life

I had my food animal nursing class and wasn't expecting anything out of the ordinary introduction to "C" barn (the food animal medical barn). 

Most of my classmates told me that food animal nursing would be quick and easy, I'd be done with the shift in about an hour. Again, like when I had my E-team shadowing shift, they were wrong! I was lucky enough to see several patients in C-barn and assist with PM treatments while we were waiting for the surgery technician to show up. There were several goats in the barn, mostly with post-kidding complications (kidding=giving birth in goat terms) and one older pygmy goat that had recently stopped eating. There was a ewe (female sheep) and her lamb, in addition to a Pot Belly pig.

Two gorgeous baby Boer goats were born via C-section. They were both girls. I got to watch and help with the surgery. It was very exciting, I remember the anticipation like it was my sister having a baby or something. I was so stoked!  

http://2funboergoats.com/2009_babies_for_sale_does__wethers

UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine 2011 Interview Workshop

I was on the panel for the UC Davis interview workshop. I had a great time answering questions about veterinary school and the vet school interview process. Our student panel and interview workshop was recorded, as well as a talk about the new curriculum. I even had the opportunity to eat lunch with interviewing applicants for the class of 2015. Looking at my blog, I realized I had not finished my "How to Rock Your Vet School Interview Part 2", so I thought the student panel I was on could help answer your questions if you are still wanting more of an explanation of how to "rock" your vet school interview.  

SEE OUR VIDEO RECORDING OF THE INTERVIEW WORKSHOP VET STUDENT PANEL HERE

Vet School Choices

“I'm a senior biology major at the University of Portland in Oregon. I was recently admitted to 3 vet schools through the WICHE program: Washington State, Colorado State, and Oregon State. I decided not to accept my UC Davis interview because going to school there would be prohibitively expensive, but I wanted to see if you could make some generalizations about vet school for me.

I guess I want to know what you like about your school and what you think could be better. What makes your school special and what do you wish you had?

I visited CSU this past weekend, but I have no way to assess what I saw, since it was my first visit. What kinds of things should I be asking about when I am trying to make my decision?

I also want to ask specifically about class size. OSU has a class of 56 while CSU has a class of 140. If I am reading UC Davis' site correctly, it appears that you have about 130. Do you wish your class were smaller? It appears that you get enough time with your professors.

I am interested in zoological medicine. I respect your work with horses! Horses scare me a little because the only "large" animals I have ever been around are giraffes, but we're never allowed directly in with them. Hooves are frightening.”

First off, you pose some very good questions that I’m sure many people are wondering themselves. Second, congratulations on being admitted to three different veterinary schools! That is not an easy feat.

I understand your worry about UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine being so expensive, but frankly I wouldn’t have wanted to go to any other veterinary school. I have kind of a biased opinion on this, cause I was born and raised less than an hour away from UC Davis. Plus my family still lives close by and I am kind of in love with California. I'm also lucky to pay in state tuition. I don’t like the freezing cold, and I don’t think I could handle the amount of snow that other vet schools get. I love being near my family, the ocean, the mountains, San Francisco, LA, basically I’m a California girl, so that is my personal opinion. I also chose Davis though because of their program, although we rank 3^rd top veterinary school nationally, I still think we’re the best school! My experience at UC Davis as an undergrad was phenomenal. The university is very involved in research and has a wonderful veterinary program. Several of my classmates who are from out of state also say the same things about Davis, they love the program, and they love the location. I can only make some generalization about my school’s program and what I have researched about others. Many of the world’s top professors work at Davis and most of our professors are also clinicians. They are often at the top of their field of interest and have a passion for teaching.  

I would like to begin with telling you that when you select a school, it should be somewhere you really want to go (and live for the next four years). It should have the programs that you are interested in and allow you to gain the experiences you will need for your desired field. Honestly, it doesn’t matter where you get your D.V.M. from, once you graduate, you are a D.V.M. So having that said, I think it is vital to get the experiences and knowledge you want from your education. Get what you are paying for so to say.

My class has 135 students and from what I understand they plan on raising that figure to allow more out of state students and therefore make more money since they pay additional out of state tuition. I honestly don’t have a problem with such a large class size; I still have one on one contact with my professors and feel as though I benefit from having 135 colleagues and friends to get through vet school with. I don’t doubt that smaller class sizes allow for more individual time and learning, but on the other hand, I don’t at all think a large class size inhibits my ability to learn and get experience (at least from my experience at Davis).

In selecting a future school it is a great idea to ask questions and be able to assess what you see. I would suggest making a list of the pros and cons of each school you are interested in. I did this in the beginning, but quickly came up with the conclusion that Davis and only Davis was for me. For example, when you visited CSU what was your initial gut feeling? Did they make you feel welcome, did you like the location, and did you get a chance to see the campus and veterinary teaching hospital. I would do a little research on the professors that teach there and find out which ones might specialize in Zoo/Wildlife medicine and contact them through email asking their opinion on CSU’s program for this specialty field. See what kind of research they are involved in, what zoo’s they may have affiliations with. For example, I know UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine works closely with the San Diego Zoo, Sacramento Zoo, San Francisco/Oakland zoo’s and Sea World to offer veterinary students specialized training with Zoo/Wildlife animals. We also do research in other countries. For example, a second year, Ryan Sadler, shares his experience working with Gorillas in Uganda: http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/ip/students/experiences/summer_2010/sadler.cfm

He was able to do this research project by getting funding from our international program and STAR program (students in advance research). UC Davis is also on the lead of the emerging “One Health” idea of grouping Human, Animal medicine, and environmental conservation under the same umbrella. So find out what programs your prospective schools have to offer and what funding they have available.

Also, consider what your class schedule will be like. Typically at every vet school, your first two years is primarily learning the basics (the book work) and learning mostly about dogs and cats with some species comparisons. Ask if the school is more traditional or offers a more case-based learning approach. I know that I am the last of the old traditional curriculum at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Next year the incoming class of 2015 is starting the new curriculum. I am excited but not at all jealous of the new curriculum. It poses a more case-based learning curriculum and switches from the quarter system to the semester system. Subjects will be grouped in blocks rather than having individual classes, there will be more time for students to work in small groups solving cases that pertain to class material rather than just being lectured at. There will be more focus on specializing in a certain kind of medicine during their 3^rd and 4^th years (like small animal OR wildlife OR equine, ect.) rather than allowing students to be able to track multiple types of medicine. So as I believe the new curriculum will have its advantages, I know the old one works just fine and Davis students have a high passing rate for Veterinary Licensing Exams (or Boards). I am confident in my education although I think the opportunity to have more case-based learning would be advantageous. I just don’t think I would want to be one of the first students in the new curriculum as I assume it will have some bumps along the way.

What it really comes down to is your personal opinion. Personally I can only give you my opinion based on my experiences. I encourage you to learn as much as you can about the school’s programs you are pursuing and weigh out the pros and cons of each as you make your decision. I hope I answered your questions and let me know if I can help you any more and good luck!

Top Ranked Schools:

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-health-schools/veterinarian-rankings

Tips On Finding a Great Mentor

 

If you are considering a career in Veterinary Medicine it is important to find a mentor at any stage of your program, whether you are a pre-vet (planning on pursing veterinary school), current veterinary student, or recent veterinary school graduate. The veterinary profession is one that relies on continuous learning (i.e. you never stop learning in this career). I know a lot of people learn things on their own, but that's not what the veterinary profession is about either. It is about collaboration of professionals that are working together collectively to solve problems and help animals. Like I have mentioned in previous posts, once you start veterinary school you are part of a professional cohort. 

A lot of pre-vets ask me HOW to get valuable veterinary experiences (which is required for your veterinary school application). I believe that getting valuable experiences starts with finding a great mentor. Having done it myself, I would have to say that finding a mentor is not always easy. It is easier if you have access to local veterinary clinics/practices or research universities/laboratories like UC Davis. 

I have had many mentors in my life, but I will comment on how I found a few of them. My most recent mentor was a professor at UC Davis SVM. I contacted her regarding her research and laboratory interests. I had previously read some of her published papers and her online biography so I knew what I was getting into. I introduced myself as a junior student at UC Davis and told her that I was interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. She was willing to meet and after meeting, allowed me to join a project in her lab. It is important to continue facilitating a working mentor ship. For example, I didn't just disappear in my mentor's lab never to see her again, I routinely met her about once a week or every two weeks and discussed everything with her from my research project, to my pursuit of veterinary school/research, and even horses. Almost 2 years later, I am in veterinary school and I ride one of her horses. We still continue to have a great mentor/mentee relationship. 

Another great mentor I had was a local equine veterinarian who happened to be my horse's vet. After beginning my education at UC Davis I approached him to ask if I could do a ride along with him over the summer and told him of my intent to pursue veterinary school. He said he would be happy to have me along, but as summer approached I had to call him multiple times and email several times to secure a date I could do a ride along. I guess the point I am trying to get across is that you have to be willing to go out on a limb to find your potential mentors, if they show interest in you from the start, but then disappear off the radar for a bit doesn't mean that they don't care about mentoring you. Most veterinarians live very busy lives and it comes down to you just having to be persistent. I ended up getting a job as an ambulatory technician with my new found mentor and am glad I didn't give up trying to contact him!   

If you are interested in reading more about the importance of mentor-ship and how to engage and develop a successful mentor-ship relationship (specifically in vet med), please read this article: http://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocuments/MentoringGuidelines.pdf

http://www.popgive.com/2008/02/big-vs-small-animals.html

 

A really great Quote from a really great Blog

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” -Gandhi

http://www.123rf.com/photo_3184444_illustration-of-man-and-horse-on-mountain-ridge-at-sunset.html

Speaking of my post today, here is a great addition to my game plan of surviving vet school: Please check out this blog post by the learning vet for inspiration, vet student or not!  

"Vet school in particular, as they say, is like “trying to drink water from a fire hose”. It is NOT enjoyable. Vet school represents a finite amount of pain and suffering, which you must endure so you can have the rest of your life to love learning."

http://thelearningvet.wordpress.com/2011/02/17/why-i-love-veterinary-medicine-reason-2/

Game Plan: Survive the Next 3.5 years of Veterinay school

Despite not feeling like I did very well on my nutrition midterm this morning, I just realized that I am about half the way through my first year of Veterinary School and it feels great. It's really gone by so fast! I remember back in September, when school started, that I felt overwhelmed and didn't know what to expect from my eduction. At this point, I am much more comfortable with school and my life. I thought I would share a few tips to incoming veterinary students and maybe those upperclassmen who are still struggling to find sanity in vet school. 

Veterinary school is academically grueling, we have classes and labs that usually fill a day from 9am-5pm (like a full time job). But it doesn't end when you "clock out", you still have to study when you get home. Keep in mind, we rarely touch real animals during our first two years. We do have some courses that introduce us to the teaching hospital and how to handle animals safely. I think you get the most out of what you want to put in, for example if you want more hands-on experience, you have to volunteer on weekends and such. Participating in foal team, colic team, MERCER, spay/neuter clinics, etc. 

It definitely takes an adjustment period to get used to Vet school. My best advice is don't compare yourself to your peers, this is a common misconception for many entering veterinary students. You will meet many different types of people in vet school, all with unique personalities and ages. They might all seem very smart, maybe you might think they are even smarter than you, but let me tell you, you both got into the same veterinary school and just because someone gets better grades does not mean that they will be the better veterinarian. Your classmates should be your friends, you should learn how to study with them and cope together, you're all in for the long haul: becoming DVM's. It is likely that if you are struggling with something (like this morning's nutrition midterm) than others in your class feel the same way or they may be in denial.


Don't be afraid of getting involved in your school, community, or whatever, just get to know your study needs and work around it. You can actually have a life in veterinary school if you have good time management skills. You should make every effort to embrace your veterinary education instead of fearing it - time will fly if you chose to do so. 

 

The grass is greener on the other side :)

Hard Work: What it really means

I have a lot of appreciation for those that work hard in life. Hard work is the basis for everything worthwhile you will achieve in life. Hard work is the process of changing both the world and yourself so that at the end you and the world have become more connected: you've become more real to other observers in the world and they have become more real to you.
My parents always taught me to work hard for things I wanted in life. I have always worked hard for anything I wanted, things have not been handed to me that often and when they are, I am greatly appreciative. When I started riding horses, my parents payed for a weekly riding lesson, well I wanted to spend more time with the horses and learning how to ride so I arranged to clean tack and groom horses in exchange for an additional riding lesson each week. The more I worked around horses, the more I learned about them. I stood out from others in my group lessons who just came for their weekly lesson and eventually grew tired of the whole horse thing altogether. I found a passion for horses and working hard to spend time with them. At eight years old, I was already working off my riding lessons. As I got older, I really wanted my own horse. I saved all the money I got for my birthdays, from chores, etc. for 2-3 years. I saved enough to buy a $500 Arabian gelding that taught me a lot about working hard. Comson was my first horse and I was able to keep him for free at my grandmother's house. I had to buy his hay and pay his vet and shoeing bills, but luckily I did enough chores to afford that. I also had to feed him twice a day which meant persuading my mom or dad to take me by my grandmother's house morning and night. Comson was high strung and bucked me off a lot, he was a firey little horse with a big heart and full of tough love. After owning Comson for two years, I sold him in hopes to use the money to return to a stable for more riding lessons. I remember when Comson's buyers were surprised when they met a 12 year old girl selling her first horse. I was always mature for my age and my dad taught me how to hold my ground on a set price and market my horse in the local newspaper.

I got my first "real job" (actually paying taxes) when I was 15 years old. It was a part-time job working some weekends and after school during weekdays. I actually had to get a work permit from my high school that allowed me to work under the age of 16. I worked at a Take and Bake Pizza restaurant down the street from my house so I was easily able to walk there until I got my driver's license on my 16th birthday. The perceived potential benefits of youth employment include earning money, gaining relevant work experience, achieving autonomy, easing the transition from school to work, and developing work attitudes.

Read more: Working in Adolescence - Advantages And Disadvantages Of Adolescent Employment - School, Youth, Job, Time, Youths, and Experiences http://social.jrank.org/pages/690/Working-in-Adolescence-Advantages-Disadvantages-Adolescent-Employment.html#ixzz1E3wOmidg

Some may think that this is ridiculous for a teenager to work while going to school, but let me tell you how rewarding it has been for me. I have had the opportunity to work with the general public in several different capacities, by working during high school, I discovered that I wanted to attend college in order to improve my ability to find a job that I loved working. While attending college, I always had a job, I worked hard to keep up on my studies and good grades, get scholarships, and keep a horse (for the first year of college). I have a lot of appreciation for people who work and pay their own way through school. In this economy, that is no easy feat and having done it myself, I know that work in addition to school can be challenging.


I feel sorry for those people that have never had a job and don't have any experience working with the general public. More than that, working for money that you can spend/manage is a very rewarding experience. Getting your first paycheck is really awesome. Having the autonomy to do what you want with it is even a better experience. Working is part of growing up and I don't understand why anyone wouldn't work hard to do that. 


I feel sorry for those people who's parents incapacitate their children from learning these very important life lessons. By giving your child everything he/she desires, you are only hurting them. As kind as it may seem, your children need to face reality and realize that the way you enjoy life is working hard for the things you want in life. 


Having got into veterinary school, there is no doubt that I have worked hard to get here. I want to work hard and have fun doing what I love (veterinary medicine) and most of all, I want to make a difference. I want to make lives better for animals and people. I am in great debt to my previous experiences that have molded me into the person I am today. 

I have a strong appreciation for those that are hard workers that strive every day to reach their goals and improve this world for others. I think people that choose not to work hard and take the easiest route by letting mommy and daddy shield them and shower them with everything are the ones in danger of not learning anything from their lives. I encourage all parents to foster creativity and a hard work ethic with their kids. It is so important to their success as an adult and their interactions with those around them.


Check out all my experiences: http://livingmydreamkn.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-experiences.html

"You will never find happiness if you do not conquer your own doubt"

A wonderful Valentines Day

I had a wonderful Valentines Day, woke up next to Alex, the man I love, which gave me a great start. Then I went to class to find that the men in the class of 2014 are true gentlemen. They were all dressed up (some in suits) and each had a box of See's chocolates that they passed around for the ladies to share. Women really outnumber the men in our class, so I think they were trying to get on our good side. It was really sweet that they planned the whole thing out and all. Us ladies were defiantly pleasantly surprised.

After class, I went and rode Tina, a horse I absolutely have fallen in love with. She is wonderful and such a joy to ride. It wasn't long until after that, Alex showed up and we spent the evening together. Sad to say I didn't get any studying done for my nutrition exam, but that's what today is for. Gotta love Vet School!

What a Weekend!

My weekend has been full of realizations of what I want to do with my life. On Friday, I started the morning off riding Tina, a gorgeous Morgan mare that belongs to one of my professors. Although I had an exam that afternoon, I felt that getting out to the barn was equally important.

On Friday evening, after our GI Anatomy exam, we had a TG (tail gate) at vet school. We typically have them once or twice a month, but basically it's a chance to hang out with all the vet students and sometimes the faculty comes too. They buy a bunch of Costco Food, fire up the BBQ's and tap the kegs. It's great after a long hard week and the second years do a great job putting it on (next year it will be my class's turn to host the TG's). I sat and ate with my friends, petted dogs that were running around having a great time, and we tried not to talk about the test or vet school (which can be difficult with a group of vet students--> We are so absorbed in our education, which is a great thing, but sometimes you just want to forget about the exams, the random Latin words, the anatomy, the crazy diseases and cases we've seen). Needless to say, I had a great time, and around 6pm I headed off to my equine nursing shift. 

I went into the shift knowing I have a lot of horse experience already, but I kept an open mind that I might learn something new that night (well cause really you never stop learning). I first met up with a second year student who was tracking lab animal/exotics. I knew it would be a great shift, I really enjoy working with people who don't have a lot of horse experience. I feel like I'm sharing my passion with them and helping them have an amazing experience with horses. The technician that was teaching us was great and had a good sense of humor. She told us PE meant "penile exam" however I quickly realized the horse's chart said "F" on it for female. I had a great evening in B-barn learning from a very experienced technician that had worked at Davis as a technician for the past 26 years. I actually did learn a few pointers on how to more efficiently do a physical exam and I learned the word "eupnic" which means normal breathing (ya, who would think). I think the most I got out of the experience though was the reassurance that equine medicine is where my passion lies. Working with the horses in B-barn was a wonderful experience and a glimpse into what my fourth year might be like. 

On Saturday, I volunteered at the MERCER clinic (veterinary care for pets of the homeless) and it was super busy. We only had about seven veterinary student volunteers and like 21 vet aides, so we had three vet aids per vet student. MERCER is a great opportunity for vet aides to get hands on experience restraining animals, drawing up vaccines, and learned how to apply flea medication. Although it is much different from your typical veterinary clinic it is a great opportunity to find out if veterinary medicine is for you. Although I was only on for the morning shift, I stayed until 2 in the afternoon because there was such a shortage of volunteers. I realized that there was a lot that could be done to improve the clinic and that I wanted to get more involved. MERCER is such a wonderful opportunity that benefits vet students, homeless people, and their pets.

This Sunday I'm taking a little easy as I haven't taken much time to relax lately. I have to study for our Animal Nutrition exam next week. I'm going to try to ride Hobby (the Quarter Horse) and spend some time with my wonderful boyfriend! 

 Me and Tina

Equine Medicine Club Symposium at UC Davis

Docende Discimus

 In Latin (By teaching, we learn)

This week of vet school has been full of great life lessons, I don't know what has come over our professors or what our first year veterinary class has provoked from our professors, but we learn something new every day. We actually learn a lot of new things every day about veterinary medicine, but also about life. Today, we learned the phrase, "Docendo Discimus" which is in Latin and translated means-"By teaching, we learn." Our professor shared that phrase in response to many good questions he received from students after lecture that inspired him to go and learn things he didn't know to answer their questions. I think this is a great example of the excellent professors we have her at UC Davis SVM. They are so smart and inspire us to go beyond our classes and homework to learn really what it takes to be a successful veterinarian. A lot of our professors also have clinical appointments in the teaching hospital we get to work in during our fourth year. I think it is great when we are able to talk with our professors in a medical setting where they are actually treating patients and putting what we learn in class to real use. 

Yesterday, I had my small animal radiology lab and we took radiographs of the thorax of one of the colony dogs (they rotate the dogs so one doesn't get exposed too much). It was really cool to actually learn how the machines work, to discuss technique, and how to develop radiographs. We saw and used both the film and digital machines. After we finished that, we went over to the VMTH (veterinary medical teaching hospital) to view the radiograph machines there. It was really cool because we saw actual patients in the hospital. I even saw one of our radiology professors in ultrasound giving advice to a fourth year student ultrasounding the abdomen of a dog. It was a really cool experience and shows me what I have to look forward to in just 2.5 years! Well and this summer during clinics! 

I think the knowledge we can learn from one another is much greater than the knowledge we learn on our own. I think I really like the phrase, "In teaching, we learn" because I am interested in pursuing a faculty teaching position and I plan to live by that statement.

 

A Beluga whale that can paint! 

Cardiology Physiology

During fall quarter, we learned the anatomy of the heart, but this quarter, we moved onto the physiology portion of the heart. Known as the dreaded class of winter quarter, Cardiology Physiology is only five "short" weeks long. We quickly cover material on how the heart works and functions (it's the same in people as in your typical mammal). Our text is actually a human cardiac physiology book. 

This class has been a challenge, but the professor is wonderful! Dr. Jones really knows his stuff, I wasn't shocked when I asked him how long he had been teaching this course and he said, "about 24-25 years." We are a lucky class to have him since we are his last class with the old curriculum. The same class will no longer continue with the new curriculum (not that they won't learn Cardio Physiology, but it will be in a different class structure/format than before). 

We had our final exam (only exam for the course grade) this Monday morning. It was a surprise to everyone when we were handed a test with 17 True or False questions. A merely 2 pages, I don't think any of us would have suspected that Dr. Jones would manage to ask us the major details we should have taken away from his class in a true or false format. 

Dr. Jones had provided us with his exams from previous years classes and they were all short answer/essay type exams. It came to a shock to us that we had studied and prepared for one of his typical 10 page grueling exams. I studied all day Saturday even though it was sunny outside and gorgeous weather (I did bike to school to print something). But needless to say, I spent a lot of time studying on Saturday.

On Sunday, in the morning I volunteered at the Sacramento SPCA feral cat spay and neuter clinic (off Florin-Perkins Rd). My primary responsibility was induction of our feral cats (administering the anesthetic) prior to surgery prep. This is often the most dangerous position, but is not dangerous if done correctly and safely. We use a comb to isolate the cat in a side of it's cage so we can give it the injection through the trap without having to physically handle the cat. It doesn't get them super stressed and we are safely and easily able to induce them. 

Later in the day after inducing a cat, we had a "crash" were the cat stopped breathing and was getting inadequate perfusion to it's peripheral tissues. We have a crash station and a crash kit and did everything we could to revive the cat, but unfortunately our efforts didn't work. But the whole situation really drove home how important knowledge of basic cardiology physiology really is. I mean if we didn't have a basic knowledge about how the heart actually works, we would have had NO chance in saving this cat. It was a really sad day, and is rather uncommon to loose a cat with the drugs we use in our clinic even though there is always a risk of death with anesthesia.

But back to our Cardio Physio class, I'm sure everyone did well on the exam and if we didn't, we have a chance to "re mediate" or re-take the course if we failed it. Dr. Jones is a wonderful teacher and I'm sure the last thing he wants is for anyone to fail his course. He's so cool, he held two review sessions for the exam, one was last week, and the other was Sunday evening (last night) at 7:30 (after the super bowl). He spent two hours answering questions and adding in additional hints of "things we should really know". He has a great passion for teaching as well as learning. 

On the morning of the exam, he brought us cookies and put a Kermit the frog on his head (students often tell him that he sounds like Kermit the frog). After discussing the exam with my classmates out in the lobby after I had submitted my test, I was surprised at the reactions. Some people were upset with the test format, others didn't think it was too bad, but we were all surprised to receive a T/F exam. I think that Dr. Jones was trying to make a point with his exam (or maybe it's just my thinking applied to the knowledge he shared with us). But I think he meant to communicate to us that if we studied hard and were prepared for the exam, we would do well, even if it was just T/F (50/50 chance) on each question. Getting straight A's doesn't make you the best veterinarian, although doing well on exams is great. But I think it's more important that you take major concepts and applications from a course in vet school rather than memorizing specific values or equations. To be a good vet, you really have to apply yourself and your knowledge. 

I think Dr. Jones couldn't have said it better in an email he sent to us the night before the exam, "Remember everything, forget nothing." I don't think he really meant it, but I'm sure it gave him a good laugh. 

I really did enjoy the course and learned way more than I would ever thought I would know about the physiology of the heart. Now we start our Respiratory Physiology class!!! Yeah, you gotta love vet school.  

Stethoscope

More Potential Vet School Interview Questions!!!

Last year when I interviewed, I received these practice questions, I hope they help anyone in the interview process to prepare! 

Potential Interview Questions

The interview questions are somewhat tailored to the applicant  (i.e. a wildlife person might get a question regarding wildlife population control, but someone interested in small animal medicine would probably not see this question; someone who indicated a research interest might get a research oriented question), therefore not all of these questions will necessarily be applicable while some of them are more generic. However, you can be sure that they will ask questions regarding your letter of purpose so be prepared to defend anything that you included therein.

1.    What got you into the veterinary profession? Why do you want to be a vet?  What makes you sure you want to be a be vet?  How do you know?

2.    What you would do (next year) if you did not get in?  Will you reapply?

3.    What do you think it will be like to be a vet?

4.    What will you do when you get out of school?  What are your career plans?  Where do you see yourself in ten years?  What would your ideal work situation be once you get out of school?

5.    Burnout is a common problem in our profession.  What will you do to avoid burnout?

6.    What are your strengths and weaknesses?  How will these effect your ability to be a vet?  What will make you a good vet?  What will you do to ensure that you are a good vet/ performing to the best of your abilities?

7.    A client pulls up with a hit by car dog that will die without immediate medical attention.  They only have $50. The short term costs for caring for the animal will be much more than that, not to mention the long term costs. What do you do?

8.    An owner brings in a young healthy dog and wants you to euthanize it because they will be moving out of the state.  What do you do?

9.    You mentioned that you have certain skills (in your letter of purpose).  How will you bring this to your profession? 

10. How will you use your veterinary medical degree in your field of interest?

11. It sounds like you have many varied interests (based on your letter of purpose).  It will be difficult if not impossible to incorporate all of these interests into a single career.  Is this a problem? How will you incorporate these interests in to your veterinary career? 

12. How do you know that you have what it takes to make it through 4 years of rigorous study?

13.                     What will you do to further your profession? 

14.                     Vets are often looked upon as important leaders of the community - what will you do (do you have any plans) to further this community role?  What part will you play in the community?

15.                     Accidents happen in every profession.  What if you kill an animal by accident (wrong drug, surgical mistake, overdose, etc)?  What would you do?

16.                     Vets are often under enormous physical stress.  How will you cope?

17.                     It is a common problem that vets have too many things to do and too little time.  How do you manage your time?

18.                     How do you balance a hectic work schedule with the rest of your life?

19.                     What other extracurricular things do you do/ plan on doing?

20.                     By the end of vet school it is common to have loans of up to $80 - $90,000 but the average starting salary for vets in California is only $50.  How will you manage?

21.                     Why do you want to come to UCD vet school?  What other schools did you apply to?  What would be your first choice if you were accepted at several schools?

22.                     If you had to be one cell type (animal, vegetable, etc) - what would you be and why?

23.                     It sounds like most of your experience is ________, yet vet school curriculum is primarily focused on ___________ related skills (small and large animal anatomy, physiology, and veterinary practices).  How do you know that this is the right thing for you?  Do you see this as a problem?

24.                     How do you react if you become aware that another vet has made a serious medical mistake or has practiced sloppy medicine on one of your clients?  A client comes to you after having surgery performed by another vet. You notice that the surgery was sloppy to the point of being dangerous/ not all of a growth was removed/ the animal is sick as a result of the surgery, septic, etc/ or anything else that may or not have serious impact to the animal's health - what do you do? 

25.                     How will you make sure that you stay up to date in your field once you have graduated?

26.                     There are many misconceptions about household pets and the veterinary profession.  What will you do to further community / client education?

27.                     How do you feel about spay clinics?  Vaccine clinics?  Would you participate in them?  What if you worked for a vet that demanded your participation?

28.                     How do you feel about free/low income clinics?  Would you participate in them?

29.                     What would you do if you saw a patient that showed clear evidence of abuse?

30.                     How would you feel about advertising your clinic?  In yellow pages, TV, newspaper?  Coupons for services or products?

31.                     How will you deal with difficult clients?

32.                     What will you do if you are working for a vet that only allots 15 minutes for routine visits/physical exams?

33.                     With the busy schedule of a veterinarian, it is not always possible to provide a great deal of grief counseling or follow up help for clients who have lost a pet.  Please comment.

34.                     Are you ready to give up (something that you listed as important to you in your letter of purpose/hobby) if need be because vet school is so time demanding?

35.                     Can you think of any reason why a small animal clinician would need to know about food animal medicine during their day to day practice? - Food animal meat is in dog and cat food.

36.                     A couple brought in an orange tabby cat to your clinic for weekend boarding and another couple brought in an orange tabby cat for euthanasia.  Your staff euthanized the wrong animal.  What will you do?

37.                     What would you do about the squirrel overpopulation problem on campus?
 

38.                     You are a very busy person.  How did you find time to study?
 

39.                     How did your background or experiences prepare you for veterinary school?
 

40.                     What are your motivations?
 

41.                     Be prepared to explain, defend, or further elaborate on anything that you put in your letter of purpose
 

42.                     Be prepared to explain how your experiences (any work, school, extracurricular, research or other experiences you listed in your application) affected you, make you a good candidate, will make you a good vet, taught you something.
 

43.                     Do you have any questions for us?
 

44.                     There is a wild boar problem in the Oakland hills destroying the property of residents.  What do you do about as a wildlife vet. called to help?
 

45.                     What have you been doing since your application?
 

46.                     What makes you stand out, or why should we remember you?
 

47.                     How do you feel about teaching animals that spend their lives with their cage as their only home?

48.                     It also seems like this year's applicants should probably read up on west nile and exotic newcastle dz.  These are pretty hot topics right now.
 

49.                     What happened to your grades here? (my personal favorite!)
 

50.                     You are at your 40 year vet school reunion, what do you hope to have accomplished?
 

51.                     Animals are often used in vet school in terminal surgeries and for other studies, how do you feel about that?
 

52.                     Why should we accept you over all of the other pre-vet students we are interviewing?
 

53.                     Why do you want to go into research? Why then do you want to pursue a DVM degree rather than a PhD degree?
 

54.                     Another situation: the large veterinary clinic across the street is stealing your clients that you refer them to. What do you do in this situation?
 

55.                     What activities have you been participating in since you applied?
 

56.                     What was the last book that you read?
 

57.                     What do you do like to do in your spare time?
 

58.                     Mrs. Blah Blah is old and can't take care of her healthy dog anymore and wants you to euthanize it and doesn't want anyone else to take care of it.  What do you do?

59.                     You are requested to come help euthanize animals at the pound, but because they have no money, they use an inhumane method of killing. What would you do?
 

60.                     A breeder brings two puppies to your clinic. He will not be able to sell those puppies because they deviate somewhat from the breed requirements, but they are healthy. He asks you to euthanize them.
-what would you do? (this question continues on and on, but with added details and complications...)
-this breeder is one of your top clients, would you be willing to lose him over this?
- the breeder tells you that he'll just go home and drown them, what would you do?
 

61.                     What do you think a vet's role is in the community?
 

62.                     Convince us that you won't drop out halfway through the program.
 

63.                     What would you do with the pitbull in the San Francisco dog mauling case? 
 

64.                     What do you do to blow off steam? 
 

65.                     How will you deal with people on the other side of the animal rights issue?