Disclaimer

The content of this blog reflects my personal experiences and opinions during my veterinary school education. It does not reflect the experiences or opinions of my classmates, colleagues, or the UC Davis School of Veterinary medicine. If you wish to contact me via email: hamaleo11@gmail.com

Monday, April 25, 2011

Are you feeling it? You're feeling frustration!

Foals, foals, foals, the ICU is full of them this season. They are adorable, usually pretty sick (well they are in the ICU) and kind of a lot of work all at the same time. I love working in the ICU, the cases can be tough at times, but it helps me get through classes, no matter how tired or rushed it makes me. This coming week we have 2 exams and a quiz. I'm not quite ready, but a few late nights should do the trick. 


Since I'm still training at work, some days can be very successful while other days are frustrating. One of my co-workers had literally one of the best sayings when I was struggling to find a jugular vein for an IV injection on a horse. First off, the veins were not so great, the lighting was bad and to top it off, I'm a newbe. My coworker is much more experienced than I and talked me through the whole thing. Eventually I was successful and the horse was very patient with me. To top things off, after I gave the injection, I dropped a needle in the stall. We immediately got the horse out of the danger zone of where the needle had fallen to search for the needle. Needless to say we were looking for a needle in a bunch of hay and shavings. So I learned an important lesson (although it was totally an accident...I shouldn't be so hard on myself) but I stripped the entire stall and re-bedded it, check the horse's feet just to be sure and breathed a sigh of relief plus a little frustration.

Some cases are tougher than others. I've decided I like seeing horses go home after their stay at the VMTH, it is hard when they don't make it to that point, but so be it in a day in the life of veterinary practice. We can only do our best to treat them and do all that we can for them with the resources the owners have or are willing to give. I would love to save them all, but even sometimes even with unlimited resources it is out of our control.


I think that I am always learning, it's just that "there are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm."  ~Willa Cather

4 comments:

Veronica said...

I used to be an equine medicine intern at VMTH, and was pretty bummed when we had no cases. But no cases meant no sick horses!
Goodluck with exams!

Anonymous said...

Hope your exams go well this week!!

Anonymous said...

I actually have been offered to work in ICU as an incoming vet student, I'm just wondering if it would be too hectic with school...I want to accept but I'm not sure with the whole new curriculum and not knowing how it is all going to be. Just wondering if it is feasible?

Krissy Wood said...

I think that if you are the type of person that was able to work and go to school in undergrad, you should be fine working in the ICU as a vet student. I find they are very flexible with my study schedule and know that school comes first. I might recommend taking the first quarter with very limited work to adjust to vet school, and winter quarter can be tough too, although the curriculum is changing. It's a wonderful job and I'm learning a lot and love when I remember something from one of my classes that applies to a case in real life, really makes it worth while.