First Anesthesia Lab

Photo Credit

We had our first anesthesia lab. The day began early, we showed up at 7AM to do physical exams/meet our dogs for the day. Turned out we were group number 23, the last group, the group without a dog! Yep, we got to watch everyone else do their exams and meet their dogs. We yawned and watched on in envy. Luckily we were notified that there would be a dog for us arriving later that day and it was just a mix up why we didn't have our own dog. 

We went back in at noon and our dog had arrived! He was a gorgeous dog, will definitely get adopted! He was really good for us and we did so well as a group. Honestly, the anesthesia lab was one of my favorite things this quarter. There have not been a lot of labs, except for my equine locomotor lab each week (but we work on cadaver limbs). It felt nice to have a lab where we had a live animal and all parties benefited. 


I am so lucky to have such a great surgery group, yes I got to pick them, but I think we all picked each other. We have become great friends over the first 2 years and will have another exciting 2 years to come.

I can now say that I can anesthetize a dog, catheterize, intubate and monitor vital signs safely. During anesthesia we monitor blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, pulse quality, mucous membrane color and capillary refill time. We also monitor signs such as a palpebral reflex and withdrawal reflex and the placement of the eyeball to monitor anesthetic depth. We also had an esophageal stethoscope and thermometer placed. We also measured end tidal CO2. There really is a lot that goes into monitoring during anesthesia and I am so lucky to have so many good teachers. Many of the clinicians/professors came by our group yesterday and taught us useful information and gave us bouts of encouragement and constructive advice.


Next fall my surgery group and I will be ready to castrate our first dog! Very exciting! 


Life of a Vet Student....

Working in the Equine ICU

From the UC Davis LA Clinic Facebook Group

How did I get a job in the the equine ICU? 
I started working in the equine ICU in March of 2011. I got the job through contacts I knew in the department. I had participated in foal team which gave me a chance to get experience and help the equine ICU staff at the same time. I also completed 2 internships through the Vet Aide Club in both equine medicine and equine ICU.

What do I do all day in the equine ICU?
Observe and monitor patient vital signs. Administer medications (oral, IV, IM). Carry out clinician's orders. Work with students and clinicians on patient care and management. Maintain sanitation protocols. Document treatments and keep track of bowl movements, feed intake and urination.

What do I like best about my job? 

Working with horses, I love helping make them better. Being a student and getting paid to be on call is also very nice.

From the UC Davis LA Clinic Facebook Group

UC Davis Foal Team

I want to go to veterinary school, but I have a low GPA

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthpicturegalleries/8210202/Animal-pictures-of-the-week-17-December-2010.html?image=16

Question: 

Hello, I am currently attending school to become a veterinarian. I am in my sophomore year of majoring in animal science as an undergraduate. I currently have a 2.5 GPA and worried that I will not be accepted into vet school. I read your blog and was very relieved after reading it. I love animals and would like to help them in any way. I would consider pursuing a veterinary technician program but I feel like my animal science degree would be just a waste. Do you have any advice to give me? I would really appreciate it. Thanks. 

Reply: 

First, I strongly consider anyone (regardless of GPA) to consider WHY they want to go to veterinary school? It cannot be only because you want to help animals. Of course everyone who grows up wanting to become a veterinarian so they can help animals. Unfortunately just that want and desire to help animals will not help you get into veterinary school or get through the challenges of the veterinary curriculum. It will also not make you a good vet. The rising costs of a veterinary education should be a consideration, although do note that it should not prevent you from achieving your dream.

 

The required minimum SCIENCE GPA is 2.5. If your OVERALL GPA is 2.5, this must mean your science GPA is lacking. If it's only the beginning of your junior year, you still have time to improve your overall and science GPA.  if your overall GPA is 2.5 and you are graduating, I don't think this will satisfy the requirements for veterinary school. 

Second, is there any way you can retake courses you got lower grades in? This is a good way to increase your GPA. Make sure you can retake the courses first, i.e. if you got a C, I don't know if you get credit for taking it a second time, you would have to check with a counselor at your school. 

Third, focus on your current/upcoming courses because you will need to pull good grades. If you are struggling, get help, go to office hours. Assess why you didn't do as well as you hoped in previous courses and what academic challenges you need to overcome. 

Fourth, Do WELL on the GRE. If your GPA is lacking, an excellent GRE score can help you overcome that deficit. This is a really hard exam, you will spend hours studying for it AND wishing you never have to take it or learn the material again. 

Fifth, if you have never had the chance to volunteer at a veterinary hospital or work at one, do this immediately. This experience is vital to your decision to become a veterinarian. If you can't handle blood or death, you should NOT consider becoming a vet or vet tech.  

Finally, there are tons of different careers you can have with animals besides being a veterinarian or veterinarian technician. Explore some of those options. Remember, any college degree will allow you to apply to veterinary school, you don't have to be an animal science major. You do have to complete the prerequisite courses, but you can major in whatever subject you enjoy. 

Best of Luck and Study Hard!

http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/students/dvm_program/admissions/index.cfm

A Stack of Pancakes

I haven't been able to write any posts lately because frankly Spring quarter of veterinary school is tough! I really thought last quarter was rough, but little did I know what Spring quarter could bring....
I really like that we have started taking our medicine courses, which means I have classes specific to equine and small animal medicine, but since I have decided to take two medicines, I have increased the number of lectures, exams and time I need to direct towards school. 

Sometimes it makes me think of this post I found online. Veterinary school or Med school in this case is like having a stack of pancakes every morning! They are amazing, but when you eat too many, you are sleepy, groggy and don't want anymore pancakes. But every morning you wake up and are forced to eat 5 pancakes! EVERY MORNING! I also found the picture at the top of this post on the back of my UC Davis magazine, which frankly just made my day since I was feeling this way at the exact moment I saw the picture. 

I have 3 more weeks of classes, then finals week. After that, I will be heading to Morocco/Europe for almost 2 months! I'm very excited, but still have a lot of planning to do. I can't wait to finish this quarter, like I said Spring quarter, it's been fun and you've really pushed me as a veterinary student, but it was nice knowing you! Please enjoy the article below, I could not summarize for you, you just have to read it.

http://rumorsweretrue.wordpress.com/2006/11/01/pancakes-every-morning/