Another semester has started, and January has already flown
by! This week marks the start of our first round of tests of
the spring semester, and, unfortunately, there are three of
them! We have Infectious Diseases on Monday, Pathology on
Wednesday, and Anesthesia on Friday. In addition, we also
have a Pharmacology quiz on Tuesday. Ah, the life of a
veterinary student.
However, it definitely has not been all work and no play.
January was an amazing month filled with traveling, new
friendships, and surprises. I received the opportunity to
attend the Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA)
National Meeting that took place during the North American
Veterinary Conference (NAVC) in Orlando, Florida a couple of weeks
ago. You know there are a lot of veterinarians in town when
you see Heartgard, Previcox, and PureVax shuttle buses running
around. VBMA is a completely student-run organization, both
locally and nationally. The student chapter at Texas A&M
University is just one of 28 U.S. veterinary school chapters and
six international chapters. At the National Meeting, I
learned about the how the VBMA is organized and operated; had
roundtable discussions with veterinarians on topics, such as
Negotiating with Your Boss, Talking to Your Clients about Money,
and Preventative Care; met some amazing people from LSU, Iowa
State, Virginia-Maryland Regional College, NC State, Ohio State,
Wisconsin, and Tennessee; and got to bond with the President of our
chapter. It was an amazing experience that I would definitely
recommend to other students if given the opportunity, whether it is
the VBMA National Meeting, SAVMA Symposium, or any other function
that allows you to meet fellow veterinary students and future
colleagues from around the nation.
Although this semester seems to be a lot of sitting around in
Room 5 listening to lectures, there is a lot to enjoy and look
forward to. In Anesthesia, we have already learned to place
intravenous catheters and induce, intubate, and monitor dogs.
Later in the semester, we will start our Surgery classes and will
begin learning surgical techniques and suturing. We also
receive our white coats this semester, and a week later, I, along
with many of my classmates, will be receiving our Aggie
rings! WHOOP! Best of all, I learned just how blessed I
am this semester to be surrounded by such wonderful people.
Last week, around 30 of my friends and classmates held a surprise
party for my birthday at Cenare's, an Italian restaurant in
town. I literally almost cried because this is one of the
sweetest things that anyone has ever done for me. I am so
thankful to call these people not only my classmates and
colleagues, but also my veterinary school family. They
have definitely made my 26th birthday one to remember.
Here's to a great rest of the semester!