So watch out clinics-the class of 2014 HAS ARRIVED!!!!

If you are lacking in animal experience, I highly recommend that you work on getting that during the summer. We all know how busy we get during the semester, so take time over the breaks to get any animal experience that you need. For example, if you lack small animal experience, try applying for a job at a small animal clinic. Even if you are just working in the kennel, that is still considered animal experience. I spent 2 years working in the kennel at a small animal clinic, but I finally worked my way up to become a technician. Sometimes you may have to start from the bottom and work your way up. But like I said, even if you work in the kennel, that is still considered animal experience and you can put that on your application to vet school. If you can't get a job at a clinic, then I would recommend asking if they will let you shadow their veterinarians. If none of this works, then I would suggest volunteering at an animal shelter.

If you need more involvement in large animal medicine, it can be a bit harder to find. From my experience, there are not as many large animal clinics or mixed practices as there are small animal clinics, and there are a lot of large animal vets that travel nowadays, so it could be harder to get that experience. My best advice to you is to find a large animal vet near you, whether it be a traveling vet or in a clinic, and just ask them if you can shadow their doctors. I have shadowed a traveling vet and I have shadowed in a large animal clinic before and I learned a lot from both doctors.

Most people have the hardest time getting exotic animal experience. I would suggest signing up for the wildlife center class here on campus. The class is offered in the spring, summer, and fall and you will get experience in handling and caring for animals like deer, ostriches, emus, tortoises, llamas, and more. If you would like to sign up for this class please visit /wildlife for more information. I've enrolled in this class for 2 semesters now and I absolutely love it!

Well, good luck to everyone taking finals and good luck to those of you applying to vet school! Have a great summer!

So, what is it about Texas A&M that makes it such a special place? Well, in my opinion, there are two answers to that question, family and tradition. As Aggies, we are all connected not only through our love for this university but through a symbol that is universally recognizable, the Aggie Ring. The day I received my Aggie Ring was without a doubt one of the most special and memorable days of my life. Looking at it today, I am reminded of all the friends that I made and all the wonderful times that I had during my undergraduate years at Texas A&M. More importantly, however, it represents my connection to both Texas A&M and Aggies everywhere. My immediate family may be small, but my extended family members are innumerable.

Tradition. Well, Aggieland has plenty of that. Bonfire. 12^th man. Howdy. Midnight Yell. Silver taps. Muster. Reveille. The list could go on and on. As Aggies, we take pride in the many traditions that have been part of Texas A&M history for decades. My favorite tradition is that of the 12^th Man. Texas A&M is the home of the 12^th Man. This tradition began in 1922 during a Texas A&M football game in which the football team had been overcome with injuries. A student named E. King Gill was called down from the stands and suited up, ready to go in if needed. Though he never entered the game, he stood on the sidelines, showing his willingness to serve and support the team. Today, the student body continues to represent the 12^th Man by willingly standing during the entire game, united in loyalty and in support of our team. This is my favorite tradition because it not only serves as a gesture of camaraderie, but it also provides a foundation for how to live our lives, through selfless service to others and always striving to make a difference in the world.

I love Aggieland and I can't imagine being anything but an Aggie. For the past year I have had the privilege to represent Texas A&M and the College of Veterinary Medicine through the ambassador program. I am grateful to have had this opportunity because by talking to the public about this great institution and showing them our state-of-the-art facilities, I have been able to give back to Texas A&M just a little of what it has given to me.

Hopefully everyone is doing well in all of their classes. If you aren't, you still have time to improve! Visit one of my pervious blog entries titled, "Learning How to Study", for tips on how to improve your study habits and ultimately, improve your grades. But always remember to take time for yourself! Studying late at night or constantly studying without a break is no good and you will retain very little information. So find an activity that provides that stress release and mental break for you.

As a college student, I know money can be tight, but there are many free or low cost activities on campus for you to take a break from the books. One of my favorite activities is going to the gym. The Recreational center here at Texas A&M is free to Texas A&M students with a valid student ID. It provides a 14,000 square foot weight and fitness room, a track, handball/racquetball courts, indoor climbing, a natatorium, and more. There are also classes that are offered for a low price such as; cardio, kickboxing, cycling, zumba, Pilates, etc. I definitely recommend zumba for the ladies! It is a GREAT workout and you don't even know you're working out because you're having so much fun. But if the REC center is too far away from home for you, take a walk/run around your neighborhood or around campus. Working out is a good and healthy way to relieve stress and it is also a great mental break for yourself.

If working out isn't your thing, there are more activities you can do. The Memorial Student Center is an awesome place to hang out! The game room offers a wide variety of things to do and has 6 gaming pods, each equipped with 42 inch LCD screens. There are also many other attractions to see, like the Hall of Honor or even the huge fountain outside the MSC (it lights up at night). You could even go see a musical, comedy show, or play put on by MSC OPAS in Rudder Theater.

I hope everyone out there has had a great spring break, and remember to be thankful for everything, because whatever you are doing now was once a dream you had!

Not only are the days filled with lectures by distinguished veterinarians and experts in the field, but also there are skills labs and trips planned for the days and evenings.  Participants can tour the enclosure of Mike the tiger, the LSU mascot, and attend a lecture on tiger husbandry, learn how to trim cattle hooves, and participate in a hands-on lab where students will learn about disease testing in whitetailed deer.  These are only a few of the numerous skills labs available.  The day trips include a Louisiana swamp tour, a visit to the Audubon Zoo and Aquarium, a plantation tour, and a daytrip to New Orleans, which I will be participating in. Having lived in New Orleans for 9 years, I am delighted to return and spend time in the historic downtown area, eating delicious food, listening to street musicians, and taking in the sights and sounds.  Café du Monde is certainly on my list of things to do, as well as a stop in Jackson Square and a walk along the Mississippi River. I think it is wonderful that they are providing students with the opportunity to explore Louisiana and make the most of the trip and the symposium.

While I am excited about the lectures and the trip to New Orleans, I am very much looking forward to meeting veterinary students from around the country and learning about their experiences, their schools, and the paths they hope to take in the future. I am continually amazed at the many career options within the field of veterinary medicine, and I enjoy speaking with other students about their goals.  From the variety of species available to work with to the jobs in industry, academia, governmental agencies, and so many others, the opportunities are truly endless. I believe this symposium will be a fantastic experience, and I look forward to the knowledge I'll gain, the friends I will meet, and the memories I will make.

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!

Hope the holidays were just as a-mazing for you as they were for me! We had a whole four weeks off to spend with family, take a vacation, visit clinics, or do absolutely nothing for one last time. Since I'm a third year, I start my clinical rotations in May. Then after a year of acting like a real doctor, taking boards, and working really hard, I'm thrown into the real world to finally act like an adult! Forever! Sure, I guess we get a week off here and there (spring break, holiday intersession)-but, really, we're full time from now on. I was a little reluctant to come back to school with that thought in mind-but even though the thought of growing up is scary, it's also very exciting.

As a third year, our semester is split into four "blocks." Though our core classes (like small animal medicine and radiology) remain constant throughout, we switch between clinics, skills, surgery, and various electives every four weeks. Thankfully, I lucked out with an easy schedule for my first couple weeks back. Most of my electives happened to fall into my other seven blocks, so I have a few sizable breaks that have helped me ease back into the routine. The most fun class I currently have is definitely orthopedic surgery. We started by fixing fractures on bone models with all kinds of fancy equipment. This included (but was not limited to) pins made to go through the center of the bone, wire designed to encircle the bone, and a series of screws and bars made to function on the outside of an animal's broken leg. All the girls (and boys, potentially) in my class that were not previously proficient with power tools should now be able to safely operate a drill. Ha! It hasn't been all fun and games, however. Our correlates class, where we're given medical cases to solve, has gone from being a group effort every other week, to an individual effort every week. I can safely say that I'm working hard and learning a lot.

Not only are classes back into full swing, the spring event planning is well underway. As the marine mammal chair for the zoo, exotics, and wildlife medicine group (ZEW), I'm putting together a necropsy event scheduled for late April. We're bringing in wild dolphins that died of natural causes (and washed up onshore) for students to learn from; gaining experience in treating some of the more exotic species is so valuable for those wanting to pursue careers in zoos, aquariums, and wildlife organizations. Open house planning is coming right along as well. The famous teddy bear surgery, breeds parade, and ZEW room will be back as usual-make sure to mark your calendar for April 20th!

Coming off of a break, I'm getting used to the life of a veterinary student all over again. But not too soon after I get used to the routine, I'll be a doctor!