I recently had the opportunity to attend the TVMA Annual Conference & Expo, here at the new Veterinary & Biomedical Education Complex, which included lectures, workshops, a tradeshow, and committee meetings. As a veterinary student, I was privileged enough to benefit from this experience and was even able to help with the event.

On Friday, I was lucky enough to serve as one of the student representatives on the Bovine Practitioner Committee. A group of bovine practitioners meet at least twice every year to discuss issues important to their industry and make recommendations to the TVMA on issues that affect them. It was an eye-opening experience to see how these veterinarians interacted with each other, and I learned about emergent issues in the bovine health field that I was not previously aware of, such as an outbreak of fever ticks, the upcoming sunset review, and the new Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD).

On Saturday, I assisted as a moderator in two Continuing Education (CE) programs. Veterinarians are required to earn a certain amount of CE credit hours each year to retain their licenses. This requirement ensures that regardless of how long a veterinarian has been out of school, he or she is still up-to-date on the current advancements in veterinary medicine. Medicine is a constantly evolving field, and clinicians want to make sure they are giving the highest standard of care based on what is currently known. Veterinarians never stop learning. I was able to benefit by listening to some of these CE talks and learn something, as well.

My first CE talk was on backyard poultry. I’m not really the biggest fan of most avian species. I had a pet cockatiel as a child that wasn’t exactly the nicest, and I think it turned me off birds a bit. Consequently, I have more of a gap in my avian knowledge than for other species and thought it’d be a good experience to learn more about them. I couldn’t have asked for a better speaker, as Dr. Patricia Wakenell, from Purdue University, put on not only a very informative lecture, but an extremely entertaining one, as well. She was a wonderful speaker and touched on a multitude of common infections found in backyard poultry. Between the factual information and her anecdotes, I greatly expanded my knowledge on avian health. During lunch, as a member of the Veterinary Business Management Association, I was able to network with some veterinarians who are looking for new associates for their practices in the near future. Afterward, I moderated a CE talk over oxygen therapy and fluid administration for veterinary technicians. This was useful for me, as I currently am taking anesthesia and will soon take surgery, and these are two topics that are critical to the success of many cases.

I’m so happy I took the time off from studying for my usual exams to attend this conference. I’m already looking forward to next year’s. There is a conference in September—the Southwest Veterinary Symposium (SWVS), which is a partnership between Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas—provides CE for veterinary professionals in the southwest region, and I am planning on attending that, as well. I’m so thankful for the many opportunities to learn both in the classroom and outside of it, and I can’t wait for my next one!

 

My favorite weekends as a veterinary student are wetlab weekends. There is a club in the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences to fit nearly every student’s interest and many of these organizations take the time to seek out resources and clinicians willing to teach us different veterinary procedures we will be performing on our patients one day. This past Saturday was the Food Animal Wetlab, hosted by the Bovine Practitioners, Small Ruminant Practitioners, and Swine Vets organizations. As a club member of all three, I was excited to get the opportunity to improve my skills and gain some new knowledge about food animal medical procedures.

The first lab I participated in involved simulating an enucleation, which is often performed on cattle that develop squamous cell carcinoma of the eye. This condition is especially common in the Hereford breed, due to their white face and light pigmentation making them particularly susceptible to cell damage during sun exposure. I probably enjoyed this lab the most, as it incorporated some of the new pharmacology knowledge that I have learned this semester and gave me a taste of what’s to come in my upcoming surgery class. I also was able to refresh my suturing skills, which have gotten a little rusty. My next lab was small ruminant dehorning. The procedure for small ruminants is very different than that in cattle, so it was interesting to be able to learn about and compare the two. Afterwards I was able to learn how a claw amputation is performed in the field and how to properly bandage the area.  This procedure is used to prolong and improve the quality of life of cattle with injuries to one side of their hoof.

I’m so grateful for the opportunities available to me, such as this wetlab, through the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. Whether it’s learning a new procedure in a wetlab, or listening to a speaker about new medical advances or learning from a clinician who is willing to take the time to explain one of the many things I still don’t yet understand, I’m extremely fortunate for the people who sacrifice their time to make myself and my classmates the best veterinarians we can be.  I’m looking forward to all the opportunities ahead and expanding my knowledge.

Beginning the second year of veterinary school is something every first year looks forward to. You’re no longer the bottom of the barrel socially or academically. You still feel like you don’t know nearly enough, a feeling that will probably never go away entirely, but sometimes when a professor asks a question in class you might even know the answer without looking it up—not to mention the better schedule.

I am much more aware of the weather patterns so far this year, especially with the nice big windows in the new school, and even get to see the sun on a regular basis. The work is still hard, but the classes are very rewarding and have been leaving me feeling much more fulfilled than the core classes I took my first year. We now know enough to apply our knowledge to case study examples and the thrill of solving a medical puzzle is something that will never get old.

While learning the science behind veterinary medicine is critical, as our classes in parasitology, pathology, pharmacology, and nutrition show us every day, there are other skills that are just as important, or even more so. Our clinical correlates class attempts to expose us to these skills, and so far this semester we have already learned some invaluable lessons.

The first part of the class was devoted to learning medical Spanish. I found this experience invaluable, as it took the skills we had already learned about communication with clients in our first year and made it even more challenging and pertinent to becoming a veterinary practitioner in Texas. Language barriers can be a real problem, as our patients can’t usually tell us what is wrong and we rely on their human other halves to communicate on their behalf. Our Spanish class broke us up according to our skill level and helped everyone to learn something about how to handle a non-English speaking client. Even the fluent Spanish speakers in our class benefited immensely by getting to run through case studies in Spanish and learning medical terminology they otherwise would be unfamiliar with. For intermediates, such as myself, we focused more on basic vocabulary and communication, as well as resources for making sure you can adequately meet the needs of your client even with a language barrier.

I’m looking forward to the rest of my clinical correlates class, as this week I have the opportunity to practice ultrasounding techniques and in coming weeks will be able to rotate through clinical rotations on the handling and care of different species of animals. Even though the classes this year are exciting due to their pertinence to what I will be doing in clinics for the rest of my career, it is still easy to become stressed and lose your perspective on that light at the end of the tunnel. Correlates is a class that really helps ground me and reminds me of why I want to practice veterinary medicine, guaranteeing I don’t lose the drive I need to push through my more challenging work.

Open House at the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences was last weekend. Admittedly, everyone who helped out with the event, myself included, is pretty tired today. But, it was a great day that displayed all that veterinary medicine has to offer. Visitors were able to tour the facilities; perform “Teddy Bear Surgery;” meet some dogs, reptiles, and maybe even a unicorn; and watch demonstrations by a few animal groups that were kind enough to come. It was a great day that helped reveal the diversity present in the field of veterinary medicine.

As a veterinary student, it’s very easy to get lost in the flood of information we are presented with every day. While we all know vet school is worth the hard work, and we would not be here if this wasn’t our passion, sometimes we can lose sight of the excitement and wonder that brought us here. An event like Open House is wonderful not just for the public, who is able to catch a glimpse of what we have to offer, but also for us vet students because it reminds us of why we are here. The best part is interacting with the children, who are so excited about anything and everything to do with animals. We can all see ourselves in these kids, who may very well one day be in the same spot we are now as veterinary students. I helped sell enough plastic stethoscopes that I think I met a few Aggie vets in the making. With finals coming up and the last few exams of the semester taking place, it was well worth the time to volunteer to help put this event on.

I hope that everyone who attended Open House had a fantastic time and learned something new! If you weren’t able to make it there’s always next year, which I’m sure will be even bigger and better.

At the end of a crazy first semester at veterinary school I promised myself I’d be more on top of things. I’d fill out my planner, look over all my notes the night after the lecture, and never have to panic before a major exam. Then the first day of second semester happened, and that all went out the window. It’s only been two weeks, but the sheer amount of information that we are learning is staggering. There just never seems to be enough hours in the day. But, even though I’ve had to come to terms with the fact I will never be on top of things, I do feel I have the skills to tackle this semester. And the fact that what I’m learning still manages to excite me is reassuring—even if it first takes a couple cups of coffee some days.

My favorite part of veterinary school is when we have the opportunity to get hands-on experience with animals or simulations. The Student Chapter of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (SCAAEP) had a wet lab the weekend after we started school. It was certainly a reminder of why I’m putting so much effort into studying and getting through the coursework. The wet lab was a fantastic resource, with veterinary students coming from across the country to attend it.

There were quite a few labs to pick from.  I participated
in an ultrasound lab, a farrier skills lab (some horses need shoes too!), a field necropsy lab, and a mare reproduction lab. There was a mix of using live animals and simulators in order to develop the skills associated with each lab. I was particularly excited after the ultrasound lab. Ultrasound images always have looked like a mass of black and gray fuzz to me. After having some time to play around with the machine and using some anatomy I’ve learned in class, I was actually able to start making some sense of what I was seeing on the screen. I honestly thought I’d never see the day. And, that feeling of having something click is why no matter how challenging veterinary school may be on a day-to-day basis, it is exactly where I want to be.

It’s hard to believe I am already halfway through my first semester of veterinary school.  Simultaneously, it is equally as hard to believe that I’ve only been in Texas for just over two months.  With all of the new information and tasks assigned to us on a daily basis, my class begins to lay the foundation for our veterinary career, and time seems to race while also standing still. While the classwork has been a bit of a struggle for me, I am continually reminded why it is I am seeking a veterinary degree. Whether it is the opportunity to practice administering a physical exam, one of the clinicians taking the time to bring students on patient rounds, or participating in herd work, there are many chances to get practical experience and remind yourself why you are studying hard every day.

For me, the reminder came in the form of an ethics session this past week. The 1VMs stayed late after classes to meet with practicing veterinarians, who came from all over the state of Texas to lead groups of us in a discussion about different ethical issues we may face as members of the veterinary profession. I found this to be an important conversation to have. On a day-to-day basis my classmates and I struggle with the knowledge we need in order to one day make the right decisions that will save an animal’s life. It is difficult to sometimes remember that in addition to being proficient at our jobs, we will also be professionals within a small community. As such, we may be faced with difficult decisions that are not strictly confined to the realms of science or as clear cut as we would like.

As one of the veterinarians who lead my group’s discussion reminded us, veterinary medicine is, at its heart, a people-focused profession. Vets not only need to take care of the patient, but also ensure that the owner comprehends the situation, their options, and the ramifications any potential decisions they make may have. Veterinarians have an obligation to serve their patient, their client, and their community as a whole in the most humane and ethical manner possible. The ethics session was a useful opportunity to discuss issues pressing to the profession that we will one day become members of. It also gave us the opportunity to hear the viewpoints of experienced practitioners who have dealt firsthand with many of the problems we will eventually face. It was a great learning experience and well worth the long day.