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Exercising My Knowledge

Paisley with cast
Paisley, being a good sport

One of the many incredible things about veterinary medicine and Texas A&M is that not all learning happens in a classroom! Now that I’m in my third year of veterinary school, I have come to truly appreciate any opportunity to learn beyond sitting in a chair listening to lecture.

As ready as I am to hit the clinic floor come my fourth year in May, I am a little apprehensive to find out exactly how much I have learned. I am thankfully reassured every time I get the chance to exercise my knowledge.

My pet Labrador Retriever, Paisley, also gets to participate from time to time. In exchange for staying still enough for me and my groupmates to practice casting her leg or running an ultrasound, Paisley gets more treats and attention than she could ever ask for. As almost any Lab would, she loves it!

Not every day can be “Bring Your Lab to Lab Day,” though. Thankfully, we have models that also serve as great learning tools.

Laine performing ultrasoundRecently, in Orthopedic Surgery, we practiced fixing fractures on synthetic plastic bones. Although they weren’t exactly like the real thing, it was good practice trying to align the bone and drive a pin through it to stabilize it.

By the end of the lab, I really got to admire how good I had gotten at twisting my wire tight.

I was surprised to find that something I never would have considered doing in normal practice two years ago—fixing a fracture with pins and wires—seemed totally feasible in the next year or two. What I had considered as a “specialty” procedure before, I now consider doing in the future if my patients need it all because I’m more comfortable performing it now.

It’s amazing how much a single lab can change your viewpoint!

One of my favorite hands-on opportunities is one that isn’t even specific to the veterinary college. Disaster Day is an annual disaster simulation that nursing, medicine, public health, and veterinary students all get to participate in.

I had opted not to participate in my previous two years of vet school and having finally taken the chance to try it out, I thoroughly regret not participating sooner!

Laine with her friendsThough the event is a simulation that utilizes actors, it was surprising how much I immersed myself in the moment and learned from working through the various cases that were presented. The actors were so convincing and would show up anywhere from calm and collected to crying to screaming in panic!

What was truly engaging and eye-opening to me was seeing the crossover between the veterinary and human medical fields as zoonotic diseases—diseases passed from animals to people—popped up over the course of the day. After the event, I found myself wrapped up in just replaying some of the day’s excitement over and over again in my head.

Just when I start to really grow tired of all those hours studying, some exciting opportunity pops up for me to practice what I’ve learned.

I’m three years in now and I can confidently say vet school is just exciting as it was on day one—if not more! Here’s looking to fourth year and all the exciting cases ahead of me.

Shaping My Future Self

Texas A&M presents great opportunities for its students, and majoring in biomedical sciences (BIMS) is one of them, because there are a variety of career-specific classes to take.

I am now beginning to take more classes geared toward veterinary medicine, since I am a pre-vet student. Majoring in biomedical sciences has allowed me to gain a great understanding of the basic sciences needed for a great academic foundation leading up to veterinary school.

One class, in particular, that I have really enjoyed taking this semester is “Animal Nutrition and Feeding,” since it really pertains to what I need to know for my future career. I initially entered this class thinking it was going to be difficult, but because of those basic science classes I’ve taken in the past, I more easily understand the basic concepts of this class, which makes it more enjoyable.

Aside from this particular class, Texas A&M offers many other similar classes students can take as a BIMS major that further expand our knowledge.

Aside from classes, there are also many other things to get involved in, such as student organizations or even intramural sports.

I recently joined an intramural soccer team for the first time since I arrived at Texas A&M, and although we’ve only had one game so far, it’s been a lot of fun to meet new people and play the sport I love to play again.

Joining an intramural team can serve as a way to relax and destress or simply just hang out with friends while being physically active. I have also found that sometimes it’s best for me to take some breaks to relax and get away from schoolwork for a bit and joining this team has allowed me to do that.

Another way I spend my time outside of classes and working on homework and such is through a student-run organization I’m a part of, Aggie Guide-Dogs and Service-Dogs (AGS).

As a pre-vet student, I especially enjoy interacting with animals, so this organization allows me to do a lot of that. Our organization allows students to train service dogs while also educating the public about the different types of service dogs there are.

Like the intramural soccer team, this organization gives me some time to get away from classwork and participate in an activity I particularly enjoy doing.

Many people have told me to enjoy the time I have as an undergraduate, so taking part in these campus activities and doing so with friends helps me to make the most of my time.

Although we are here for a great education, having fun is also an important part of the process. Personally, I think it’s really important for everybody to find some fun things to do while in college, because while education is a big part of the journey, having fun and putting yourself out there will also help in shaping your future self.

Fourth Year is Almost Here!

rebecca gooderIn just 15 months that are sure to come and go in the blink of an eye, I will officially be a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine! We are currently about halfway through our sixth and final didactic semester of veterinary school, and I must say, the light at the end of the tunnel is shining bright!

Come May 6, it’ll be time to pack up all of the knowledge I have gained and make that highly anticipated journey from the Veterinary & Biomedical Education Complex (VBEC) over to the Large and Small Animal Hospitals to begin clinics.

Clinics span an entire year; we spend two weeks on each rotation collaborating with classmates, technicians, residents, and clinicians in a quest to apply our veterinary knowledge in a clinical setting with real patients.

Core rotations that we all must participate in include small animal emergency & critical care, veterinary radiology, anesthesiology, and equine medicine & surgery, just to name a few. My very first fourth-year rotation will be small animal emergency & critical care, and while it certainly sounds intense, I am looking forward to jumping right in.

At Texas A&M, we are very fortunate to have the opportunity to “track” during our fourth year, which means that, in addition to the core rotations that all veterinary students must participate in, we can focus our remaining time on either small/companion animal, equine, mixed, food animal, or alternative rotations.

Considering my dream of becoming a dairy veterinarian, it is no surprise that I chose to track food animal.

Preparations for this began last year, as students choosing this track are required to select a mentor and enroll in food-animal focused electives during our third year; some of these elective classes include “Advanced Food Animal Medicine & Surgery” and “Advanced Herd Health Production.”

For me, a big advantage of the food animal track is the opportunity to participate in off-campus production rotations, which count as two of our track-specific rotations. Both of my production rotations are scheduled with dairy practices—one in Dexter, New Mexico, and the other in Los Banos, California—and I cannot wait to gain more experience in my field of interest.

Other benefits of the food animal track include having three food animal medicine & surgery rotations (for a total of six weeks!) in the Texas A&M Large Animal Hospital and a rotation with the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory.

It is very surreal to think that I am almost 75 percent of the way to being all done with veterinary school. With clinics, NAVLE (the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination) studying, and job searching coming up within this next year, it is sure to be very busy.

But as busy as I will undoubtedly, I am so excited to being so close to realizing my dream.

As I finish writing this, I realize that this will be my very last blog as a CVM Ambassador. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to represent our college and guide tours for prospective students and guests and I value all the memories I have made!

Preparing for the New Class

I have the honor of serving as the vice president of my veterinary school class and part of my job is to facilitate the mentor/mentee program that pairs second-year mentors with incoming first-year students.

Now that interviews have passed and acceptances are looming, I have begun planning for how to implement this program next year. I have a stellar committee of my peers who are excited to help make this program the best it can possibly be for the incoming students.

Here at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, we are a family and we want to ensure that first-year students feel welcome.

The first year of veterinary school is hard—it is different than anything most people have ever experienced. Having a mentor to answer questions, give study tips, grab dinner with, and just to be there and help you through the hard times really makes a difference. I have an incredible mentor who helped me adjust to vet school and continues to answer questions and just serve as friendly face in the second-year class.

This is similar to the relationship that any people seek after veterinary school. Most new graduates lack self-confidence in some of the skills and want guidance as they build that confidence in practice; they seek employment opportunities that provide helpful mentorship from someone who has already been in that situation—a seasoned veterinarian.

Here, we want to mimic this type of mentorship by providing first-year students with older vet student mentors.

The mentor/mentee committee is working hard to pair our classmates with interested first-year students. We try our best to pair students with similar career interests, hobbies, and personalities to create successful mentor/mentee pairs that can blossom into friendships.

This is no small feat and requires a great deal of time and thought from every member of the committee.

We are also planning an awesome cookout to welcome new students and help introduce them to their mentors, as well as a few other ideas in the works…but I can’t spoil the surprise!

We will continue to be hard at work throughout the summer, along with many other student organizations, in order to welcome the new class. So, Class of 2023, we cannot wait to meet each of you and we are excited to welcome you to the family!

Learning Outside of the Classroom

Last week, I participated in a really unique event hosted by two of our student organizations—the Internal Medicine Club and the Veterinary Imaging Club. It was an after-school lab in which I got learn how to do ultrasound scans on dogs!

Ultrasound is an imaging technique used to look at soft tissue structures like kidneys, intestines, and liver. It’s an incredibly important diagnostic tool that veterinarians commonly use, and so I am grateful for the opportunity to get extra practice.

My fellow peers volunteered their own dogs—who were so well-behaved and sweet—and we spent two hours practicing our techniques and learning how to search for specific organs. We got a lot of practice in and, of course, the dogs got an abundant amount of love and treats from the students!

It was a particularly fulfilling experience for me because learning how to do an ultrasound scan has been a big focus in our “Professional and Clinical Skills” class.

I have been learning ultrasound techniques and practicing on models since my first semester in veterinary school, and it was very exciting for me to have the chance to apply what I had practiced on models to an actual animal.

I am quickly realizing that during my time in veterinary school, there will be many more opportunities to learn new things outside of a traditional classroom. I need to make the most of my four years here, so I am constantly looking forward to seeing what other doors will open next.

Life Lessons in Veterinary School

cortney-peaseThe veterinary school curriculum is designed to teach you many things. Yes, you will learn plenty of anatomy, physiology, and pathology, but there are some things that aren’t part of the curriculum that vet school teaches you, as well.

I feel like each semester I have learned at least one very important lesson that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

In my first semester, that lesson was that failures are a part of life and everything will be OK afterwards. My second semester, I learned that hard work pays off, and my third semester, I learned that it is OK to take the time to take care of yourself.

This semester—which is my sixth, and final, semester of coursework before starting clinical rotations—has already taught me so much in such a short period of time.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about the fragility of life and the most important things in it, and there is really only one answer that I keep coming back to—people. I can honestly say that if it weren’t for the incredible people in my life, I would not be counting down the months until graduation (15, in case you were wondering).

My classmates and friends have been a huge driving force in my life these past three years. They provide support and encouragement. They share in my struggles. And, in the end, we all earn our victory together.

There have been many times that I have felt defeated and one of my friends reminds me that it might be one failing exam grade but it does not define me as a person.

There’s also my dad, who calls at least once a week to ask me how my week is going and to make sure I get a healthy dose of “dad jokes” and my mom, who always keeps me in the loop about what’s going on at home and reminds me that there is a world outside of vet school.

My two sisters are a constant source of love and always bring a smile to my face. My nieces look up to me so much—one even says she wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up—and that is enough motivation to keep anyone going.

Last, but certainly not least, my husband goes above and beyond to take care of me and support my dreams. He deserves a gold medal for all that he does on a daily basis.

These people have all done their part to make me successful, and I hope I do a good enough job of returning that love to them. I hope that I never take any of them for granted.

All of this to say, whether you are focused on trying to get into veterinary school, struggling through vet school, or trying to advance your career, never forget to take the time to nourish and appreciate your relationships. At the end of the day, the people in your life are what matters most, so make sure that they know that.

The Jigsaw Puzzle

Nantika's picture from her white coat ceremonyNine years ago, I informed my boss that I was leaving the company where I had been working for 12 years to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. The only thing I had at that point was a serious commitment to start this journey.

But now my long journey to become a veterinarian has come to the last 15 months of veterinary school. In three months, I will start my clinical rotations, during which fourth-year veterinary students spend a whole year working in the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital as a real “baby” doctor.

I feel both panicked and excited to realize that my dream of becoming a veterinarian is about to come true.

I still remember the end of my first day as a veterinary student. I went home and cried. Why? I thought “Physiology” and “Anatomy” were so hard. I had thousands of pieces of jigsaw puzzles in my head. I asked myself, “How am I going to pass these classes?”

Now, I am a third-year veterinary student. And I have the answer for that question.

For the first two years, I learned the different aspects of veterinary medicine: physiology, anatomy, immunology, histology, neuroanatomy, infectious diseases, parasitology, microbiology, pathology, surgery, anesthesia, public health, pharmacology, toxicology, radiology, and many more. Each class is the part of the jigsaw board and has its own space to fill up.

The curriculum is designed to lay the foundation of medical knowledge, and by my third year, all of those jigsaw pieces start coming together and I could see the picture clearer.

I love small animal medicine, through which I can apply the foundational knowledge by analyzing, diagnosing, planning for testing, and offering treatments. Even though I choose to focus on companion animals, I also have learned about large animal medicine.

Additionally, I have selected electives to study particular topics of interest to me in small animals, equine, food animal, swine, avian, and exotics medicine. Some of my highlights were “Oncology,” “Cardiology,” “Clinical Pathology,” “Emergency Medicine,” and “Dermatology.”

Before the end of my third year, I will also have “Avian Medicine,” “Dentistry,” “Feline Medicine” and “Gastroenterology” classes. These are all bits of knowledge I will retain for my career.

It has been a long wait, but the fourth year is just around the corner. My last section of the jigsaw puzzle is about to be complete.

This beautiful picture from my White Coat Ceremony (held at the end of your second year) keeps me encouraged until I walk across the stage to become “Dr. Du, DVM.

‘Conquering’ the Vet School

As a biomedical sciences major, I have had the opportunity to attend classes in these inspiring buildings since the first semester of my freshman year, which was an experience I never expected to have. I am on a pre-veterinary path and being able to learn in the very rooms I hope to attend veterinary school in has been really motivating and exciting.

The laboratories, lab equipment, and sometimes even professors are shared between the veterinary and BIMS students. As I walk into my microbiology lab, I am reminded of what all of my hard work is leading to; seeing the veterinary students outside in between their lectures gives me a glimpse into what their lives are like. Each time I take the journey on Bus 9 to this area of campus I feel blessed to have the opportunity to learn in this environment.

Recently, I took my dog Fender to A&M’s Small Animal Hospital. This was another unique experience that showed another side of the veterinary school. It was so neat hearing from the fourth-year veterinary student who was seeing my dog under the supervision of a veterinarian; it also was an educational experience for me—not to mention I got a 20 percent student discount!

I love how much of the veterinary school world I have been able to observe and learn from as an undergraduate.

Finally, as a BIMS Ambassador, I’ve been able to give tours of the veterinary school to prospective students. Every time I walk the halls and tell stories on tours, I can almost feel the years of history, knowledge, and discovery that live here.

It inspires me to keep pushing forward toward my goals, even when the journey becomes challenging at times. When I graduate, I hope I will be able to look back on these experiences and say “I came, I saw, I conquered.”

Staying in the Spirit

carter mcadooI am currently halfway through the third week of my second semester in veterinary school.

I made it through my first semester and I loved it. It was very hard at times but the one thing that never dissipated was my excitement to be furthering my knowledge in veterinary medicine.

I have learned so many things in such a short amount of time.

One thing that I was looking forward to going into winter break was getting to go and apply my knowledge in a clinical setting.  I am by no means a veterinarian yet but in just one semester I have learned so many applicable things.

While working over winter break I found myself able to communicate with the veterinarians in the practice. I did not understand everything, but I was able to talk to the veterinarians and learn from them.

I am so excited to continue learning so that I can continue to apply my knowledge.

Creative Wellness

Tori ChambersOn Friday, some of my classmates and I are taking a studying break and enjoying some wellness—we will be putting the books away and painting instead!

Having typically seen these people in the realm of professionalism and medicine-minded academia, it will be nice to let our creative sides shine for a change! I only hope my dog, Jethro, doesn’t try to join in!

It’s nice to be reminded that there is a life outside of veterinary school. So often in class, we are taught to try and balance the different aspects of our lives and set ourselves up for success.

But, as we are going through our second year of veterinary school, it’s easy to just plug along with the same routine day after day. We are learning so many exciting things each day in lab and lecture that it’s very easy to hyperfocus on our school work.

I have learned that we have to actively work on diversifying our time to prevent mental and emotional fatigue. If we set up these habits now, it builds the toolbox that we can use later in life.