Week 3 is underway!

I'm officially in my third week of the semester and so far so good.  I'm enjoying all most of my classes and already feel like I'm learning a ton!  Here's a quick rundown of my new found knowledge :)

General Pathology: One of my absolute favorite classes!  I actually enjoy studying for this class - it all seems so applicable to the veterinary profession.  Like I said last time, my professor for Gen Path is the nephew of my boss from home - and they are SO similar.  This makes it "fairly" easy to pay attention in class :)  First, we reviewed normal cells and their structures.  Now, we're discussing abnormal and injured cells and tissues.  Today we began discussing the reasons for and mechanisms of cell necrosis.  Necrosis is basically the death of a cell due to injury.  It is NOT a good thing :/

Pharmacology: ...not one of my favorite classes.  We haven't covered very much yet and most of it seems pretty common sense.  We've talked about pharmacokinetics, which is a fancy word for studying drug movement into, through, and out of the body.  We've talked about how to affect the rates of elimination and absorption of drugs. 

Round worms in cat feces :)

Parasitology: This is the class that is ruining every food and every outdoor experience I have ever had or will have.  Basically there are parasites everywhere and in everything.  So far we have covered hookworms, tapeworms, roundworms, and more!  We are expected to know their genus, species, superfamily, hosts, geographical locations, recognition characteristics, life cycle, diseases they cause, ways to diagnose if animals have this, clinical signs, ways to treat animals with this parasite, and lastly (but most importantly) it can be transmitted to humans - and what problems these parasites can cause in humans.  Pretty much we are expected to know every detail there possibly is about all of these parasites.  We also run fecal tests (we look at animal poop) every Tuesday and Thursday in lab - which is gross and smelly, but really interesting!  This class is going to be challenging, but I really enjoy it so far.

Bacteriology: Boring.  I really like this professor, but I don't find studying bacteria very interesting.  We've learned different traits about bacteria and general information about spreading bacteria and disease/infection.  On Monday we talked briefly about different antibiotics and bacterial resistance to antibiotics, which was really interesting - so hopefully this class will continue getting more interesting :)

"Auntie A - get off me!"

Study buddy!

Outside of vet school life is great!  We haven't had any tests yet this semester - our first is a week from today - so I've had a nice time balancing school and actually having a life.  I've gotten to babysit Mr. Eli, spend time with Cole and actually get some sleep - it doesn't get much better than that!  We also had our annual vet school party "Shaft" - which happened to be on my birthday!  Shaft is a party thrown by the second year class for the first year class (and the entire school) to celebrate them successfully completing their first test!  Turns out, this tradition started 30+ years ago by a student with the last name Shaft who threw a huge house party to celebrate being done with the first test.  Turns out the idea caught on :)

That's all for now!  Happy Hump Day :)

Second Year: Day 1

Obligatory first day front porch pic ;)

Is it Christmas Break yet? :)

I just finished my first day of second year and I can already understand why everyone says second year is the hardest.  One of our professors told us that if we thought we covered a lot of material last year, just wait because second year covers at least 10x the amount of material from last year.  Yippee!

Here's a rundown of what classes I'm in this semester:

I started my morning of with General Pathology.  Gen Path is an introduction to basic disease mechanisms and processes.  It's goal is to give us the basic information necessary to understand disease diagnosis and therapy.  We will learn about the causes, pathogenesis, and structural and clinical manifestations of disease.  And yes, I got the word manifestation (and pathogenesis) from the syllabus :)  Today we discussed basic factors of disease.  Then we went to Gen Path Lab.  Today we did a histology review of microscope slides that we learned last fall in Microanatomy.  Future labs will be spent in lab working with slides and tissues, but some days spent in necropsy just to keep things interesting :)  Our professor for this class is the nephew of my boss back home - and there are some crazy similarities between them.  This should be a hard class, but hopefully a good one!

After we finished lab we had Pharmacology.  We didn't take any notes in this class today and just talked about how important pharmacology is in any field of veterinary medicine.  In Pharmacology we'll learn about the interactions of chemical compounds in animals, how to categorize drugs by their mechanisms of action and how the drugs affect physiological systems and pathophysiological condition.  We'll also learn the names of common drugs and how to judge production info from pharmaceutical companies.  I've heard this class is ridiculously hard, but I'm hoping I'll feel as though the information I learn is really relevant.  Obviously it's important.. I'll just need to remind myself that!

Pharmacology lead to lunch time! This meant treating myself to Pizza Hut lunch buffet with some of my labmates... We deserved it :)

To finish my first day up, I had Bacteriology  I'm not sure what all we will be covering in this class, but today we discussed the divisions between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells and the differences between different types of bacteria.  Mostly it was introductory material we'd covered in undergrad Microbiology.

Study time with the kitty boy!

Tomorrow I'll have my first Parasitology class.    According to that syllabus we'll be learning to identify the parasitic protazoa, helminths, and arthropods of domestic animals and also learn to diagnose, treat, and manage parasites of clinical importance.  Hopefully all of my tick training this summer will come in handy for some of that!

After my first day back I'm completely exhausted and have already started listening to my Titantic Soundtrack Pandora station in preparation for studying.  As you can tell from this picture it didn't take me long to change out of my dress clothes and get comfy with Little Bear today.. He's the best study buddy!

It's go time!

Let's give this second year a whirl :)

Summertime Adventures!

It's only been 2 months since my last post - I'm obviously doing a great job of keeping up with this over the summer.  Sadly, without being in school 24/7, my motivation to do anything (and I mean anything) has completely disappeared.

So far, my summer has been nothing but a big adventure!  I am working for the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory as a research assistant and love my job (for the most part).  A "typical" work week for me includes collecting ticks for a few mornings around Manhattan and a night or two (or three) in SE Kansas - working both in the morning and evening.  However, the thing about this job is - there really is no "typical" day.  Here's the rundown:

The tick girls and our boss

Ticks are known carriers for many diseases.  The disease our professor/boss has a grant to research is anaplasmosis.  Anaplasmosis is a disease that affects the blood of cattle and can lead to anorexia and cardiovascular problems.  Our goal is to collect as many ticks as possible this summer in SE Kansas - an area known to have problems with anaplasmosis.  We just passed the 2,000 mark last week!

typical morning

There are three of us girls working on the project this summer.  Our "uniform" is white, disposable coveralls, rubber boots, and latex gloves.  (Talk about being ridiculously hot).  Did I mention we have to duct tape our boots to our coveralls to prevent any creepy crawlies from sneaking in?  We drag a square meter of fleece/flannel around through pastures, woods, fields, etc and the ticks attach to them in the same manner than they attach to humans and animals.  The way the ticks attach to a host is through a process called "questing" in which they climb to the top of grass or a bush and stand on one set of legs while sticking all the others up in the air - waiting for an unsuspecting host to walk by so they can latch on.

Garnett, KS

St. Paul, KS

The best part about this job is the schedule - when we aren't out traveling.  Because ticks can't handle the heat (and neither can I), we only collect for a few hours, usually around 6-9 AM and then have the rest of the day off.  It's not so bad getting up in the morning when you know you can come home in a few hours and nap!  Our boss is also quite possibly one of the best professors to work for - which makes the job so much better than it could be.

Arcadia, KS

Tick larvae

The downside to this job?  Nasty hotels in tiny towns that give you a fly swatter with your room; crawling over, under, and through barbed wire fences; poison ivy (enough said); angry cows; grasshoppers getting trapped inside your coveralls; dragging for 3 hours in 100 degree weather and getting one tick all morning; burrs, brambles, and basically every sharp plant in SE Kansas; and lastly, walking through a "nest" of sorts and discovering you have hundreds (and I mean hundreds) of teeny, tiny tick larvae crawling all over your coveralls.

Outside of collecting ticks, I'm making the most of having so much free time this summer.  Cole and I've spent almost every weekend this summer at a wedding.   Outside of that, we've also spent quite a bit of time shooting - I'm moving up from handguns to shotguns and rifles.  He's convinced me to take hunters safety with him in August, although I don't plan on shooting any animals any time soon :)  Best of all, I've had plenty of time to hang out with my favorite boys - Little Bear, my nephew Eli, and Cole.

And the LB photoshoot begins...

Happy Thursday!

Year One: Check

First Day of School

I'm officially 1/4 of the way through vet school - where has the time gone?  This year has literally passed me in the blink of an eye.  I figured this was a good time to do some updates, some reflections, some goals, and some thank you's... and we all know I love lists... so here we go..  be prepared it's gonna be a long one :)

Updates:
1.  I ended the semester with A's in all of my classes except Physiology... YAY! I was so close to an A in physio, but obviously I know nothing about reproduction - that test did not treat me nicely :/

Gross Anatomy Lab

2.  Friday is my last day working in the Radiology Department.  After spending the past two months there and searching for another part time job to fill up my summer, I was unsuccessful at finding anything else part time.  I accepted a full-time position doing research in the vet school with the understanding that it wouldn't conflict with the radiology position.  Turns out the university has a policy about students working more than 40-hours a week, so unfortunately I had to accept the full-time position and say "bye-bye" to the cats in the radiology department.  Which brings me to...

My summer.

3. I am spending my summer as a research assistant in the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.  What does this mean?  I am working with two other girls from my first year class collecting ticks all across SE Kansas to observe the prevalence of anaplasmosis, a disease often found in cattle.  Here's how this works... We dress in coveralls and rubber boots (duct-taped to the coveralls of course) and trek through farmland across SE Kansas in the ridiculous summer heat and drag a piece of flannel in the fields hoping that ticks attach to it.  I assure you it's a very scientific process (insert eye-roll here).  Then we collect these ticks in little jars and bring them back to K-State to ID them (based on their species and sex) and grind them up to study what types of diseases they carry.  Overall it's going to be a sweaty and disgusting summer full of bugs and allergies, but on the plus side - it pays well and gives me the opportunity to have published research.

Finals week

So now I would say it's time for some First Year reflections and maybe a little advice for those getting ready to start their own vet school adventures :)

1. Vet school is a ridiculous amount of work.  Far more work than anything I've ever done in my entire life and far more than I ever prepared myself for.  Undergrad came so easy for me, when others studied hours for tests I would "review" and somehow manage to do just as well as them - I was so fortunate in that aspect.  That being said, I had heard vet school was going to be a lot of work and require a lot more time and effort than undergrad - I knew it would be more work, but just how much more? I was in no way mentally prepared for what a life change it would truly be.

Finals week study break

2. Vet school has blessed me by meeting some of the most amazing people.  One of the great things about vet school is that it is full of passionate, driven, ambitious people.  People who want to make a difference in the world and who have similar goals and dreams as you.  People who understand your weird obsession with animals and why you'd rather spend a day with your cat than with actual people.  People who sacrifice their own studying to help you understand something you're struggling with, people who make you a Christmas ornament of your canine cadaver (because who else would really understand how much you loved Bud), and people who bring you McDonald's hash browns before your last final because they know you had an awful morning at work.  I am so fortunate to be surrounded by such wonderful people and am so excited to not only spend the next three years with them, but to get to call them colleagues for the rest of forever :)

My desk at school

3.  Vet school is diverse.  As many amazing people there are in my class, there are quite a few interesting ones as well ;) People end up here in Kansas from all corners of the U.S. and with all different backgrounds.  Also, I'm surprisingly young compared to most of my class.  So many students have gone out and had real world (aka "grown up") experiences before coming back and deciding to go to vet school.  I'm just over here with my high school diploma like.. "oh yeah, I haven't even finished college."  Despite our differences, this has helped me become more patient and understanding of others beliefs.

Suturing prolapses in cattle

4.  Live with people who are similar to you.  Being in a sorority was one of the best things I've ever done in my life. Kappa gave me the opportunity to live with girls I had never spoken to before and helped me find some of my best friends in the world.  Wellllllll... that was great during undergrad, when I'm in class 40-hours a week and studying another 20-hours on top of that?  It's probably best to live with someone who understands how hectic life can be.  I began the school year living in a house with four other girls, and I've come to the conclusion that it would be best to have one or two roommates while in vet school.  One of the hardest things towards the end of the semester was when my roommates would get to go to bed early - I was so tired and all I wanted to do was sleep, but I had to force myself to stay awake by myself and keep on studying.  That being said, I was so fortunate to have one of my favorite people in the world live in the house with me. Without her I would've completely lost my mind this year and through the craziness it only brought us closer. Unfortunately, she's leaving me to get married and move to Oklahoma... although she still has a few days before her wedding to change her mind.... just kidding Jacob... kind of :)

Gross Anatomy Lab

5.  It's okay to depend on your parents - even when you're in a doctorate program.  Having my parents living in Manhattan has been the biggest blessing in the world.  Perks to having my parents here: my mom helping me out with my laundry when I'm stressed, my parents treating me to McAllister's sweet tea and mac and cheese the night before a big test, or knowing that I have a spot in the garage and a cat waiting for me when I come to stay at home after a late night at the library.  Lucky for me, my lease ends at my rental house tomorrow and I'm almost completely moved back home and will be living free of charge for the next year.  Second year only gets harder and it will be so great having such a wonderful support system :)

Summer Goals?

1. Not get Lime Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, or Anaplasmosis from the ticks.  Also, not cry if they crawl on me...
2. Review, review, review - I can not afford to lose any knowledge from this semester.  I constantly have to remind myself I'm not learning for a test - I'm learning for a lifetime.
3. Palpate a cow :)

Time to thank a few people who have helped me survive my first year...

-Most importantly, I have to thank Cole - I couldn't have made it through this year without you.  Thanks for always loving me and supporting me through the tears and the mean things I said to you out of sleepiness, stress and hunger :) Thanks for never letting me quit even though I wanted to about a billion times.

Dr. Steve Mosier - Class of 1966

-Another important man in my life has been Dr. Mosier.  Steve has shown me just how amazing and influential a veterinarian could be and set an amazing example of the type of veterinarian I want to be.  Thanks for all of the books, encouragement, and priceless experiences I've gained working with you.

The pink eye disaster of 2013

-A huge thanks to my mom and dad for the laundry, and meals, unconditional love, support, and encouragement (and for the free rent).  And especially to my mom for driving me to and from school so many times when I had pink eye and my eye was swollen shut :)  Let's all pause for a moment and have a quick laugh at how gross and swollen my eye was this semester...

-Thanks to Little Bear for reminding me why I want to be a vet in the first place.  To give back to the animals that give so much purpose to our lives.

Kev built me a desk!

-Thanks to Kevin for my beautiful new desk and Jane for listening to all of my stories that Cole is tired of hearing about :)

-Thanks to Kels and B for being such great sister and brother and for always calling to check on me :)

-Thanks to Ryan and Kelli for the meals and the walks and most importantly for blessing me with the sweetest nephew who reminds me there's so much more to life outside of school :)

Best walking buddy

Mid-finals break :)

-Thanks to the best lab and study group in the world.  I owe so much of my success this year to all of our studying and talks about everything except school (study breaks.. right?).  Thanks for teaching me so much about school and about myself.

-Thanks to Summer, Paige, and Abbie for being the most amazing best friends and making time for me when I'm not good making time for anything.  Thanks for always making me feel loved and included and keeping me a part of your lives :)

-Thanks to the rest of my family, Cole's family, and all of my friends and past and present teachers and everyone at Hays Vet for helping me become the person I am today and helping me follow my dreams.

Okay... Now that I've set a new record for the longest blog post ever... I think that's it. For now.  Happy Wednesday :)

Love,
A

Not so dead week...

Once upon a time there was an ambitious vet student who thought she had time to have a blog.  Oh how wrong she was...

Kidding - I still love having a blog, but somehow the past 5 weeks have flown by in the blink of an eye.  Literally - I can't believe it's already dead week.  And I really can't believe it's May.  Where did the month of April go?

School has been going fantastic.  Of course it's had its ups and downs - the same as anything else - but overall I'm very happy where I am right now.  Grades are going very well (however, there's still time for that to change) and I have excitedly accepted a part time position in the Veterinary Hospital's Radiology Department. 

I am caring for feline hyperthyroid patients that are receiving radiation treatment.  When cats have hyperthyroidism they are essentially have an overactive thyroid.  This means they are producing too many thyroid hormones and have a very high metabolism, increased heart rate, and are extremely skinny and hyperactive.  These cats receive an injection of i-131 radiation which basically "kills" cells in their thyroid to give it a more "normal" level of activity (at least that is my understanding).  After this injection these cats are radioactive for about 2 weeks and can't go home.  I go in and feed/water them twice a day, give medication, and dispose of their waste in a special way - because it too is radioactive.   I also am responsible for checking their radiation levels using a Geiger counter to find out when they can be cleared to go home.  It's a pretty small time commitment, the pay is well, and it's something I can keep the rest of my time at the vet school.  I am getting to work with the 4th year who is finishing up his last few weeks here, and then I'll be doing it all on my own.  On my first weekend, 4th year Phil was gone for a family emergency, and therefore I was all on my own.  Lucky for me, the crankiest cat I've ever met gave me great experience on learning how to cat "wrangle."  I ended up having to call my supervisor for help, but now have successfully learned some new "cranky cat" techniques.

Still waiting to hear about some plans for the summer - somehow it crept up on me.  Luckily I still have quite a few options open - and they are some very diverse options that's for sure.  Hopefully, I'll hear back soon.

Nothing else too exciting here.  Just spending all of my time studying and then when I'm done studying.. I study some more :)

Please say your prayers for finals - I'm almost done!!!!

Happy Tuesday,
Alex

A Day in the Life

It's Wednesday morning.. What does my day have in store for me?

6:00 AM -- My alarm goes off.  Despite the fact that I was in bed by 10 last night.. I just have absolutely no desire to get out of bed... so I don't. 
6:30 AM -- I really have no choice but to get out of bed at this point.  Time to shower, eat breakfast, get ready for school and snuggle with my cat.
7:30 AM -- Leave for school
8:00-8:50 -- Gross Anatomy: Today we're learning about the equine forearm, carpus, and metacarpus.  Basically learning about the anatomy of a horses front leg.
9:00-9:50 -- Epidemiology: What once was one of my favorite class has gotten very boring.  We have a new professor in that class and I feel like we spend a liiiiiittle too long going over simple concepts.  Right now we're learning about disease testing and improving post-test probabilities by applying multiple tests.  Basically learning how to confirm (through testing) how sure you are an animal has a disease.

My life.

10:00-10:50 -- Physiology: Right now we're on our endocrinology section.  Today we're learning about the pancreas.  Probably one of the more boring sections we've covered, although despite being extremely dry I really like our professor for this section. If you've ever watched Big Bang Theory - he slightly reminds me of Sheldon Cooper :)  This morning I watched him pick up all the trash from the parking lot on his way into school... which made me like him even more.
11:00-11:50 -- Immunology: UGH.  What else can I say about this class?  We have our test in this class on Friday, so hopefully today is just a review class period.  We've learned about T and B cell development, mucosal immunity, neonatal immunity, etc.  It's absolutely awful.
12:00-1:00 -- LUNCH! Best part of the day.  Today's lunch? Left over mac and cheese with some cookie dough for dessert.  How nutritious ;)
1:00-4:00 -- Gross Anatomy Lab: On the schedule today? Finish dissection of equine forelimb and prepare for our quiz over it tomorrow.  This includes knowing all the muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, arteries, and veins.
4:00-5:30 -- Pay some bills, enjoy some dinner, time with my cat, maybe even relax for a little bit :)
5:30-9:30 -- STUDY TIME! Tonight's schedule is to finish the study guide I created over the objectives for our immunology lectures.  Not exactly the most fun way of studying, but it was pretty successful for the first test.
9:30-10:30 -- Relax, unwind, get ready for bed
10:30 -- Bedtime!