Back from Spring Break-The Ides of March

Well it's the height of March Madness, spring break has come and gone, and feels as if it never was and just 4.5 weeks of classes left before exams. I am definitely tired out. Studying is more of a chore right now than particularly enjoyable. And while only a few weeks remain, more than a few exams still lurk in the future unfortunately.

Coming back from spring was difficult for me. I couldn't the sleep the first few nights, not due to stress but to due to reacclimation I suppose. I plowed through and have been sleeping better since Matt aka sleeping beauty, go back to Blacksburg. So clearly, it had something psychological to do with leaving my "home" in Nova. I have no idea why 1 week caused an entire re-adjustment to occur, but it did.

The week ended with an exciting meeting with my mentor on my sumer research. He picked my brain on my interests to target with his research background. He is extremely nice and got me excited about working this summer with other grad students, state of the art equipment, and exposure to as many types of research techniques as possible, both cellular and animal research.

This week will be long (2 exams), but interesting with a replay of the NAVC elephant in the room conference tomorrow night with VA legislators and veterinarians to discuss the future of the profession with respect to salaries and student loans.

The week will end with a 5K on Saturday in support of cancer and the open house, that I had attended 3 times before I was a vet student and now I will be on the other side of the table. I plan to help with electron microscopy tours, club selling tables, and a housing fair for the incoming class.

So here's hoping for a good week. I am still back in transition so I will have to take it slow and day by day to make it through. May 7 cannot arrive soon enough!

Spring Break Bliss

While it isn't the most glamorous spring break, it has been a needed break from vet school. The week has flown by, with futile attempts to regain a social life, do some school work, clean my other home, and start on the spring yard work. Bits and pieces have been accomplished (as well as some quality reality tv viewing), but as always I am running out of time. It has been a treat to be home, trying out new recipes on my guinea pig husband, catching up on the outside world, and getting a full night's sleep every night.

Soon it will be nose to the grindstone once again, but with 5 weeks left I am beginning to smell the end of first year. I can anticipate how sweet it is going to taste.

In the thick of it now

It is week 8 of the semester and could not be further from the middle of the semester and one of the toughest weeks. We have a nutrition final tomorrow and the dreaded parasitology midterm on Friday, which terrifies pretty much the entire class, myself included. I studied pro actively and hard for the first quiz and received my lowest vet school grade so far, so I am trying my best and hoping it will be good enough for Friday.

Everyone is tired and more than ready for spring break. Only 1.5 weeks stand between spring break and school,but that entails 3 tests and 1 quiz:( Not included any catch-up work if we don't want to spend all of spring break studying (which I do not!)

I will cease blabbering and put my nose back into my books for a few more hours.

Time for an update

Before I sit down for a long night of studying for physiology test #2 on the endocrine system, I figured it was time for an update.

This weekend was very busy, but fun. Friday we had the day off to attend the VA Veterinary Medical Assoc. conference in Roanoke. The lectures were great, and to my surprise I was able to follow most of them. In the morning, I listened to the Chesapeake Cardiology Associates speak about different topics in cardiology. In the afternoon, Dr. Martin, the surgical legend here at VT, spoke about different surgical techniques. He presented using a lot of case photos and some of his work was truly miraculous. I have some learning to look forward to in the future!

I also got a chance to speak with some great vendors, from Fort Dodge, Pfizer, and Boehringer Ingelheim (BI). Dr. Dan Green from BI, as it is known, has some great ideas for the VBMA and I had a blast brainstorming with him. We discussed a job fair at VMRCVM and possible internships and 4th year rotations at their research facilities in Germany. Perhaps I may be a guinea pig...

Saturday night we checked out Floyd, VA for dinner at Oddfellas and then a concert by AARPunk. AARPunk is a band that includes 2 of my vet school professors, Dr. Bob and Dr. Klein. They rocked the crowd (which was great for people watching)!

Somehow I am plowing through the semester and I cannot wait for spring break, although my plans are still yet to be determined. They hinge on whether or not I get a lottery ticket for the Yankees game here at VT. My fingers are crossed and I have all my friends signing up. Hopefully Matt and I can also take a small 2-3 day trip away and I plan to get up to the DC area and try to be an active friend/family member for a short time.

I have not had a week without a test since week 2 ad this week is no exception with 2 tests.

Well that's a more detailed update than I usually have time for (let's just say I needed a break between Matt leaving and hitting the books tonight).

5 weeks down

The past 2 weeks have been very exhausting, so entries have been few and far between. Matt chastised me today so I send a quick update.

I was selected to be the student rep for Pfizer Animal Health which is exciting. I believe 15 people applied for the position and it is one of the more high profile student rep positions. I should get to learn a lot and meet some great industry people over the next few years.

I have had 2 tests per week the past 2 weeks. I have a pathology exam this Wednesday and 2 exams the following week. It does not let up at all. At least 1 test a week until spring break (I cannot wait!).

I am fairly certain the parasitology quiz from the other day did not go too well (TBD). With all the pesticides to memorize and flies and ticks to keep straight I believe I messed up and entire short answer question of which there were only 3 total questions. I also went to lab after that horrible quiz only to find that the printing department gave us the wrong lab. I had spent 30 minutes of lab on the wrong assignment. That same night I came home slightly regrouped (after a run) and had to cram (of which I do not do well) for the anatomy of the eye test. It was also Valentine's Day and Matt could not be here. When I got home that evening to make matters worse a can of Fanta had exploded all over the fridge.

I pose the question, why when a day goes awry does it continue to go awry?

After a weekend of some sleep , study, and fun I feel a little better, but of coursed stressed about the upcoming 2 weeks and how I will get it all done. UGh.

Back in Full Swing

After the intimidation subsided and sleep deprivation began, I learned to love vet school again. Maybe it just took some good test scores to show me I can do this, but a lot of my anxiety and confidence issues have subsided...for now. On the other hand, I am exhausted, but enjoying vet school again.
I enjoyed meeting the veterinarian I will be working with from Royal Canin, as the Royal Canin student rep for my school. She has a lot of nutrition knowledge and has had an interesting career. I hope it's the start of a great mentorship.

In the back of my mind, I am pondering my summer plans. I am torn between a great research experience here in Blacksburg and working at the emergency center in Vienna, VA, coupled with a pathology janitor at the National Zoo part-time. While I would like to stay here for the summer, I would also love to be home enjoying DC as well and enjoying my garden, cats and our home. I hope the right decision pops out at me soon.

In the meantime, I am also thinking about a quick, cheap weekend trip over Spring break. A friend of mine mentioned a quick lighthouse tour for a few days which sounded fun, but most importantly I will be finishing my books from winter break!

My ah-ha moment of the week is the amazing impact nutrition has on the health and disease prevention in all mammals! It is truly amazing what can be treated and prevented just by managing nutrients in a diet.

It seems impossible, all over again!

Despite a successful first semester, vet school seems impossible again. The anxiety over the first test is back despite pro actively studying for almost every subject thus far. It's hard for me to believe it's humanly possibly to sleep, have a life, and actually stay on top of all the subjects I am taking simultaneously. I don't want to fall into the trap of studying test by test, but it seems hard to do anything else as the semester starts to gain head way. For some reason the "I am doing all I can do" attitude has lost its luster and all I feel is guilty when I spend a few hours away from my studies.

Hopefully getting through the next week and a half will boost my confidence yet again,but for now I am trying very hard to channel the anxiety.

This is also the first week of a true rotation on the new family schedule. It was still hard to see Matt leave tonight, but the weekend did feel much longer. I have a test to study for on Friday, so hopefully this week will fly by. The new 4 days a week with Matt should be much easier than the 2 days a week from last semester. I also pray he doesn't get exhausted by the driving.