Megan here-
First of all, this is a picture of the vet class taken the 1st week of classes. So I figured this would be a good time to write a blog since I just finished my first exams in vet school. In case I haven't told you what classes I am taking, they are: anatomy, physiology, embryology, histology, animal welfare & behavior, and professionalism. Phew. Yep, a HUGE load. Well, animal welfare & behavior is easy - you get to sit a couple hours each week and listen to a bunch of interesting facts and opinions about various animals, ethics, and behaviors - and professionalism is just an hour each week maximum (just about client/vet communication and other related topics, such as how to de-stress).
Anatomy is a year-long course. This semester we are dissecting dogs and cats. Next semester large animals, pigs, chickens, and fish... kind of an odd mix! This has actually been the most challenging class for me so far just because I am not a very visual person. The actual subject doesn't bother me, but the formaldehyde in the lab and just seeing that each dog's muscles might look slightly different from the next dog's (for example) make it tricky. Formaldehyde just makes me sneeze, so my allergy meds are coming in handy there. Identifying muscles, nerves, etc on the dogs is just taking a lot of regurgitation and time in the lab. Either way, I know I'll get through it and that it'll get easier with time. Currently, my dissecting group has been working on identifying the brachial plexus along with working on the thorax. The only problem here is that our dog seems to be lacking the handy blue dye that should have been previously injected so we can actually see veins, etc. Either way, lab is interesting.
Physio, embryo, and histo have been going very well for me - got A's in all 3 classes this last week on my first exams. The classes are a LOT of work and memorization, but apparently my studying is paying off. I have never studied this much before. One of the challenges with embryo, for example, is that things are different for each species. So I have been busy making charts comparing different animals, and also charts for histology, comparing different cells, tissues, etc.
Besides school, I have been enjoying going to club functions and wet labs. I am a member of the SGU large animal club and some others. Wet labs are optional "labs" where anyone in the club can go and learn a new technique hands-on. A couple weeks ago I learned how to draw blood on cattle and goats in a "vampire" wet lab - don't you love the name? There will be a vampire lab on horses in a week or so. I had no idea how tough it was to get the jugular vein on a HUGE cow. All I can say is those animals are huge. The goat was definitely easier for me, except for the part where you have to straddle the goat while trying to draw blood without an assistant. Getting the vein was easy, but the goat kept sliding out from under me. I blame it on my height! LOL. Tonight I went to a bandaging wet lab where I learned how to do a head bandage for if you do an aural hematoma surgery (where the ear fills with blood when a blood vessel gets ruptured due to the dog shaking their head continuously). I also learned how to bandage the leg. The dog we worked on was very good and sweet. On Saturday I am going to the SGU farm to learn how to handle cattle more. After that I am going to an anesthesia wet lab and lecture. It is so cool that I can do these hands-on things already when I am only 1st term!
And non-school related, Kris and I will be going to see some wild monkeys this weekend as a nice study break. Apparently you can feed the monkeys bananas and they are pretty tame. I am soooo excited. We'll make sure to post photos.
Well, glad I could at least let you know how I am doing. I am super busy these days, so it may be a while before you hear from me. :-)
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