06 September 2010

Overzealous

Who shows up to work on Labor Day?

This girl does, that's who!

To be fair, the vet and I had agreed that I would come on Monday this week, but I think it didn't occur to either of us that it would be Labor Day.  So when in doubt-show up!  And then when the clinic is dark and empty....get back in your car and go home!  So no playing doctor for me today =(

In other, more exciting news, I finished my first draft of my Personal Statement!  After days of agonizing over it I finally finished at approximately 4am yesterday.  Since then I've been sending it to everyone I know (and even some people I don't know) to get feedback.  I've gotten a lot of great input and once I hear back from everybody I'm going to put all the suggestions together and see what I come up with!

On today's agenda is writing my Explanation Statement and working on my Honors and Awards.  I've been avoiding the H&A because it's going to be a bear trying to think back to awards won all the way through high school.  But...it must be done, and when it is, my application will be complete!  Well, save for the supplemental application, the questions on which I hear are quite intense this year.  I also still have to keep on top of my evaluations and make sure those get done in time, which is probably the most challenging thing seeing as it's out of my control.

This application process is coming to a close so fast it's crazy.  After October 1st it's just a waiting game.  Then, if an interview is in the stars for me, another waiting game after that.  Have I mentioned that patience isn't my strong point?

26 August 2010

Life and Death

Veterinary medicine is full of situations that seem to directly oppose one another, and one of the most common of these foils is the simple matter of life and death.  When the average person thinks about a veterinarian, the first and most simple connotation that comes to mind is a professional who saves animals.  However, as anyone who knows the ins and outs of the veterinary profession understands, sometimes a veterinarian, despite all their efforts and practical knowledge, can do nothing to spare an animal's life.

Pondering the conundrums that are life and death in relation to animals and veterinary medicine also brings about other seemingly illogical conclusions.  When it comes to animals in our current world, sometimes life is death and death is life.  Take for example, the puppy born to an unregistered, mixed-breed bitch as a result of an accidental breeding. The joy of a new life in one of its most precious forms is overshadowed by grim reality, as the numbers of unwanted animals are soaring and millions are either taken to shelters or simply left to starve and fend for themselves when their owners can no longer take care of them.  Had his owner been more responsible and his mother been spayed, then sure, he would never have been born and thus the life he had never existed, which many would view as a tragedy.  However, he also would have not had to live a life of suffering at the hands of humans.

In the same token, as cruel as death sometimes seems, it can often show a kinder, gentler side with its ability to relieve the suffering of an animal who is too wounded or ill to make a recovery and remain comfortable.  In these situations, often the kindest gift we can provide to an animal is the chance at a dignified, painless end.  While veterinarians don't always have the tools to save an animal's life, they DO often have the tools to relieve animal suffering, be it in the form of medication, surgery, high-tech procedures, or the ability to relieve an animal of an excruciating existence and allow it to peacefully fall into a painless slumber.

While traveling with the large animal vet yesterday, I witnessed the miracles of both life and death.  Viewing the heartbeat of a foal at just a few weeks gestation on an ultrasound monitor is an amazing thing to see, enough to bring tears to your eyes.  Such a small little flicker will one day become the powerful pounding of a life-giving organ in a strong, magnificent, and noble animal.

Then there were the two little beef calves, so ill from a respiratory infection that all attempts to cure them had failed.  Human euthanasia was the only viable option for these little guys; it was time to end their suffering.  I was saddened at the sight of them passing from this world, but at the same time relieved for them.  Their raspy breath gradually quieted, their heaving sides slowed, and most importantly the pain faded from their eyes.  What a blessing that I had been able to be there with them, holding their heads and stroking them, comforting them as they slipped away.

That's the difference I can make as a veterinarian.  For those animals that can be saved, I can provide the procedures and medicine their bodies need to heal.  For those animals that cannot be saved, I can provide the peaceful, dignified end that every living creature deserves to have when their time comes.

So those are the musings that I've had for the past couple of days.  As for the vet school app, it's going well.  I've now got all my evaluators signed up which means that I am free to send in the app any time now.  I still have to finish my personal statement, write my explanation statement, and finish up my honors and awards but I'm thinking I should be able to get it in by the end of the first full week of September.  I take the GRE again a week from tomorrow.  I've got to find some more practice tests and watch the DVD that came with my workbook, seeing as I pretty much finished the workbook already.  As for right now, I've got to get going on that running I've been slacking on.  25 minutes straight again today, hopefully I won't keel over.

24 August 2010

It's Always Something

The thing I like most about Mapleton Veterinaray Clinic is that while a lot of the time we're doing routine things-vaccines, wellness exams, fecals, heartworm tests, spays and neuters-there never fails to be an interesting case at least once a day.

Today, sandwiched between all the DHLPPC vaccines and the cat spay was a elderly beagle with urinary troubles.  He hadn't eaten in a day or so and hadn't gone to the bathroom in as much time.  He was weak and despondent.  When we x-rayed him, the size of his bladder was unbelievable.  The poor little guy couldn't urinate for some reason.  It was then that I was reminded of the creativity required to be a veterinarian.

The dog was started on an IV catheter and given a little sleepy juice.  Then the doc put in a urinary catheter.  Right off the bat he pulled out 3 60cc syringes full of urine.  Wanting the dog to be able to continue to have the catheter to spare him any further discomfort, Doc needed to figure out a way to allow the urine to drain perpetually without making a mess.  So he found an old IV line, emptied the remaining contents from the bag attached to it, and hooked it up to the dog's catheter.  In went the urine; it worked like a charm!  Faced with the question of how he was going to get the cath to stay with the dog and not get pulled out, he gently stitched it to the dog's skin and voila!  Instant security.

Practicing veterinary medicine requires so much thinking on your feet and coming up with solutions that weren't taught in vet school.  Knowing this and seeing it demonstrated time and time again makes me hope that I have the creativity and clarity of mind to come up with solutions to problems which I've never faced before.  I guess that's a skill that comes with time.

Also, I was informed today that the low-cost spay/neuter clinic I volunteer for when I'm at school is in pretty desperate need of help right now.  Apparently they've just completed a rescue of over 200 pit bulls which will be requiring foster homes and eventually forever homes.  They are also accepting donations for the medical care of these dogs.  More information can be found here: Shelter Outreach Services of Ohio

Well, it's time to go to bed, seeing as I have to be up in 6 hours to get ready for an adventurous day of large animal work.  Hopefully I'll come home with good stories to tell =)

22 August 2010

Productivity?

After getting in touch with my inner sloth for the past couple of days, today was surprisingly productive.  I detailed my car, every inch of it, and those who know me understand what a great accomplishment this is.  I took out two garbage bags full of trash and two garbage bags full of clothes and other keepables.  Then I took it up to the car wash where I spent $3.00 in quarters using the heavy duty vacuum.  For anybody who knows me and has seen the inside of my car, you understand this.  Also, for anyone who doesn't have a dog who rides in their car, know that even $3.00 in the heavy duty vacuum is no match for dog hair on the car seats.

The machine wouldn't read my credit card so I had to go home and wash my car by hand.  I washed all the windows, cleaned the headlights, and Armor-All'ed the interior.  For good measure I added an air freshener so now my cherry red Mustang smells like cherries =)

After that I ran.  I'm now done with Week 6 of the Couch to 5K.  I ran for 25 minutes straight, which worked out to roughly 2.25 miles, which is a personal record.  Still not very fast though.  I'm going to keep increasing my time running and work on speed later.  I have my first 5K on September 19th and I feel like I'll probably finish in about 40 minutes.  Not spectacular, but I'll be excited just to finish at all!  The entirety of Week 7 is running for 25 minutes.  They want you to run 2.5 miles in that time but I'm not at a 10 minute mile pace by any means so I'll do my best.

Cherie and I have spent the last couple hours talking about and planning our year in Columbus.  I'm getting more excited as the days go by, but also more apprehensive because as school gets closer, so does the VMCAS deadline.  Speaking of which, I'm going to go work on that now that I have Cherie here to help me remember all the extracurricular junk I did in high school.

Forty Days

So I decided to start a blog that I could use to chronicle my journey to vet school.  Currently there are 40 days left until the VMCAS and OSU Supplemental Applications are due, so let the rushing and stressing commence!  I don't have a lot to say now but I'm going to keep up with the rest of my summer internship at Mapleton Veterinary Clinic, as well as the final stages of applying for vet school, hopefully the interview process, my senior year at Ohio State, and, if we're lucky...my life as a vet student.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see =)