Vet student turned....vet student?

[kaydubs]

Okay - on request by PetPony, I decided to bring this to the forefront as its very own thread (if it's a duplicate-ish one, I'm fine with it being removed): I'm turning an earlier post from class of 2015 more into an informal poll (can I do that??). In interest in avoiding pirating:

I'll keep it simple with a trifecta (or an attempt at least) of questions: a) How do you feel your first year as a student is going? As expected, better, worse, etc. b) Do you feel you were well-prepared going in or have you found out some surprising (good or bad) things? c) Are you happy overall that you decided to go to vet school/do you know this is still what you want rather than any change in career goals?

[Now, I will attempt to be brief as to why I deferred in case anyone is genuinely curious since I was so insanely pumped for my dream finally coming through and then I tried to destroy same dream. Oi...: (enough self-abuse...). Over the summer, burnout really hit hard and it took on other faces, particularly my arch-nemesis, depression. I felt like the initial elation/honeymoon feeling for my acceptance into vet school had morphed into the "we're getting a divorce - get out, I'll mail your things just so I don't have to deal with you!" outlook. Not my best moment. My anxiety almost had me withdrawing from vet school all together but the wonderful adcoms at Tufts convinced me to request a deferment. So I was ready to head to grad school with new dreams in mind but idk the vet school virus seems to still be strong in my system. I'll blame ten year burn-out for how I could've even considered abandoning my dream of a veterinarian. So, I'm back - just 1 year late - and very happy to be here.]

The money/cost demon is still bothering me - anyone have remedies for that??

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[PetPony]

Thank you! I figured there's probably be more people out there too that would like to hear these things. :]

 

[kaydubs]

Thank you! I figured there's probably be more people out there too that would like to hear these things. :]

My pleasure. I really hadn't considered anyone else would be remotely interested If you have any random questions, feel free to PM (I'm pretty good at responding!)

 

[heylodeb]

I'll keep it simple with a trifecta (or an attempt at least) of questions: a) How do you feel your first year as a student is going? As expected, better, worse, etc. b) Do you feel you were well-prepared going in or have you found out some surprising (good or bad) things? c) Are you happy overall that you decided to go to vet school/do you know this is still what you want rather than any change in career goals?
The money/cost demon is still bothering me - anyone have remedies for that??

We start class at 10 (and have tomorrow off - WOW!!) today so I figured I'd take the time to answer. If you've kept up with the 2015 thread there are very different opinions about these things but here's my view.

a. First year is going well. I have adopted the "take it one day at a time" mentality. It's so overwhelming if you look at it from the bird's eye view and I find that if I just make a priority list of what things need to be studied when and just keep chugging away - eventually all those scary things in the distance get accomplished/test are taken/ case is presented and you just keep moving on to the next thing. The comments about vet school being a marathon is TRUE. You have to just keep moving. Left foot right foot, mile after mile. So far vet school has been like a 3 month finals week in the amount of studying/dedication you have to have.

b. I think I was well prepared coming in. There are somethings that your classmates know ahead of time that you don't and other thigns that you know and your classmates don't....I do REALLY wish that I had taken an immunology course. It would have helped me so much and would be saving me a LOT of time right now!

c. I am happy. Vet school is great. it's hard, it's rewarding, it's fun. I have met the most amazing people - love my classmates! (most of them)

d. So the money thing is terrible. I will admit that I get the world's most gigantic pit in my stomach every time I think about the amount of money I have borrowed. My husband is really good about talking me out of my panic. The way he likes to talk about it is that I'm not taking out school loans - I'm taking out a small mortgage. I am open to using income based repayment (hoping I won't have to, though) but that thought is also helpful when I start worrying about not being able to make $1,500+ payments a month starting out.

 

[Packen]

What better way to procrastinate on my paper

BTW, glad to hear things are working out Kaydubs - you are going to rock vet school!

Ok to answer your questions:
a) I study more than I ever have in my entire life, but I do find time to play on a club team, go out, and even take a few trips. So for me these past few months have been all about balance. Organization has also been key for me.

b) I second wishing I had taken immunology But over all I feel that the study techniques and methods I have developed for myself over the years are still beneficial. I was doubting myself until our first set of exams came back. After getting those results though, I am definitely more confident in what I am doing now. I can't stress how important it is to believe in yourself. You made it this far, you are doing something right

c)YES. Miss the hubby, but I know deep down this is what I was meant to do.

d) Is it naive I still hope to win the lotto? Yes, money does concern me, but as a non-trad, I know what it is like to live without following your dream. For me, living a life of regret far out-shadowed money issues, so ultimately it was no contest.

 

[SocialStigma]

a) First year is going pretty well. I'm in class for A LOT longer than I'm used to (8 h days, whereas in undergrad I had max 3-5 h days and sometimes even 1-2 h days). This means that I have to start studying for midterms a lot sooner than I used to because I don't have much time after school to study. I've pretty much been studying every day since mid-October because we have at least 1 midterm/week, which kind of sucks. My grades are a lot higher than I expected thus far though (even better than my undergrad marks), I suspect they're going easy on us in 1st semester.

b) I was well prepared. Counting myself lucky that I took anat&phys and immunology in undergrad or I would be drowning in the sheer volume of material right now. On the other hand, it means that I tend to zone out a lot during those classes and miss important hints/tips/factoids. If a pre-vet student has the opportunity to take anat&phys, genetics, immuno, biochem, histology and pharmacology in undergrad..DO IT (anat&phys and histo, in particular). It seriously helps so much to have background knowledge in these subjects. I wish I had taken histo in undergrad (my school didn't offer it).

c) I'm happy I'm here and this is definitely still what I want to do.

d) I try not to think too much about money haha. When I do then it just makes me feel anxious and panicky. I don't even want to know how much I have to pay back in student loans from undergrad but my plan is to just keep going to school for as long as humanly possible (going to get my DVM and then DVSc, then maybe a PhD or two thrown in there) to avoid paying them back (you only have to start paying back the loans when you're 6 months out of school) .

 

[goldielocks137]

a. I feel like my first year is going really great. Before starting I constantly heard how hard, overwhelming, and time consuming it would be. I really do not feel overly overwhelmed by classes. I think it helps that I took a year off between undergrad and vet school to recharge my batteries. Yes, it's a lot of class. But that's really all I have to do right now. I don't have any other commitments! In addition, I think I am less stressed than undergrad because I live by myself. I don't have to waste time or energy worrying about roommate issues, I can go to bed or wake up whenever I want to without worrying about being disturbed, I can study in complete silence, and I can have a really quite night at home without feeling lame.

b. I felt so prepared going in! I am so happy I was a biochem major and took way more science classes than were required.

c. I am happy that I decided to go to vet school. This has been what I've always wanted to do and I still have an occasional day here or there where all of a sudden it hits me that I'm across the country doing what I really want to be doing. That's not to say that there aren't bad days. It can really get hard being in the same room with the same people all day every day. I like most of my classmates, but I see them maybe more than I'd like and as an out of state student they are my only friends here. But overall I'm happy with my life.

 

[breenie]

a. Expected to slightly better. Doing better grade-wise than I thought, and handling the stress a lot better than I thought I would! I get grouchy some days. I get really tired of seeing my classmates all the time (except scb44f, she's a doll). I miss my boyfriend. I miss my family. I wish I could ride my horse more. I expected these things, though. Oh! And I really like living in Missouri. Columbia is cute and great and awesome and I am ALL about living alone and drinking wine in the shower with NO ONE TO JUDGE ME.

b. Yes. I feel very well prepared. I got a lot out of my undergraduate coursework and went to a school that had classes designed for all of the pre-professional/health kids. I have learned a lot of this already, and the things that I haven't... I feel prepared to learn. I also spent a lot of time last year working on being a less stressed out nutcase, learning to cook more efficiently, and generally getting better at life skillz. This has helped cope with the general life-sucking properties of vet school.

c. Yeah. I have no clue where I'm going to go or what I'll be doing exactly... but I'm still pretty sure I want to be there.

 

[heylodeb]

(except scb44f, she's a doll).

wah! I'm jealous !! Could you do me a favor and ship her to CA for me?

 

[breenie]

wah! I'm jealous !! Could you do me a favor and ship her to CA for me?

Neeeeevvvvveeeerrrrr!!!!

 

[pooter]

a) Well, I failed a test and the world did not end, so it's going both better and worse than I expected. I wish we got to do more clinical stuff, but the school/clubs have been pretty good about making sure we're at least exposed to the cool stuff. City living is not as interesting as I was expecting, but that might be because I'm holed up every weekend cramming for an exam.

b) Academically, I was well-prepared, although I come from a small college, so lecture halls requiring microphones are a new experience. But emotionally and socially? No. Maybe you can't ever be really prepared, but I've had a rough time. Depression is my nemesis, too. One of my undergrad profs tried to convince me to defer because of it. I came anyway, and I'm usually pretty good about powering through it academically, but . . . well, I'm pretty sure my classmates have decided I'm weird, and I don't blame them. I might be in the same place as you, had my honeymoon period not lasted until about the third week of school. By then, I was in the thick of it, so I figured I might as well slog it out. Plus, taking a leave/deferment thingy would mean moving back home, which would probably be worse for my mental state.

c) Believe it or not, I'm glad to be here despite all that. There are good days, and those days are very, very good. I still get excited when I think about where I'll be in a few years.

d) I'm taking a dinner cruise down the beautiful, scenic D'Nile. See you in four years!

 

[kaydubs]

First and foremost, I can't thank you all enough for taking the time out of the insanity of first year to respond. (I could thank all of you individually but that seems overkill...) It warms my heart and reminds me (in stereo) of why I want to be a vet. It's a lot about the animals (the promise of meeting a new one frequently might motivate me through vet school). But, it's a lot about people like you (vets, vet-hopefuls, vet student-hopefuls). We're a class of our own, so unique and special. Other professional students pale in comparison (I mean, we have puppies and kittens - FAR SUPERIOR to human cadavers....ew and I don't *THINK* we want to cut each other's throats (literally or metaphorically) like some pre-meds I kne/ow....)

I will respond individually if I have more questions, either here or PM. Maybe here cause maybe someone is thinking the same question but is pre-occupied with lurking on the thread. (So, shout-out to any lurkers - speak with questions - I don't want to run this thread.....)

But I will have to respond when I have time and it's not 3:30am (going to UPenn's White Coat Ceremony on my cousin's behalf - so STOKED!). Love all of you, esp. 2015s cause you were who I freaked out/sympathized/empathized with last/this year (or maybe a bit after - my vet school interview fever started late November). I'm so proud that everyone seems to be doing swell overall (giving me big shoes to fill, gosh you guys!)

The only question I can think of now in my zombie sleep state: (a fun question) - which class is your most favorite/least hated? I know we're all gonna have vastly different class curriculum but end up with the same degree ('cept if your from Penn.....) so if you want to add that to the trio of questions, feel free. (And, if you must, list all of your classes for any future pre-vets who have schools with sub-par websites/info sources).

I wish all of you mountains of truckloads of luck, success and free time to engage in what you love (besides vet med!)

SDN pre-vet is almost my favorite place online. 'cause you are all so awesome

 

[SocialStigma]

Killing some time before going to clin med lab (going to tip sheep and wrangle pigs today!), soooo....

Most hated class: histology BY FAR. Most of this has to do with the prof, who is a genuinely nice person but not a very effective prof (mumbles and is hard to understand, goes through unlabelled slides in 1.001 s that will later show up on a test, etc). I've never taken histo before so all the material is new (and difficult) to me.

Most liked class: Either anatomy or clin med. I like anatomy because I actually feel like I know something (took human anat in undergrad and there's like 80-85% overlap). This means that I can enjoy labs and class because I'm not being overwhelmed by the material being thrown at us. I like clin med because it's where we get to do clinical stuff - so far we've learned how to perform physicals on horses and bovine, today we're moving on to pigs and sheep.

My other courses are:
genetics
biochem
physiology
health management
art of vet med

 

[vacavet]

So to kill some time before my Microanatomy and 3d imaging tests...

a) I feel first year is going better than I expected. It definitely is way more work than undergrad ever was. Typically In class from 8-4/5 and then an additional 4-5 hours of studying after that. The biggest thing for me was setting in good study habits early, even though the material wasn't too bad starting off with. If I had stuck with my old habits early on it would have defnitely hurt me in the long run. I love my school, love Kansas, and the people in my class. The nice thing here is that we have a test every friday so it helps us focus on a weekly basis and every once in a while we have more than one test a week. Definitely find outside things cause I know seeing the windowless walls of the lab all the time can get overwhelming when you forget what the sun looks like. I got season football tickets so go relax every saturday, played intramural ultimate frisbee in the begining of the year, and go out to the shooting range.

b) I'd say that I definitely feel really well prepared from my undergrad. But don't forget everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Usually works out that you help your classmates out with your strengths and there is always someone there who has no problem with the thing you are struggling to comprehend. I had a Animal Science degree so I feel very comfortable especially with applied information but I didn't realize biochem would come back so heavily first semester in physio so it all balances out.

c) I feel like even when you're having a rough day/week and you have a million things on your plate you still don't think about doing anything else. That's part of why we have such a good group of people in our proffesion. I would not trade it for anything and the proffesors and classmates I have definitely help to reinforce that decision.

The money is always daunting. My instate was Davis financially it wasn't a large difference for me to go outofstate to Kansas where the costofliving is much cheaper. And it fits me cause I want to to do food animal. Its daunting but if you can find ways to help reduce and plan for how you are going to deal with it it definitely helps.

On a final note, don't stress over the material. If you bust your ass and put as much of yourself into studying as you can, then theres not much more you can do then that. It seems silly to me to stress when theres nothing else you can do at that point. This is also coming from a person who used to stress really bad as a kid so I had to go hard the opposite direction.

My most liked class would be Gross Anatomy and suprisingly I don't mind Microanatomy that much. Physio has been much more basic at this point than systemic. I guess we get more of a systemic phys next semester. I was prolly most disappointed in my Bovine Therio elective. In addition I'm taking Cross course integration, Carreer Developement, Cognates and Etymology (elective), and 3D imaging of the Dog (elective.)

Best of luck in the coming year.

 

[PetPony]

Killing some time before going to clin med lab (going to tip sheep and wrangle pigs today!), soooo....

Setting sheep and trimming their feet was my first lab in my Animal Science class. I thought it was fun to set them until I got one who just would not let me do it. It took me about ten tries and falling on my butt three times before I could do it. But at least that guy who was trying t show me how to do it and who pretty much just wanted to show off how string he was... he couldn't do it at all. So there. Hahaha

But back on topic. What did you guys want to specialize in when you applied to vet school. Is it still the same, do you not know or did nothing change? Is it too early to really say?

 

[kaydubs]

a. I have adopted the "take it one day at a time" mentality. The comments about vet school being a marathon is TRUE. You have to just keep moving. Left foot right foot, mile after mile.

d. So the money thing is terrible. I will admit that I get the world's most gigantic pit in my stomach every time I think about the amount of money I have borrowed. My husband is really good about talking me out of my panic. The way he likes to talk about it is that I'm not taking out school loans - I'm taking out a small mortgage. I am open to using income based repayment (hoping I won't have to, though) but that thought is also helpful when I start worrying about not being able to make $1,500+ payments a month starting out.

Thanks, heylodeb!!! I will probably adopt that mind-set next year (I love lists!). And as for the debt thing, I have that same symptom!!! I thought I was the only one

a) I study more than I ever have in my entire life, but I do find time to play on a club team, go out, and even take a few trips. So for me these past few months have been all about balance. Organization has also been key for me.

b) But over all I feel that the study techniques and methods I have developed for myself over the years are still beneficial. I was doubting myself until our first set of exams came back. After getting those results though, I am definitely more confident in what I am doing now. I can't stress how important it is to believe in yourself. You made it this far, you are doing something right

c)YES. Miss the hubby, but I know deep down this is what I was meant to do.

d) Is it naive I still hope to win the lotto? Yes, money does concern me, but as a non-trad, I know what it is like to live without following your dream. For me, living a life of regret far out-shadowed money issues, so ultimately it was no contest.

Thanks for the words of wisdom, Packen. I'm doing a heck of a lot better realizing that I can't walk away from vet school. I don't know if I'd ever forgive myself if I hadn't realized it was the burnout talking, not the "vet schol isn't for you" voice. Here's hoping that my type A persona who excels at organizing will adopt balance and carry it throughout the rest of my life Most importantly, I'll remember to keep believing in myself.

And, heck, if you win the lotto, can I get a cut?? I truly admire you non-trads; words can't even express it. It's kind of nice that we're all in this together - camaraderie all the way

 

[kaydubs]

But back on topic. What did you guys want to specialize in when you applied to vet school. Is it still the same, do you not know or did nothing change? Is it too early to really say?

PetPony - just curious - you a 2016?

To respond: for me, when I applied, I was focused primarily on mixed animal med, had the most experience in SA but fell in love with cows after sending my apps (I'm a serious realist). Now, a year later, I'm back to my original plan that started the love story featuring vet med and me: conserv. med and wildlife rehab with some aquatic med if the stars align. I don't really want to specialize and I still want to open my own super hospital one day (after I hit the jackpot on the lotto!)

 

[fromthebox]

PetPony - just curious - you a 2016?

I'm pretty sure PetPony is a c/o2015 (undergrad) at UGA... Gosh, I wish I'd found SDN when I was in undergrad!


PS- love this thread, gives me something to do on the night shift

 

[PetPony]

I'm pretty sure PetPony is a c/o2015 (undergrad) at UGA... Gosh, I wish I'd found SDN when I was in undergrad!

Yea, I just started my UG at UGA. Great place for animal science, just saying.. Haha

I found SDN in high school, but kinda forgot about it. Now I can't get away from it. But yeah, SDN is the reason I want to become a vet again. In Germany, you literally have to have perfect grades to become a vet. I didn't have that. Only after finding this, I realized it's not as competitive and hard here and that I do have a chance. (Not saying it's easy. I'm still nervous about applying. Just easier that in Germany.)

 

[fromthebox]

there's so much emphasis on tracking in Germany - you have to earn the right to do a doctorate level degree thru years of perfect grades and even then, you might not get in. I can see how comparatively the US is "easier"

 

[PetPony]

there's so much emphasis on tracking in Germany - you have to earn the right to do a doctorate level degree thru years of perfect grades and even then, you might not get in. I can see how comparatively the US is "easier"

You declare your 'major' pretty much in high school already. You need close to all 1s (1=A, 2=B.. 6=F) to get accepted into a program and be able to go to a University. Going into veterinary medicine is one of the hardest fields to get into. If I focus on one thing that I really want to do, I can make awesome grades. But I just didn't have the mind set to completely focus on all 13-16 classes every single year. Not possible for me. 6 classes here I can handle, but not that much.

 

[scb44f]

I get really tired of seeing my classmates all the time (except scb44f, she's a doll).

Aww shucks You're a doll too... when you aren't kicking me out of the club*!

*Fictional goat(?) club. I don't actually have any experience with goats. Except I restrained a couple so the vet could give vaccinations. That was fun

I am open to being shipped to CA to hang out with Heylodeb though. She never kicked me out of any club

a) How do you feel your first year as a student is going? As expected, better, worse, etc.

Well, I'd say about as expected. I knew how much studying would be involved from my SO, so that wasn't as much of a shocker. It is absolutely challenging for me to sit in lectures all day because I get super antsy which is something I learned when classes started, but I feel like I get something from it so I continue to go. I am in the process of refining my note-taking/study techniques. It has worked, but I think my changes will make it more efficient which is always good. We'll see though.

I am sitting in a good spot for grades this semester, and I haven't really been too overwhelmed except for yesterday when I thought I knew a lot less about the subject matter on our test today than I really did. Don't worry, I went to a review and realized it wasn't so bad, and was comfortable with my (perceived) performance on the exam today. Aaaanyway... moving on!

b) Do you feel you were well-prepared going in or have you found out some surprising (good or bad) things?

Biochem and Metabolism (separate classes at my school) were the best classes I could've taken! They were taught by an MD/PhD though so she introduced me to a lot of the examples showing the clinical relevance that we went over in cell bio here. Also, she was crazy about integration, which helped for what our professor wanted us to know for that one single test. I took a super lame physiology course in UG (where the professor used outdated terminology), so I really only learned very basic concepts from it, but I think it helped because I understood a lot of the stuff (e.g. action potentials) on the first test really well already. Basically, the classes I took only helped me on two tests. I never took anatomy, histology, immunology, etc. in UG because the latter two weren't even offered, though I took cell bio about 4 years ago now. My school totally sucked for anything pre-health and I still don't understand how they draw people who want to go to med/vet/dental/etc. school, but that's just me lol.

I had a pretty good work ethic coming in, so I know how to force myself to study when I should, and I also know when I need to just take a break. Overall, I don't think I was totally well-prepared as far as knowing what exactly was going on in all the classes, but I knew how to figure it all out, so I don't think I was really hindered by it.

c) Are you happy overall that you decided to go to vet school/do you know this is still what you want rather than any change in career goals?

Enormous yes! I look forward to school in the morning. I also look forward to leaving it in the afternoon Anyway, despite the amount of time I put into this thing that I'm paying for, I am happy with my decision to go for this. Never in a million years would I have thought 5 years ago that I would be sitting here today as a student in vet school, but it's what I want to do and I can't imagine anything that I would want to do more!

Which class is your most favorite/least hated?

Right now, we are taking SA anatomy, histology, cell bio, and physiology. My least favorite class is a tie between anatomy and histology. I am absolutely frustrated by anatomy and histology lectures because of the stupid little details that I never remember. I just do NOT have the memory that does well with such things. Concepts? Minutia? I do like seeing stuff in labs though. That is totally awesome.

My favorite class? Lunch. Not an option? Okay... I physiology is probably my favorite overall but metabolism is my favorite subject.

 

[breenie]

I am open to being shipped to CA to hang out with Heylodeb though. She never kicked me out of any club

That was all T.

 

[scb44f]

That was all T.

Uh huh... but you know what prompted her to kick me out?

 

[SocialStigma]

Setting sheep and trimming their feet was my first lab in my Animal Science class. I thought it was fun to set them until I got one who just would not let me do it. It took me about ten tries and falling on my butt three times before I could do it. But at least that guy who was trying t show me how to do it and who pretty much just wanted to show off how string he was... he couldn't do it at all. So there. Hahaha

But back on topic. What did you guys want to specialize in when you applied to vet school. Is it still the same, do you not know or did nothing change? Is it too early to really say?

Haha it was my first time tipping sheep today (they were lambs, actually) and I pretty much got a week's worth of exercise running after them. I clearly need to build up some upper arm strength but it was a lot of fun.

Coming into vet school, I wanted to specialize in SA/exotics surgery (possibly in a ER/crit care setting). Still do as of right now. I've come to grow fond of goats, sheep and cows but not enough to persuade me that LA/food animal is something I'd want. Who knows though, we don't take principles of surgery until 3rd year so maybe I'll find out then that I actually hate it lol.

 

[breenie]

Uh huh... but you know what prompted her to kick me out?

I know I know... the goat thing. Details!

 

[twelvetigers]

a) How do you feel your first year as a student is going? As expected, better, worse, etc.

I knew what I was getting into. That doesn't mean it was an easy adjustment, but I did see it coming.

I wouldn't mind to be doing a little bit better in some of my classes, but all in all it's going okay. I was expecting to have trouble with the material (or at least the volume of material) but, surprisingly, I seem to be having more trouble adapting to the variety of testing styles.

I still need to work on my note-taking skills, but again, that has to do with the variations between professors. Switching from ones that use powerpoints or pdfs to others that don't has been a weird adjustment. We started a new section of phys today, and the prof uses an overhead projector. Like, the kind with a light that shines on the screen... like they used in grade school...

b) Do you feel you were well-prepared going in or have you found out some surprising (good or bad) things?

Classwise, I feel like I had a good foundation. Honestly, I don't know how many undergrad schools offer an anatomy course that is detailed enough to really give you a leg-up on the vet school version. If your school does, I would probably try and take that. We don't have immuno until next semester so I can't speak about that like others have, but I do think that a histo course would have been pretty helpful too, since it relies a lot on familiarity.

As for anything else... hmm. Rumors travel even faster than I thought they would. I try to stay out of it.

c) Are you happy overall that you decided to go to vet school/do you know this is still what you want rather than any change in career goals?

I may grumble day-to-day, but I don't know what the hell else I'd be doing. And I would hate myself forever if I quit. So, it's not even an option - I just keep on truckin, and try to enjoy the parts I like as much as I can.

Which class is your most favorite/least hated?

Bleh. This semester hasn't been the best as far as enjoying my classes. Physiology is okay, but I like parts and dislike other parts. Respiratory and cardiology were fun. The CNS was neat but really confusing (to the point of frustration) at some points... the words 'sympathetic trunk' and 'dorsal root ganglion' make me cringe. And the initial part with the transporters and the kinases and processes like that... man, that stuff bores me. Like, whoa.

Histo, I like but as I have said, the exams trip me up and that's frustrating. Anatomy is painful. I think first semester is painful for everyone. I hear that second semester is better, so I'm holding on to that.

Next semester though... there's immunology, parasit I, and general path. I really hope that at least one of these classes turns out to be one I can get excited about. At least a little.

Sorry if any of that sounded dire... I'm pretty apathetic about a lot of it, honestly. I'm passing, so yanno. I do want to do well, though.

And with that thought, I'mma look over some histo before bed.

 

[Coquette22]

a) How do you feel your first year as a student is going? As expected, better, worse, etc.

Better! In terms of marks, I'm doing as well or better than in undergrad. I love the material (except histo) and we have tons of optional wetlabs to get hands on experience.

b) Do you feel you were well-prepared going in or have you found out some surprising (good or bad) things?

I think I was reasonably well prepared. I think next semester/next year I might wish I'd taken a parasitology, virology and bacteriology course. But so far, I'm all right. I had no background in anatomy at all. I did have some in histology and some in immunology. My 4-H background is coming in handy in animal production systems.

c) Are you happy overall that you decided to go to vet school/do you know this is still what you want rather than any change in career goals?

Completely happy! If anything, this has reaffirmed that I'm in the right career path. I don't know if I'll stick to my planned path after graduation (epidemiology/public health) but I know there's something in vet med that I adore.

 

[breenie]

I love the material (except histo)

*shakes fist angrily*

 

[LetItSnow]

a) How do you feel your first year as a student is going? As expected, better, worse, etc.

I'm finding the time-management puzzle to be a bit harder than I anticipated. I thought I'd settle down into a nice rhythm of going to school, coming home, playing with the kids/spouse for an hour or two, and then studying. In reality, I'm finding that I'm just plain dead by the time it's time to study. So I tried shifting my studying to mostly weekends - except that that's when I'm catching up on chores, family time, odds 'n ends, etc.

Solution: Don't study. So far that's going ok, though my GPA is down in the 3+ range. (I'm mostly kidding - I still study. But nowhere near as much as I'd like to, or need to.) There's a tiny bit of truth in there, though - I'm just plain not willing to give up any more family time. Since I'm not planning an internship/residency, I can afford to take the GPA hit. I still would like to pass, though.

b) Do you feel you were well-prepared going in or have you found out some surprising (good or bad) things?

I feel adequately prepared. First year could be a breeze for people who had the right majors as an undergrad. I'm still overwhelmed by the volume of material, though. I am amazed at how quickly your ability to memorize can be developed. The first anatomy lab test required a LOT more memorization time for me than the last; you just learn to absorb the material more quickly.

c) Are you happy overall that you decided to go to vet school/do you know this is still what you want rather than any change in career goals?

Absolutely. In spite of the economic challenges, in spite of the difficulty and constant weariness, in spite of the hoops ... I love it. I enjoy what I'm learning. I'm thrilled with the opportunities I've had to get out and be in public DOING vet med. My classmates rock. Most of my teachers rock. Wouldn't trade it for anything.

 

[kaydubs]

First: anyone have some opinions to share on note-taking pro choices and con ones? I'm considering the LiveScribe pen or whatever but I'm kinda freaked that I'd be fiddling around with my new gadget and forget to take notes.... I'm the pen(cil) and paper type but if I really wanted to be environmentally friendly I'd switch to my laptop. But, then there's FB and the internet in general - a Pandora's box that I'd prefer to avoid avoid avoid.

We started a new section of phys today, and the prof uses an overhead projector. Like, the kind with a light that shines on the screen... like they used in grade school...

----> I remember those days.... Thanks for sharing - it doesn't sound TOO dire I must admit though, histo was one of the major classes that scared the pants off me from the get-go. Then people started posting about Physio Chem and I'm not sure which to fear most (besides fear of course...)

Haha it was my first time tipping sheep today (they were lambs, actually) and I pretty much got a week's worth of exercise running after them

^Is sheep tipping as challenging/intimidating as it first sounds? Will I end up on the ground with the sheep?

My favorite class? Lunch. Not an option? Okay... I physiology is probably my favorite overall but metabolism is my favorite subject.

Lunch is most definitely an option! Food/mealtime is sometimes my favorite option and I'm not even in vet school yet...

*shakes fist angrily*

I think this is how I will view histo next year. Stay tuned to see if it comes true!

c) Are you happy overall that you decided to go to vet school/do you know this is still what you want rather than any change in career goals?

Absolutely. In spite of the economic challenges, in spite of the difficulty and constant weariness, in spite of the hoops ... I love it. I enjoy what I'm learning. Wouldn't trade it for anything.

- that's all. I hope to maintain that sort of attitude when I get dragged through my first year

Solution: Don't study. So far that's going ok, though my GPA is down in the 3+ range. (I'm mostly kidding - I still study. But nowhere near as much as I'd like to, or need to.) There's a tiny bit of truth in there, though - I'm just plain not willing to give up any more family time. Since I'm not planning an internship/residency, I can afford to take the GPA hit. I still would like to pass, though.

Question numero dos based on LIS's response about GPA concerning internship/residency: Can anyone explain/elaborate on this? I already know that C's still = a DVM/VMD but I must admit, the post-vet school sorts of stuff is not my forte by any means....

 

[breenie]

Nah man, I love histo. I shake my fist at all of Coquette's histo hate.

AND LetItSnow's. Stfu about my bestie, guys.

 

[LetItSnow]

I'm the pen(cil) and paper type but if I really wanted to be environmentally friendly I'd switch to my laptop.

I took all-pen/paper notes in UG. I take all-computer notes now. It's just too easy; when most of the teachers provide you with their slides ahead of time (PDFs, powerpoint, whatever) and you can slurp that into OneNote and then take notes right over the top... hard to resist. And you can drop an audio recording right in with it for reviewing. And you can draw pretty pictures. And you can Facebook. Hard to beat.

Also, the material is presented so ridiculously fast that I couldn't keep up with pen/paper.

So anyway, I've completely converted. I'm ultra-paranoid about backing up the material (I back it up to a few different locations), but that's the biggest downside I see.

Is sheep tipping as challenging/intimidating as it first sounds? Will I end up on the ground with the sheep?

And no, sheep-tipping is not as hard as it sounds. They go over backwards quite easily. But, I'm a 6' 180-pounder. If you're 5', 105lb, maybe it's harder. I dunno.

Question numero dos based on LIS's response about GPA concerning internship/residency: Can anyone explain/elaborate on this? I already know that C's still = a DVM/VMD but I must admit, the post-vet school sorts of stuff is not my forte by any means....

I went to a lunch talk about internship/residencies. It was surgery specific, so I don't know how much can be generalized. For that matter, I don't know how accurate the speaker was. So... grain of salt, do your research, etc. But she indicated that to get the specific internship to which she was referring you'd need a GPA of 3.6+. She said that the residency is less GPA focused (but you're probably doing an internship first, so......). I heard that info and checked off the internship/residency box in my brain immediately. (It was already a distant possibility.)

I'd love to hear more about GPA/internship/residency from people who might actually know something.

 

[kaydubs]

Nah man, I love histo. I shake my fist at all of Coquette's histo hate.

AND LetItSnow's. Stfu about my bestie, guys.

breenie: what's histo's redeeming quality/(ies)? It looks a bit terrifying to me....

I took all-pen/paper notes in UG. I take all-computer notes now. It's just too easy; when most of the teachers provide you with their slides ahead of time (PDFs, powerpoint, whatever) and you can slurp that into OneNote and then take notes right over the top... hard to resist. And you can drop an audio recording right in with it for reviewing. And you can draw pretty pictures. And you can Facebook. Hard to beat.

Also, the material is presented so ridiculously fast that I couldn't keep up with pen/paper.

So anyway, I've completely converted. I'm ultra-paranoid about backing up the material (I back it up to a few different locations), but that's the biggest downside I see.

And no, sheep-tipping is not as hard as it sounds. They go over backwards quite easily. But, I'm a 6' 180-pounder. If you're 5', 105lb, maybe it's harder. I dunno.

I went to a lunch talk about internship/residencies. It was surgery specific, so I don't know how much can be generalized. For that matter, I don't know how accurate the speaker was. So... grain of salt, do your research, etc. But she indicated that to get the specific internship to which she was referring you'd need a GPA of 3.6+. She said that the residency is less GPA focused (but you're probably doing an internship first, so......). I heard that info and checked off the internship/residency box in my brain immediately. (It was already a distant possibility.)

I'd love to hear more about GPA/internship/residency from people who might actually know something.

Thanks, LIS. For all info involved Maybe I'll start looking into post-vet school since I'm actually set on going now. I figured pen & paper would be a bit masochistic so I'll probably laptop it (and avoid FB at all costs....)

 

[Chinola]

Thanks, LIS. For all info involved Maybe I'll start looking into post-vet school since I'm actually set on going now. I figured pen & paper would be a bit masochistic so I'll probably laptop it (and avoid FB at all costs....)

I was planning on doing the laptop thing to take notes and had even started playing with OneNote over the summer to get good at it. But we buy SCAVMA notes at UF. These are notes that the professor puts together that can include "textbook" type text and/or powerpoint slides. They have varying thicknesses depending on what the professor felt like doing. (Endocrinology is super thin and only an outline while molecular bio was pretty thick because our prof wrote his own chapters for us to read + powerpoint slides.) I would check with students at Tufts specifically to see what they do. We take notes in our SCAVMA notes. No one uses a laptop in class on a regular basis.

 

[goldnretrivrgrl]

a) How do you feel your first year as a student is going? As expected, better, worse, etc.

I think the adjustment period was much harder than I expected. I was thinking I'd be freaked by the volume of material (or other academic concerns) but adjustment to living in Philly, without my friends/roommates/family, and dealing with the horrible recurrence of my anxiety was really the most difficult part. Then on top of that- I was worried about the academics. But I asked for, and received some help and I'm doing really well now. This is definitely more what I had expected.

b) Do you feel you were well-prepared going in or have you found out some surprising (good or bad) things?

I think I was really well prepared academically. Being a veterinary and biomedical sciences major paid off! I'm still surprised by how much information we absorb on a daily basis.

c) Are you happy overall that you decided to go to vet school/do you know this is still what you want rather than any change in career goals?

Yes. There are plenty of times when I don't LOVE vet school. Stinking constantly of anatomy, worrying about failing when I used to get A's, not being able to go home for the weekend very often, hours of studying when I'm already exhausted= hard. But there is nothing I would rather be doing. I'm proud to be a student at Penn Vet and in spring of 2015 (barring any disasters) I'm going to be a veterinarian! I still get a little shiver when I think about it...

Also:
-I actually like Histo. I still kind of get a headache after a while of staring into my scope but I feel pretty confident about the class- and I love feeling confident!
-I take notes on the printed lectures with a pen. I find my laptop too distracting and I'm not an awesome typist. Writing on the lecture seems to help me remember.

 

[breenie]

Reasons Breenie Likes Histo, Despite Her Practical Being Tomorrow Morning at 10am

- I like cells
- I like that form follows function to a certain extent (why yes the trachea should have cilia on its epithelial cells, that makes sense!)
- I like being able to take my time to look at something and think about it and logically analyze what it might be
- I also really like microbio! Little things are my jam

 

[twelvetigers]

Reasons Breenie Likes Histo, Despite Her Practical Being Tomorrow Morning at 10am

- I like cells
- I like that form follows function to a certain extent (why yes the trachea should have cilia on its epithelial cells, that makes sense!)
- I like being able to take my time to look at something and think about it and logically analyze what it might be
- I also really like microbio! Little things are my jam

Reasons TT likes histo:

Basically everything Breenie said, + being a super nerd.

Reasons TT doesn't like histo:

THE EXAMS
MY GRADE AS A RESULT OF THESE EXAMS

So. There you have it.

Also, when in doubt, pick E. It's always E.

 

[scb44f]

Reasons Breenie Likes Histo, Despite Her Practical Being Tomorrow Morning at 10am

- I like cells
- I like that form follows function to a certain extent (why yes the trachea should have cilia on its epithelial cells, that makes sense!)
- I like being able to take my time to look at something and think about it and logically analyze what it might be
- I also really like microbio! Little things are my jam

It is nice when that happens. I feel pretty prepped for tomorrow's exam. We'll see how it goes!

Aaanyway, as for notes. I don't like printing all those notes, so I don't. My small laptop's battery will last 40 minutes fully charged, and I also don't want to lug my giant laptop around. My compromise? Notebook parts leftover from undergrad and pen. Then I come home, and as I study, I type what little notes I took into OneNote with the slides. I am going to reformat how I take notes though because I am asking for a new battery for my Mac for Christmas. It's a smaller computer, and though it's older, it's not a pain in the butt to carry around, and it'll be easier for notes. I will still review the same way, but now the notes will already be typed so it should waste less time.

 

[breenie]

It is nice when that happens. I feel pretty prepped for tomorrow's exam. We'll see how it goes!

Aaanyway, as for notes. I don't like printing all those notes, so I don't. My small laptop's battery will last 40 minutes fully charged, and I also don't want to lug my giant laptop around. My compromise? Notebook parts leftover from undergrad and pen. Then I come home, and as I study, I type what little notes I took into OneNote with the slides. I am going to reformat how I take notes though because I am asking for a new battery for my Mac for Christmas. It's a smaller computer, and though it's older, it's not a pain in the butt to carry around, and it'll be easier for notes. I will still review the same way, but now the notes will already be typed so it should waste less time.

Don't you sit in a powerstrip row? I've got a newer Mac so I can go all day sitting in the back of the auditorium with the bad kids (/professors).

I do a similar thing to scbfffffffz. I hate paying money and killing trees soooo... I download the PPTs onto my laptop, and take notes into the little notes box while they talk about crap on their slides.

Then I go home that night, and compile the notes I took + relevant info from the PPTs into a Word document. I hate studying off of computers for extended periods of time, though, so I print out my study guides and study off of the paper. I highlight and scribble and do all kinds of heinous things to those papers, but I feel like it's legit, because I cam compile a whole Physiology unit into 12 pages (single sided), instead of printing out 100+ pages of PPT slides like most of my classmates.

...

...

LONG LIVE HISTO.

(really hoping I don't end up going into path though)

 

[scb44f]

Don't you sit in a powerstrip row? I've got a newer Mac so I can go all day sitting in the back of the auditorium with the bad kids (/professors).

Yes, I live in a powerstrip row, but I really really don't want to have it plugged in all freakin' day. A few hours without the cord would be ideal. Plus it's needed it for years now, and I just never got a new battery.


Edit: Yes, I wrote "live". I meant "sit" but when you are in lecture for so many hours in a week, you do live in your seat...

 

[twelvetigers]

(really hoping I don't end up going into path though)

*glare*

good cause i don't want the competition anyway

beezie.


I take notes on the powerpoints... WITH MY LAPTOP. Yeah, I'm that cool. Battery life isn't a problem, but we have an outlet per seat, so it's a non-issue anyway.

 

[breenie]

*glare*

good cause i don't want the competition anyway

beezie.


I take notes on the powerpoints... WITH MY LAPTOP. Yeah, I'm that cool. Battery life isn't a problem, but we have an outlet per seat, so it's a non-issue anyway.

I meant that as in... I anticipate going straight into practice (potentially internship if I go pure equine route, but hesitant about that), so the MASTER BREENIE LIFE PLAN does not account for potential path interest.

Hoping my histo luv does not blossom into path luvvvv. Don't have a path plan in place!

But if it does, we can be buddies. Only if you call me Beezie on the regular, though.

 

[twelvetigers]

I call everyone beezie.

 

[breenie]

I call everyone beezie.

And I thought I was special...

 

[kaydubs]

I call everyone beezie.

And I thought I was special...

At least TT calls you beezie. She's never called me that...I'll just have to try not to cry a river and drown myself ()

I take notes on the powerpoints... WITH MY LAPTOP. Yeah, I'm that cool. Battery life isn't a problem, but we have an outlet per seat, so it's a non-issue anyway.

TT for the win!! I'll admit, I was considering adopting the use of old notebooks and typing them up later but I honestly don't know which will be best. I always took long-hand notes in undergrad but I'm a decent typist. That being said, often my fingers move faster than my brain...so, will I keep up? dunno....

Edit: Yes, I wrote "live". I meant "sit" but when you are in lecture for so many hours in a week, you do live in your seat...

And I thought I was bad in undergrad (I'd always want to be in a quiet lab rather than in my past insane living arrangements!) I'm sure for a decent amount of time, I will take up semi-perm residence in the anatomy lab. Eat, sleep, play in the anatomy lab. Goodie....

Reasons Breenie Likes Histo, Despite Her Practical Being Tomorrow Morning at 10am

- I like cells
- I like that form follows function to a certain extent (why yes the trachea should have cilia on its epithelial cells, that makes sense!)
- I like being able to take my time to look at something and think about it and logically analyze what it might be
- I also really like microbio! Little things are my jam

Best wishes, breenie! You'll kick that exam's butt!! Hm, I love micro as well....maybe there's some hope for histo for me????? true or false: Histo is impt to a vet student because it is necessary to recognize healthy tissue before recognizing diseased tissue. (Not one, but TWO gold stars for the person who answers correctly!)

I would check with students at Tufts specifically to see what they do. We take notes in our SCAVMA notes. No one uses a laptop in class on a regular basis.

Thanks for the tip, Chinola! I'm near positive that Tufts note-taking is anything goes kinda thing (I've seen pictures of people in the lecture halls on their laptops on F--I mean, being hardcore students) The Tufts gang can feel free to correct me if I mis-speak.

 

[kaydubs]

In case there's some rejoicing to the first half of your 1st/2nd/3rd/4th year being ALMOST over. Or you don't want your thread to fall into the abyss.....