Class of 2015... How ya doing?

Veterinary Science Graduate Programs from U. of I.
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Coquette22 said:
I would, but the dingus is a little old man with Alzheimer's who didn't realize what was going on until his friend came to visit later this evening. It was the friend who actually called and was like, "Yeah, we need to do something about this."
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That is indeed very sad. I hope they actually make it over 🙁
 
Minnerbelle said:
Uhh I hope you tacked on a "you are an dingus for making your dog suffer all freaking day, and for making my life miserable" charge of at least $500 that you can pocket and share with whomever poor staff member has to wait with you.

Edit: holy crap. A&@hole automatically converts to dingus now.

Ass
****
****er
Bitch
Bitches
Mother****er
dingus

Oh... I guess it's just a$&hole
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Been like a year now, at least since the big update. And you call yourself a mod. Emeritus. Whatevs.
 
Minnerbelle said:
Somehow it makes us feel better when we are externally punished for adverse outcomes. It's kind of messed up, but at least for me, it's true.
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I definitely find that to be true, even when there's no blame to be assigned. The owner of my last euth tonight wouldn't stop thanking me. For finding cancer in her 12 yo cat's chest. And she was obviously upset and angry at the world, but bent over backwards to try to keep me from seeing it. 🙁
 
twelvetigers said:
Been like a year now, at least since the big update. And you call yourself a mod. Emeritus. Whatevs.
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Haha, now that I'm thinking about it, I remember this coming up in the past (I thought it was déjà vu, but it was real!). I think I even commented on it. Lol I'm getting old.
 
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Minnerbelle said:
That is indeed very sad. I hope they actually make it over 🙁
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They did. The euthanasia went very well, considering we did it in the back seat of a car* in -12C and my fingers were numb.

*Dog was calm and 40kg+ and in pain and couldn't walk, so moving him was going to be a lot easier for everyone after he was gone.
 
...things that can be erased now 🙂

Edit: This feeling kind of goes away when I'm trusted to take 6 students out on farm calls alone. It's pretty awesome when I'm asked to see certain cases by my mentor because she knows I can handle them.
 
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My bf's grandpa passed away today. Work has been less than stellar lately. I'm feeling pretty defeated at the moment.

But then I came home and my cats literally fought over my lap, while my dog ate cat poop and stared at me with guilt in her eyes.
 
Client came in yesterday to euthanize her old dog, but wanted to discuss it first. She was absolutely distraught from the minute she walked in the door. I offered treatment to improve her dog's quality of life (terminal condition but can be mandaged for awhile). As I left the room to get some meds together, she said to the dog, "We're going home!" Ohhhh the feels. She called today to say she's so happy she talked to me and decided to treat and dog is doing better.
 
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Coquette22 said:
Client came in yesterday to euthanize her old dog, but wanted to discuss it first. She was absolutely distraught from the minute she walked in the door. I offered treatment to improve her dog's quality of life (terminal condition but can be mandaged for awhile). As I left the room to get some meds together, she said to the dog, "We're going home!" Ohhhh the feels. She called today to say she's so happy she talked to me and decided to treat and dog is doing better.
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I had a similar case last week. Grumpy old dog that started snapping every time owner touched him, hiding all day and unwilling to leave his bed. She was in tears, had gotten this dog as a puppy >15 years ago and felt he no longer had a good quality of life.

After a week of NSAIDs and gabapentin, patient is back to running around and playing and snuggling like he did years ago.

I love when it works out like that. Can't reverse old age but sure can manage pain! I love the feels.
 
For those of you completing internships / residencies - I am currently making a spread sheet of different internship options and was wondering what you guys think are important factors to consider.. Currently I have it divided by location, salary, case load, # of interns, required rotations, elective time/ elective options, average rent in the area, and the number of doctors in the 3 specialties I am some what interested in... What else would you add? @NStarz and @orca2011 feel free to chime in too since you just submitted your internship apps!
 
Kpowell14 said:
For those of you completing internships / residencies - I am currently making a spread sheet of different internship options and was wondering what you guys think are important factors to consider.. Currently I have it divided by location, salary, case load, # of interns, required rotations, elective time/ elective options, average rent in the area, and the number of doctors in the 3 specialties I am some what interested in... What else would you add? @NStarz and @orca2011 feel free to chime in too since you just submitted your internship apps!
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I included whether an interview was reqd, whether they'll accept a skype/phone in lieu of in-person, and whether they require you to sign a non-compete.
 
NStarz said:
I included whether an interview was reqd, whether they'll accept a skype/phone in lieu of in-person, and whether they require you to sign a non-compete.
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Oh yea, the interview in person vs phone/ skype is a good one, definitely need to add that!!! Thank you 😀
 
You pretty much covered all the things I looked at I also focused on the whole interview thing as well. I also looked at extra perks ($$$ for taking an extra shift and such) as well as whether exotics was a possible elective rotation. Also, I would look at the driving distance for places that require you to travel between multiple hospitals to see if it was a distance I was actually willing to drive.

I might start looking at some other things as I'm starting to try and rank some places and talk to current interns, so if something comes up that I think is worth paying attention to, I'll let you know.
 
orca2011 said:
You pretty much covered all the things I looked at I also focused on the whole interview thing as well. I also looked at extra perks ($$$ for taking an extra shift and such) as well as whether exotics was a possible elective rotation. Also, I would look at the driving distance for places that require you to travel between multiple hospitals to see if it was a distance I was actually willing to drive.

I might start looking at some other things as I'm starting to try and rank some places and talk to current interns, so if something comes up that I think is worth paying attention to, I'll let you know.
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I would really appreciate that!! I forgot to add in my first post about the multiple hospital / driving thing.. I am keeping track of that too... quickly eliminated one hospital bc it had required rotations at 5 different hospitals, intern pay isn't enough to be driving that much!!
 
Kpowell14 said:
For those of you completing internships / residencies - I am currently making a spread sheet of different internship options and was wondering what you guys think are important factors to consider.. Currently I have it divided by location, salary, case load, # of interns, required rotations, elective time/ elective options, average rent in the area, and the number of doctors in the 3 specialties I am some what interested in... What else would you add? @NStarz and @orca2011 feel free to chime in too since you just submitted your internship apps!
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I think your list is good. I feel like specialists in your interest area, elective time especially if your interest is not a core rotation, and average rent are most important. Whether you get days off and if those days off are completely off (like my program) or if you still have to go in for patient care and be 'on call' on your days 'off' is good to consider. It is much easier to keep my sanity knowing that I have two days off each week to look forward to.
 
Kpowell14 said:
For those of you completing internships / residencies - I am currently making a spread sheet of different internship options and was wondering what you guys think are important factors to consider.. Currently I have it divided by location, salary, case load, # of interns, required rotations, elective time/ elective options, average rent in the area, and the number of doctors in the 3 specialties I am some what interested in... What else would you add? @NStarz and @orca2011 feel free to chime in too since you just submitted your internship apps!
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If you remind me when I am not at the hospital, I can send you my spreadsheets I made for both internship and residency
 
jmo1012 said:
If you remind me when I am not at the hospital, I can send you my spreadsheets I made for both internship and residency
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Ohh, could you forward them to me too if you think it would help for ranking? I'm having a horrible time organizing things in Excel. It just doesn't look pretty and it's making me angry.
 
JaynaAli said:
Whether you get days off and if those days off are completely off (like my program) or if you still have to go in for patient care and be 'on call' on your days 'off' is good to consider. It is much easier to keep my sanity knowing that I have two days off each week to look forward to.
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Oh yea knowing that would be very nice! I will have to contact current interns this time next year to get that info since it isnt listed on the VIRMP page.

jmo1012 said:
If you remind me when I am not at the hospital, I can send you my spreadsheets I made for both internship and residency
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I would LOVE to have them!!! When are you Not in the hospital?! 😉
 
So my practice consists of the practice owner who's near retirement age (full time), another near-retirement full time vet, a near-retirement part time vet, and two full time newbies (me, and a 2013 grad). The 2013 grad and I are on the same page about a lot of things, but have different interests (he's more surgery, I'm more internal med). He asked me if I'd be willing to partner with him when practice owner retires. Er....
 
jmo1012 said:
Always contact interns! They will give you the good, bad, and ugly, and that's super important to know!
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Jmo, any suggestions for specific questions to ask? I'm trying to come up with my own and feel like I'm missing important stuff (stuff I would want to know but don't know to ask).
 
The past two months have taken their toll. I am so jaded and am having serious reservations about the future I have been offered. 6 hours. Seriously, 6 hours after I expressed great interest in staying here as a resident, I heard that my SO was no longer being considered for a position that he appeared to be a perfect fit for. There is so much more than that, but if I'd waited 6 hours to say anything, I wouldn't be in the position I am now. Effff.

Tl;dr: academia is being academia and I'm over it.
 
Kpowell14 said:
For those of you completing internships / residencies - I am currently making a spread sheet of different internship options and was wondering what you guys think are important factors to consider.. Currently I have it divided by location, salary, case load, # of interns, required rotations, elective time/ elective options, average rent in the area, and the number of doctors in the 3 specialties I am some what interested in... What else would you add? @NStarz and @orca2011 feel free to chime in too since you just submitted your internship apps!
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For my internship, I'm glad I asked about . . . for lack of a better term, "adult supervision," particularly for overnight ER. When you'll be alone in the hospital and how often and for how long. Is there a clear policy laying out who you can call in the event of an emergency you can't handle? You want to make sure you have a primary point of contact and one or two backups.
 
Coquette22 said:
Client came in yesterday to euthanize her old dog, but wanted to discuss it first. She was absolutely distraught from the minute she walked in the door. I offered treatment to improve her dog's quality of life (terminal condition but can be mandaged for awhile). As I left the room to get some meds together, she said to the dog, "We're going home!" Ohhhh the feels. She called today to say she's so happy she talked to me and decided to treat and dog is doing better.
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Sadly. this dog passed away at home this morning. Client was still happy though, hugged me, told me she's so happy she decided to treat and he had the best week he's had in a long time. More feels.
 
Coquette22 said:
Sadly. this dog passed away at home this morning. Client was still happy though, hugged me, told me she's so happy she decided to treat and he had the best week he's had in a long time. More feels.
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A couple more days/weeks can be the difference between healthily moving on and carrying a dark cloud for too long a time. Well done.
 
Just got done with my 8am-8pm shift at midnight. Sigh.

Had something new for me .... Took in a patient from an rdvm, suspected rodenticide - they said bruising, lethargy, pale. Not sure about ingestion, but possible. Ok. So I work it up quickly ... Pt, ptt gonzo off the charts, pericardial effusion, lungs getting nasty, bruising everywhere. Pretty sure there's an auricular mass, but hey, I'm not a cardiologist so my 'echo' is pretty low yield. Discuss neoplasia, dic, all that. Start plasma and other therapies. Animal arrests and TTJs very quickly. Dad tells us to stop cpr.

I ask if he would like to see her, thinking I've made it very clear that she is dead.

He says yes. I leave him to hold her body. Come back a few minutes later. He asks if it's normal for them to be so still.

Turns out he thinks she's in some kind of coma. Nobody ever used that word. And I said "passed away" at least a few times. Amazing how much can get lost in communication. He was very startled to find out he had been holding a dead dog.

Oops. Sigh. Long day.
 
LetItSnow said:
Just got done with my 8am-8pm shift at midnight. Sigh.

Had something new for me .... Took in a patient from an rdvm, suspected rodenticide - they said bruising, lethargy, pale. Not sure about ingestion, but possible. Ok. So I work it up quickly ... Pt, ptt gonzo off the charts, pericardial effusion, lungs getting nasty, bruising everywhere. Pretty sure there's an auricular mass, but hey, I'm not a cardiologist so my 'echo' is pretty low yield. Discuss neoplasia, dic, all that. Start plasma and other therapies. Animal arrests and TTJs very quickly. Dad tells us to stop cpr.

I ask if he would like to see her, thinking I've made it very clear that she is dead.

He says yes. I leave him to hold her body. Come back a few minutes later. He asks if it's normal for them to be so still.

Turns out he thinks she's in some kind of coma. Nobody ever used that word. And I said "passed away" at least a few times. Amazing how much can get lost in communication. He was very startled to find out he had been holding a dead dog.

Oops. Sigh. Long day.
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Yesterday I miraculously hit the vein on this decrepit, dehydrated old cat first try for euth, begin injecting and the owner says, "She's still breathing!" Uh, yes...I have just injected approximately one drop into her...
 
that redhead said:
Yesterday I miraculously hit the vein on this decrepit, dehydrated old cat first try for euth, begin injecting and the owner says, "She's still breathing!" Uh, yes...I have just injected approximately one drop into her...
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That's hilarious. Usually it's the opposite. I tell everyone that by the time I'm done injecting most pets are gone... But it still catches a majority of people by surprise how fast it happens.

Already!?
 
Minnerbelle said:
That's hilarious. Usually it's the opposite. I tell everyone that by the time I'm done injecting most pets are gone... But it still catches a majority of people by surprise how fast it happens.

Already!?
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They did ask how long to expect it to take. I told them approximately 10-15mins for the sedation to take full effect but the injection to "stop their heart" would work pretty much instantly. I usually warn them about possible breaths/gasps after they're gone, too...sheesh.
 
Conversations that I have way too frequently on emergency....
Client: I'm really worried and want to bring hir in!
Me: Okay, I can meet you over at the clinic. How long will it take you to get there?
Client: Well, so-and-so has the car/I have to find a sitter/I had a glass of wine and can't drive/any other reason.... So I'm not sure. Somewhere between 20 minutes and next Tuesday.
Me:...*face palm*
 
How long do those of you in private practice have for appointments? We run 15 min for wellness and 45 min for sick call. Currently running 2 rooms simultaneously.
 
Armymutt25A said:
How long do those of you in private practice have for appointments? We run 15 min for wellness and 45 min for sick call. Currently running 2 rooms simultaneously.
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Lately we've been 15 minutes for almost everything. Supposed to be 30min sick, 15 wellness but we are way too effing busy on the SA side, and understaffed so I can't delegate as much as I would like.

I'd kill for 45 min sick appointments. And 45 minute new puppy exams.
 
Armymutt25A said:
How long do those of you in private practice have for appointments? We run 15 min for wellness and 45 min for sick call. Currently running 2 rooms simultaneously.
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I have 30 minute slots for everything. New pets and sick tend to take longer. Others take ~15 minutes.
 
Another internship question for you guys. I have a video interview set up for one program but it's during a day where I'm on a rotation. I'm going to see if I can some in late since the interview is in the morning and there are 5 of us on the rotation, but on the off chance I can't, do you think interviewing in a scrub top is acceptable? I'd reserve a room on campus to eliminate background noise, but I'd definitely feel more comfortable at my house and then would obviously wear a nice top.
 
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orca2011 said:
Another internship question for you guys. I have a video interview set up for one program but it's during a day where I'm on a rotation. I'm going to see if I can some in late since in the internship is in the morning and there are 5 of us on the rotation, but on the off chance I can't, do you think interviewing in a scrub top is acceptable? I'd reserve a room on campus to eliminate background noise, but I'd definitely feel more comfortable at my house and then would obviously wear a nice top.
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I think it's probably fine, they understand that clinics are going on at this same time.
 
Hahaha. I took in a patient yesterday ... Little 6kg thing .... Was given a xmas ham bone and some ham and other stuff .... Broke with V and bloody D Fri, came in Sat. Took rads, nice long chunk of distended small intestine with mineral opacity stuff filling it up. Hospitalized on fluids to move the stuff through. Then finally was able to run blood work ...

PCV 83%, TP 13.2.

Nicely done, little doggie, nicely done. Those poor intestines.
 
LetItSnow said:
Hahaha. I took in a patient yesterday ... Little 6kg thing .... Was given a xmas ham bone and some ham and other stuff .... Broke with V and bloody D Fri, came in Sat. Took rads, nice long chunk of distended small intestine with mineral opacity stuff filling it up. Hospitalized on fluids to move the stuff through. Then finally was able to run blood work ...

PCV 83%, TP 13.2.

Nicely done, little doggie, nicely done. Those poor intestines.
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Daaaayyyyyuuuuuum
 
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