Class of 2021 . . . how ya doin?

Veterinary School Application Advising Ad
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
when it feels like it’s been only a year since you wrote a personal statement, but it’s actually been over 4 years and now you have to write one for VIRMP match

60A2053A-6BD0-4259-A01D-261FB3E16F00.jpeg
 
finnickthedog said:
Tentative list right now is IN, KY, TN, and NC.
Click to expand...
For NC:

The gays and hippies (aka all the fun people) are in Asheville. Charlotte has a ton of stuff but like, no soul because it's a business city to the core, tons of clinics looking for vets in the vicinity though. The triangle (which is Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill) is great but we have tons of vets so you often need to go to suburbs for jobs.

Greensboro is growing and a fun place. Green*ville* is not so much, lol.

On the coast Wilmington is the only place I really like, though I'll admit not as much familiarity with the northern/outer banks part of the state.

If you're looking at particular cities/jobs, message me. My class spread out across the state and I probably know someone who knows things, lol.

It is the South, though we're working on it (recent election results notwithstanding). You'll definitely see confederate flags and run into hunting dogs and ag stuff if you work anywhere outside of the huge cities. But it's a fun state with a lot of stuff to do and very reasonable access to cities north and south if you like to travel. I'm generally happy here.
 
mmmdreamerz said:
I gave tPA to an ATE cat last night and rocked a beautiful tie-over bandage. So even though my emotional bandwidth is near-zero, twas pretty cool.
Click to expand...
Very cool. My childhood cat died of a thrombus when I was in college, so I am always excited to see that we have more things like this as treatment options now. I am sure that owner is grateful to have that option and that you could give the cat a chance!
 
cdo96 said:
I love my equine medicine rotation because the clinicians/ residents/ intern is absolutely fantastic, and I love my rotation mates. But oof they sure work you hard during it. I’ve been at the hospital for 30 of the last 40 hours, or 80 hours this week, not including tomorrow.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m learning a lot and I do love medicine but oof.

View attachment 323187

Plus one of my patients is on IV DMSO and I’m learning that I’m allergic to dmso because my throat hurts, I sneeze at least 2 times, and I have a pounding headache everytime I’m remotely close to him/ his neuro stall where the smell is just compounding.
Click to expand...
My roommate had about 3 patients of her own the entire time she was on equine med and felt like she learned nothing
 
So first, I put my resume on the AVMA job site a couple days ago... I am officially overwhelmed by the number of emails. I need to start responding to some of these now that I have a few days off for Thanksgiving. The polite part of me wants to respond to everybody. The realistic side of me is not convinced that's physically/mentally possible. Should I hide my profile for awhile to deal with the emails I already have or leave it up? I don't even know. Why did no one warn me that looking for a job is not fun?

Second, how come so many of the jobs that sound the most interesting to me are in states that I'm not the most enthused about living in?

Third, it weirds me out when people call me Dr Finnickthedog in these emails. I'm not even a doctor yet so it feels wrong.
 
I take the NAVLE on Thursday and have already started waking up in the middle of the night with heart palpitations

Why is this so awful? Why didn't I do more of vetprep after paying for it in February? Why did I volunteer to see hot mess same-day sick appointments at our low cost clinic earlier this week & get saddled with follow up, instead of taking vacation to study like I was supposed to? Why does every bird disease present exactly the same? Why is rinderpest, an eradicated disease, listed in the navle subject guide? Why did I wait until right now to apply for the match?

*stress cries*
 
PippyPony said:
I take the NAVLE on Thursday and have already started waking up in the middle of the night with heart palpitations

Why is this so awful? Why didn't I do more of vetprep after paying for it in February? Why did I volunteer to see hot mess same-day sick appointments at our low cost clinic earlier this week & get saddled with follow up, instead of taking vacation to study like I was supposed to? Why does every bird disease present exactly the same? Why is rinderpest, an eradicated disease, listed in the navle subject guide? Why did I wait until right now to apply for the match?

*stress cries*
Click to expand...
batsenecal said:
I'm right there with you. Taking it on Tuesday and am sitting at 48% completion for Zuku, but bought the dang premium in april. I bought some zzquil for Monday night.
Click to expand...
OKAY. So if it’s any consolation, I took NAVLE a week and a half ago. I didn’t get to the 80% requirement either, and it’s okay. ALSO, The odds of getting more than 1 rinderpest question are astronomically low, just focus on the most important/ most commonly seen diseases.

match application isn’t due until January, so that can wait until after NAVLE.

Personally, I felt like the NAVLE’s difficulty level was overhyped from what I’ve heard these last 4 years.

It’s a difficult test, absolutely, (not trying to take away from the success of anyone who has taken it/ make anyone who didn’t pass feel bad) but we’ve taken much harder tests throughout vet school. It’s just hella tiring... ya know... because it’s 360 questions. There was a block or two there where I tried to get apathetic but had to seriously snap back into it.

Just take your time, take your breaks (I took a break after every single section, even if it was just a five minute skip around the inside of the building while powering down a granola bar) and you’ll be fine.

Bring lots of snacks, both sweet, salty, and nutritious. I was really craving just a sandwich during break #3. I brought water, lemonade, and two of my favorite energy drinks
 
cdo96 said:
OKAY. So if it’s any consolation, I took NAVLE a week and a half ago. I didn’t get to the 80% requirement either, and it’s okay. ALSO, The odds of getting more than 1 rinderpest question are astronomically low, just focus on the most important/ most commonly seen diseases.

match application isn’t due until January, so that can wait until after NAVLE.

Personally, I felt like the NAVLE’s difficulty level was overhyped from what I’ve heard these last 4 years.

It’s a difficult test, absolutely, (not trying to take away from the success of anyone who has taken it/ make anyone who didn’t pass feel bad) but we’ve taken much harder tests throughout vet school. It’s just hella tiring... ya know... because it’s 360 questions. There was a block or two there where I tried to get apathetic but had to seriously snap back into it.

Just take your time, take your breaks (I took a break after every single section, even if it was just a five minute skip around the inside of the building while powering down a granola bar) and you’ll be fine.

Bring lots of snacks, both sweet, salty, and nutritious. I was really craving just a sandwich during break #3. I brought water, lemonade, and two of my favorite energy drinks
Click to expand...
I do understand that I sound like a massive hypocrite because ask any of my friends and they’ll tell you in the 2 weeks prior to navle, it
I had an exuberant number of mental breakdowns:
  • I cried when looking at a horse.
  • A different time, I somehow ended up in PetCo looking to buy a bird.
  • I laid in bed, absolutely bawling because I couldn’t remember the difference in the pathogenesis of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus
  • I said **** it and then immediately picked the notes I just dropped at least 20 times. Mostly about pigs and poultry
  • Called my mom while completely bawling to tell her that I’m not going to pass the test and to apologize that I’ve wasted her time and her money in vet school. (She did not comprehend how to respond to that one)
But by some miracle, I entered the test with peace and then when I finished my test I was actually relieved. It was finally over.
 
I think everyone 100% should use break time for lunch and to zone out a little for ~5 minutes between sections if you can.

NAVLE sucks, there's a lot of stuff on it, don't beat yourself up for not knowing everything. When you're done, go home and take a day for you. Drink a beer or watch trash TV or read, whatever brings you joy and peace after getting it over with.

It is super stressful before it @PippyPony . I can give you all kinds of dumb stress platitudes but the truth is it won't really decrease until you're done with it. Focus on knowing that there is a date where your anxiety should hit the peak of the mountain before it sinks down again to lower levels and know that you will get there eventually. I know it's a lot right now and I hope everything goes well for you and that some of the stress in your life decreases soon.

Also I wouldn't say this stress is "your fault". Like many things in vet school and in life there are lots of naturally stressful things that tend to stack on top of one another all at the same time even with amazing planning. Most of the vet students I know are in a similar stress boat to you (re: NAVLE, match, responsibilities from additional outside of school activities) and I don't think any of them made any wrong choices that lead to all of those things being on their plate at once.

In summary, 🫂
 
I third the recommendation to bring food and beverages and take your breaks. Which is not usually how I operate (flying through tests is my jam) but it definitely helped to go and stretch my legs and have a snack and even text a friend (yes you're allowed to use your phone during breaks) just to be like "hi I'm alive and have x sections to go, how's the world out there"

And then when you're done and you leave, do your best to leave the whole thing behind you. Sigh of relief that it's done and on to relaxation.
 
vetmedhead said:
Also I wouldn't say this stress is "your fault". Like many things in vet school and in life there are lots of naturally stressful things that tend to stack on top of one another all at the same time even with amazing planning. Most of the vet students I know are in a similar stress boat to you (re: NAVLE, match, responsibilities from additional outside of school activities) and I don't think any of them made any wrong choices that lead to all of those things being on their plate at once.
Click to expand...
Fault was maybe the wrong word to use -- it's more that I did make some choices, and so it's helpful for me in resolving the strain to kinda say "look, you got yourself here, now get yourself out"
 
On a related note, at appx. 4am this morning one of my cats spontaneously tried to make a majestic leap from the floor to the slippery top of a 6 foot dresser, and he spectacularly missed the top.

Per aspera ad astra, cat. I feel that.

(He's fine.)
 
At this point, I wish I had taken it in September :laugh: And glad I didnt have to reschedule cause that would have been such a hassel.
 
WildZoo said:
and even text a friend (yes you're allowed to use your phone during breaks) just to be like "hi I'm alive and have x sections to go, how's the world out there"
Click to expand...
I thought it was a trap, so I didn’t use my phone. :laugh:I
CoffeeQuestionMark said:
Don't buy a bird. Your place will never get clean from all the dust and bird poop.
After my roommate leaves me I'm never living with a bird again.
Click to expand...
I knowwww. It’s been something I’ve been looking at for a long time. I’m not allowed to get one until at least after my internship/ residency.
PippyPony said:
Was it while watching Black Beauty? Because PSA, I believe that's available on Netflix now (maybe Disney+, can't remember where I saw the alert)
Click to expand...
I wish I could say yes and that it was a movie... But no... I was on my equine medicine rotation and got really overwhelmed thinking of NAVLE. I had to go do a physical on my patient and I started thinking of everything I don’t truly know about horses as well of everything I did know, and I just lost it. Had me crying in the club, to put it that way.
 
In the nice vein of freaking out about NAVLE, I lost a week of study time due to fever, and then another week because I just couldn't bring myself to care. This is two weeks after I was supposed to have taken it in the first place but yanno.

On another (slightly related note) don't schedule two surgeries back to back and think you can take the NAVLE right after... it's a bad idea.
 
Coopah said:
In the nice vein of freaking out about NAVLE, I lost a week of study time due to fever, and then another week because I just couldn't bring myself to care. This is two weeks after I was supposed to have taken it in the first place but yanno.

On another (slightly related note) don't schedule two surgeries back to back and think you can take the NAVLE right after... it's a bad idea.
Click to expand...
When do you take it??
 
We were talking about this on my last rotation, but I'll throw it out here. If you were a disease/ disease process, what would you be?
 
cdo96 said:
We were talking about this on my last rotation, but I'll throw it out here. If you were a disease/ disease process, what would you be?
Click to expand...
I'll go first, I would be Addison's! I love the almost duality of the disease. It’s vague, difficult to diagnose (sometimes) and versatile, but treatable!!
 
cdo96 said:
I'll go first, I would be Addison's! I love the almost duality of the disease. It’s vague, difficult to diagnose (sometimes) and versatile, but treatable!!
Click to expand...
Gave up on your plague love? 😛
 
cdo96 said:
We were talking about this on my last rotation, but I'll throw it out here. If you were a disease/ disease process, what would you be?
Click to expand...

Portosystemic shunt! My favorite. Interesting Clin path findings, diagnostics, and treatment options (cough, surgery lol).

P.S. I saw a dog that ended up being an atypical Addisonian on ER. That god was sickkkk but ended up doing well after a few days in ICU.
 
cdo96 said:
We were talking about this on my last rotation, but I'll throw it out here. If you were a disease/ disease process, what would you be?
Click to expand...
Hm. I feel like I’d be something like a skin infection - easy-going and not hard to deal with, just need to handle it the right way from the start. But if you eff it up, I will become resistant and you’ll wish you’d taken me seriously sooner.

I swear I’m a nice person :laugh:
 
Scabies - really obvious, easy to get rid of, exciting to identify in person. Also, much like scabies, I am popular with a variety of people but am self-limiting in that if you don't constantly re-expose yourself to me I do not do a good job of persisting in your social life. Oh, and the longer you keep me around the more likely it is that people will find you weird and shun you.

Also, I love bedding.
 
I'm almost positive I would be some kind of arrhythmia

Maybe afib. Bouncy fun in the baseline, kind of all over the place/often late in terms of routine and important stuff, but still probably not going to sink the ship all by myself

Sometimes cooperative, sometimes nah.

Edit: and exercise intolerant. Lol
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

overcastkidjuno
Class of 2028... how you doin?
Replies
22
Views
4K
BioAg22
BioAg22
IvyMoose
Class of 2027... how you doin'?
2 3
Replies
114
Views
14K
thenontraveler
thenontraveler
K
Class of 2026... how you doin'?
3 4 5 6 7
Replies
303
Views
37K
futuredogtor614
futuredogtor614
K
Online, Self-Paced Animal Nutrition Class?
Replies
5
Views
572
Koffeekat
K
PhiloslothicalStudent
Class of 2025... How you doin’?
6 7 8 9 10
Replies
490
Views
82K
TheGirlWithTheFernTattoo
TheGirlWithTheFernTattoo
Top