Class of 2023... how you doin?!

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Two Fridays ago (so 10/9) we had our first pharm exam. These instructors for some reason opted for deliverance via TopHat (everyone else uses BlackBoard - the pharm profs are a quirky group) which gives instantaneous feedback after the exam closes. So, at 10 AM when it was closed I checked my grade (was worried because essentially how the exam went is Q1 was fine, then Q2 I was like "wow, this one is hard, let me go to the next one and come back" except I had the same reaction to about half of the test). Anyways, I was freaking out because I had *barely* passed based on my calculations. I immediately began to review some of my wrong answers and scratched my head as some of the answers that I was certain were right were marked wrong, so I wrote these ones down and sent off an email to the professors. Prior to receiving any response, one of the professors messaged sometime along the lines of "These aren't your final grades, there were some points assigned prior to the test [whatever that means], and the faculty has to meet to review the exam." which was odd, and when I finally obtained responses from the professors about the questions it was essentially like "these are good points, we have to meet with the other faculty but the question will probably get dropped."

On Monday we had a calculation quiz and the professor mentioned the faculty was meeting that afternoon to review the exam so finalized grades would be posted that evening or the next day. Well, it's 9 days later and we've had no further update. And, as it turns out, I have spoken with over half a dozen classmates regarding the exam and most of those classmates marginalized, and the only two that had also passed scored even lower than I did (I was exactly 2 points above the marginal mark)

The running theory is the professors decided to make a difficult exam assuming that the class would use notes, even though it was not made an open note exam. Anyways, I have no idea what the resolution is going to be and the fact that it is so overdue is making me anxious.

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Had some *~personal issues~* going on this week and I'm just so thankful to have professors that actually care and are letting me work through things on my own time because I have spent 85% of my day in bed
 
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A week ago I finally full on ugly cried and stared at the ceiling from being overwhelmed with vet school. I had 2 exams today and one more to go but I got my life together, and now I am excited again about the future! but realized I love so many species/specialities in vet med! Does anyone else have that problem too? #halp How do you decide/apply yourself for the future when you are trying to survive the now :rofl:
 
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A week ago I finally full on ugly cried and stared at the ceiling from being overwhelmed with vet school. I had 2 exams today and one more to go but I got my life together, and now I am excited again about the future! but realized I love so many species/specialities in vet med! Does anyone else have that problem too? #halp How do you decide/apply yourself for the future when you are trying to survive the now :rofl:
I love all the things and that's why I want to do zoo/wildlife

Congrats on getting through your first vet school meltdown. Most (if not all) of us have been there <3
 
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How do you decide/apply yourself for the future when you are trying to survive the now :rofl:
See if you can spend some time in those specialties next summer or over Christmas break! Even just doing an unpaid externship or even shadowing. That’s what I did some of during my summer after first year and had plans to do it again this past summer but, well, COVID happened
 
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I love all the things and that's why I want to do zoo/wildlife

Congrats on getting through your first vet school meltdown. Most (if not all) of us have been there <3
Yea that seems about right for me too, or lab animal :thinking:

Thank you :biglove:
 
See if you can spend some time in those specialties next summer or over Christmas break! Even just doing an unpaid externship or even shadowing. That’s what I did some of during my summer after first year and had plans to do it again this past summer but, well, COVID happened
I got a job in LA, so adding some shadowing/unpaid opportunity here and there would be a great idea (sometime soon), thank you!
 
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but realized I love so many species/specialities in vet med! Does anyone else have that problem too? #halp How do you decide/apply yourself for the future when you are trying to survive the now :rofl:
As someone who tells people I want to go into exotics + wildlife + conservation medicine.....I feel this very strongly
Also a few weeks ago I had an epiphany that I wanted to go into neurology even though I have 0 neuro experience so that was a surprise:confused:
 
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I forgot our class year had one of these. Hope everyone’s doing good :) homestretch
 
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I have my final exam tomorrow morning and then I get to go home!! As exciting as it is that we have an extended winter break, squishing the whole semester in before Thanksgiving has been a lot
 
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I have my final exam tomorrow morning and then I get to go home!! As exciting as it is that we have an extended winter break, squishing the whole semester in before Thanksgiving has been a lot
Luckyyy we have all our exams the two weeks after Thanksgiving. My boyfriend is flying in from out of state for Thanksgiving so I’m probably not going to get much studying done 😅 (I’m quarantining in my apartment for 2 weeks after he visits don’t worry)
 
Luckyyy we have all our exams the two weeks after Thanksgiving. My boyfriend is flying in from out of state for Thanksgiving so I’m probably not going to get much studying done 😅 (I’m quarantining in my apartment for 2 weeks after he visits don’t worry)
Best of luck to you!! The way our schedule worked out I've been fortunate that I've basically already been isolating the past 2 weeks. There have been a couple days I've had to pop into school to pick up lab kits, but everything has been handled in a way that we haven't truly had close contact with anyone.
 
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Best of luck to you!! The way our schedule worked out I've been fortunate that I've basically already been isolating the past 2 weeks. There have been a couple days I've had to pop into school to pick up lab kits, but everything has been handled in a way that we haven't truly had close contact with anyone.
Same, I haven’t really left my apartment other than groceries (and even that was at least a week and a half ago) and two short labs yesterday with minimal, masked contact with others. I wish the antibody test to know if we’ve already been exposed was available widely yet because it would be nice to know how likely I am to pick it up from my family if I visit over break (undecided). They are... not the best at avoiding social situations and I’m way more worried about getting it *from* them than bringing it *to* them.
 
Starting back up tomorrow and I'm not ready for break to be over. 😭
 
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Starting back up tomorrow and I'm not ready for break to be over. 😭
Same. I was just thinking this yesterday. My boyfriend lives 10 hours away and I just left his house to head back to my sad, lonely apartment and it sucks. I’m not in the right mental space to go back to 24/7 studying and zoom lectures
 
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Same. I was just thinking this yesterday. My boyfriend lives 10 hours away and I just left his house to head back to my sad, lonely apartment and it sucks. I’m not in the right mental space to go back to 24/7 studying and zoom lectures
I still have 2 more weeks off (we start the 19th) but I'm already so stressed about going back to being stuck in my apartment completely by myself
 
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I still have 2 more weeks off (we start the 19th) but I'm already so stressed about going back to being stuck in my apartment completely by myself
Yup. I kept myself pretty busy last semester going running with my dog every other day or so... but there were times I went 2ish weeks without speaking to another person unless it was over the phone. I’m not the most extroverted person in the world but even so, the cabin fever is real.
 
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I still have 2 more weeks off (we start the 19th) but I'm already so stressed about going back to being stuck in my apartment completely by myself
At Penn we went on break on 12/23 and started class again today. Cherish your break. Cherish it.
 
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Meanwhile, in the working world, we closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day but were open all the other days...I wouldn’t want to go back to vet school but I do miss school breaks.
 
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Man, I'm just so excited to start classes this semester cause that means we're one step closer to clinicals, but at the same time, I need about two more weeks of break before getting back to it. 😭
 
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Man, I'm just so excited to start classes this semester cause that means we're one step closer to clinicals, but at the same time, I need about two more weeks of break before getting back to it. 😭
I’m lowkey terrified of clinicals. I don’t feel like I’m retaining anything from all this online learning, even though my “grades” are fine. The idea of having to try to remember everything I never fully learned when working on live animals is nightmare inducing
 
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I’m lowkey terrified of clinicals. I don’t feel like I’m retaining anything from all this online learning, even though my “grades” are fine. The idea of having to try to remember everything I never fully learned when working on live animals is nightmare inducing
You will not retain everything you learned during your didactic years. You might even be a hot mess when you hit clinics and feel like you can't remember anything. It happens. This is normal. You've spent 2-3 years having loads of information shoved down your throat. You're not expected to remember it all. You will be given the opportunity to look things up while on clinics. You don't have to remember everything on the spot. Plus, for plenty of people (myself included) things stick far better when you have real live patients to attach them to. You're going to be okay.

But realistically, no matter what anyone tells you you are probably going to continue being lowkey terrified until you're actually in the middle of it. Which is also okay.
 
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I’m lowkey terrified of clinicals. I don’t feel like I’m retaining anything from all this online learning, even though my “grades” are fine. The idea of having to try to remember everything I never fully learned when working on live animals is nightmare inducing
This is normal. It’s also normal for the feeling to persist after graduation when you start working without clinicians supervising your cases. You don’t have to remember absolutely everything, just enough to know what you should be looking up. There’s always time to look stuff up.
 
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You will not retain everything you learned during your didactic years. You might even be a hot mess when you hit clinics and feel like you can't remember anything. It happens. This is normal. You've spent 2-3 years having loads of information shoved down your throat. You're not expected to remember it all. You will be given the opportunity to look things up while on clinics. You don't have to remember everything on the spot. Plus, for plenty of people (myself included) things stick far better when you have real live patients to attach them to. You're going to be okay.

But realistically, no matter what anyone tells you you are probably going to continue being lowkey terrified until you're actually in the middle of it. Which is also okay.

This is normal. It’s also normal for the feeling to persist after graduation when you start working without clinicians supervising your cases. You don’t have to remember absolutely everything, just enough to know what you should be looking up. There’s always time to look stuff up.
Low key needed this as a 3rd year falling into clinics soon 😨😨😨
 
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You'll also be surprised at how quickly you pick up walking around knowledge and skills. The things I dumbly forget/don't know/need to constantly look up are very different now than they were at the beginning of the year. First year me would have been so impressed no matter how much I feel like I don't know or remember.

Remember, good clinicians aren't perfect - they're just willing to learn and grow
 
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I will also add for those that have struggled with didactics that clinicals are so much better than didactics. Didactics were so hard for me, and you wouldn't know it from my clinical feedback. So dont think that just because you did poorly in the classroom that you'll also do poorly in clinicals.
 
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Agreed. I was an average student who tried hard in didactic years, but I’m doing really well and getting great feedback in clinicals. It’s scary but it’s also the reason you went to vet school, so it’s so much better. Difficult, sure, but show me a year of vet school that’s not difficult.
 
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This is all so encouraging. I’m good at problem solving and putting together “puzzles” with diagnostics/clin path data but I have goldfish memory and feel like everything I learn just falls out of my head. If I have time to look up the specifics of things I feel competent... it’s when I have to recall obscure knowledge or remember something super specific without the ability to double check my understanding that makes me flounder
 
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it’s when I have to recall obscure knowledge or remember something super specific without the ability to double check my understanding that makes me flounder
To deal with these moments, I straight up tell the clinician I dont know, and that has gotten easier to do as the year goes on. Sure, so grumble I should know something. Most appreciate the honesty and say, "You have x time to figure it out and come back to me."
 
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I feel super similar to you @EquusObsessed. I really feel like I know nothing and that online learning has especially stunted the knowledge I think I should have. It is really nice hearing from all of you fourth years that it seems to get better.

I can say it feels really weird that we are all paying so much to feel like we should be competent doctors once we hit graduation but everyone feels like they don't really know enough to actually feel competent.
 
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I can say it feels really weird that we are all paying so much to feel like we should be competent doctors once we hit graduation but everyone feels like they don't really know enough to actually feel competent.
I think that feeling comes along with becoming more knowledgeable and just being an overall smart person. Sort of like the opposite of the Dunning Kruger effect. Or the saying “ignorance is bliss”. The more you learn, the more you realize how much you don’t know, and that seems daunting.

But there’s a reason we’re in vet school. There’s a reason our schools have the NAVLE pass rates they have. Because we’ll have the knowledge we need. By the end of our time in school we’re not supposed to know everything. Just enough to do what we need to do and have the knowledge base to figure the rest out. And even beyond that, to know when we can’t do something and refer to someone who maybe can. There’s a reason it’s called practicing medicine. It’s not perfect, and neither are we.
 
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Unrelated to the current discussion, but it’s so crazy to me to be looking at the newer threads and the APVMA Facebook page and seeing all the applicants getting accepted for c/o 2025. How is half of our vet school career almost over? What is happening?
 
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Hey guys!! I hope all is going well this year! sorry I'm commandeering your forum, but I just have a quick question. I will be starting vet school in the fall and will be needing a new computer. I am wondering what your recommendations are?? Thank you for your help :) ps if there is a better place to post this I will gladly move it, I just don't know of any.
 
Hey guys!! I hope all is going well this year! sorry I'm commandeering your forum, but I just have a quick question. I will be starting vet school in the fall and will be needing a new computer. I am wondering what your recommendations are?? Thank you for your help :) ps if there is a better place to post this I will gladly move it, I just don't know of any.
Use this thread: New Computer for Vet School?
 
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Also start until the 19th, but not looking forward to it especially with no spring break vacation this semester :eek: Are other schools doing something similar?
 
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Also start until the 19th, but not looking forward to it especially with no spring break vacation this semester :eek: Are other schools doing something similar?
UIUC has no spring break either. We now have three “mental health days” randomly throughout the semester. Which won’t really be a break at all since people will definitely be catching up those days.
 
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Also start until the 19th, but not looking forward to it especially with no spring break vacation this semester :eek: Are other schools doing something similar?
VMCVM is doing the same thing. They're at least building in some days off from what we would've had for spring break to give us a little bit of a mental break without having a full week off. We will at least get a little bit of time off before we start our first set of rotations in May
 
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I'm looking for some advice. Hopefully someone on this thread or somewhere on SDN has gone through this and can offer me a glimpse of hope.
I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer earlier this week and have been given the option to take medical leave or go part time with my studies. I can choose to continue full time if I please (which is what I'm leaning towards). My professors and school have been great so far and are willing to work with me in any way they can to make sure I succeed.

Im having surgery to remove my thyroid soon bc my doctors want to take this thing out asap.

I know there is no shame in going on medical leave/ part time if it comes down to it, after all my health comes first. But I would hate to make that decision right now, have this surgery, and in a matter of weeks feel fine enough to proceed with classes as normal. I believe I have until mid-march to decide what I want to do.

So my question is: has anyone gone through some kind of illness while in vet school like this?
 
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So my question is: has anyone gone through some kind of illness while in vet school like this?
I don't have any personal experience, but there's a Facebook group "Veterinary Students with Disabilities Support Group" that was started by someone at my school, people often ask for advice there and you'll probably be able to find people who have gone through similar things to you. The same person also made "Disabled.DVM" which is a Facebook page and website that has resources that might be helpful as well.
I know we're nowhere near each other, but if you ever need to rant or talk about anything you can always send me a message. I'll be thinking of you over the next few weeks *hugs*
 
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I don't have any personal experience, but there's a Facebook group "Veterinary Students with Disabilities Support Group" that was started by someone at my school, people often ask for advice there and you'll probably be able to find people who have gone through similar things to you. The same person also made "Disabled.DVM" which is a Facebook page and website that has resources that might be helpful as well.
I know we're nowhere near each other, but if you ever need to rant or talk about anything you can always send me a message. I'll be thinking of you over the next few weeks *hugs*
I'll have to check both of those out. The facebook group is no longer active, or the link doesn't work but I'll try the other one.

And thank you. I got diagnosed a week ago and it doesn't feel real.
 
Only a month in and I'm already feeling :dead:

I knew this semester was going to be hard, but didn't expect to be feeling this overwhelmed already

How's the semester going for everyone else?
 
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Only a month in and I'm already feeling :dead:

I knew this semester was going to be hard, but didn't expect to be feeling this overwhelmed already

How's the semester going for everyone else?
I feel this 😫 on our first day we had a solid 9 hours straight so I was behind from the start.

First exam of the semester was on Monday and it was pretty rough, but I passed and now it's time to start getting ready for the next one! This week has at least been a little lighter so I've been making it a point to take some time for myself.
 
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Only a month in and I'm already feeling :dead:

I knew this semester was going to be hard, but didn't expect to be feeling this overwhelmed already

How's the semester going for everyone else?
School wise I’m a disaster. I’m very far behind because I have a “light” semester compared to last semester, so I don’t have the “oh no I’m going to fail” panic pushing me to keep up. But my running hobby and new year’s resolution to run a half marathon is going great (ran 6 miles yesterday so I’m almost halfway there) so uh, you win some you lose some?
 
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School wise I’m a disaster. I’m very far behind because I have a “light” semester compared to last semester, so I don’t have the “oh no I’m going to fail” panic pushing me to keep up. But my running hobby and new year’s resolution to run a half marathon is going great (ran 6 miles yesterday so I’m almost halfway there) so uh, you win some you lose some?
You guys will find that taking time for yourself generally means that you aren't as behind as you think because the study time you do take is more focused and more is gained in less time. <3
 
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You guys will find that taking time for yourself generally means that you aren't as behind as you think because the study time you do take is more focused and more is gained in less time. <3
This genuinely makes me feel better about how my week has been going, thank you :biglove:
 
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I feel this 😫 on our first day we had a solid 9 hours straight so I was behind from the start.

First exam of the semester was on Monday and it was pretty rough, but I passed and now it's time to start getting ready for the next one! This week has at least been a little lighter so I've been making it a point to take some time for myself.

Yeah I also have that brief sense of relief that I finished an exam but then it's immediately jumping into the next one coming the following week

School wise I’m a disaster. I’m very far behind because I have a “light” semester compared to last semester, so I don’t have the “oh no I’m going to fail” panic pushing me to keep up. But my running hobby and new year’s resolution to run a half marathon is going great (ran 6 miles yesterday so I’m almost halfway there) so uh, you win some you lose some?

That's awesome! I really want to exercise more because I think it can help a lot with the mental stress of school, so I think you're doing it right tbh
 
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Yeah I also have that brief sense of relief that I finished an exam but then it's immediately jumping into the next one coming the following week



That's awesome! I really want to exercise more because I think it can help a lot with the mental stress of school, so I think you're doing it right tbh
I am simultaneously in the best physical shape I’ve ever been of my life and the worst “academic” shape. I learn quickly which is my saving grace but I absorb nothing from zoom lectures so I mostly just do nothing for the 6 hours of classes, and then go running, cook dinner, go to sleep, and sometimes read some of the course notes in-between.

I’m just going to learn most of the material 24 hours before the exam like I have for every exam so far. I really do wish I was a better student but my brain is incapable of focusing on something for more than 30 seconds
 
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Already feeling it too! Real conscious about my mental health this semester, so I don't feel as overhwlmed as the last. I need to start working out, but it is so hard to stay consistent with no accountability o_O Kudos to the running:clap:
 
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