Class of 2025... How you doin’?

[alleycat03]

I’m so glad we’re done with this semester.
I feel like I barely survived, and I’m still waiting on my grade from the final we took Monday 🙃

2nd year in general is tough at KSU, but next semester is supposed to be worse than the semester I just barely survived.
But I’m not going to think about that right now, I’m going to focus on enjoying a month off from school 🥳

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[BigCats]

Soooo glad to have gotten a chance to recover from a very long year. I've been really burned out this semester and I know I'm far from the only one in my class- second year is our toughest year and I can sure see it now. I hope y'all are able to rejuvenate and enjoy your holiday time ♥️

 

[Viscernable]

Congrats to everyone finished, and everyone in finals - you’re almost there! How did ya’ll feel about the semester? What are you doing over summer?

 

[max_wildlife]

Congrats to everyone finished, and everyone in finals - you’re almost there! How did ya’ll feel about the semester? What are you doing over summer?

still crawling my way to the finish line. still have a couple finals this week and so exhausted and ready to be done.
honestly this semester was just one battle after another. it's notoriously difficult at my school and i had to juggle holding a job with trying to just make it through some classes. but if i get through these finals, there's only one full semester left before clinics, and i just cannot wait for that change.
but the highlight of the semester was probably neutering a rabbit. and working on my skateboarding lol. i've just been trying as hard as possible to not allow vet school to become my identity and there's something tiring about that too.

this summer i'm doing a mix of wildlife things and spay/neuter experience, with a couple trips home. i'm hoping for a camping trip. fingers crossed.

how about you?

 

[BigCats]

Congrats to everyone finished, and everyone in finals - you’re almost there! How did ya’ll feel about the semester? What are you doing over summer?

Hardest year for us as well (2nd year fall was slightly worse imo because at least this semester we had a buffer of a few free afternoons when your group wasn't doing surgery) and glad to be done! We have actually started clinics as of Thursday (tomorrow is my first ~real~ day) and we'll be in clinics nonstop until the end of December! Very much looking forward to a change of pace!

 

[alleycat03]

Congrats to everyone finished, and everyone in finals - you’re almost there! How did ya’ll feel about the semester? What are you doing over summer?

Super excited that it's finally summer! This semester was definitely the hardest one I've faced and I am SO glad I'm done. We can officially say we're 50% doctors!!

As for this summer, I am looking forward to working full-time at an ER, and I have several trips planned both veterinary and non-veterinary. Definitely looking forward to our RAVS trip in August and my Taylor Swift concert in July!

 

[max_wildlife]

Super excited that it's finally summer! This semester was definitely the hardest one I've faced and I am SO glad I'm done. We can officially say we're 50% doctors!!

As for this summer, I am looking forward to working full-time at an ER, and I have several trips planned both veterinary and non-veterinary. Definitely looking forward to our RAVS trip in August and my Taylor Swift concert in July!

ah cool i’m doing ravs too different month though.

 

[SkiOtter]

Taylor Swift concert in July!

Mine is in just over 2 weeks and I am PUMPED.

 

[alleycat03]

Mine is in just over 2 weeks and I am PUMPED.

How was it?!?!! 21 days until my concert!!

 

[SkiOtter]

How was it?!?!! 21 days until my concert!!

IT WAS SO GOOD.
Also 10/10 recommend friendship bracelet making/trading. Also def recommend Loop earplugs to save your hearing. My friend and I both have them and the concert still sounded awesome but we also protected our ears at the same time

 

[alleycat03]

ah cool i’m doing ravs too different month though.

Let me know how it goes! I’m really curious to see how much surgical experience we’ll get.

 

[alleycat03]

IT WAS SO GOOD.
Also 10/10 recommend friendship bracelet making/trading. Also def recommend Loop earplugs to save your hearing. My friend and I both have them and the concert still sounded awesome but we also protected our ears at the same time

I’m so glad you had a blast! I need to start my friendship bracelet making asap and get those earplugs. I heard great things about them but haven’t ordered yet. She also sang my #1 hoped-for surprise song tonight (The Story of Us) so I’m hoping I still get great surprise songs at my concert.

 

[SkiOtter]

I’m so glad you had a blast! I need to start my friendship bracelet making asap and get those earplugs. I heard great things about them but haven’t ordered yet. She also sang my #1 hoped-for surprise song tonight (The Story of Us) so I’m hoping I still get great surprise songs at my concert.

I got a multipack of colored pony beads, a multipack of different colors of elastic, and a big pack of letters (that were pre-alphabetized!!!!) from michaels for a decent price. Also 10/10 recommend adding a dot of super glue or clear nail polish to your knots so they don’t break open. My friend had that happen on one she got from someone else 🥲
I hope you get good ones!!!! I love that song too. We got Haunted and I Almost Do 😍

 

[alleycat03]

I got a multipack of colored pony beads, a multipack of different colors of elastic, and a big pack of letters (that were pre-alphabetized!!!!) from michaels for a decent price. Also 10/10 recommend adding a dot of super glue or clear nail polish to your knots so they don’t break open. My friend had that happen on one she got from someone else 🥲
I hope you get good ones!!!! I love that song too. We got Haunted and I Almost Do 😍

I can’t believe you got to hear Haunted live! I’m so jealous. Thank you for the bracelet making tips as well

 

[Viscernable]

ah cool i’m doing ravs too different month though.

Which did you go to? Just finished ours and it was so amazing. Between a long dairy internship (including getting to pretend to be a real adult and do a research project comprehensively reviewing and proposing improvements to the replacement heifer rearing program! I’ve never had that much independence in a veterinary job before, it was such a dream), drug testing show goats, two RAVS trips, and camping and hiking and stargazing the Badlands, I feel like I got so lucky using my summer to the max. Very spiritually ready for school and very not organizationally ready.

… Actually, now I think of it, every year I’ve done the same thing of working until the last minute then mad dash road trip back. I am nothing if not predictably messy. I even gave myself a whole Sunday to prepare this year, so maybe I’m getting better!

 

[max_wildlife]

Which did you go to? Just finished ours and it was so amazing. Between a long dairy internship (including getting to pretend to be a real adult and do a research project comprehensively reviewing and proposing improvements to the replacement heifer rearing program! I’ve never had that much independence in a veterinary job before, it was such a dream), drug testing show goats, two RAVS trips, and camping and hiking and stargazing the Badlands, I feel like I got so lucky using my summer to the max. Very spiritually ready for school and very not organizationally ready.

… Actually, now I think of it, every year I’ve done the same thing of working until the last minute then mad dash road trip back. I am nothing if not predictably messy. I even gave myself a whole Sunday to prepare this year, so maybe I’m getting better!

I was in the last week of June one! I had an amazing time. I ended up getting sick halfway through, which sucked; and it’s weird because my Covid test was negative, but then someone else got sick on Friday and they ended up testing positive 🫠 thankfully I don’t think anyone else got sick to my knowledge

I wish I could’ve gone to the Badlands. It didn’t work out and I’m still a little sad. Hopefully one day I’ll get there. But I did get to do some sight-seeing in Fargo and Minneapolis, and I got to visit the ‘World’s Largest Buffalo’. And I took the train out west instead of flying, which I always really enjoy. People poke fun at me for it, but it’s a couple hundred bucks cheaper and you actually get to see the world, and walk around a bit.

And then just worked with some wildlife back home and had an externship at another wildlife center. It was overall a quieter summer for me. Had a lot of car problems.

Honestly most of my vet school career has been defined by car problems at this point.

 

[Viscernable]

I was in the last week of June one! I had an amazing time. I ended up getting sick halfway through, which sucked; and it’s weird because my Covid test was negative, but then someone else got sick on Friday and they ended up testing positive 🫠 thankfully I don’t think anyone else got sick to my knowledge

I wish I could’ve gone to the Badlands. It didn’t work out and I’m still a little sad. Hopefully one day I’ll get there. But I did get to do some sight-seeing in Fargo and Minneapolis, and I got to visit the ‘World’s Largest Buffalo’. And I took the train out west instead of flying, which I always really enjoy. People poke fun at me for it, but it’s a couple hundred bucks cheaper and you actually get to see the world, and walk around a bit.

And then just worked with some wildlife back home and had an externship at another wildlife center. It was overall a quieter summer for me. Had a lot of car problems.

Honestly most of my vet school career has been defined by car problems at this point.

Sorry you got interrupted by sickness, that sucks! Glad you still had a good trip around it. The train journey sounds like the ideal travel!

I can relate to the car problems, though mine are self-inflicted because I had a low-speed accident last year and was too cheap to replace the condenser in my old car so now I just have no AC lmao. I’ve grown heat tolerance, it’s fine. Something something builds character.

 

[max_wildlife]

Sorry you got interrupted by sickness, that sucks! Glad you still had a good trip around it. The train journey sounds like the ideal travel!

I can relate to the car problems, though mine are self-inflicted because I had a low-speed accident last year and was too cheap to replace the condenser in my old car so now I just have no AC lmao. I’ve grown heat tolerance, it’s fine. Something something builds character.

it really was! highly recommend.

and geez. sorry you're going through car stuff too. i ended up just putting a deposit a new car since the used one i was looking at was the same price. but i'm really hoping that having a car with a warranty will give me some peace of mind.

 

[gmn72]

I realized I want to specialize too late into the game… if I realized it first or second year I could’ve spent a summer doing research. Now I’m going into clinics in 7 months so I’m screwed lol

 

[battie]

I realized I want to specialize too late into the game… if I realized it first or second year I could’ve spent a summer doing research. Now I’m going into clinics in 7 months so I’m screwed lol

You're absolutely not screwed. My best friend is in an internal med residency right now and didn't think she would go that route until halfway through her internship. She was originally going for exotics.

Also paging @cdo96 who also wasn't gunning hard in school

 

[cdo96]

paging @cdo96 who also wasn't gunning hard in school

Errr, ask anyone who knows me, and I was gunning hard in school. (@Trilt called me out on it often)

My grades? Average. My work ethic and enthusiasm? Phenomenal

I’m not too helpful for this part of the convo. I always knew I wanted to specialize (second year ECC resident), but the reality is I work with a lot of interns, and research? Helpful, sure, but seriously not a make or break point for getting an internship/residency. Truly the thing that matters most for getting an internship are your letters of recommendations from clinicians, your interview, and then everything else (research, grades, experience, hobbies) gets sprinkled evenly in the mix.

And then for residency unless we’re talking about AEZ with the worst placement stats in existence, nobody cares about what you did in vet school. It’s all everything you’ve done since vet school/ in your internship.

It’s a full circle moment for me to say that nobody really cares about what you did in vet school, because I had perfectly prepped and polished my way through school, stressing about which clubs to be an officer in to give me the best application for an internship… when in reality none of it really matters

So fret not, you’re not too late to be a specialist. Do a good job in clinics and make a good impression, especially with the people in whatever speciality you want to do.

 

[alleycat03]

We got our 4th year schedules this week! Will have to update my signature whenever I get a chance. How are others doing? Planning externships? Still waiting for your clinics schedule!?

We only have 97 more school days (190 days total) until white coat, so it's starting to feel quite real that we'll be starting clinics very very soon!

 

[vetsquared]

How exciting! We submitted our schedule preferences last month, but we don’t get our schedules until February which feels like waiting foreverrrrr haha. I just had my junior surgery though and that was the moment things started feeling real for me!

 

[SkiOtter]

Will have to update my signature whenever I get a chance.

 

[alleycat03]

How exciting! We submitted our schedule preferences last month, but we don’t get our schedules until February which feels like waiting foreverrrrr haha. I just had my junior surgery though and that was the moment things started feeling real for me!

We submitted ours in early September (due like the Monday after Labor Day) and got them back this week! It was a much faster turnaround time than I expected. They told us November and got them to us early. Hopefully you'll get your schedule sooner rather than later!

And I'm glad JSL went well for you! We just finished week 5 of JSL (out of 8) and it's been a really fun and educational experience so far.

 

[max_wildlife]

We got our 4th year schedules this week! Will have to update my signature whenever I get a chance. How are others doing? Planning externships? Still waiting for your clinics schedulel?

We only have 97 more school days (190 days total) until white coat, so it's starting to feel quite real that we'll be starting clinics very very soon!

How exciting! We submitted our schedule preferences last month, but we don’t get our schedules until February which feels like waiting foreverrrrr haha. I just had my junior surgery though and that was the moment things started feeling real for me!

We submitted ours in early September (due like the Monday after Labor Day) and got them back this week! It was a much faster turnaround time than I expected. They told us November and got them to us early. Hopefully you'll get your schedule sooner rather than later!

And I'm glad JSL went well for you! We just finished week 5 of JSL (out of 8) and it's been a really fun and educational experience so far.

Wow! You guys get your schedules early! Our last finals are in February and clinics start in March so I’m hoping we have a quick turn-around. We don’t even rank schedules til mid-November, though, so I’m not sure how quick it’s all gonna move.

I do have one externship lined up for April of 2025 at least and I’m super excited. Feels silly applying so early but our elective time spans March-May of fourth year so we don’t have a ton of flexibility on when to apply for the bigger things.

When do clinics officially start for y’all?

 

[Polocrosse2017]

We got our 4th year schedules this week! Will have to update my signature whenever I get a chance. How are others doing? Planning externships? Still waiting for your clinics schedulel?

We only have 97 more school days (190 days total) until white coat, so it's starting to feel quite real that we'll be starting clinics very very soon!

Congratulations! Ii seems like that was yesterday but it was a year ago. Think in one year you will be nearing your NAVLE and the match if you do it! Almost half done with clinics (in SA Int Med now) and NAVLE -1 week! Will be so glad when that is over but the wait for results will be awful! Good luck!

 

[alleycat03]

Congratulations! Ii seems like that was yesterday but it was a year ago. Think in one year you will be nearing your NAVLE and the match if you do it! Almost half done with clinics (in SA Int Med now) and NAVLE -1 week! Will be so glad when that is over but the wait for results will be awful! Good luck!

Good luck on the NAVLE!!

 

[sheepcowdoghorse23]

Haven't been on in a while, life has been life-ing 😆 I hope everyone is having a restful break and HAPPY NEW YEAR!🥳

I start my "large animal block" on Tuesday - basically large animal boot camp for clinics, complete with a lot of palpation per rectum - I'm taking medicine, repro, pathology.... and a chicken class. It's definitely a lighter course load than I've had since... well actually I think since vet school began but who's counting🙃 Only downside is having to drive out to our New Bolton campus 3-4 times a week.

After that it's onto some externships and clinics! I only have my March-May schedule and probably won't get my May24-May25 schedule until April 😵‍💫

I can't believe we're all about to be in clinics (or are already in clinics) - where did the time go!? Soon we'll be talking about NAVLE and Match! *insert screaming here*! 😳

Anyone else nervous and feeling *unprepared* - imposter syndrome at an all time high right now!


Also life update: Since I haven't been on for a while - I did the thing I said I wasn't going to do and adopted a dog who was surrendered to the hospital (linear FB, owner couldn't afford so they surrendered her) in May. She's one of a kind... but loves to eat everything. We just had our SECOND FB surgery of the year at the end of November (My favorite socks - they had llamas on them). Good thing we have insurance, CareCredit AND I get a very generous discount at Penn.

This is Coco (she already knew it when I got her). The dopiest house hippo to ever exist!

 

[BigCats]

We are heading back into the classroom after 8 months of clinics- I've really enjoyed clinics so far but can't say I'm mad about a change of pace (and no inpatients, weekend duties, on-call...)! Gonna be weird to relearn how to study again!

 

[max_wildlife]

Hey all! Classes start tomorrow at my school; we have class til like Feb 8th, our last final is Valentine's day lol, then it's 'spring' break, some workshops, and onto clinics in March.

I'm super eager for clinics and a change of pace. I've never been good at sitting still for long periods of time, so I'm hoping just being up and about and working with my hands will help. I loved surgery week, and the off-site externships I've done so far, so I'm optimistic. And I'm pretty happy with my clinics schedule, so that's encouraging.

As stressful as school is, I think the broader future is starting to freak me out more than school is at this point. Like, actually being a veterinarian. Ruminating on my own fear of entrapment has given me some unnecessary stress. So I'm just trying to focus on fun externship opportunities to look forward to - I have a couple lined up, and trying to be grateful for what I have available to me.

It's tough, though. I'm trying to not let my existentialism get to me lol

Hope you're all doing well!

 

[vetsquared]

Finally got my clinical rotation schedule!! Feeling very fortunate because I honestly think my schedule is pretty good. Getting my schedule has made this feel really real and I’m in that place between excited and utterly terrified to start clinics haha

 

[supershorty]

Finally got my clinical rotation schedule!! Feeling very fortunate because I honestly think my schedule is pretty good. Getting my schedule has made this feel really real and I’m in that place between excited and utterly terrified to start clinics haha

You should start on SAS because then we’ll overlap, yesyes.

 

[max_wildlife]

just took my last-ever vet school exam.
i truly can’t believe i made it through didactics. it’s surreal. it feels like i just started. now onto clinics and then off to the vet world.

it’s unreal how fast — and also how very slow at times — that this all moves

 

[vetsquared]

You should start on SAS because then we’ll overlap, yesyes.

Omg if I had to start with SAS as my first rotation I think I would have an aneurysm… either that or I would flee the country lol 😂

 

[supershorty]

Omg if I had to start with SAS as my first rotation I think I would have an aneurysm… either that or I would flee the country lol 😂

Pls I started on SAS followed by SAM and had a great time - and I’d been out of vet school for 4 years. You’d be fine.

 

[alleycat03]

just took my last-ever vet school exam.
i truly can’t believe i made it through didactics. it’s surreal. it feels like i just started. now onto clinics and then off to the vet world.

it’s unreal how fast — and also how very slow at times — that this all moves

My final vet school exam will be on April 26th, and I am counting down the days! I hope your clinics go well, and I am also very excited to get out of the classroom and into the teaching hospital!

 

[supershorty]

Pls I started on SAS followed by SAM and had a great time - and I’d been out of vet school for 4 years. You’d be fine.

Y’all stop laughing at this, it’s not helping me be convincing

 

[KCgophervet]

Omg if I had to start with SAS as my first rotation I think I would have an aneurysm… either that or I would flee the country lol 😂

You're thinking about it backwards, if you start on SAS they expect you to be a clueless student, so the expectations are lower. If you end on SAS?? They expect you to be a competent vet! Best to start with the challenging rotations

 

[supershorty]

You're thinking about it backwards, if you start on SAS they expect you to be a clueless student, so the expectations are lower. If you end on SAS?? They expect you to be a competent vet! Best to start with the challenging rotations

Plus, being on one of the challenging rotations right off the bat means you overlap with the outgoing class, who will show you all the tips and tricks for Vetview (and give insight into clinician preferences)!!

 

[vetsquared]

Plus, being on one of the challenging rotations right off the bat means you overlap with the outgoing class, who will show you all the tips and tricks for Vetview (and give insight into clinician preferences)!!

I actually do have SAM A very early so hopefully will get some overlap there, but I would rather not have SAS and SAM back to back 😅 I appreciate your valiant attempts at convincing me to switch though haha

 

[supershorty]

I actually do have SAM A very early so hopefully will get some overlap there, but I would rather not have SAS and SAM back to back 😅 I appreciate your valiant attempts at convincing me to switch though haha

But you won’t have them back to back! Just SAS to start!

We only overlap with you guys on the very first block and then we’re gone, so you’ll have to hope you have some island students on with you who have been around for a bit.