Suggestions on items to prepare for first year?

Veterinary Science Graduate Programs from U. of I.
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Thought I'd throw this out here: If you had $50 at REI, what would you get that might be helpful for vet school? I feel pretty good about my coats and backpack.
 
It’s a paid subscription but I really like EasyAnatomy. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the VIN ones.
 
amcallidrmd said:
Thought I'd throw this out here: If you had $50 at REI, what would you get that might be helpful for vet school? I feel pretty good about my coats and backpack.
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hmmm things I use in my day to day: coats (both outside coats and inside fleeces), backpack, lunch box... maybe scarf or gloves if you’re going to a cold location??
 
amcallidrmd said:
Thought I'd throw this out here: If you had $50 at REI, what would you get that might be helpful for vet school? I feel pretty good about my coats and backpack.
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Water bottle, bike (but that's more than $50), new hiking shoes (not necessarily helpful for vet school but I'd want them anyway), flashlight (a tactical one that could be used for self defense in the dark), socks
 
amcallidrmd said:
Thought I'd throw this out here: If you had $50 at REI, what would you get that might be helpful for vet school? I feel pretty good about my coats and backpack.
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If I was more into hiking or some other outdoor activity, I'd spend that money on those outdoor hobbies over vet school supplies. If you're going somewhere that those outdoor activities are realistic, you could use them for winding down and good mental health care.
 
amcallidrmd said:
Thought I'd throw this out here: If you had $50 at REI, what would you get that might be helpful for vet school? I feel pretty good about my coats and backpack.
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Weirdly, headlamps come in handy more often than you'd think

However I agree with bats and say you should just get things that you like and will help you with any self care activities you'd like to do.

I did buy those heavy duty wool camping socks from an REI once. Excellent choice since I'm always cold :laugh:
 
Thanks everyone! I just got a bike and new hiking shoes this year lol, that's why I was trying to think of something else. I can always find something related though. Thanks
 
It’s amazing how important self care items become during the semester!
 
Reiterating the helpfulness of white boards:

CEBA57E2-36F1-47F7-959E-3248A1477228.jpeg
 
Oh wow, my whiteboard currently has a nephron on it, too.

Definitely agree that a whiteboard is necessary. I bought a 4'x6' and couldn't live without it, though I also have several smaller ones that I like for sketching things or quizzing myself.

My other love (definitely not as environmentally friendly, so please don't hate me!) - giant Post-it notes. Like the poster-size ones. I make them when I study, put them up in the hall a few days before the exam (total immersion, I guess?) and then store them by class afterwards. Made studying for finals so much easier - I can put the semester's worth of Post-its up for a class and literally have my notes and drawings in front of me. I think being surrounded by each class's material also helped my brain make the switch from subject to subject with so many days of consecutive exams.
 
WonderingStudent said:
Reiterating the helpfulness of white boards:

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SardonicWit said:
Oh wow, my whiteboard currently has a nephron on it, too.

Definitely agree that a whiteboard is necessary. I bought a 4'x6' and couldn't live without it, though I also have several smaller ones that I like for sketching things or quizzing myself.

My other love (definitely not as environmentally friendly, so please don't hate me!) - giant Post-it notes. Like the poster-size ones. I make them when I study, put them up in the hall a few days before the exam (total immersion, I guess?) and then store them by class afterwards. Made studying for finals so much easier - I can put the semester's worth of Post-its up for a class and literally have my notes and drawings in front of me. I think being surrounded by each class's material also helped my brain make the switch from subject to subject with so many days of consecutive exams.
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I have a photo saved to my favorites of my nephron so I get it.

744E2E34-E2C2-4A5A-8987-6D4174AD38B8.jpeg
 
Also I got a massive white board when I moved into my new apartment second year. It’s not coming with me after graduation but she was the absolute best. I loved her. 😢

ignore the fact that I currently look like trash (and don’t quote the photo pls I’m going to delete it) but I used it for every test, to study for navle, and for my internship application to prioritize my letter of intent.

473E7EB5-1191-4BE9-AEED-471B2EC36463.jpeg
 
batsenecal said:
You should keep her!!!
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I want to!!! But I can’t see a purpose for her after graduation with the exception of like... maybe residency board studying, and I really don’t want to transport her from OK to WI/ IL/ PA/ DC/ MO/ GA/ MD/ NC/ NY/ FL/ ID/ wherever tf I end up.
 
cdo96 said:
I want to!!! But I can’t see a purpose for her after graduation with the exception of like... maybe residency board studying, and I really don’t want to transport her from OK to WI/ IL/ PA/ DC/ MO/ GA/ MD/ NC/ NY/ FL/ ID/ wherever tf I end up.
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Lol I feel the stress rolling off that list. *Pat pat* it'll be ok
 
Coopah said:
Lol I feel the stress rolling off that list. *Pat pat* it'll be ok
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Coop’s just nodding in agreement as I list off states. :laugh: Just 31 days until we get some answer and some closure*!

*unless we don’t match in which we cry and scramble and cry and scramble some more
 
cdo96 said:
Our renal Phys professor didn’t play around, so it had to be very detailed, unfortunately.

@twelvetigers , @Lupin21 , and @JaynaAli (and others) know what I’m talking about. :scared:
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I won him over second semester and figured out how to take his tests. I still remember though on the final I had his study guide out, the binder, and the book reading until 2 am. I did pretty well on that final, but for parathyroid hormone related protein fill in, I couldn't recall the related part, just new it had to do with family. I wrote relative instead and had a big d'oh when I was driving home thinking about it. haha
 
Lupin21 said:
I won him over second semester and figured out how to take his tests. I still remember though on the final I had his study guide out, the binder, and the book reading until 2 am. I did pretty well on that final, but for parathyroid hormone related protein fill in, I couldn't recall the related part, just new it had to do with family. I wrote relative instead and had a big d'oh when I was driving home thinking about it. haha
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Yeah no I was never able to figure out how to take his tests.
JaynaAli said:
I hated every second of it and almost didn’t pass. Twice. But hey, I took my very low Cs, moved on, and I’m a specialist now.
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Hey same! except... I’m not a specialist?

it’s just not fair, kids these days don’t have him teach much at all. 3C35E2B0-1ED0-4F7A-A060-86420E28CA2A.png

I would’ve loved to see him struggle with Zoom taught physiology.
 
cdo96 said:
Coop’s just nodding in agreement as I list off states. :laugh: Just 31 days until we get some answer and some closure*!

*unless we don’t match in which we cry and scramble and cry and scramble some more
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Just as a pick me up, one of my best friends who is a total badass didn't get any interviews and didn't match last year and ended up having to scramble, is killing her internship, and now has at least 8 academic residency interviews either completed or scheduled.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you guys that you match but just remember there is still hope if you don't!
 
JaynaAli said:
I hated every second of it and almost didn’t pass. Twice. But hey, I took my very low Cs, moved on, and I’m a specialist now.
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I’m not paying good attention these days so I’m late. Same, plus one placement exam on his account (that’s the “pass it or you fail out of vet school” test for us, THAT was fun) - plus, yanno, all the other Cs.

It’s a winding road to acknowledge that PTSD from vet school is a real thing, but doing what I do now has done wonders to make it better. Now it only bothers me when I think about my equine rotation while I’m in the shower. Why do we think about terrible stuff while in the shower? Or right before bed? Hah.
 
cdo96 said:
I would’ve loved to see him struggle with Zoom taught physiology.
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Given the reluctance to let go of the old school light projector and his stupid clear film prints - I’m not even sure what to call the damn things since I hadn’t seen them since the 3rd grade prior to that - I can only imagine. And someone could like, leave, or sleep, or join late, and it would have been recorded so someone could have seen it that wasn’t actually there at 8am! Those people are supposed to fail out at that point, don’t you know? It’s his job to make sure of it.

Yep, these are those shower thoughts I was talking about. Gonna let that go and enjoy my Saturday instead.
 
twelvetigers said:
Given the reluctance to let go of the old school light projector and his stupid clear film prints - I’m not even sure what to call the damn things since I hadn’t seen them since the 3rd grade prior to that - I can only imagine.
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Does every school have a prof like this??? I definitely did.

Also, 😍 dill pickle chips!!
 
supershorty said:
Does every school have a prof like this??? I definitely did.

Also, 😍 dill pickle chips!!
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We had a professor or two who were very invested in writing things on a whiteboard or on a sheet of paper under a document camera that projected onto our projector screen. However, neither of those professors were raging dinguses
 
supershorty said:
Does every school have a prof like this??? I definitely did.

Also, 😍 dill pickle chips!!
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We had a prof that regularly taught first and second years who said that he did not understand the mental health struggles within the profession that people needed to essentially suck it up cause they chose this profession, the good and the bad. He said this in response to my (anonymous) question on "Do you think vet med was worth it to you?" at a faculty panel we had second year. The next answer came from a faculty member that I also am not a fan of, but he started his statement with, "Well, we have lost 3 people from my class to their mental health struggles..." and went on from there. The first professor no longer teaches as of this year (or maybe last).
 
batsenecal said:
We had a prof that regularly taught first and second years who said that he did not understand the mental health struggles within the profession that people needed to essentially suck it up cause they chose this profession, the good and the bad. He said this in response to my (anonymous) question on "Do you think vet med was worth it to you?" at a faculty panel we had second year. The next answer came from a faculty member that I also am not a fan of, but he started his statement with, "Well, we have lost 3 people from my class to their mental health struggles..." and went on from there. The first professor no longer teaches as of this year (or maybe last).
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Hello was it the one I’m thinking of who taught resp phys and tox because if so my class was his last for tox last year 🙃
 
SkiOtter said:
I wish that he no longer taught last year 😬

if I could have just had the wonderful lady for all of tox that would’ve been great thankssssss (which I don’t know if she’s teaching them tox at all this year? I know lady A was teaching tox....)
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I really like that clinician! She was super fun.
 
Jeez, I haven’t had any professors here like y’all are talking about ... though I’m only a first year so there’s still time :laugh:
 
EngrSC said:
Jeez, I haven’t had any professors here like y’all are talking about ... though I’m only a first year so there’s still time :laugh:
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There aren't very many profs that I actively dislike. Overall, I like the vast majority of clinicians.
 
supershorty said:
Does every school have a prof like this??? I definitely did.

Also, 😍 dill pickle chips!!
Click to expand...
One of our pathology professors doesn't get along well with technology, pre-covid he would draw all over the whiteboards and now he will draw on pieces of paper and hold them up to the camera over zoom 🤣 he's SUCH a great teacher though and I honestly love his lectures!
 
Any suggestions on tablets? Would you highly recommend them? Do certain schools require them? Which ones are the best for notes, etc.?
 
htexasapplicant said:
Any suggestions on tablets? Would you highly recommend them? Do certain schools require them? Which ones are the best for notes, etc.?
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Some schools have certain tech requirements so if you're planning on buying something I would wait until you know where you're going

I love my Surface Pro though
 
WildZoo said:
Some schools have certain tech requirements so if you're planning on buying something I would wait until you know where you're going

I love my Surface Pro though
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Me too! Mine is great! I had a pro 3 until last summer and then upgraded to a pro 7, have been very happy with both.
 
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htexasapplicant said:
Any suggestions on tablets? Would you highly recommend them? Do certain schools require them? Which ones are the best for notes, etc.?
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Also have a surface pro 4 that I've been using since July 2016. Absolutely love it.
 
htexasapplicant said:
Any suggestions on tablets? Would you highly recommend them? Do certain schools require them? Which ones are the best for notes, etc.?
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Will also say don't jump on anything until you know where you're going/if you'll have any requirements to meet. I have the Surface Go and am in love with it, it's basically a tablet/laptop hybrid so it can do everything I need it to, but it's still small enough to easily take in labs with me
 
Any suggestions on rubber boots? I just wanna be comfy and the first ones I ordered were not great
 
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