Class of 2018...how you doin? ;)

[hbr1704]

First semester of 2nd year here at A&M has been wonderful so far. They've implemented a Friday-only test schedule for us and it's been working out really great. Does that mean the exams never end? Yes. Does that also mean that I only worry about one subject per week? Abso-effin'-lutely. And so far, so good. I'm not looking forward to next semester, though, where there are tests nearly ever Monday and Friday. But we do start some surgery labs and then in April, it'll be time for White Coat!

This is all going by so quickly!

At Iowa state we get our white coat our first year before we start classes and I am jealous you get it later on in your career. I feel like it is a nice reward to work for.

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[epivetlove]

At Iowa state we get our white coat our first year before we start classes and I am jealous you get it later on in your career. I feel like it is a nice reward to work for.

Yeah, we're all pretty excited! Apparently A&M used to do the ceremony at the beginning, but our first year is the hardest (so far, I believe that to be true) and when people are most likely to drop or fail...so I guess it was awkward when the ceremony came around in April and a student had failed/was failing. :/ We also start mini clinics 3rd year and do elective rotations in the hospitals, so it's to help signify our transition into being more like doctors.

 

[Ashgirl]

First week of Block 7 is done! I really needed this week of no exams, and out of all of my classes (Systemic Path II, Business Management, Public Health, Emergency Response for Vet Students), only Pharmacology is overwhelming me. Though I suspect it has to do with it being all equations atm and then having it 7 times a week....

 

[epivetlove]

We just started Week 10 of 15...wut. I feel like we just started this semester. We only have 4 more exams, excluding finals. This has been the fastest semester so far. I'm actually going to miss how laid back it's been...next semester is going to be a cluster****.

 

[allygator13]

We just started Week 10 of 15...wut. I feel like we just started this semester. We only have 4 more exams, excluding finals. This has been the fastest semester so far. I'm actually going to miss how laid back it's been...next semester is going to be a cluster****.

Ugh, I feel like this semester is soooo loooong. How are we not at finals yet?! Is how I feel haha. In other news, just had a shift at the small animal clinic and got to practice making blood smears and looking at them, and putting clin path knowledge to use It was fun!

 

[Ashgirl]

After a crazy hard week (dang you pharmacology and nervous system path....), I'm super glad that's it's Thanksgiving break!

My plans include: Sleeping, Fallout 4, (maybe looking at cardio pharm), Fallout 4, eating Turkey, sleeping, and Fallout 4. Anyone else who has to slug through some (or all) of next week, hang in there!

 

[allygator13]

After a crazy hard week (dang you pharmacology and nervous system path....), I'm super glad that's it's Thanksgiving break!

My plans include: Sleeping, Fallout 4, (maybe looking at cardio pharm), Fallout 4, eating Turkey, sleeping, and Fallout 4. Anyone else who has to slug through some (or all) of next week, hang in there!

I wish we got a Thanksgiving break

 

[epivetlove]

Just one and half days of lecture/labs between me and Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, I'll have to be studying for most of break since finals are gonna be nuts and we'll be learning new material all the up until the Friday before...but I'm very glad for the break. I will miss this semester, though. It's been the most chill semester and it went by super quickly. Inching ever closer to graduation!

 

[WulfpackChica]

Just registered for the SAVMA Symposium I did not go to the symposium last year, so I am excited!

 

[Skimble]

Just registered for the SAVMA Symposium I did not go to the symposium last year, so I am excited!

I'm trying to decide if I should go. I have a free place to stay with a friend who is a 2nd year at Iowa, so that saves me $$$, plus a classmate would split the rental car with me. So cost shouldn't be as big an issue. I don't know why I'm so hesitant though!

 

[Trilt]

Go, and take the dentistry wetlab! Cheapest you'll ever find the experience, and the conference is super fun.

 

[epivetlove]

I wanted to go to Symposium, but then I looked at my bank account and I got sad. I'll just have to wait for when we host it here in 2017.

 

[cloverbug]

UUUUGGGGGHHHH FFFFIIIIINNNNNAAAAALLLLLSSSSSS... That's how I'm feeling. I got two more weeks until I'm done. I have a bacteriology quiz, lab final, and two quarter cumulative finals before I can wipe my hands of this quarter. It's cool to see other schools doing the white coat later too. We get a blue coat our first year since we have rotations our first and second years for a quarter. Once we start our official rotations last quarter of third year we'll get our white coats. I'm just reminding myself that I'm almost there lol.

 

[allygator13]

Halfway done with finals! I can taste the freedom! Except the worst one is coming up on Monday... Clin Path

 

[Ashgirl]

Day one into Block 8 and I'm already aching for spring break. The good news is the classes these 8 weeks (Pharm II, Radiology, Clin Path, and Lab Animal Med) seem pretty interesting so that's a plus.

What's everyone else taking this semester?

 

[epivetlove]

We start back next Monday. We have Pharm II, Toxicology, Radiology, Clin Path, Surgery & Anesthesiology, Infectious Diseases, and Public Health III. I'm a huge public health nerd, so I'm pretty excited for this semester. We also have White Coat Ceremony the first day of April, so whoooo! I just wish I could stop stressing about my career after school. I love public health/epidemiology, I love exotics/wildlife (AVIAN!!!), I love clinical medicine, I highly dislike private practice. I have meetings with our Veterinary Epidemiologist, LAM veterinarian, Exotics clinician and the state Wildlife veterinarian to try and hash out a plan for 4th year rotations as an alt tracker, which is a mess of stress in and of itself. Oh, why couldn't I just enjoy dog/cat practice? -sigh-

 

[Ashgirl]

We start back next Monday. We have Pharm II, Toxicology, Radiology, Clin Path, Surgery & Anesthesiology, Infectious Diseases, and Public Health III. I'm a huge public health nerd, so I'm pretty excited for this semester. We also have White Coat Ceremony the first day of April, so whoooo! I just wish I could stop stressing about my career after school. I love public health/epidemiology, I love exotics/wildlife (AVIAN!!!), I love clinical medicine, I highly dislike private practice. I have meetings with our Veterinary Epidemiologist, LAM veterinarian, Exotics clinician and the state Wildlife veterinarian to try and hash out a plan for 4th year rotations as an alt tracker, which is a mess of stress in and of itself. Oh, why couldn't I just enjoy dog/cat practice? -sigh-

Are you me? Because I've also been stressing out about the (unknown) future... I know clinics will help... but I just get antsy because I've known what I wanted to be since I was little and now that I'm actually in vet school I don't know what kind of vet I want to be (currently interested in Emergency, Small Animal PP or Mixed Animal but heaven knows that can change), and it's scaring me. Maybe we will both get epiphanies soon

 

[epivetlove]

Are you me? Because I've also been stressing out about the (unknown) future... I know clinics will help... but I just get antsy because I've known what I wanted to be since I was little and now that I'm actually in vet school I don't know what kind of vet I want to be (currently interested in Emergency, Small Animal PP or Mixed Animal but heaven knows that can change), and it's scaring me. Maybe we will both get epiphanies soon

Once upon a time, I would have loved to have been a zoo vet...but I just can't stomach the thought of 2 internships and then a residency where the pay is abysmal. Maybe if I was younger and was graduating with less debt...I would love to work with exotics for sure, but again...private practice. Ick. I know I could be happy enough if I ended up in that position, but I would prefer something different. I'm resigning myself to the fact that it may be a few years of private practice before I can move on to something else. Who knows? Maybe I'll end up loving private practice if I were able to see exotics and such. Here's hoping we both end up in our dream careers eventually!

 

[allygator13]

Day one into Block 8 and I'm already aching for spring break. The good news is the classes these 8 weeks (Pharm II, Radiology, Clin Path, and Lab Animal Med) seem pretty interesting so that's a plus.

What's everyone else taking this semester?

We start back the 18th and we've got Path 2, Epidemiology, Public Health, Surgery, Anesthesia, Exotics/Avian/Fish Medicine, Intro to Small Animal Medicine. I'm excited for this term because it's supposed to be much more chill than third term was (which was ridiculous and I'm so glad I made it through). Don't wanna go back to the island though and leave my boyfriend and family again

 

[Karabiner13]

We start back Monday and have cardiovascular system, digestive system, respiratory system, integumentary system, intro to animal welfare, professional development 2b, parasitology, and whatever electives we chose. It's supposed to be our worst semester. This break went by too fast.

 

[Romoret]

Starting up next Monday:
Pharm II
Epidemiology
Vet Clinical Chemistry
Husbandry II
A&I
Vet Virology
Systemic Path
Parasitology II

 

[Dlisted]

Up next for class of 2018 at Michigan State
Clin path
Sys path
Cardio
Anesthesia and surgery
Clinical competencies
Musculoskeletal disorders
Virology
And an elective

And we're going from afternoon lectures to morning lectures which = morning exams. Boo.

 

[allygator13]

Up next for class of 2018 at Michigan State
Clin path
Sys path
Cardio
Anesthesia and surgery
Clinical competencies
Musculoskeletal disorders
Virology
And an elective

And we're going from afternoon lectures to morning lectures which = morning exams. Boo.

We're going back to morning lectures/exams (even-numbered semesters have class in the mornings) and I prefer it to afternoon! I'm excited. I'd rather just get them out of the way first thing instead of wait around all day with anxiety

 

[Ashgirl]

Up next for class of 2018 at Michigan State
Clin path
Sys path
Cardio
Anesthesia and surgery
Clinical competencies
Musculoskeletal disorders
Virology
And an elective

And we're going from afternoon lectures to morning lectures which = morning exams. Boo.

So do you have exams during lecture time then? This would be so nice if that's the case! We have 99% of our exams before class at either 7am or 8am, so we still have that lecture during the day of the exam. Once in a great while we will have a 2pm exam after class or during lab time. Oddly enough I definitely prefer morning, mostly because I despised the 7pm or 8pm evening exams at my Alma Mater, so anything is better than that.

 

[Dlisted]

So do you have exams during lecture time then? This would be so nice if that's the case! We have 99% of our exams before class at either 7am or 8am, so we still have that lecture during the day of the exam. Once in a great while we will have a 2pm exam after class or during lab time. Oddly enough I definitely prefer morning, mostly because I despised the 7pm or 8pm evening exams at my Alma Mater, so anything is better than that.

Yes! We have lecture exams during lecture time and lab exams during lab time. And we may still have that lecture after an exam, no biggie though. For the past 2 semesters we had afternoon lectures and lecture exams started at 1pm and I loved it. Those morning study hours were so precious to me! I guess I can still do that, just at a whole different definition of "morning". :/

 

[epivetlove]

It's interesting to see how every school does things a little different. Last semester our school implemented Monday/Friday only exams. Our class only had Friday exams at 1PM and it was woooonderful. Granted, we had an exam practically every week, but omg, my stress level was so much lower than 1st year. This semester we have Monday 8AM exams and Friday 1PM exams. I'm way less excited.

 

[Ashgirl]

We are having our last clinical rotation scheduling meeting today... which means next week we are preferencing (it's like an optimization lottery...) our clinical rotations. I seriously can't believe this is happening already!

 

[Kpowell14]

We are having our last clinical rotation scheduling meeting today... which means next week we are preferencing (it's like an optimization lottery...) our clinical rotations. I seriously can't believe this is happening already!

You will be in clinics before you know it !!

 

[epivetlove]

First day back was a roller coaster of emotions. Hopefully I'll even out by the end of the week...

 

[epivetlove]

We just got our electives list yesterday and we register for them on Monday! I'm geeking out!

Also--we're halfway done with 2nd year! Where did the time go?!

 

[Ashgirl]

We just got our electives list yesterday and we register for them on Monday! I'm geeking out!

Also--we're halfway done with 2nd year! Where did the time go?!

oooo what kind of electives are there/what are you going to take??

It's also crazy to me that I am in the last block of 2nd year!! The schedule itself is brutal (it's the most amount of lecture we've ever had...), but I really am enjoying Companion Animal Med, Surgery, Anesthesia, and Toxicology so far.

 

[epivetlove]

oooo what kind of electives are there/what are you going to take??

In no particular order (though I really, really want the exotics electives): Animal Models of Human Disease, Cased Based Avian Medicine & Surgery, Conservation Medicine, Diagnostic Cytology, Wildlife Capture and Handling, Exotic Hoofstock Medicine, Sm. Animal Nutrition, Sm. Animal Clinical Cardiology, Exotic Animal Techniques, Reptile Medicine & Surgery, Clinical Toxicology, Pocket Pet Medicine, Intro to Avian Medicine, Fins, Flippers, and Flukes, Equine Pediatrics, Sm. Animal Welfare, Sm. Animal Behavior and Behavior Problems, Emergency Medicine.

I'm trying to keep the number down to reduce costs (tuition covers 14 electives and anything over is a certain $ amount), but there's just so many! My list has less than 1/3 of the available electives. *__*

It's also crazy to me that I am in the last block of 2nd year!! The schedule itself is brutal (it's the most amount of lecture we've ever had...), but I really am enjoying Companion Animal Med, Surgery, Anesthesia, and Toxicology so far.

I've been loving 2nd year! I like the courses a lot and the actual schedule is really nice as far as having some free time and such. Surgery/Anesthesia has been great! We just started Toxicology this past Thursday...it's known as the "GPA Killer" at our school.

 

[WildZoo]

In no particular order (though I really, really want the exotics electives): Animal Models of Human Disease, Cased Based Avian Medicine & Surgery, Conservation Medicine, Diagnostic Cytology, Wildlife Capture and Handling, Exotic Hoofstock Medicine, Sm. Animal Nutrition, Sm. Animal Clinical Cardiology, Exotic Animal Techniques, Reptile Medicine & Surgery, Clinical Toxicology, Pocket Pet Medicine, Intro to Avian Medicine, Fins, Flippers, and Flukes, Equine Pediatrics, Sm. Animal Welfare, Sm. Animal Behavior and Behavior Problems, Emergency Medicine.

 

[hbr1704]

In no particular order (though I really, really want the exotics electives): Animal Models of Human Disease, Cased Based Avian Medicine & Surgery, Conservation Medicine, Diagnostic Cytology, Wildlife Capture and Handling, Exotic Hoofstock Medicine, Sm. Animal Nutrition, Sm. Animal Clinical Cardiology, Exotic Animal Techniques, Reptile Medicine & Surgery, Clinical Toxicology, Pocket Pet Medicine, Intro to Avian Medicine, Fins, Flippers, and Flukes, Equine Pediatrics, Sm. Animal Welfare, Sm. Animal Behavior and Behavior Problems, Emergency Medicine.

I'm trying to keep the number down to reduce costs (tuition covers 14 electives and anything over is a certain $ amount), but there's just so many! My list has less than 1/3 of the available electives. *__*



I've been loving 2nd year! I like the courses a lot and the actual schedule is really nice as far as having some free time and such. Surgery/Anesthesia has been great! We just started Toxicology this past Thursday...it's known as the "GPA Killer" at our school.

I feel the direct opposite, 2nd year has been a struggle. First semester was an insane amount of info path, micro and parasit among 10 billion other classes and labs. This semester we have less labs, so therefore more time in the afternoon available. However. we have a lot of mundane busy work. I just want this year to be over. I feel like I am in a perpetual state of sleep deprivation. On a brighter note, spring break starts on Thursday at 2pm.

 

[allygator13]

I feel the direct opposite, 2nd year has been a struggle. First semester was an insane amount of info path, micro and parasit among 10 billion other classes and labs. This semester we have less labs, so therefore more time in the afternoon available. However. we have a lot of mundane busy work. I just want this year to be over. I feel like I am in a perpetual state of sleep deprivation. On a brighter note, spring break starts on Thursday at 2pm.

So jealous of every school that has a spring break. We have midterms every day this week... Then right back to it next Monday. Spring break would be phenomenal.

 

[Ashgirl]

So jealous of every school that has a spring break. We have midterms every day this week... Then right back to it next Monday. Spring break would be phenomenal.

That stinks you don't get a spring break Not even a day or two off anywhere in the semester?

If I didn't have a spring break I would scream lol. Then again I have 24 weeks of school this spring compared to the normal 16 elsewhere but still. Everyone deserves a week (or 5 ) off once and a while.

 

[epivetlove]

Last semester was more labs, slightly less information, but I was done by 12pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays which was ahhhmazing. This semester we're taking more hours, but our labs aren't as strenuous--Clin Path, Tox (go over cases mainly), and Anesthesia/Surgery (these are fun!). The amount of info is >>>> more than last semester, it seems since we're taking Clin Path, Tox (condensed into 8 weeks, yaaay x_x), Anesthesia/Surgery, Public Health, Infectious Diseases (micro on steroids), Radiology, and we just finished Pharm II last week. Still, all in all, I'm happier being a 2VM than a 1VM. Can't wait until next year when we get electives, mini clinics, and our medicine courses.

And yes! I'm ready for Spring Break! Ours starts after our Anesthesia exam on Friday (so 2pm!). I'll just be working at a clinic, but it'll be a nice change of pace from school. Plus, the all important $$$.

 

[Ashgirl]

Last semester was more labs, slightly less information, but I was done by 12pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays which was ahhhmazing. This semester we're taking more hours, but our labs aren't as strenuous--Clin Path, Tox (go over cases mainly), and Anesthesia/Surgery (these are fun!). The amount of info is >>>> more than last semester, it seems since we're taking Clin Path, Tox (condensed into 8 weeks, yaaay x_x), Anesthesia/Surgery, Public Health, Infectious Diseases (micro on steroids), Radiology, and we just finished Pharm II last week. Still, all in all, I'm happier being a 2VM than a 1VM. Can't wait until next year when we get electives, mini clinics, and our medicine courses.

And yes! I'm ready for Spring Break! Ours starts after our Anesthesia exam on Friday (so 2pm!). I'll just be working at a clinic, but it'll be a nice change of pace from school. Plus, the all important $$$.

I feel pretty similarly, while I feel like this block has WAYYYY more info than first year blocks (at least in term of sheer volume/lecture), it's so much more relevant and I'm not dreading studying it. We are also getting our clinical rotation schedule soon (in 3 weeks!!!!), so that's exciting, and of course I'm super pumped for my externships this summer.

That being said, I'm really worried about burn-out this semester because unlike 1st year where we had an "easy" summer block, it's going to probably be super difficult class/lab wise and idk if I have enough juice to go 15 more weeks..... Oof

 

[allygator13]

That stinks you don't get a spring break Not even a day or two off anywhere in the semester?

If I didn't have a spring break I would scream lol. Then again I have 24 weeks of school this spring compared to the normal 16 elsewhere but still. Everyone deserves a week (or 5 ) off once and a while.

Most we get is Easter weekend is a 4-day weekend which will be nice, and my mom and aunt will be here That's crazy about 24 weeks of school though! You definitely deserve that spring break haha

 

[Ashgirl]

This block is the absolute worst. I'm constantly behind, studying 2-3 hours more a night than usual, and I still end up feeling like I'm not prepared for anything. Ugh. Thank goodness spring break is only a week away.

How is everyone else getting along?

 

[epivetlove]

Our Spring Break is coming to a close. It's been nice being back in a clinic this past week...but I really could have used the time to just do nothing. Ah well, the money was more important than relaxing. We start Surgery this week, though not actual surgery. The labs seem super intense and I'm actually a bit nervous. We also have our White Coat Ceremony in 2 weeks! I'm really excited for that! Then it's only a month left after that until summer! This semester has just flown by...

 

[Kpowell14]

This block is the absolute worst. I'm constantly behind, studying 2-3 hours more a night than usual, and I still end up feeling like I'm not prepared for anything. Ugh. Thank goodness spring break is only a week away.

How is everyone else getting along?

Let me know if you need some help, I'm tutoring 2 of your classmates!

 

[epivetlove]

We got our electives today and I'm so excited as I got every elective I wanted plus 2 I didn't think I'd get! Also, only 17 days until we're officially 3VMs! The time is just flying by!

 

[allygator13]

First final tomorrow, one more week of class, then five finals over the next two weeks then done with second year! SO ready to get this semester and school year over with, desperately need these 3 months off. Just sad I won't be seeing my boyfriend all summer until September or October when we'll be knee deep in surgery and other classes

 

[Ashgirl]

First final tomorrow, one more week of class, then five finals over the next two weeks then done with second year! SO ready to get this semester and school year over with, desperately need these 3 months off. Just sad I won't be seeing my boyfriend all summer until September or October when we'll be knee deep in surgery and other classes

It's finals week here too. So ready to be done with 2nd year!!! Of course... that means 8 weeks of slogging through 3rd year before summer gets here... but one day we will be free.

 

[Ashgirl]

Officially half a vet!!!

Good luck to everyone else that is still finishing/starting finals!

 

[cloverbug]

I have a random question. At my school, we have an OSCE and a Milestone 3/4 of the way through our 2nd year. We have 15 weeks of actual rotations where they teach us all the stuff for our technical skill test (OSCE) and then the Milestone is like the NAVLE but only for everything we've covered since beginning of first year. We can redo anything we sucked at on the OSCE as long as we didn't fail the entire thing. Otherwise, have to do a full day of remediating. We get three tries of our Milestone too, but if we don't pass either then we can't move on to 3rd year. Do any other schools do this or are we special?

 

[Ashgirl]

I have a random question. At my school, we have an OSCE and a Milestone 3/4 of the way through our 2nd year. We have 15 weeks of actual rotations where they teach us all the stuff for our technical skill test (OSCE) and then the Milestone is like the NAVLE but only for everything we've covered since beginning of first year. We can redo anything we sucked at on the OSCE as long as we didn't fail the entire thing. Otherwise, have to do a full day of remediating. We get three tries of our Milestone too, but if we don't pass either then we can't move on to 3rd year. Do any other schools do this or are we special?

The only thing we have is a NBVME Exam the block before we hit clinics, but as I understand it, it's more for statistical analysis, and isn't worth anything grade-wise.

 

[cloverbug]

We start back next Monday. We have Pharm II, Toxicology, Radiology, Clin Path, Surgery & Anesthesiology, Infectious Diseases, and Public Health III. I'm a huge public health nerd, so I'm pretty excited for this semester. We also have White Coat Ceremony the first day of April, so whoooo! I just wish I could stop stressing about my career after school. I love public health/epidemiology, I love exotics/wildlife (AVIAN!!!), I love clinical medicine, I highly dislike private practice. I have meetings with our Veterinary Epidemiologist, LAM veterinarian, Exotics clinician and the state Wildlife veterinarian to try and hash out a plan for 4th year rotations as an alt tracker, which is a mess of stress in and of itself. Oh, why couldn't I just enjoy dog/cat practice? -sigh-

If you'd like, I found a bunch of wildlife disease monitoring type 4th year rotations all over the U.S. I can share with you.

 

[allygator13]

I have a random question. At my school, we have an OSCE and a Milestone 3/4 of the way through our 2nd year. We have 15 weeks of actual rotations where they teach us all the stuff for our technical skill test (OSCE) and then the Milestone is like the NAVLE but only for everything we've covered since beginning of first year. We can redo anything we sucked at on the OSCE as long as we didn't fail the entire thing. Otherwise, have to do a full day of remediating. We get three tries of our Milestone too, but if we don't pass either then we can't move on to 3rd year. Do any other schools do this or are we special?

We have to take the NBVME progress exam now in the beginning of third year, they just implemented that this year, but it's not for a grade or anything. It's just for the administration to see where the curriculum is weak (and I'm pretty sure I already know what those results are going to look like...). They've also started doing an OSCEs exam at the end of third year before we leave for clinics that I've *heard* that if you don't pass you have to retake it before they let you go to clinics but I'm honestly not really sure how they'd do that since people would have already bought their flights and would be getting the F off the island and back to the States. I think this is also the first semester they're doing that so we'll see what happens, the 6th termers take them tomorrow!