"Life and Death in Vet School"

[laurafinn]

I've become a podcast junkie lately, and Animal Voices is one of those I catch regularly. The podcast looks at the role of animals in culture, and while it is definitely on the animal rights end of the spectrum, it is usually a worthwhile listen.

This week's episode, Life and Death in Vet School, features an interview from a recent Guelph graduate who took the alternate surgery track and wanted to reform the traditional, terminal surgery, track.

Frankly, I don't think it's at all a balanced look at the issues, especially of the benefits of working with living tissue rather than cadaver tissue, but it is interesting nonetheless.

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[Pandacinny]

I'm a podcasr junkie, too! I think it's because my work commute is so long and so full of traffic. Do you have any other animal related podcasts you recommend?

 

[laurafinn]

Yay, fellow podcast junkie!

One podcast I'd love to listen to, but can't is Veterinary Science on the Move. It's produced by the Royal Veterinary College in London, but it's in m4a format, which my generic mp3 player doesn't support, and I just don't listen to stuff on my computer. You can check out their offerings at http://www.rvc.ac.uk/review/Podcasts/Index.cfm.

I'm interested in sustainable agriculture, so the Land Stewardship Project podcast is really interesting: http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/podcast.html.

Another sustainable ag/food security podcast I like is Deconstructing Dinner, which is a radio show from Canada: http://www.kootenaycoopradio.com/deconstructingdinner/.

Ethics Bites is a BBC Open University podcast that sometimes features animal issues. They interviewed Peter Singer not too long ago. Their non-animal stuff is good too: http://www.open2.net/ethicsbites/.

I listen to a lot of NPR stuff, since I'm in New Zealand and can't get it any other way. This American Life, Radio Lab and Fresh Air are always fun. Also, I'll download Democracy Now! when I'm feeling homesick for politics of the People's Republic of Berkeley. I listen to other random stuff too. I love DIY radio, even though you have to wade through a lot!

What about you? Any podcast suggestions, animal-related or no?

 

[Pandacinny]

I've been doing a LOT of radiolab, lately. I completely love and am addicted to it. Just absolutely. Mostly, I've been doing NPR things and am trying to branch out, which is why this post caught my eye! I also listen to a lot of books on tape, since my local library has some for free you can download online. I really wish I could afford an audible.com subscription though. That would be so great.

I have a non-podcast related question that I'm sure you get a lot. What made you decide to go to vet school in New Zealand? I studied abroad there (at the University of Otago) during undergrad and absolutely LOVED it. I would love to go back, but am not sure if I'd make it in for vet school, or if Massey would be a good fit for me.

 

[laurafinn]

What made you decide to go to vet school in New Zealand? I studied abroad there (at the University of Otago) during undergrad and absolutely LOVED it.

Oh my, Scarfie days! I suspect Dunedin is a lot more fun than Palmerston North. Just from being there briefly, Dunedin seemed to have a lot more going on. Palmerston North has some stuff to do, but a more suburban/farming feel.

I decided to go vet school in NZ because Massey offered a pre-selection semester option - do Cell Bio, Animal Bio, Physics & Organic Chemistry in one semester, and if you get good enough grades, you're in. That was a lot shorter - and cheaper - than taking the pre-req's one by one as I was working. Also, for the adventure of living overseas for awhile.

Massey has been a good fit for me. The class is skewed towards the youngsters - lots of 20 year olds - but there are a fair number of older students as well, especially among the international students. I like it too, because there is not that "claw your way to the top" mentality here (at least, once you're done with the pre-selection semester!). Vet students here definitely want to do well, but it's at a healthy, rather than compulsive level.

 

[Pandacinny]

Sounds great! And yes, being a scarfie was awfully fun. I really miss being in New Zealand - even at Otago, I thought people were a lot more laid back than they are here in the states. I think I'm going to apply to Massey this year. I mean, the worst thing that could happen is that they'd say no, right?

 

[laurafinn]

Very cool!


Anybody else have any podcast recommendations?

 

[JM313]

Very cool!


Anybody else have any podcast recommendations?

I am another podcast junkie and I like Freakonomics, TED radio hour, This american life, The Brain Science Podcast and I also love Radiolab! I have recently discovered the stitcher podcast app that I definitely recommend checking out if you like podcasts. It has helped me discover a lot of new podcasts. I have it for my kindle and my iphone, so I'm pretty sure you can get it on a wide range of devices.