5th Semester so far...

Wow, I can't believe we've been in class for 8 weeks.  We just had our one day off, our mid-semester break.  It was glorious!  I got some studying, cleaning, quality time with the rabbits and the ever elusive beach time (which hasn't happened in the middle of a semester since October o_O).

5th Semester classes:

It's not really as bad as it looks.  Class 8a-12p then labs in the afternoons.  Most weeks I have 2-3 labs but there are a couple of weeks where there are FOUR!  These labs are different from in lower semesters, in that you have to prepare the lab completely prior to going.  This is when it gets real!  It's starting to switch now from attending to labs to learn to attending labs to show what you have learned.  Here is what my semester looks like:

This is the semester we receive our "Rossie".  It is our spay model made from PVC piping, different layers of cushioning (to reflect the different layers: muscle, subcutaneous, fat and skin) with a fake uterus and uterine horns.  We use it to practice our subQ and skin sutures this semester, but next semester in Small Animal Surgery we perform our "Rossie" Surgery (Spay).  Everything must be done aseptically and with proper technique.  I'll letcha know about it when it happens (hopefully I pass this semester). 

So here is a picture of the Rossie - her name is Jezebel (courtesy of my AWANAs kids):

Speaking of AWANAs, this is a kid's program that our pastor Brandon Grayson helped to start here in St Kitts.  It's where they get to learn Bible verses and play games while earning "AWANA dollars" that can be spent on prizes every so often.  I'm not gonna lie, my kid skills have atrophied!  I haven't gotten to be around children on a daily basis in a while, but I've wanted to help for over a year now.  It's taking adjusting, both for the kids and for me to reach an understanding; we all continually test our boundaries.  I'm always a work in progress (like the song, "He's still workin' on me, to make me what I ought to be..."), my life story :-)  I've been volunteering with Brandon and a few other Ross Students at AWANAs on Saturdays from 4p-7p. 

We also were able to start a chapter of Christian Veterinary Fellowship (the student version of Christian Veterinary Missions) here on campus.  When I have a chance I will write all about it.  We've been extremely busy trying to establish a presence on campus and within the community.  We've hosted RLRI (see this post about RLRI ), have begun a 3-part series on:

"Feeling Overwhelmed??? Vet School is NOT impossible!!!" 
Part 1 - Ways to Overcome Stress
Part 2 - How to Help Others Overcome Stress
Part 3 - Surprise! Stress still exists AFTER Vet School - Reaching the Community

Plus we have a Movie Night/Date Night planned for this semester, a prayer box to put up, and a food/clothing donation drive; so this semester I find it impossible to focus on my studies!

For the first 6 weeks I was also teaching a gymnastics class to the children in the afterschool program at the prep school.  This came with its own challenges but I wouldn't trade it for the world.  It combines two of my great loves: children and gymnastics!  Everyone who came had the opportunity to learn a forward roll, a handstand, and the three basic jumps: tuck, pike and straddle.  We also learned how to properly warm up and stretch, then came the favorite: the obstacle course!  Each week I tried to mix it up so that they didn't get bored (or maybe I was the one bored ;-) ).

I also am attending a Bible study on Cults and Religions that is on Wednesday nights and is only a 6 week study as well.

Whew!  This has been almost as busy as last semester!  I made it through my first set of exams relatively unscathed.  Overall, I have to say this is probably my favorite semester so far, which is crazy because I loved 3rd semester.  I think because we get so much hands on experience with clinically applicable topics, it's exhilarating!  I'll write more about the labs another time.

Ok I really do have to go get some studying done!

I'm going to HAITI!!!

So I had planned for over 2 years (since before I even found out I was accepted to Ross) that while I was in vet school I would  go on a short term mission trip.  Let me back up and give you some background information on my thought process.  It started out as an interest in joining the military because of the tremendous humanitarian missions that they do.  I was hesitant because there's never any guarantee that you get to choose where or how long you get to go and it what ways you are able to help.  My passion truly lies in being able to use my degree as a veterinarian to help the animals' human :-)

Most students going into vet school think, "I don't want to work with people, that's why I'm going to vet school!"  Well, that's kind of backwards because without the owner the animal would probably never make it in to see you and animals can't pay the bills (for those wanting to go into clinical practice).  After going through Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology last semester, the topics discussed in the class are definitely the direction that I want to go.  My heart hurts for those that cannot provide quality protein sources and clean water.  I feel I can have the most impact and hope to help those that want help and allow them to sustain any changes implemented that improve their quality of life through long term missions.  I say this with some hesitation because of the connotations and negative experiences that some may have had.  Someone once said that "being a Christian missionary is just another form of cultural imperialism".  While this may have been their perspective and this person's experience, I pray that this is not how any work I do would be perceived.  I don't want to force people to be like me in culture, practice, or even religion - I just want to use my knowledge to work with them to improve their health.

Well this semester has been a roller coaster, I was planning on going to India to work with Christian Veterinary Missions on a rural project of spays/neuters and vaccination/de-worming of cattle.  My aunt and uncle were missionaries for 30 years, 12 of which were in the same province I was hoping to go, Tamil Nadu.  I signed up for the trip but due to lack of interest, the trip was canceled.  I was heartbroken to say the least, as this semester break is likely my last opportunity to get experience outside of school before I start my clinical year in April (hopefully). 

I say all of this to share some exciting news, I will be embarking on a short term mission trip to Haiti for this semester break! This trip fits perfectly into what I envisioned and exceeds many of the items I wished for in an experience.  I will be joining CVM long-term fieldworker, Dr. Kelly Crowdis who facilitates a sustainability project called "Give a Kid to a Kid".  Here is a video that tells more about her program:

This project is used to help the children gain confidence, instill a sense of responsibility, and educate them on how to care for and profit from their livestock.  The children are able to provide for their families through the products of the goats.  The people of Haiti use the animals as a bank account, so having healthy productive animals ensures they have a better quality of life.  The goal of this program is to be sustainable, so the second kid their goat produces goes back to the program and is given to another child.

Here is my video requesting support:

The total cost for the trip is $2000 which includes transportation, lodging, meals, and project expenses.  I am hoping to raise the money before August 1st. 

You can donate either via:

-Christian Veterinary Missions
 https://www.cvmusa.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=3161 
(if you would like to claim your donation as a tax deduction)

-Google Drive document
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3Haw4FHdzJEMll3SXpsYWFMQmc/edit?usp=sharing
(to mail a payment to CVM)

-You Caring Donation Site
https://www.youcaring.com/mission-trip-fundraiser/destination-haiti-sustaining-kids-with-kids/64563
(for credit card donations or smaller amounts)

Any contribution, large, small or through prayer is appreciated!  If you have any questions, please ask!  I may not know the answer but I can ask Dr. Crowdis or my folks at CVM and we'll learn together.  I am so excited!!!

4th Semester in a Nutshell

So I finally let loose...4th Semester was the semester I finally got a little (ok A LOT) crazy, joined some clubs and decided to enjoy school and island life.  Terrified that I would fail out of vet school, I limited my participation in clubs and other extracurricular activities in semesters 1-3 (translation: I didn't do anything but study for my first year here).  I went a little overboard though, this was just a glimpse of what I was able to be a part of last semester:

Pathology Club

•  Weekly club meetings
• 2 necropsies
• Cake off

Rabbit Pathology - Uterine Adenocarcinoma

 - 1st Place!!!

ZEW (Zoo, Exotics, and Wildlife) Club

• Zoo Clean up (Fecal/Mite sample collection)
• Fecal Exam Reading (from samples collected) - My Valentine's present to myself :-)
• Dirt Cup Fundraiser Sale (vanilla/chocolate pudding with oreos and whipped cream with gummy worms on top, ohhhhh yeah!!!)

Small Ruminant Club

• Sheep Processing
• Administering Coccidiostats
• De-worming
• BCS Scoring
• FAMACHA Scoring
• Hoof Trimming
• Horn Trimming

We can't take pictures on campus, but these are the sheep

• Women's Bible Study (weekly on Sunday nights)

• Discipleship (Theology/Apologetics) Bible Study (weekly on Thursday nights)

• Short term Mission Trip preparedness meetings (with a group that was preparing for their April trip to Nicaragua) and to prepare for my trip in August :-D (weekly on Monday nights)

• Good Friday Beach Church Service

• Children's Church Teacher (just for one Sunday)

• Planning for Real Life Real Impact (see this post: http://justanotherrossvetschoolstudentblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/its-been-while.html )

• SCAVMA Meeting to get approval for Christian Veterinary Fellowship (see this post: )

Research Assistant for “Does pain perception and response to pain relieving drugs differ between horses and donkeys?” research project (25 hours for the semester)

• administered dosages of phenylbutazone/placebo (molasses)
• tested their nociceptive responses

I got to wake up to 20 of these faces!!!  I would treat at least one morning/week, treat a few afternoons/week and test one morning/week last semester:

Donkeys!!! (I wish I could take a picture of the actual donkeys, they were so adorable!

Abbatoir visit with the Public Health Club - so much fun!!!  Learning about Meat Inspection

As a part of our semesterly duties we were required to:

• bathe 2 of the kennel dogs (one Saturday morning of the semester)
• clean the aviary (one day of the semester)

Clinic Volunteer day (at the VTH) - As 4th Semesters we get to work one morning in the hospital with our professors/clinicians.

Clinical Skills I learned this past semester:

• Square knots (hand ties and with instruments)
• Surgeon's knots (hand ties and with instruments)
• Miller's knots (hand ties and with instruments)
• Ligatures of large and small vessels/structures
• Simple Interrupted Suture Patterns

This semester was FULL of exams.  Don't get me wrong, I love having lots of opportunities to do well in a class but in a period of 14 weeks we had 14 EXAMS!!!

Not only do that leave less time in my schedule to stay caught up in classes, but each exam also comes with a review session that takes at least 30 minutes.  These are good because you get to determine where you went wrong with the concepts, just do the math 14 exams, 30 minute exam review = 7 hours of just learning from my mistakes!









For my Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology course I got the first step of my USDA Accreditation (about 10 hours of modules with quizzes).


To top this wonderful and challenging semester off, I was able to visit South Africa for a trip with WildlifeVets to learn about Wildlife Conservation Medicine (see this post:  ).  Such a great experience I had to make a whole separate post about it!

Such a busy semester, but I wouldn't trade all of the practical experience for better grades.  I finally feel like I'm able to connect some concepts with clinical applications and it feels GREAT!