S2W7: Relief Work, Feline Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma, and Snow!
The musculoskeletal block is now in the past and we are charging into neurology at full force!
Since Monday was a holiday, this week began with a day full of studying and preparing for the musculoskeletal exam on Tuesday. It was nice to have some extra time to review all of the material and get some things done around the house!
Tuesday started off with our musculoskeletal final exam and then the rest of the day we
were free. Churro and I got in a long walk and some quality playtime on the field. That afternoon Gab and I did an awesome hot yoga class and then Churro and I
relaxed for the rest of the night.
Wednesday started off with a hot yoga session and then we jumped right into our neurology
block! We had five lectures to kick off the block and covered a basic overview of the nervous system along with the cranial nerves. Going through things at such a rapid pace made me super grateful for my time at Cal Poly because we had already gone over most of this information in a systemic anatomy and physiology class. That afternoon we had a lunch talk from Dr. Callahan on feline oral squamous cell carcinoma (FOSCC).
Here are some interesting facts about this common feline disease:
FOSCC is neoplasia of the squamous cell epithelium which are the cells that produce the lining of the mouth and throat
It makes up 70-80% of oral tumors in cats
It is locally aggressive meaning that it commonly causes bone destruction of the jaw or other bone that it has invaded but has a low metastatic potential
Most cats are typically diagnosed around 10-12 years of age and there is no sex or breed predilection
The risk factors are controversial, and more research needs to be done before it can be concluded that any of these factors are directly related to SCC. As of now some correlation has been seen between the use of flea collars, canned tuna and canned cat food, as well as household tobacco smoke.
This was a beneficial lunch talk because oral squamous cell carcinoma is such a prevalent cancer in our feline patients. Understanding the disease along with treatment, prognosis, and the potential risk factors will help veterinarians provide the most accurate assessment of the patient and help the owner understand the disease.
Thursday started off with a three-part lecture on how to perform a neurologic exam. We
learned how to assess each cranial nerve and what things we should be looking for
when things go awry. These were interesting lectures and were an awesome way of tying in
information from the previous day and demonstrating its clinical importance. That
afternoon we dissected a sheep brain. This was a fun way to explore the brain and learn about its complex structure and function.
Friday started off with two lectures on the embryology of the brain and ventricular
system. It was super interesting to learn how the nervous system is formed and the complex clockwork of events that need to happen perfectly so that the organism does not have any neurologic abnormalities. The following lecture addressed the meninges and vascular supply of the head.
After the morning lecture session we had an awesome talk by Dr. Cindy Trice on relief work as a veterinarian! Dr. Trice is a 2004 UCD grad and is also the founder of Relief Rover which was recently acquired by Hound and she now serves as their Chief Veterinary Officer. During this lunch talk she explained the pros and cons of going into relief work and the ways that it can be used to provide some additional freedom to veterinarians.
For those of you that may not know what relief work looks like in veterinary medicine, it is basically the equivalent of being a substitute vet. You go into different clinics and pick up shifts so that the other veterinarian can take time off. Dr. Trice made it clear that while relief work can be a great path for some veterinarians, is not necessarily something that everyone should go into. It can be challenging to hop from clinic to clinic and it is vital that the veterinarian is adaptable. You have to be able to get along with people, even when things get stressful, and need to be extremely thorough with your records since you are likely not going to be the one following up on those cases. On the other hand, relief work is a great way to experience different clinics and learn how each clinic is run. This can be super beneficial for a veterinarian that is thinking about opening up their own practice in the future. They have the ability to sample a lot of different clinics and then take back all the things that they liked and create their own clinic culture. Relief vets also have the ability to create their own schedule. This can be a great way to balance family life and additional hobbies but it is also important to have good time management because many vets are "people pleasers" and have the tendency to pick up too many shifts without giving themselves a break. An additional benefit that Dr. Trice emphasized was that relief vets are always appreciated. You are basically the hero of the day because you are helping out the other doctors and are also a fresh face which is a fun way to shake up the mundane routine.
I enjoyed hearing from Dr. Trice and learning more about relief work as a veterinarian. There are so many routes in veterinary medicine so it is great to learn about the different options and the pros and cons that go along with them!
That afternoon we had a lab that went over the osteology of the skull. To put it in the simplest way, there are a lot of little holes in the skull and each little hole has its own name. It was a lot of information to take in, but all of our professors are awesome and extremely helpful. They also try to keep things light and make sure that everyone stays smiling through the challenges.
That evening we celebrated Morgan’s 23rd birthday by watching some Survivor and then Saturday we continued the celebration and took a day trip to the snow! We went up through Tahoe and into Nevada which was absolutely beautiful! This was Churro’s first time seeing snow and he absolutely loved it. I am super grateful that I have awesome housemates that love exploring nature! Even though school can be heavy at times, being able to step out of the academic grind and enjoy the beauty around us is so important!
Sunday started off with a run with Churro and the rest of the day was spent studying and getting some things done around the house.
Quote of the week: “I told my mentor I just want to be a waitress, if you bring someone the wrong food you just bring them a new one, you can’t just bring them a new animal…” -Dr. Knipe after telling us about her worst day as a veterinary neurologist
Kommentare