V1S2 Week 19: GI Final, CRU Reunion, and V1 Recap!
Just like that the first year of vet school is officially in the books and we are 25% of the way towards achieving the title of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine!
This week started off with a clinical case study on diabetes followed by a lecture on clinical pathology and starvation. The discussion was a way to culminate all of the biochemistry material that we had been covering over the block and the other lectures were a fun way to connect more clinically relevant ideas! The rest of the day included a parasitology discussion that went over all of the cases that we worked on during the lab on Friday! This was a fantastic way to review the material and fill in any gaps! The rest of the afternoon consisted of a nice walk and some frisbee time with Churro followed by another KLOHC class session.
Tuesday began with a nice run with Churro followed by a fun diabetes case study that helped demonstrate the clinical relevance of the previous biochemistry lectures as well as the nutrition lecture on starvation from the day before. We then transitioned to a two-part lecture session on rumen metabolism and fermentation. This lecture was interesting because throughout the course of this block, we learned about the metabolism of cats and dogs but during these lectures we were able to extrapolate that knowledge and understand how ruminants utilize energy. As a little side note, ruminants are basically metabolic athletes.
I was able to get a quick swim session in during my lunch break and the rest of the afternoon included another acid-base problem set and discussion. This discussion involved a lot of similar concepts from the first acid-base discussion but required a slightly deeper level of understanding. Most of the time when a patient comes into the clinic, their disease is not a straightforward process so it is important to understand mixed acid-base disorders since that is likely what we will be seeing as clinicians.
The rest of the afternoon included a long walk and some frisbee time with Churro followed by some studying.
Wednesday morning started off with a nice hot yoga session and a quick run with Churro. The rest of the morning included some quality exam study time. I then had a meeting with the SAVMA Symposium planning team and our AVMA advisors. This meeting was a nice way to check in with the team and plan what needs to get done over the summer. Even though this symposium is in the early planning stages, it is still super exciting to see the progress that we have made and I am excited to continue this process!
That afternoon we had an awesome anatomy study session with Dr. G which was a great way to review all of the material that we would be tested on during the practical exam. The rest of the afternoon included some quality time with Churro and some studying.
Thursday started with a nice run with Churro followed by some additional anatomy review. That afternoon we had our anatomy practical and it was a pretty fun little test. We had 23 different stations with different GI tracts, prosections, plastinated specimens, and a hanging cow with flaps of the GI system opened for viewing. I know I say this every time but it is really fun to see just how much we learned over the short course of the block. After the exam was finished I took Churro for a quick walk and finished off the night studying for the upcoming final exam.
Friday morning started off with another quick run with Churro followed by some final review. Our GI and metabolism exam started at 9:00 and was roughly 85 questions. I felt like the exam was fair and a good way to assess everything that we had learned over the past 6 weeks. As soon as the final was over, I threw my things in my car and headed to San Luis Obispo.
I made it into SLO early Friday evening and got to have dinner on the beach with Bree! I met Bree during my third year of undergrad at Cal Poly. I was her small group leader and discipler for the past two years. It was so fun to be together and catch up on life and hear about all of the exciting things that she has been working on. To top it all off, Bree is graduating next quarter and will be interning with CRU! I had written her a letter of recommendation earlier in the year and to hear that she was accepted for that position makes my heart so happy and I am beyond proud of her and her commitment to serve.
Saturday morning started off with a nice 6 mile run with Jenn and Churro. This was so much fun and brought me right back to my time at Cal Poly. I had the privilege of living in Jenn's ADU for roughly two years during undergrad and we would consistently do early morning runs so this was such a fun way to catch up. After we finished our run, Churro and I headed out to go meet up with Gretchen and Booker. Gretchen was my discipler during my time at Cal Poly and throughout the years our dogs became best friends. Every time I drive through SLO Churro and Booker get to hang out and the excitement they share when they are together is so special to witness.
Saturday afternoon I had the opportunity to attend the CRU Alumni celebration. This event was a way to celebrate Gretchen and Jamey’s 25/26 years at Cal Poly and their involvement in CRU. It was amazing to meet people of all different age groups and hear how their lives have been impacted by CRU. To top it off I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Rachel Mar! Rachel is a Cal Poly SLO Alumni who went to vet school in IRELAND! After completing her degree she did an acupuncture course through Chi University and now works as a general practitioner and incorporates integrative medicine into the way that she practices. She also does house calls for her equine acupuncture clients and has a super awesome Instagram that you can see at this link! I had been following her journey for a while and it was so fun to meet up in person and get to know each other a little more! I also had the opportunity to connect with old friends and got to hear about all of the cool things that they have been doing since graduation.
Sunday started off with a nice hike around the Pismo Preserve with Churro and Jenn. I then went to church with some of the girls that I had mentored during my time at Cal Poly. After Church, I had the opportunity to spend some time with Cherisse who was in the same small group as Bree and is also going to be a CRU intern next year! I also had the privilege of being Cherisse’s discipler and wrote her a letter of recommendation for the internship position. I was ecstatic to hear that she had also gotten the internship and was so happy that we were able to have a nice lunch and catch up on all the amazing things that have happened in her life over the past year. Churro also enjoyed being at the beach.
Having the opportunity to come back to SLO and celebrate these two wonderful women was such a privilege and I cannot express how proud I am of all that they are doing and who they have become. Their commitment to serve and share the Gospel with others is incredible and I know that they are going to absolutely thrive as interns next year! It was also such an epic coincidence that the CRU reunion happened to fall on one of the weekends that I was in town. CRU has been such a blessing in my life and resulted in so many genuine relationships so the ability to reconnect with old faces and meet so many new people was incredible!
Sunday evening consisted of a hot yoga class followed by some fun dog playtime.
Since the first year of vet school has come to an end, I wanted to share some of the things that I am grateful for/highlights. I think it is easy to get swept up in the grind of school so it’s important to take a step back and acknowledge just how amazing this past year has been….
My housemates Morgan and Katelyn: How many people get to go to grad school and live with some of their best friends from undergrad, including their freshman-year roommate?!
Churro: This little dog has been so adaptable and is seriously one of the reasons that I have stayed mentally sane. He is always ready for a long run and is also the best for practicing new skills.
My family: They are always at the other end of the phone ready to hear about my day or talk through challenging decisions.
Hot yoga: If anyone told me that I would be a regular hot yoga person a year ago, I would have laughed in their face. Long story short, I was severely humbled by the first class and don’t like being sub-par at things, so I started going regularly. Now, over 100 classes later, I can truthfully say that I enjoy yoga and love how much more self-aware it has made me.
The Class of 2027 cohort and meeting such wonderful people: Everyone in the program is there for the same purpose and there is something special about being surrounded by like-minded people.
Group 2BD: Going through Prologue and countless CBLs, TBLs and PBLs with these people made us develop a bond like no other. They are all brilliant individuals, and I am so lucky that I was able to learn alongside them this year!
Llama hike and my llama buddy Jay: This was such a random event but it was definitely a highlight. Hiking with llamas through beautiful mountains is a hard activity to beat.
CIVT interview and getting more involved in the integrative side of veterinary medicine: Having the opportunity to be interviewed by Dr. Neal Sivula for The Integrative Veterinarian Podcast was such an amazing experience. This whole process was a ripple effect that started with Dr. Lilly in SLO and has led me to working with Dr. Yamate in Davis. The vet world is small and I am so grateful for these connections and the relationships that have developed!
Mentors new, and old! I am so fortunate to be surrounded by such amazing people that constantly support and challenge me. A lot of these people have been by my side far longer than just this past year but I have also had the privilege of meeting so many new mentors and I am so excited to continue to learn from them. This journey is truly collaborative, and I am lucky to have such amazing people in my life.
UC Davis and vet school in general: The ability to live the life that I had dreamed about for so long is such a surreal experience. Obviously, not every day is sunshine and rainbows but, when I take a step back and look around, I am reminded of just how fortunate I am that I have the opportunity to be in this program and learn from such accomplished people.
That is officially a wrap on my first year of vet school! That being said, the blogs will be irregular for the next few months and then pick back up as soon as school starts again. Thank you all so much for following along on this journey and I hope you have learned a thing or two ;)
Quote of the week: “Cryptosporidium…. This is what you are all going to get and it will be a great weight loss journey” -Dr. Grace VanHoy
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