Y2S2 Week 6: Healer's Art Session 2 and Tons of Viruses!
We are officially half-way done with the infectious disease and immunology block! Monday morning started off with a quick whirl around the park with Churro followed by the third exam of the block. The rest of the morning included a deep dive on parvoviruses. This was an interesting topic since canine parvovirus is a disease that is frequently seen in small animal practice. Monday afternoon included a group activity session to prepare for the upcoming quiz and application activity. This activity included information about vaccines and the immune response to viruses. Monday night Ari and I taught the undergraduates about empathetic communication and spectrum of care in a general practice setting. These topics complement each other well since the ability to provide different tiers of treatment requires the ability to understand the needs of your client and what they can do for their animal. The rest of the evening included some study time with Churro.
Tuesday morning started out with a quick run with Churro followed by a nice hot yoga session. We then had a lecture on Salmonella followed by an “integration” session with clinical Salmonella cases. This was an effective way to tie the molecular details to actual patients and cases. We then had a lecture on antimicrobial resistance followed by another parasitology case study discussion. During lunch CVF had a nice Bible study and then Churro and I got in a nice walk followed by some studying.
Tuesday evening was the second session of the Healer’s Art Class. This session was centered around grief and loss, which is obviously not a light subject. We started with a large group discussion where a few of our facilitators shared some of their stories surrounding grief. We then did an activity where we discussed what things people have said during a period of grief and sorted them based on if they were helpful or not. This activity was an interesting way to step back and realize how intention does not always correlate with reality and how something makes a person feel. It was also interesting to hear some of the ideas end up on both sides of the spectrum (helpful and not helpful) due to the difference in personal preference. For example, physical contact may be helpful for some people while that may make another person uncomfortable. After our group discussion we broke out into our smaller groups and had some individual discussions on grief and our responses to these hard events. During this session it was amazing how vulnerable our group members were and sharing these difficult things is extremely brave. I am grateful for the opportunity to be in a group with such strong women and a facilitator that makes everyone feel valued and heard so that we can dive deep into these challenging topics.
Wednesday morning started out with a nice 8 mile run with Churro followed by a few lectures on viruses and viral infection. We took a deep dive into influenza and explored some new data on High Path Avian influenza including the potential spread from cats to humans. That afternoon we had another individual and group quiz followed by an application session on a vaccine research paper. This was a nice way to cement our knowledge and learn how to apply it in a more clinical way.
Thursday morning started out with a quick run with Churro followed by a nice hot yoga session. We then dove into two virology lectures followed by a lecture on West Nile Virus. These lectures integrated nicely, and it was interesting to learn about some of the more common diseases that we see in veterinary medicine. The rest of the afternoon included some studying and a nice walk with Churro. I then had the opportunity to get in some quality acupuncture studying with Madeline. I am so fortunate to have such an amazing friend that is willing to spend hours helping me study.
Friday morning started off with a nice run with Churro followed by some playtime with his friends. We then had a lecture on the immune responses of the central nervous system followed by two lectures on large animal bacteriology and respiratory diseases. The rest of the afternoon included a discussion on the clinical applications of antimicrobial testing. This was a great way to go over the information presented earlier this week and practice applying our knowledge. Churro also got spoiled by my parents and got a few nice toys for Valentine's Day!
Saturday morning began with an 8-mile run with Churro followed by a hot yoga session. The rest of the morning was spent studying for the upcoming exam. That afternoon Churro, Clover and I went on a walk in the arboretum. The recent rain has made everything super green, so the arboretum was beautiful! That evening consisted of some extra studying and quality time with Churro. Sunday had a similar schedule; it started with a quick run with Churro followed by church and studying. That afternoon I met up with Madeline and did a little acupuncture review, I also got to see Taiko which is always a bonus! She also got me some awesome flashcards to help me prepare for the upcoming exam (seriously so lucky to have her)! The rest of the evening consisted of some more studying and time with Churro.
Quote of the week: “Toxoplasma somehow turned these rats into suicide vehicles that go towards cats”- Dr. Jeroen Saeij
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