Y3S1 Week 13: GI Midterm, Relaxed Book Study, and Saturday Morning Farmer's Market!

Week 13 is now in the books and we are speeding towards the end of the semester! Monday morning kicked off with a quick run around the park with Churro, followed by some interval training at the rec center. We then transitioned into a lecture on the liver followed by a brief wrap-up session from last week’s diarrhea case. We discussed potential treatment plans for our patient and worked through some of the things that may influence the dog’s prognosis, such as the type of pancreatic supplements used, and the owner’s overall ability to properly care for the dog. The last session of the morning included a comparative discussion on diarrhea. We had a few large animal cases followed by some commentary from our small animal internists on how this relates to our companion animal species.

That afternoon I had a chance to get in a nice swim and do some grocery shopping before heading home to study and prepare for the upcoming exam. Churro and I also spent some fun time on the field before calling it a night.

Tuesday morning began with a quick run around the block with Churro followed by a hot yoga session and quick swim. We had the day blocked off so that we could prepare for the upcoming exam, so I spent most of the morning reviewing some of the lecture material.

That afternoon I headed to campus for our Bible study session. We had the chance to dive into Chapter 3 of Megan Marshman's book, Relaxed. I personally found this chapter to be a nice little slap in the face. For those of you who have not read the book, here is a little background. This chapter dives into the "and lean not" portion of Proverbs 3:5-6 and then emphasizes how as a society we often try to depend on ourselves and control our lives. I have fallen victim to this way too many times and admittedly like to feel in control of things. This sense of security may seem to work for a period of time when everything is smooth sailing until it's not... that is when the reality that we are truly not in control of our lives sets in and things get real. 

In the book, Megan talks about how leaning on God starts by realizing that we cannot support ourselves, we don't know everything, and we can't figure everything out. Accepting this and taking up a heart of humility allows us to understand that we were not meant to do this life alone. We have a God that loves us and desperately wants us to invite Him into our daily lives. 

It is important to keep reading this chapter (and further into Proverbs) because if we stopped there, it may seem like we are called to fully embody Carrie Underwood's song Jesus Take the Wheel and just let our lives go. This is not what the verse is saying, and being idle is not how we are supposed to live our lives. If I don't study for an exam, I can't just say a prayer and then automatically get an A just like if I don't prepare for surgery, I won't automatically be able to flawlessly complete it. I can go on and on, but I think you get the point. It takes work on both ends and we need to put in effort. 

Proverbs 21:31 says, "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord." This can be summed up by saying that we can prepare, plan, and think about what is coming up but we shouldn't be fully dependent on ourselves. Megan sums it all up by saying that we can't do this work on our own, but God won't do it without our participation. 

This chapter definitely caused me to do some reflection on areas of my life that I am still trying to control and it was wonderful to chat with the club members and see how they were impacted by the chapter.

The rest of the day included some quality time with Churro followed by some additional studying.

Wednesday morning began with a sloshy 7 mile run with Churro, who didn’t seem to mind the wet weather. We then had our GI midterm, and I had some time to get in a little strength training before heading back to class. We ended the morning with the third and final lecture on the liver. This lecture primarily focused on liver dysfunction in dogs and the common diseases that can impact liver function. The rest of the afternoon was used to get caught up on some things around the house and spend some time with Churro.

Sloshy boy

Thursday began with a quick run with Churro followed by a hot yoga session and a quick swim before heading to school for our weekly morning prayer session. This is always a wonderful way to connect with the club members and start the day off with the right mindset. We then had a lecture on icterus followed by a two-hour radiology case-based discussion. This was a great way to understand how different GI diseases can be seen with imagining modalities such as ultrasound and radiography. I then had the opportunity to do some tutoring for the systemic anatomy and physiology course at Cal Poly along with an interview prep session. This is one of my favorite times of the year because everyone is hearing from vet schools regarding their interview decisions and it is a privilege to be able to support students through this daunting process.

The rest of the afternoon included a walk with Churro followed by another tutoring session and the monthly SVVMA board meeting. It is always great to connect with all the members and learn more about what is happening in the veterinary world.

Friday morning started off with a nice 7 miler with Churro followed by a fun radiology discussion focused on the abdominal cavity and thorax. This was a nice way to build off what we had worked on the day before, and it’s great to have this review prior to heading into clinics. We then had a two-hour discussion on diarrhea, which was a follow-up from our comparative course on Monday. During this session we discussed a parvovirus case and walked through the whole clinical workup including diagnostics and treatment. We also had the opportunity to look at the gross pathology of the disease and see the havoc inflicted on the gastrointestinal tract.

During lunch, I stopped by the career/externship fair to say hi to one of my favorite reps, Dr. Amanda Smith, before heading to the arboretum for a lunchtime walk. Throughout the symposium planning process, I had the privilege of working with her, and her genuine kindness and passion for student success always stood out. The rest of the afternoon included a case-based discussion on a patient with severe icterus. This was a nice way to apply our material from the previous day’s lecture. I then took Churro for a nice walk and ended the evening by grabbing dinner with Amanda. It was so nice to be able to reconnect and spend some time getting to hear about her life and exciting plans.

Saturday began with a nice 6 miler with Churro followed by a hot yoga session and quick trip to the farmer’s market. The rest of the morning involved some lecture review and prep for the upcoming week’s case-based discussions. That afternoon Churro and I enjoyed a walk at the arboretum, and I did some grocery shopping to prep for the week.

Farmer's Market!

Sunday began in a similar manner with a nice 7 miler with Churro followed by church. I then ran some errands, cleaned some things around the house and did a little studying. The rest of the afternoon included a nice walk at the arboretum with Churro. All good things must come to an end so on the way home we stopped at Pet Supply Plus and he got a bath. The rest of the night involved some meal prepping and a little more studying before calling it an early night.  

Quote of the week: "I know it can be intimidating but you guys need to be brave and strong" -Dr. Marsilio encouraging us to share our prioritized problem lists during a case-based discussion

Arboretum with Churro!