Y3S1 Week 3: Neuro Exams and an Introduction to Veterinary Law

Week three has come to an end and we are halfway done with our clinical neurology sub-block which has turned out to be extremely interesting.

Monday started off with a nice run with Churro followed by two lectures on the spinal cord. We then transitioned into a team-based learning session on spay and neuter controversies. We were assigned an article that highlighted a plethora of information on the pros and cons of spay/neuter which is something that veterinarians get asked about daily. As you can imagine, this is a HOT topic in veterinary medicine. The paper ultimately concluded that there are too many external circumstances to give a hard deadline on when an animal should be altered. There are scientifically sound benefits for not neutering an animal at an extremely young age, but depending on the lifestyle and environment, that recommendation varies and the decision should be thoroughly discussed with the client so that an optimum outcome can be achieved.

The rest of the day included a fun lab that incorporated the musculoskeletal and clinical neurology block. We had a quick discussion on lameness and neurological exams before being broken up into groups and given the chance to practice these exams on our colony dogs. We had done lameness and neuro exams on dogs during our first year, so it was nice to have the opportunity to repeat the process and realize how much more we knew this time around! The rest of the afternoon included some quality time with Churro followed by some studying.

Tuesday morning started off with a nice hot yoga session with Churro followed by three more lectures on the spinal cord and the associated pathology that may occur. The last lecture of the morning was on lumbosacral disease. That afternoon I got my rabies titer which is a requirement for all of the third-year students prior to entering clinics. I then went to the gym to do some resistance training before heading home. That afternoon included some fun frisbee time with Churro and some studying to prepare for the upcoming neuro exam.

Wednesday morning started off with an awesome study session hosted by Dr. T followed by a neuro imaging and pathology lab. One of the things I have seen time after time at UC Davis is the support from faculty. They continuously go above and beyond to help students and make sure that they have the tools they need to succeed. The block system, and vet school in general, delivers information at a wicked fast speed but that’s unavoidable given the amount of information that we are required to comprehend in the short span of four years. Regardless, professors continuously make themselves available to help students and provide resources to help break down the material in an understandable manner. They truly want everyone to succeed and that type of support is always appreciated. The rest of the afternoon was spent with Churro studying and I was also able to get in a quick swim which was nice since the weather has been pretty toasty.

Morning Run Views!

Thursday morning started off with a quick run with Churro followed by hot yoga and a swim. The day was blocked off so that we could all study for the upcoming neuro exam so when I have some extra time in the morning, I love using it to move my body and get in a little extra workout. The rest of the morning was filled with neuro review and honestly, I enjoyed piecing together all of the information and working through clinical cases. Churro and I also spent some quality time together on the field and I had the opportunity to help a Cal Poly student with her vet school application and personal statement. The rest of the evening included a little more neurology review followed by an early bedtime.

Friday morning started off with a quick 3 miler with Churro followed by the neuro exam. While I am not going to say that the exam was “easy,” it was fair and a nice way to see how much we learned (and have grown) since our first vet school neurology experience during our first year!  After a quick walk at the arboretum, we spent the rest of the morning in our comparative course talking about the different methods for castration between species.

The rest of the afternoon included our first law session. This is a course that was added into our curriculum to help us graduate with a better understanding of what we can/can’t do with our license as a veterinarian and with the goal of protecting us from making some of the common legal mistakes many vets unintentionally make. The course is taught by Dr. Grant Miller, the Directory of Regulatory Affairs for the California Veterinary Medicine Association. It is a privilege to learn under his expertise, and I am so glad that we are getting taught about the legal aspects of veterinary medicine prior to graduation. We then had a session to talk about externships and our clinical schedule for fourth year. It is absolutely wild how fast that is approaching and how everything seems to be coming together.

Nice little reminder from Brené Brown's Atlas of the Heart

Saturday started off with a quick run with Churro followed by a hot yoga session and farmer’s market visit. I then hopped on a Zoom call with a Cal Poly student and went over her VMCAS application. The rest of the afternoon included some spinal cord review and of course some quality time with Churro. Sunday morning kicked off with a run around the park with Churro followed by a hot Pilates class. I then went to church before hopping on another VMCAS Zoom meeting with a former UC Davis student. The VMCAS deadline is rapidly approaching, and I remember how stressful the submission process was, so it is a privilege to be trusted with their applications. I love having the opportunity to work through this big milestone with them and be one of their cheerleaders ♡

Quote of the week: “You are trying to follow logic; there is no logic” – Dr. Grant Miller