Y3S2 Week 12: Last Week of Y3, a Trip to SLO, and Easter!

This week was the final week of our third year of vet school! It is absolutely wild that we are starting our clinical year in a few short weeks!

Monday began with a quick run around the neighborhood with Churro, followed by a lecture on respiratory diseases in small mammals. Our next session covered the common cardiac diseases that impact ferrets, guinea pigs, rabbits, and small rodents. Many of these diseases are similar to what we see in dogs and cats, with a few differences, such as the fact that ferrets can have a type-two AV block as a normal variation. The rest of the morning included a discussion on endocarditis. This was in our comparative species track and included some large and small animal cases, which was a nice way to see how this disease can present across species.

After our lunch break, we had a physical exam lab for rabbits. During this lab, we had the opportunity to complete a full physical exam on a rabbit as well as practice some additional skills such as venipuncture and abdominal ultrasound. This was a great way to apply the material we have been learning over the past two weeks, and surprisingly, drawing blood from a rabbit is similar to drawing blood from a small dog.

The rest of the afternoon included a swim session and some grocery shopping.

Tuesday began with a quick whirl around the park with Churro and a hot yoga session. We then had a lecture on endocrinopathies in small mammals with a heavy focus on ferrets, since these little guys are commonly impacted. They often get adrenal disease, but it is NOT the same as when dogs get Cushing’s disease. We then had a lecture on musculoskeletal diseases in small mammals, followed by neurologic diseases. The last session for the morning included a case-based discussion. This session was unique because our instructor had created an AI bot that acted like our “client,” and we were able to interact with it to practice our history taking skills. This was a unique way to use AI in our curriculum, and I found it beneficial.

During lunch, we had our final session on the book Relaxed. We have likely all heard the concept of being saved by grace through faith , which is followed by the reminder that it is not our works that get us into Heaven. Megan reminds us that this does not mean we can just go out and live however we want without worrying about the consequences of our actions. She highlights this by using the Dallas Willard quote, "Grace is not opposed to effort; it is opposed to earning. Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action." Grace is unmerited favor and when we understand that concept, we should be moved to live differently. 

Throughout the chapter, she intertwines the concept of living a life that involves a partnership with Jesus. She uses a few metaphors to illustrate this idea, one of which is from St. Augustine which states, "God provides the wind, man must raise the sail." This metaphor demonstrates the relationship between our efforts (raising the sail) and God's guiding influence (providing the wind). We are not called to just sit and wait for God to plop everything into our laps; we also need to do our part and put in some effort. 

The last part I want to bring to your attention is the concept of God's will for our lives/our purpose. This is a deep concept and is not something that can be easily explained. Megan wrote about it by simply saying, "What if God's will for your life is less about hitting the center of an imaginary bull's-eye and more about learning to become a Christlike chooser?" As Christians our goals and priorities may not always align with what the world deems as important or successful and that is ok. For a deeper dive, check out Romans 12:2.

The remainder of Tuesday included some time on the field with Churro and a little review for the upcoming exam.

Wednesday morning began with a nice 6 miler with Churro followed by a lecture on soft tissue surgery in small mammals. We then had a discussion with some surgical cases to help demonstrate the concepts discussed in the prior lecture. It was interesting to see how similar these surgical procedures are across species and to witness the willingness of owners to invest a significant amount into their pocket pets! The last lecture of the day was on sugar gliders, hedgehogs, and other small mammals that were not previously discussed in the course. This was the final lecture of the block and was a nice way to wrap things up. The rest of the afternoon involved a quick swim followed by some time on the field with Churro and some studying.

Thursday morning started off with a quick whirl around the park with Churro, followed by a hot yoga session. We then had a review session to help flush out any misunderstandings before the exam. This was a helpful way to make sure that we were all on the same page and felt comfortable heading into the test. The rest of the morning involved meeting a cute clinical trial patient, some errands, and exam preparation. That afternoon, Churro and I spent some time packing and playing on the field before heading to Sacramento for a SVVMA board meeting. These meetings are always a nice way to step out of the vet school mindset and look at the world of veterinary medicine from a new perspective. We learned about some of the new legislation as well as discussed the upcoming conference, PacVet, which will be held in Sacramento this June!

Friday morning began with a nice 4-miler with Churro, followed by a final exam for the small mammal course. This exam was a great way to recap everything we had learned over the past two weeks and was our last official exam for vet school! We have a few quizzes here and there for some of our orientation courses, but this was the last final exam!

We then had a lecture on allometry, which is the study of how biological traits such as morphology, physiology, or ecology change in size and shape relative to the whole organism. This was our final session for our comparative course and was a nice way to tie things together and understand the impact size can have on a physiological system. We then had an hour to work as a team to finish our group portfolio, which was our final project for the course and involved brainstorming some topics and creating some NAVLE questions from the semester’s course material. This was a nice way to review the material while also thinking about the question format for our board exam, which we will all be taking in October and November of this year! During lunch I attended a workshop hosted by Dr. Jandrey and Amanda where we broke off into groups and explored the topic of wellness within the realm of veterinary medicine. This was a nice way to hear ideas from other students across different class levels and work as a team to develop some new wellness initiatives!

Last day of third year!

The rest of the afternoon included a business discussion. This week the topic covered marketing and its role in a veterinary setting. We ran through a case discussion where these concepts were illustrated, and it was mind-blowing to see the impact subtle discounts can have on the overall profitability of a hospital. It was also interesting to see the different ways marketing can be utilized and how payment plans can also impact the hospital’s bottom line.

After the business course ended, I packed up my things and Churro and I headed down to SLO.

Saturday morning began with a nice run along the Bob Jones Trail. Our halfway point took us to the beach, so I let him run his brains out for a few before we ran back. On our way back, we ran into a special visitor, Elisa! Elisa and I went to Cal Poly SLO together, and I had the privilege of being in some classes with her, one of which was immunology. She always had the brightest smile, and so seeing her on the running trail brought instant joy. After talking to her for a few minutes, I found out that she was currently training for a marathon and will be racing the SF Marathon in July!

Found Elisa on the run!

After our run, I spent some time at Jenn’s house catching up on life and Churro got to play with Remi and Daisy. That afternoon I had the opportunity to hike Avila Ridge with Tasha and catch up on life. It is always fun to spend time together and talk about the latest health crazes as well as connect over the topic of animal nutrition. After zooming up the mountain, we grabbed some lunch before heading our separate ways. Trips to SLO always fill me with immense gratitude and remind me of how fortunate I am to have such supportive people in my corner.

Hiking with Tasha!

The rest of the afternoon involved driving down to San Diego.

Easter morning began with a nice 4 miler with my dad and Churro followed by church and a nice brunch with family. This was the first time in a few years that I was able to spend Easter with the family, and it was wonderful.

Easter with the Family ♡

This post officially marks the end of my third year in vet school! We are done with the didactic portion of our education, and after a week off, we will have a two-week orientation period followed by a week of business and a week of clinical pathology. Our first rotation starts on the 11^th of May, and every 2-3 weeks we get a new rotation until graduating in May of 2027! It has taken 7 years of post-high school education to get here, and I am so excited for this next chapter!

Quote of the week: “It is the last lecture of the small mammal course and as they say, all things end.” -Dr. Beaufrere