Y3S2 Week 9: Real Life Real Impact Conference, Envenomation, and a Hot Yoga Buddy!

This week started off with a quick whirl around the park followed by a renal/endocrine/reproduction final exam. This exam was a great way to test the knowledge we acquired over the past month. After the exam, I had a chance to run to the rec center and get in a spin session before heading back to class for a discussion on envenomation. This discussion was within our comparative species stream so we had the chance to compare envenomation across species including the horse, alpaca/llama, and dog. Horses are obligate nasal breathers so if they get bitten on the muzzle by a snake they are in a more dire situation than a dog since the dog is able to breathe through its mouth. The rest of the day included a nice swim followed by some time on the field with Churro.

Tuesday morning began with an awesome hot yoga session, followed by the start of our oncology sub-block. This is a quick two-week block packed with interesting lectures, journal clubs, and case-based discussions. Our lecture series began with a session on clinical radiation oncology, multimodal therapy, mammary tumors, and cytology. During lunch I had the chance to run to the rec and get in a quick spin session before heading back for a lecture on oncologic imaging. The rest of the day included some quality time with Churro followed by some prep for the upcoming business discussion.

Wednesday morning started with a spicy interval session, followed by two lectures explaining the similarities and differences between canine and feline lymphoma. We then had a lecture on oral tumors in cats and dogs, followed by a lecture on hemangiosarcoma. These lectures were extremely clinically relevant given that lymphoma and hemangiosarcoma are common neoplastic diseases in dogs and cats. The rest of the afternoon included a chiro appointment followed by a nice swim. Churro and I then spent some time on the field and studied some lectures.

Thursday morning began with a fun hot yoga session with a special guest. Dr. Nakatani joined in on the fun and nailed the class! Dr. Nakatani has been an amazing mentor throughout my time in vet school and was my “emotional support human” during my first dog spay. It was awesome to share my love of yoga with her and she didn’t hate it which was a win!

Post-yoga proof of survival pic

The lecture lineup for the day began with a session on soft tissue sarcoma followed by a lecture on mast cell tumors. We then learned about tumors of the skeleton (osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, etc.) and ended the morning with a session on sinonasal tumors. During lunch, I had the chance to run to the rec center and do a quick spin workout before heading back for a radiology discussion centered around neoplastic disease.

Friday morning began with a fun 6 miler with Churro, followed by a lecture on oncologic emergencies. This lecture covered some of the main complications and adverse effects associated with cancer treatments such as chemotherapy. We then had an introduction to our case-based sessions that set the stage for the discussion sessions scheduled for next week. The following session was a part of our comparative species stream and was focused on cardiac murmurs. We had four cases covering cats, dogs, horses, and cattle, which was beneficial in understanding how murmurs can present in different species.

That afternoon, we had a final surgery recap and discussion since our junior surgery course has officially come to an end. This session was a review of everything we learned over the past 9 months and was a nice way to prep for the upcoming exam on Monday. The rest of the day included a business discussion where we dissected a contract and learned more about the different negotiable items and averages for new graduates.

That evening, I had the chance to attend the Real-Life Real-Impact conference. This is a two-day conference through the Christian Veterinary Mission organization and this year it was hosted by UC Davis. The night began with dinner and an awesome talk by Dr. Chris Eugenio on “Success vs Significance - Knowing Your True Value.” This talk contrasted the world’s idea of success with the things that are truly important in life and lead to joy. In his talk, Chris highlighted that human desires revolve around being accepted, loved, valued, and the feeling that they matter. When we are chasing worldly success these desires often go unmet but when we fix our eyes and hearts on things that are bigger than ourselves, we are able to have a perspective that brings us peace in the midst of chaos and an unwavering sense of joy.

Saturday morning started off with a nice 9 miler with Churro followed by the second day of the Real-Life Real-Impact conference. The morning began with an amazing talk from our club advisor and radiology faculty, Dr. Ehren McLarty. Dr. McLarty shared some personal stories around the idea of gratitude and hardship and how even during the hard periods of life, there are still plenty of things to be grateful for. Our perspective as Christians shapes the way we view each situation and regardless of what is going on in our lives, we have the choice to assess the situation and lean on the side of gratitude. This does not necessarily mean that we are grateful for every circumstance but within each circumstance we can find some element of gratitude.

We then had the chance to hear from Dr. George Moore, a local internist, on mood and emotions. He highlighted that we are not supposed to be controlled by our emotions and that our emotions are reflective of our thinking patterns. He went through different parts of the Bible and broke apart the sentence structure used throughout Scripture which is often written in the indicative followed by the imperative. The indicative is a declaration of what God has done, and the imperative is an obligation, or what we should do as Christians. In between the indicative and the imperative there is often a key word… therefore. This gives us a guide on how to live our lives in a way that aligns with Christ. Unfortunately, in our modern society, many people flip the structure and use the indicative as what we have done and the imperative as how God should respond. This leads to chaos and anxiety because we were never meant to be in complete control of our lives.

We then had a break and spent time connecting with the attendees which consisted of local practitioners and students along with some out of state students and a few Cal Poly undergraduates! It was awesome to get to know people on a deeper level and hear about their careers in veterinary medicine. I had the privilege of meeting some people from Midwestern University including an awesome anesthesiologist who is helping start a CVF club on their campus. I was also able to connect with Jill, a first-year student at the University of Arizona who is working on developing their CVF club. All of these leaders are making a huge impact across their campuses, and it was awesome to hear their stories! I also want to give a special shoutout to Curtiss, our region rep, who did a phenomenal job of putting this all together! This event would not have been possible without his support and we are so fortunate to have his leadership presence within our organization.

I loved connecting with the Cal Poly undergrads and hearing about their undergraduate experience and future goals. Five of them were first-year students and the excitement they brought with them was contagious and I know they have bright futures ahead! One of my favorite parts about speaking with undergraduates is the reminder of how far I have come on this journey and the excitement associated with each step of the process! The other two Cal Poly students were in their fourth year and getting ready to head off to vet school. This is such an exciting period in their lives, and I know that they will do amazing in their next chapter. Katie was one of those fourth years which made things extra fun since I have known her for years and have watched her grow into the awesome person she is today!

Cal Poly Crew!

That afternoon we had a fun round of animal trivia followed by three more amazing talks. Dr. Chris Chu spoke about how to find joy in the face of adversity which is relatable and a reminder that as Christians our lives are not automatically going to be easy and there will be difficult things that we need to navigate. We then heard another talk from Dr. Chris Eugenio on how to create a positive work environment. As a practice owner, Chris has developed a team that operates like a family and feels valued in their respective roles. It was inspiring to hear how he has cultivated a healthy work environment and supports his team so that they can achieve the common goal of excellent patient care. The final talk of the day was given by Dr. P, one of CVM’s incredible missionaries. Dr. P shared his story and path through veterinary medicine as well as how he combined his interest in veterinary medicine with ministry work.

Midwestern Crew!

This conference was a wonderful way to take a break and spend some time with amazing people who love Jesus. It was also fun to meet people from different schools as well as connect with some amazing undergrads. I have seen God work in amazing ways during my time at Davis and am excited to see what He continues to do on our campus.

RLRI Conference!

Sunday began with a fun 7 miler with Churro followed by church and some grocery shopping. The rest of the day included an oncology take-home exam followed by some studying for the upcoming surgery and anesthesia exam. These exams are the final piece of our surgery and anesthesia stream and are used as a way to address our knowledge of basic surgical and anesthetic principles. In between studying, Churro and I spent some quality time on the field and went on a nice walk around the neighborhood.

Quote of the week: “We did this amazing thing called science…” – Dr. Kate Hopper