Year 4 Week 4: Clinical Pathology Rotation

Izzy Pulido
1 day ago
5 min read

This week we had our clinical pathology rotation. This was a week packed full of analyzing laboratory values and dusting off some of the important information we learned earlier in our curriculum.

Monday began with a quick whirl around the park with Churro followed by some strength training at the rec center. We then had a three-hour session on red blood cells and analyzing some of the key parts of the erythrogram portion of a complete blood count (CBC). This was a helpful way to review some of the key components of analyzing a CBC and coming up with a list of differential diagnoses!

After a nice walk around the arboretum during lunch, we had another three-hour session diving even deeper into red blood cells. We were also given some case examples and worked on analyzing different scenarios with multiple species. The rest of the afternoon included some nice time on the field with Churro and a walk in the rain.

Tuesday morning began with a quick run around the park followed by a hot yoga session. This is always a wonderful way to start the day! We then had a three-hour session on leukocytes, which is a fancy word for white blood cells. White blood cells include neutrophils, monocytes, basophils, and eosinophils, and different populations of these cells can be elevated or decreased due to different disease processes. We reviewed 9 different blood smears from various species and had the opportunity to explore a variety of white blood cells and connect them to a clinical presentation.

That afternoon I had the chance to go on a nice walk around the arboretum with Madi before our clinical pathology afternoon session. This session was centered around four cases, and we were given the “minimum database” for each case and had a chance to interpret the findings to come up with some potential diagnoses and next diagnostic steps. A minimum database usually includes a CBC, chemistry, and urinalysis and is a nice way to get a glimpse at the overall health of a patient. Each case was on a different animal (dog, cat, horse, cow), and it was helpful to review the specific variations across species.

The rest of the afternoon included a walk with Churro and some time on the field playing with his ball.

Wednesday morning began with a nice 4 miler with Churro followed by some strength training at the rec center. We then had a three-hour discussion on microbiology and judicious antimicrobial use. This was a nice way to pull on material from the past three years dust off the mental cobwebs. During lunch we had a quick meeting with the upcoming student solutions committee which is a select group of students who will be joining the class presidents to act as a voice for their class during the clinical year of our curriculum.

After a quick walk, we had another three-hour microbiology session. This session focused on a handful of cases across a variety of species and after we worked through the cases in groups, we came back together as a class and discussed our answers. It was a big day with lots of solid clinical information! That afternoon Churro and I spent some time on the field playing with some awesome toys.

Thursday morning began with a quick whirl around the park followed by a hot yoga session. We then had a lecture on effusion pathology and fluid analysis. We immediately put those skills to practice with a two-hour case-based session where we had the opportunity to evaluate different fluid samples and understand the pathophysiology behind them.

During lunch I attended a seminar delivered by one of the candidates for the role of Associate Dean of Professional Education. The candidate brought up some interesting ideas, and it is always informative to learn about academic curricular development and leadership from an outside source. The rest of the day involved additional clinical pathology case review. We were given a handful of cases with different species and worked as a team to evaluate their laboratory abnormalities. After we were done working as a group we met as a full class and went over the cases. Similar to Tuesday, this was an incredibly useful way to practice concepts that we had learned over the past three years and clear up previous points of confusion!

The rest of the afternoon included some time catching up with a friend and playing with Churro on the field!

Friday morning began with a nice 3 miler with Churro, followed by an awesome strength workout with Jen and Madeline! We then transitioned into a lecture on diagnostic cytology and how to ensure that the samples we submit are of diagnostic caliber. After that lecture, we had a laboratory session where we had the opportunity to scan through 32 different slides and visualize a variety of pathologic conditions. These slides were grouped based on body site (nasal swab, liver biopsy, lymph node aspirate, transtracheal wash, etc.) and it was awesome to be able to compare all of these samples.

That afternoon I had the opportunity to have lunch with the candidate from Thursday’s session and the other class presidents. This session gave us the opportunity to get to know the candidate and exchange questions. We have had some wonderful people apply for this position which will make the decision difficult and I trust that the school will do their best to select the candidate most aligned with our vision. I then headed to the pool for a quick swim before returning home to work on the clinical pathology final assessment. The evening ended with a relaxing Yin yoga class with Jen.

Saturday morning began with an awesome 5.5 miler with Churro followed by a hot yoga session. I then did some grocery shopping before heading home to finish the clinical pathology final assessment. The rest of the day was spent taking Churro to the arboretum (and getting a pup cup), followed by some organizing and meal prep.

Sunday morning started off with a nice 7 miler with Churro that included running past a ton of baby sheep which Churro thoroughly enjoyed. I then went to church and ran a few errands. The rest of the day was spent getting a few things done around the house and prepping for the upcoming week and start of our clinical rotations! Churro and I also spent some nice time on the field playing with his soccer ball and talking to my mom on the phone. One of the hard parts about vet school is not being able to be with family on special days such as Mother’s Day but technology allows us to bridge this gap and stay connected miles apart. My mom is my rock, and I would not be where I am today without her. She has also played a fundamental role in the process of proofing all of my posts and providing feedback for this website. She is an incredible woman and every day I am reminded that I won the mom lottery with her!