Mid-semester break

This past weekend, I volunteered to help count the coins raised during the Josh project fundraiser.  I wish I got a picture of what our hands looked like afterwards, they were so black!  7th semester ended up winning, so Dr. St. Jean will be dressing up as Zorro.  1st semester raised $431.29, so we ended up coming in 3rd.  The total raised for the fundraiser was $4,263.13 EC.
Monday was our anatomy palpation quiz and micro test.  I will admit I was very overwhelmed with all the information, but I don't think I could have studied anymore I than I did.  We haven't gotten our anatomy grade back yet, but I'm pretty sure I did well and I also did well on the micro test.
Tuesday was pretty uneventful, although we did go see What To Expect When You're Expecting at the theater.  I'm pretty sure Joe Manganiello is what made the movie. ;)
On Wednesday, our class had their first bake sale of build your own nachos to raise money for our 7th semester banquet.  We raised $1235 EC.
I found out that I didn't get the orientation leader position on Thursday.  None of the first semester's that applied did.  I'm still debating if I will be going home over the break though.  I'm considering staying on the island and traveling.  Anyone up for coming to visit me and traveling!?  So only in vet school would you still have class when the power goes out....The power went out in our last class and we ended up having the rest of the class in the dark (projectors, computers, and wireless are on a generator), but then the generator went out as well.  Needless to say, I was not about to workout in the dark, so it was a workout day at home for me.
Finally Friday!  I felt like this weekend would never come!  Tonight there is island idol at Bamboo bar that we might go to.
This weekend is a long weekend because it's mid-semester break, which mean there are no classes Monday!  Saturday we will probably go to the beach, since we are getting white over here from lack of beach time!  On Sunday, I'm going on a catamaran trip which includes an open bar, snorkeling, and lunch on Nevis. (That waterproof camera would be great right now) Then, Sunday night there is a glow-in-the-dark paint party!  Then on Monday I might do some studying  ;)

Fun website about vet school:
http://ourlifeinvetschool.tumblr.com/

Fun picture that we like:

First round of exams over

I had a very relaxing weekend, including some studying and lots of cooking on Sunday!  I cooked ravioli for lunch/dinner, chicken for the week, and my own peanut butter protein bars (Thanks Pinterest....yum!)

On Monday, the Josh Project Coin project began.  Each semester will pick a teacher to dress up and if they have the most coins collected at the end of the week, then that semester's teacher dresses up.  Here's the list:

1st semester - Dr. Spencer as Britney Spears
2nd - Dr. Kibbel and Dr. Adams as the main characters from Up
3rd - Dr. Wang, Dr. Soto, Dr. Gyimah, Dr. Arauz, Dr. Bogdanovic (so far) as The Avengers
4th- Dr. Castillo as Princess Lelia
5th - Dr. Walker and Dr. Shokry as Batman and Robin
6th - Dr. Pope as Inspector Gadget
7th - Dr. St. Jean as Zorro
(The underlined are the teachers I know and have had in classes)

Our micro class was canceled on Tuesday, due to a flood in the men's bathroom near the classroom.  We will have to make that class up late on Thursday though.  There was a speaker that I went to that night that talked about infectious diseases of wildlife which was pretty interesting.
Nutrition exam was on Wednesday.  In in the typically Reich fashion, no matter how much you know the material, it's still a really hard test.  I ended up skipping a wildlife speaker that I really wanted to go to in order to get a few more minutes of studying in.  I am definitely still liking the block exams better than our schedule now.  I don't like having to wait until the usual class time to have the exam and then having class after the exam; it's hard to concentrate.  We finally got our grades back for Anatomy and let's just say there was a lot of drama from everyone about that.  I did really well, but sadly the class average was very low. 
Thursday was a VERY long day.  Instead of my usual break from 10-12pm, I had nutrition lab where we looked at body conditioning scoring the kennel dogs.  The same speaker from Tuesday spoke at lunch about motivating your health care team.  I was able to use her as points toward my VBMA certificate.  We then had our makeup micro class from 3-5pm.  I was exhausted, so I didn't end up going to the gym, but instead went home to studying.  It's probably a good thing I skipped the gym because I ended up pushing myself too hard on Monday and my knee has been bothering me since.
TGIF Ever'body!  Today at lunch that same speaker (Dr. Karen Shenoy) is talking about nutrition.  I volunteered to help count the coins for the Josh project tonight since I'm a member of the Ross chapter.  Cross your fingers that the firsties win!
This weekend, I plan on studying for the Micro test and Anatomy palpation quiz both of which are on Monday.  I feel the tests have been nonstop, but after Monday we will finally get a small break before they all start up again.
I know I haven't been good about keeping in touch, but bare with me! I will be able to talk once I figure out my phone situation and all these tests are over with and I get a small break!  I do have skype though, so feel free to message me there!

I can't believe I've already been on this island for 6 months. That means there have been 28 blog posts!  This experience is just flying by and I'm glad you are experiencing it with me! :)

It Doesn't Stop

Well June 1st started the first day of hurricane season, and of course it couldn't go by unnoticed!  So, we experienced our first power outage at the apartment!  The generator kicked on after less than a minute, so I barely even had time to try to find my flashlight.  However, the generator was extremely loud and apparently right outside our window.  The electricity was only out for an hour, and with the internet being out as well, it was pretty much forced study time.  I spent most of my weekend in the anatomy lab, with a dinner break of sushi on Saturday and a small beach break on Sunday.
I found out that I have a new pet as well....an American Kestral!

OK well not really a pet, but there are two of them in our little neighborhood that hang out in our trees killing morning doves. LOL  They are the first set of raptors/falcons that I have actually seen down here.  I was told there are hummingbirds here too, but I have yet to see any.
Monday was the start of what I can feel will be a very long week.  I had an anatomy tutor session at lunch, then went to lab after class, and then physio review at 6pm. I also received an email about Bayer (the drug company) looking for a representative since the rep right now will be leaving, so I put my application in to replace him.  Wish me luck!  I also am putting in my application to be an orientation leader for the fall semester....wish me luck on that as well!  So much I want to do and so little time!
On Tuesday, we had a ethics lecture and a history taking lab for Intro to Vet Med until 4pm.  We saw some very disturbing videos in the ethics lecture that actually made me sick to my stomach......not eating meat for a while, just saying.
Wednesday I found out that Ross is starting a Wildlife Rehab donation and a Plover Monitoring Program that I really want to be a part of, so there was a meeting about it at lunch that I went to.  We then had our Physio exam (I did well, higher than the average) and to celebrate it being over, I studied for Anatomy....
Thursday:  We had a review day instead of Anatomy lab this morning and I didn't have micro lab today, so technically I didn't have to on campus until 1pm, but I was there at 8am, like always, to study, study, study-----to the point of delirium!

(You can't tell from the picture, but we are holding the bones completely wrong...upside down and not in the right spot (yes purposely)....and yes we are in the doorway to get a better breeze....like I said delirium.)

Friday was the first Anatomy exam!   Tonight I plan on heading the the pool with a margarita in my hand!  This weekend I'm going to the beach and again not opening any books until maybe Sunday when I will starting to study for Nutrition.

1st exam

So studying for the exam this weekend, this basically explains the information that I needed to learn: 1st year vet student.  The exam on Monday was very tough, but I still did well! Yay!  So that only means that, margaritas were in order that night with a break from studying.  A few of us then grabbed some pizza at the Marriott as well.
Tuesday was a long day day and I was back to studying Anatomy and a little bit of Physio.  In our Intro to Vet Med class, we had a teamwork lab for the last two hours of class.....fun....
 I started getting the feeling of being overwhelmed on Wednesday.  It wasn't just because of classes (they did decide to add another section of material on our upcoming Anatomy test), but all the little things outside of school that I need to get done.  On top of all that, my car decided not to start on my way home, so I had to get Ross Security to jump me.  Welcome to being a island car owner.....
Thursday was a long day.  I had errands to run during my break, and we had a mock exam for anatomy.  If I needed a drink after the mock exam, I don't even want to know what the real exam will be like.  It just showed me how much I all of my hard work of studying until this point has done nothing.  Ugh, time to hit the books even harder!
On Friday and for the rest of the weekend, I will pretty much be studying for the Physio and Anatomy exams that we have next week.  Hopefully I will be able to make it to the beach at some point as well; I'm getting a little pale over here!  :)

Headaches are the new normal

This past weekend, I went to Beachfest which was a lot of fun and got to drive some crazy drunks home (haha love you all!) followed by a turkey dinner (Thanks Chris!) and some studying that night.

 Sunday I cleaned and then spent all afternoon on campus with several TA sessions.

Monday was an extremely busy and long day, which is already an indication of how the rest of the week is going to be.  We started our small animal palpation with some of the kennel dogs.  At lunch, I met with my Anatomy tutor (there's a group of 6 of us at the same time) and she was able to give us a better idea of how exams will be.  Unfortunately, because of the tutor sessions, I missed the first AAV meeting.  The first semester ice cream social was today as well, so I treated myself after the gym.
Another long day on Tuesday, however I didn't have the last 2 hours of the Intro to Vet Med class, so I was able to go to the gym and study before the two TA sessions in the afternoon.  In micro, we did learn about how MSG can be sensitive in some people and can kill others.  We also learned that it's banned in most country, but of course our professor was able to get it at the grocery store downtown.....interesting.  I was on campus until 6:30pm and I ended up going to bed early because I wasn't able to focus since I was so exhausted.
Wednesday was pretty much like Tuesday where I was on campus until 7pm.  I was craving soup and a bread bowl that day as well, so I ended up running to the store and making some.  :)
I had a three hour break, technically two, because I went to the radiology lab on Thursday.  During that break I spoke with one of my professors to make sure I was on the right track with anatomy.  They are changing everything from the previous semesters, so even my tutor and upper class friends can't tell me what to expect on the tests, so I was worried how detailed everything was going on be.  I also ran by the post office to pick up a package (Thanks Britt!) and went to the grocery store.  Even though I have moved, my mailing address is still the same.  Everything basically goes through the school since there really aren't street addresses here.  After my errands I was still able to make it to a zoo veterinarian speaker.  He gave us a run through of all the amazing things he's done, but I was hoping he would talk more about how to become a zoo veterinarian or something like that.
Here is a video of just another day in nutrition class:  Demonstrating Lipid Digestion (by eating butter)

Friday and this weekend I will be doing nothing but studying for the Micro exam on Monday.  This exam is the start of the endless exams (one or two a week)!  There are several TA sessions this weekend as well that I will be going to.  So much for having a life anymore...

2% over!

2% of vet school is finished!  (Each week is pretty much another 1%)
This past weekend...I got my car all fixed up so it's almost as good as new!  I studied the rest of the day Saturday until Mr. RUSVM.  Gerardo, the guy who represented 1st semester did amazing!  Here is my favorite video of him and watch the very end for the shout out to me (very sweet):  Belly dance Blue semester

Sunday consisted of studying and going to the lab with my anatomy group to practice with the cadavers.  We already have an exam's worth of material and it's the first week.  We are suppose to know the names of all the parts of the bone and muscles of the shoulder to the fingers, including joints and ligaments.  We also are suppose to know where on the bone the muscle attached and what the action of it is.  Our test isn't even until the beginning of next month, so it's just going to keep piling on....welcome to vet school.  Later on Sunday, I was able to Skype my family for Mother's Day.
On Tuesday is one of our long days because we have Intro to Vet Med for 3 hours in the afternoon.  I also had the first VBMA meeting of the semester.  Hopefully I can finish my certificate this semester!  I have been going to the gym in the afternoons, so much for getting use to waking up early last semester.  Being off campus, it just makes more sense to go after class even though that's when it's the most crowded.
Wednesday I started to feel more overwhelmed with the amount of work that we are given.  I still feel like I'm on top of it all, but especially with anatomy, I feel like it's not enough and I should be doing more.  This afternoon we had two hours of Physio and then a optional Biochem review.  The biochem review was basically just reviewing the material that we were taught last semester in Physio, but I figured the review would be good anyway.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it to the gym because of it though.  After the review, a few of us went to the lab to review some more anatomy.
I don't have micro lab on Thursdays, so after anatomy lab I have a three hour (including lunch) break where I studied anatomy more.  At lunch, we had our first Josh project meeting and two TA sessions for Physio and Micro that afternoon.
Yay Friday! Friday is my free day from studying!  I have dinner plans tonight at Rock Lobster and then possibly Beachfest on Saturday depending on how ahead I feel with my studying.  Sunday there are several TA sessions and I will probably go to the anatomy lab while I'm on campus.  Busy, busy, busy!

Here is a cute picture of our campus "pets".  Whenever I sit at the Student Union, this cat is on my lap looking for food.  He is too funny!

1st week as a firstie!

Back to school time.  I'm so grateful to everyone for being so flexible with their schedule so I could see everyone over break!  I really do miss everyone already.
I flew back here on Saturday.  I started to unpack all four of my boxes and 6 of my suitcases....  I have way too much stuff.

 A few of us went out to dinner on Saturday night and then to a back to school party at Bamboo.  We were able to meet a few of the incoming first semesters.
On Sunday, I went to breakfast with Alex and her parents and we then did some grocery shopping.  I also helped Taylor move her stuff from storage into her apartment.  I then unpacked and put away the rest of my stuff and got ready for the first day of vet school!  Class schedule
Monday was my first official 1st day of vet school! It was an extremely busy day and the humidity was awful!  I am already feeling behind and overwhelmed.  We had Gross Anatomy Lab, Microanatomy, and Nutrition (yes with Dr. Reich again).  Normally we would also have Physiology, but since we had our white coat ceremony that afternoon, they canceled that class.  The white coat ceremony was nice and the speaker was pretty good and inspirational.  I then started studying until 11pm....already I know!

Tuesday was a shorter day than normal.   We had Gross Anatomy Lecture, Microanatomy, and Intro to Vet Med. Usually class ends around 5pm but since they were just talking about the class, it ended at 2pm today.  I ended up going to the gym, since I don't have my gym routine down yet.  I might try to continue going at 5:30am, but then I have to worry about showering and breakfast before class.  I would go in the afternoon after classes, but that's when the gym is the most full, so it's harder to go then.  I will figure something out after I am more comfortable with my schedule, which I'm sure will end up being at 5:30 again.  Here's to no sleep and bad posture (from leaning over books in extremely uncomfortable chairs) this semester!
Wednesday was another very busy day.   We met with the current vet preppers for lunch to help answer any of their questions.  It was also the first day of market, so I stocked up on my fruits and veggies.  We also had out first Physiology class, which was two hours long.  As a side note, the humidity since we have been back is insane.  I haven't taken a hot shower since being here! We haven't needed to turn our AC on in our apartment yet, but we do leave the windows open all the time and the fans on when we are there.  However, we have only been there in the evening, so we will see how the weekend goes.
We got to experience our first animal and cadaver interaction this semester on Thursday.  We got to work with a horse and then worked on muscles with the dog cadavers.  We also had the club sign up day today as well.  I didn't sign up for any new clubs because I figured I'd try to continue with the ones I was in last semester.
I cannot wait for a must needed break and catch up this weekend.  I don't feel like I'm behind, but I do want to get a little ahead so I can stay on top of everything.  Mr. RUSVM is on Saturday and I am actually meeting with the guy representing first semester later on Friday (today) in order to go over his talent portion of the contest.  The category is multicultural talent and what better thing to do than get a guy in a girl's pink belly dancing costume and have him dance!  Haha I will take a video, it will be too fun!