9 rotations left...

Today I checked how much progress I've made through 4th year.  After this rotation, I will only have nine rotations left.  I'm pretty scared for some of them -- like equine medicine, which I have next.  It's not that I'm scared of horses... I just have zero experience with them and a bundle of allergies that attack when a horse is within a football field of me.  I keep telling myself that it will be a good experience, but I'm still quite unsure.  We've all had rotations that were not the most enjoyable and we all seem to survive.  If I can get through equine medicine, then I'll have two weeks off for Christmas.  It almost seems unfair to have another break so soon.  I just had four day off for Thanksgiving.  Like I said, ALMOST seems unfair.  I'll take all the breaks I can get.


This week I applied for a job.  Job searching is a task that makes me very nervous.  I'm worried that I will not find a job where I want to live.  After having a semi long distance relationship for the past three years, I'm ready for the distance to become shorter (or non-existent).  I don't want to be picky, but a job as a small animal veterinarian in the upper northwest corner of Iowa is not what I'm hoping for.  Or a job description that contains any of the following words:  cow-calf, feedlot, mixed animal, or an interest in reproduction.  I also do not want to buy the practice now or within the next five years.  Is that being picky?  I hope not...  I like to think of it as knowing what I want and being motivated to find it.

This week I also put a "FOR SALE" sign in my front yard.  It truly feels like yesterday that I was looking for a trailer to purchase as an incoming first year veterinary student.  It was such an exciting time-- going to orientation, looking at the school, looking at trailers... I had no idea what the next four years would bring.  I had no idea that I would come to love vet school so much.  I must say I loved it more the first few years than I do right now, but I think that's a good thing.  It's almost time to move on and that would be so much more difficult if I was as attached to this school now as I was in the past.  It has been an awesome four years.  I'm very glad that six years ago I decided to apply for vet school.  Even though it seemed sudden, it was something I had thought about for my whole life.  I was very happy the day I left Saint Ambrose.  The day I leave Iowa State will be full of mixed emotions.  I'm grateful for each experience I've had here and I'm excited for the future.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Today is Thanksgiving Day and I am very thankful to be in Dubuque, Iowa!  I didn't think there was any way that I'd be able to spend Thanksgiving with my family this year but things at school fell into place nicely.  Well... until yesterday.

Last night I received a phone call that one of my patients suddenly died.  I feel absolutely terrible for the family.  The first thing the owner said to me during the appointment a few days ago was, "Emily, do you want me to have a good Thanksgiving?"  Now instead of having a good Thanksgiving, he is having the worst Thanksgiving ever.  I feel like it's my fault, but honestly I don't think there was anything else we could have done.  I guess that's the evil side of medicine.  We are doctors.  We are not God.  We run tests, read results, diagnose, and treat... but sometimes it doesn't end the way we expected.  I have been on the patient's side before.  My dog was diagnosed with a back problem in June of '06 but died of hemangiosarcoma a few months later.  I cannot blame her vet for not knowing what was truly going on.  I knew they did not have a magic wand, even though that's what patients often want.  No matter what, I feel terrible for the family.  It makes me more thankful for spending the day with my family and my dogs.  I have so much to be thankful for.

One of the things I am most thankful for this year is my future niece or nephew.  Sadie and John will be having their first baby next May.  Most people who know me know that I'm not a big fan of.... well... children... but I am very excited for Sadie and John!!!  Maybe through their baby, I will learn a thing or two about kids and be more comfortable around them in the future.

Even though this week didn't start out the best with the board exam on Monday, I am hopeful that it went better than it seemed.  I want to wish all my classmates good luck on their exam.  We will be vets very soon!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

It's almost winter....

I didn't dislike winter until undergrad.  Walking to class each morning at Saint Ambrose was not fun... and my campus was small.  I can't imagine walking to class across the Iowa State or University of Iowa campuses.  I feel for you, Megan and Nate.  I'm still spoiled, only having to walk 5 minutes across the parking lot to the vet school.  It doesn't change how I feel about winter though.  I don't like walking the dogs in the cold or dealing with travel complications due to weather.  I loved planning my days out in California -- thinking about the beach, outdoor shopping, walking down the street to Starbucks -- and never worrying about what the weather was going to be like.  Today while walking the dogs, a bunch of geese flew above me.  "Take me with you" was the first thing that went through my head.  It would be nice to leave for the winter each year.  Having a winter home in Scottsdale or San Diego would be a lot of fun.  As the trailer and Addie's nose gets colder each day, I must face the fact that winter is coming once again and I will just have to deal with it.

I will be taking the veterinary boards exam in a few days.  I'm very nervous but it's something that must be done. All I can do is prepare as best as I can and hope for the best.  I guess that's why I have written anything for awhile.  Too busy studying for boards and doing projects for rotation.  My current rotation is very tiring.  By the end of the day, it's all I can do to stay awake and study for a couple hours (at best).  I want to wish all of my classmates the best of luck on their exam.  Our future lives as doctors is getting closer every day!