Fall 2011 Grades

A Pretty Interesting Day

Heya!

Today in Imaging we got to take x-rays of a chicken!  It was pretty cool because I've never really interacted with chickens before.  I got to help carry it, restrain it for x-rays, and return it to its cage.  We also watched two different blood draws on the chicken, which was pretty interesting.  I find out that chickens get hematomas extremely easy, even with a perfect blood draw.

We also took some x-rays of one of the rats we have at school.  The rat was so chill that we literally used no restraint for the one x-ray, and hardly any for the second one.

We didn't do a whole lot else today, but it was fun.  I'll write more later :)

Weeks 8 and 9

Howdy!

I've learned some new language after visiting a farm last Wednesday! ;)  For Imaging, we went to a local Horse Farm to take x-rays!  It was very exciting and scary because I've interacted with horses before, but only when I was very young and the horses were super well trained.

The farm was absolutely beautiful and the horses were very gentle.  Interestingly enough, our x-ray machine was acting up, and we didn't take a single x-ray.

Below is a picture basically explaining how we take x-rays "in the field."  We have one person operating the portable x-ray machine, one person holding a cassette that contains the x-ray film behind the part being radiographed (here is the fetlock joint), and one person distracting the horse at the head.  We even get to wear the ridiculous looking lead gear featured!  Amazing what you can find on Google Images! :P

When we did ours, we hold the cassette using what's called a tomahawk.  Basically a long pole that holds the cassette so we don't have to be that close to the primary x-ray beam.

Parasitology

Today in Parasitology, we got to exam the dogs for external parasites (mites, lice, fleas, etc.)  We also got to administer a pill and Frontline (a topical that repels and kills Ticks, Fleas, etc).  It went smoothly!

Applying Frontline

Work
I did two hours worth of inventory today, and still haven't finished!  There is a lot to go through, and it is kind of fun to see all sorts of tools, products, and medications that I have sometimes only talked about but never seen, and other things that I haven't learned about yet, but know that I will!

Hematology
Tonight, I got checked off on drawing blood from a dog's lateral saphenous vein.  I got blood as soon as I poked the needle in!!  It was exciting!  We also practiced our next technique - a jugular vein blood draw.  It took me a bit, but I got blood, and even drew up enough for half of the class to run tests on!

Jugular Blood Draw

We also ran some tests on the blood that we've been learning, and I perfected a  few things that I have been struggling with!  I did a somewhat difficult blood test by hand and my results correlated with the results from the automated machine!  It was super exciting to see that I had done it right!!

I will write again later this week or next.  Have a great week all!

Week 7

Hey All

Imaging
This week, we took a bunch of x-rays in Imaging.  We did several different views on two cats and a dog.  It was really fun to do what we will be doing in the clinical setting... everything from setting up, restraining, setting the x-ray machine, taking the films, processing them, looking at them and discussing them, labeling and putting away the x-rays, and breaking down.

Parasitology
In Parasitology, we did our normal fecals and those that found parasites got to decide on a medication, calculate the dosage, fill the prescription, and give the first dose.  I wasn't one of those people, but it was cool to know that could be me next week!

I got to do what is called a Snap test to test if one of the animals had FeLV/FIV (Feline Leukemia Virus, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus).  The Snap test looks like this:

You mix three drops of blood and four drops of a reactive agent, put it in the reservoir, wait for the blood mixture to creep up to the dot in the middle,  and then press down on the opposite end to Snap it.  You then wait a designated amount of time.  The four dots represent a negative control, a positive control, FeLV positive, and FIV positive.  

We can use a variety of these for differnt diseases as well, including heartworm, lymes disease, anaplasmosis,  parvo, etc.  They are quick and efficient.

The one I did was negative, which is good!

Hematology

For Hematology this week, we were tested on a cephalic blood draw for cats, and we did what's called a lateral saphenous vein, which is the vein that runs down the back leg, on a dog.  

Feline Cephalic Veinpuncture

Work

For work this week, I did some paper grading, some filing, some stocking, and....Inventory.  Anyone who's ever had to do inventory knows that it can be a MAJOR pain, but I've figured out a good system.  I brought my laptop in and used an Excel spreadsheet to do the inventory.  It's very easy using the "Find" feature!  And, if I come across more of one of whatever it is that I've already counted, I can very easily add it in.  

I also had my music playing on my laptop since there was no one else in the room I was counting.  Much, much, more fun! 

That's all for this week.  Next week for Imaging we are going out to a Horse farm to take some x-rays on a Horse.  It should be fun!

Imaging Midterm, Work

Hey!  I know, I know.  I'm just as surprised as you are...two days in a row!  *takes a bow*

Anyways... Today we took our Imaging midterm.  It went pretty well.  One of the things that I absolutely love about my instructor is that she lets us utilize the tools that we have around us on exams.  For example, we can go back to the x-ray room, turn the machine on and play with the settings if we need it to help us with the exam.  She also encourages us to keep a stuffed animal at our desk during the exam to help visualize putting the animals in positions, placing markers, etc.

She posted our grades tonight and I got 115.5/120 = 96%  :)!!

Work at school today was really fun too, as usual.  I spent some time rearranging a file cabinet or two, made some signs, some name cards for the pocket pet cages, made some copies, filed some papers, organized some files, stocked some gloves, filled Nolvasan (disinfectant) spray bottles, mixed a bottle of diluted Nolvasan, and some other random stuff.

On Fridays, we close campus at 4:00pm (Winter Hours), so I've made it a point to make sure all the cupboards in the Vet Tech Department are locked.  There are few classes and instructors around to do so, so I think that it helps out.  Today I even shut down all the lights and locked all the classrooms.  It feels great to be a part of something like that!

Well, it's the weekend.  But that doesn't mean that school stops!  I have a smaller project due Monday, and I have some catch-up studying that I need to do for Hematology.

Have a good one all! And let's see if we can go for three (school) days in a row! ;)

Update: Fall Quarter Week 6

Hey All.

Thanks for bearing with my busy schedule and complete absence of posting this quarter.  I am at school every other day, making it easy to forget about blogging, homework, tests... (just kidding on those last two things ;)

Anyways, I'll recap you quick on things that I've been doing!  I have now drawn blood from a feline's cephalic vein, run SEVERAL fecal tests looking for parasites, run blood tests, and my new favorite adventure: taking X-rays!  When I was in High School, my original plan after was to become an X-ray Technician.  I find it amazing that what I could have learned in 2 years I'm learning in 12 weeks.  My class has only three students in it, so I get to be involved in all of the x-rays we take!

We get to don these awesome lead aprons and thyroid shields, as well as lead rimmed glasses.  I assure you, we are runway worthy.

I have taken and helped restrain for several x-rays, including for a cat's thorax and a sedated Yorkie's pelvis and skull.  I have taken pictures of them for my personal "x-ray album," however I don't know if I am allowed to share them with you.  I will have to get clearance for that first :)

Midterm
It's about midterm and I am doing pretty good.  I am getting a 96% in my online Spanish Class, a 95% in Imaging, A in Parasitology ( I don't know the exact percentage), and a 90.00% in Hematology.

I am trying to regroup and re-focus my energy towards Hematology, and keeping my 4.0.  I have found going to school every other day really really makes it harder to keep on track.  I want to keep my 4.0, and I have absolutely no reason that I shouldn't, so I am going hard core, all in the next six weeks.

Six weeks.  In six weeks, I will be one half done with my program!! I am so excited and scared and nervous all at the same time.  I know things will continue to get harder, but I've got such a great support system behind me, I know I will be just fine.

Sorry if this post is all over the place, but it is really hard to blog after an absence.  Maybe I will add BLOG to my assignment notebook so I do it at least once a week?

Tomorrow
Tomorrow, I have a midterm exam in Imaging.  I feel pretty good about it.  The last exam we took was 106 points and it was probably 95% short answer (i.e. pull the answer out of our head...no choosing ABCD).  I got a 102/106 - a 96% :)

Like I said earlier, sorry for the randomness, and I will try to post more.  Midterm tomorrow and work at school (which I absolutely love, btw :)

Work, Feces, Work, Blood..and Spanish ;)

Work
Yesterday, I worked from 10:30 - 12:30 at school.  I got to help with the incoming animals for the week, caged all five of the cats and gave all of the new arrivals water.  Then, I weighed all of the new animals for the week by myself (not all of them sit nice like Humans do ;), and helped with paperwork.  I absolutely love working with my instructors on a different level.  They are a lot of fun to work with, and we have a quite a few laughs.

Feces
In Parasitology, we ran some fecal samples.  We centrifuged them after adding some liquid and used the microscopes to look for parasite eggs.  I didn't find any, but some others found some.  Not the coolest thing in the world to do, but it's necessary and a very useful diagnostic tool for catching parasites!  

After Parasitology, I worked for another hour just did some quick paperwork, filing, and laminating.  I had lunch and then it was on to Hematology.

Blood
In Hematology we had a quiz, a lecture, and then we went on to our Lab Practical.  We had to do a cephalic veinipuncture on a dog and most of us just had to get a "flash of blood" in the needle.  John needed some people to actually draw the blood so we could do the other part of the practical (I'll get to that).  

I volunteered to be one of the people to actually draw blood.  I got blood on the first poke :)  Unfortunately, the dog jerked and my needle pulled out without getting the complete amount that we needed.  Since we needed more, I also volunteered to draw a second time.  I, again, got it on the first try and this time it went perfectly!!  

We also had to take the blood that some of us drew and do some bloodwork, including packed cell volume and total protein like we've done before (see here) and blood smears (and here).  We also learned a new technique for counting cells.  

I was at school from 10:30 am to 9:30pm.  A whopping 11 hours.  Oofta!  I'm glad I only do that once a week :)

Spanish

Today is Tuesday, and my day off, and I always work on my online Spanish homework.  I get my entire week's worth of class done on Tuesdays, so it's not really a day off.

Tomorrow I have Imaging, work at school, Parasitology, and a little more work.  I'll write soon!

Time For An Update, Ya Think?

Hello there...it's been a while, huh?

Well, first off I'll recap the end of last quarter.  I'll just show you my Final Exam Scores for Anatomy and Physiology :)

I studied like hell to get those grades, and it obviously paid off :)

Now, for Pharmacology.  It was definitely my most difficult class, and I had a 93% going into the final.  Our final exam was weighted 30% of our grade, so I had to do very well to get an A in the class.  I decided to host a Study Sleepover with some of the girls from school.  We had pizza, drinks, girl talk, and studying until 4 in the morning....and it paid off.  All of us got better grades than we had on most of our tests all quarter!  I got a 96% on mine...and it actually RAISED my grade to a 94%!

I finished the quarter with all A's again :) 4.0 after three quarters!!

New Quarter
October 3rd I started a new quarter.  I am taking Hematology (Blood), Parasitology (Feces), Imaging (X-rays), and Spanish I (Online).  It's going pretty good so far.  On Monday I stuck my first dog with a needle, and got it in the vein on my first try!  I've developed some x-rays, although I haven't taken any yet, and looked at some fecal samples for parasites.

I've also started my new job at school and I love it!  I do random tasks every day, such as filing, file making, laminating and stocking.  Every day is different and they are extremely flexible with my school schedule.  I basically set my own hours and I get paid!  Best job I've had... so far ; )

Next week I have several quizzes and a lab practical.  I've been very busy, being at school about 8 hours on Wednesdays and Fridays, and almost 11 hours on Mondays.  I have Tuesdays and Thursdays off, which is really nice.  I use Tuesday as my homework day and I work at Marketplace Thursday mornings.  I usually have Saturdays off, which is really really nice to have, and I work Sunday mornings.  I really like the schedule I have.

I'll try to keep you updated a little better.  Sometimes I just forget to blog, and other days I'm just too lazy :P

Will write soon!
-Cherie'

Week Seven Wrap-Up

Good Evening!

Earlier this week we used our Cat Cadavers to dissect the main arteries and veins of the circulatory system.  We went through them several times and I can now identify them just by looking at them :)

Ironically enough, I also gave blood on Monday for the second time ever.  My first time was in High School and I never did it again.  My sister Alicia and I decided to donate in memory of our Grandpa who donated over 16 gallons in his lifetime!  The blood drive was right at school, making it easy and convenient (for me, anyway!).  Our lobby was transformed into a Red Cross blood donation center!  I found out my blood type was A+ (just like my GPA ;)

After donating, I got to show Alicia around school including the classrooms and labs that I get to work in.  One of our instructors even had a dog out that we could see.  It was pretty fun...I felt like a little kid at open house ;)

Tuesday we had our final math comp, and everyone in my class passed.  I'm happy that no one has to take the class over again.  We also did a role-playing activity where we got to practice giving a client a prescription and explaining how to give it, what the possible side effects are, and what to look for in an allergic reaction.  I was told I did very good, and that I just had to work on my "Um..'s"

We also did a couple of vaccinations.  One person in our class gave a SubQ injection (I didn't volunteer because I have given them several times already), and I got to give a nasal vaccination for Bordetella (Kennel Cough).  The dog was really good, but she sneezed all over me after I gave it...which Dr. O says is pretty normal :P

Wednesday, we had a Physiology exam and I got 50/50 :)

Today in Pharmacology, we took a bunch of notes and practiced "Pilling" cats.  We basically use the same technique as for dogs, only we have to be more aware of their sharper teeth and claws.  I did mine without a hitch.

Earlier this week, I talked to my High School guidance counselor about my blog.  She told me that she would share it with students who may be interested in going into my field!  I love my school and coursework so much that I want to share it with others who may want to travel down the same road.  I am also considering going to the school and speaking to some students about my program here at Globe.

I was also told yesterday that the main veterinarian at school (and my new supervisor) would like me to attend a meeting she is having with the Wisconsin Veterinary Association as part of my student worker position.  I don't know much for details yet, but it sounds fun and interesting!

Now, I have a four day weekend (because of Labor Day), and a couple exams when I get back.  Hopefully I can set aside some time this weekend for studying!

Peace!

Have a Heart (A Cow Heart, That Is!)

Hey :)

I forgot to mention yesterday that we got to play with a cow heart in Anatomy!  We are studying the Circulatory System (heart, blood, arteries and veins), and Dr. Olsen brought one in so we could see the inside of an actual heart, and learn how it works.  I don't know if you've ever seen a cow heart in person, but they're pretty big (think the size of a REALLY thick steak!)  We took turns going through (as in sticking our fingers through!) the valves  and compartments explaining how the blood flows along the way.  It was pretty neat to actually see and feel a real heart to get a good grasp on how it works!

When we were done and cleaning up, I attempted to spray out the sink and accidently sprayed Dr. Olsen....twice!  The sprayer was in a really awkward position and I hit the nozzle while I was trying to manipulate it.  Luckily, Dr. O. has a good sense of humor and thought nothing of it.  It gave my classmates and I quite the laugh though!


Today, we took a Pharmacology exam and I got a 93% on it :)  We also took notes, and did a small lab.  We took out a couple dogs and practiced giving them "pills" (cat food pieces).  Basically, you just open their mouth (protecting yourself from their teeth), and put it right down their throat so their normal reflexes will swallow it the rest of the way.

I'd never pilled an animal before, so it was fun to try, and the dog swallowed it right away for me :)    We also practiced giving "liquid oral medications" (water).  Here, you just take your syringe (without the needle), pull their cheek open, and squirt it right in.  That was a lot easier than I thought it would be too!

Dr. O mentioned that next week we will be giving vaccinations!  I'm very excited and a little nervous.  We'll be doing injections in locations OTHER  than SubQ (under the skin between the shoulder blades), which is the easiest one to do.  It should be interesting!

On Deck for next week is our third and final Math Comp (which I don't have to worry about), and so far no exams!  (We'll see if that changes ;)

Have a good weekend!


P.s. This blogpost was a little longer, but I hope the pictures kept you interested ;)

Living the Dream :)

Hey guys!
This week has been a great one as well! :)

We had our second Math Comp (which I didn't have to worry about because I passed it the first time), and I was the only one who technically got 13/13 :D  Today, we took an exam on the Digestive System in Anatomy and I aced it!!  It was really tough and I felt like I guessed on some of the practical part (where he puts pins in a cat cadaver and we have to name what they are), but I did great!

After class today, I started my job as the Student Aid to the Vet Tech Department!  It is really exciting, even though I just did inventory!  I got to see the things I'll be working with (like stocking, the bulletin board, filing paperwork, etc).  I will have access to places most students won't, like the storage closets, the faculty room, etc.

It's been an awesome week! I need to get to studying though, because I have a Pharmacology Exam tomorrow.  I will let you know how it goes!

Exam after Exam after Exam...

Hello Friends -

It's been a long week, and an exciting one!  I had exams in all three classes, and I'm very excited to say I got A's on all of them!  I'm beginning to realize that we're halfway through the quarter and I'm still getting A's.  This isn't a fluke, this isn't "easy," I'm REALLY just doing really well!  It's a phenomenal feeling!

Today in Pharmacology we did another Lab.  We used the math we've been practicing in a clinical setting.  We used an animal's weight to calculate the correct dosage of a drug for them, and then calculated which size tablet we should use (50mg, 100mg, etc).  Then we practiced counting out the meds for the pill bottle to send home with the client, and also splitting pills.

Once again, it is so exciting to learn hands on!

I also talked with one of my instructors, and I will be beginning my position as a Student Aid to the VT Department on Wednesday!  I know that I will be starting off doing inventory and will also work on the VT bulletin board and other things.  I'm pretty stoked to start it, since it's been "in talks" since last quarter!

I will write more next week and let you all know how it's going!
Thanks for the support!
-Cherie'

Math Comp Two

Hey All -

Just wanted to write a quick note that I passed my Math Comp on the first try!!
I was one of the about 20% that passed it, so I am very proud!

Have a great weekend!

Fluids and Muscles

Yesterday in Pharmacology we had a fluids lab.  We spent the class time using math calculations that we've been working on to calculate fluids for various things.  Then, we got to physically prepare the things we calculated!

For example, we calculated the correct amount of fluids to give to a dehydrated animal, and then got to dilute and set up the IV bags, including the drip rate.  We also did calculations for making a cleaning solution (and actually mixed one up), reconstituted a powdered medication, and drew up medications into syringes.

It was a LOT of fun to finally take these calculations we'd been working on for three weeks and use them in a carefree environment!  Doing anything hands - on makes it that much easier to learn.

Today, we disected more muscles in our Cat Cadaver and we were verbally quizzed on them.  It is so much easier to learn about muscles when you've actually dissected them and felt them.

In Physiology we took and exam on muscles - I got a 87% :)

Tomorrow, we have our first Math Comp for Pharmacology.  This is an "all or nothing" exam, meaning we have to get it all right, or we fail the comp.  Fail it three times and you fail the class.

Math has always been a strong suit for me and I have received 100% on all of my practice worksheets, so I'm not too worried.

Will write later :)

Doin What I Love, Lovin What I Do...

Hello Friends -

This week in school I had three more exams.  The first two were Anatomy and Physiology, and I got A's on both of them :)  The third was a different story.  The exam was on Pharmacology and even our instructor warned us that it was the test that his students always scored lowest on.

I pulled off a 77% after hours of studying the night before.  I will take it because many people didn't do as well.  The exam included lots of classes of antibiotics, as well as their functions and both generic and trade names.  I didn't study for the way the test was given (mainly because it was the first one with actual medications on it), but now I know what to study and how to study it for the next exam.  I still have A's in all of my classes, and I plan on working my butt off to keep it that way :)

After class today, a friend of mine asked me to help vaccinate her nine (yes, NINE) seven week old Golden Retriever Puppies!  It was my first paying gig and I can't even begin to tell you how AWESOME it felt to do!
She got the vaccinations from Fleet Farm and I had to mix them and administer them subQ (under the skin at the nape of the neck).  A neighborhood girl stopped over and asked if I was a veterinarian! I was very happy to say, "no, but I am studying to become a veterinary technician." : D

Well, I have the weekend to relax and then back to studying next week.  Enjoy the weekend all!

Week 2 :)

Hello Peeps:

This week I had my first three exams, one in each class.
I had note cards for everything that we had covered, and I studied like mad!  I am very proud to say that I got 100% on every single exam!!  This just cements the idea that all I have to do is apply myself, do the note cards and the studying, and it really will pay off :)

A lot of what we did this week was notes, so I've been spending time making note cards.  We had Animal Care Duty this week as well, and I was told we worked great together and our ACD advisor was "very impressed."  We also practiced injections on stuffed animals yesterday, which was fun!  It was even more fun to find out that later in the quarter, our class will responsible for giving all of the vaccinations for the animals we have each week!

I have three more exams next week (it looks like that will be the norm since this quarter is shorter than the others), so I am off to make more note cards.  If you ever can't find me, start digging through the piles of them that I have! :P

Puss 'n' Boots

Hello Readers :)

These last two days I've realized how much work this quarter is really going to be.  Physiology II, Anatomy, and Pharmacology are going to kick my butt if I don't stay on top of them!  So, yesterday I went out and bought 1100 note cards and two note card carriers.  I plan on making note cards from every lecture the afternoon after class. That way I'll be reviewing the information once already, and will be able to review it more throughout the week!

Today in Anatomy we finished a lecture and then busted out our Cat Cadavers.  Remember me posting about them a little bit my first quarter?  Well this quarter they are all ours.  We got new Cadavers, and each group is assigned one.  When they come, they have the fur and everything on them!  Heather and I named ours Puss n Boots, because once we get done skinning him, he will be "wearing boots."  Oh yes, did I mention we get to skin them?  I've never skinned an animal in my life, and Heather hadn't either, so it was pretty interesting getting started.  We didn't have time to finish skinning out little boy Boots, but we will finish later this week.  We'll have the same Cadaver all quarter, and we will use him to learn all sorts of anatomical parts by dissecting him piece by piece!

That's all I have for today, I've got two exams on Monday so I need to get started finishing my note cards for both of them.  Will write later! :)

Our kitty doesn't look quite like this one ;)

Back to School :)

Hey all, I'm back! :)

Today was my first day back to school after a three week break.  I really enjoy having just a few weeks off because it makes going back to school a little easier.

This quarter I have three classes, all with the same instructor, all in the same classroom, with basically all the same people.  It should be interesting, but I like most of the people, so it should be okay :)

We started off Anatomy today doing some introduction stuff, and in Physiology II we re-took the final from last quarter just to see how much we remembered.  I believe I got about 90% on it...even after not looking at the material for three weeks!  Not bad at all!

Finally, the school has what they call a weekly in-stall-ment, which is basically a newsletter they put in the bathroom stalls every week with reminders, upcoming events, etc.  They also post a "photo of the week," and this week some VT girls and I are featured! The photo was taken during Student Appreciation last quarter.

Tomorrow I only have Pharmacology, and it runs from 8am-10:40am.  I plan on staying every Tuesday and Thursday until at least 11 with some of the girls just reviewing what we learned in our three classes to help for the tests and to get the information down easier.

I will write more later this week!

Finishing Strong, Once Again :)

Hey All -

I am very proud to say that I finished this quarter with A's in all of my classes, continuing my 4.0 GPA :)!!!
I now have three weeks off, and then I head back July 18th for Animal Physiology II, Pharmacology, and Anatomy.  Should be an interesting and very tough quarter...but I plan on keeping up my awesome GPA and my attitude!

Thanks to everyone who reads and follows along with my blog each quarter, and a huge thanks for all the love and support! It keeps me going!!

Peace!

How Do I Say This?

As some of you may know, when I started my career here at Globe, I believed it was going to be paid for through a very generous relative that had passed away.  In the six months since I have started, I have fell in love with the school and the career that I am training for.  I earned A's in all five of my classes last quarter, and am on track to continue that 4.0 GPA this quarter as well.  Just today one of my instructors offered me a job as an assistant to the Veterinary Technology department, and I'm only in my second quarter!

This morning I received news that my entire education would not be paid for.  In fact, only about ten percent of it will be.  With Globe being a private institution, my total debt after I complete my dream education will amount to about $40,000.  I have struggled all day with the thought of dropping out because of financial reasons, but after talking with Alex and my family, I have decided that this IS what I need to be doing, and I WILL find a way to do it.  I will be utilizing student loans, but they will need to be repaid.

I have decided to create an Education Fund for myself.  It's extremely difficult to realize that you need help, but I've come to the conclusion that this may be the only way to help me reach my goals.  I will be applying for scholarships as well, but thought I might enlist in the help of my friends and family.

I can absolutely assure you that every penny put into my Education Fund will go directly to paying off the Student Loans that I am acquiring.  All donations will go to my PayPal account, and then to the loan company.  Whether you choose to donate $1 or $100, I promise you that I will finish out my degree and graduate to a bright new future!  Any donation would be SO MUCH appreciated.

I have placed a "Donate" button on the right sidebar under the "About Me" and "Blog Archive" sections.  You do not need a PayPal account to donate, and you can donate any time as long as it is needed.  Again, any donation will be put directly towards my student loans.  If you would like, share my blog and my fund with your friends.

I want to say thanks in advance for even considering a donation!  As always, I will continue to keep you updated on my career through the Vet Tech Program!!

Winding Down :)

This past week, we collected urine samples using a very highly skilled technique: following a dog around outside until it decides to do its business, and then attempting to catch it with a soup-ladle looking device.  Very.Highly.Skilled.  And I accomplished it on my first try! :P

With the urine, we ran a few tests.  First, we did a gross examination, which means just looking at it for color, clarity, and any debris.  Next, we used the refractometer (refer to previous posts) to measure specific gravity, or concentration of the urine.  Then, we put several drops on a dipstick with several different chemical pads that change color depending on  the test.  Once the pads change colors, you can compare them to the dipstick bottle and it will tell you several qualities of the urine such as pH level, glucose levels, ketones, if there's any blood, and more.  Here's an example:

Finally, we spun the urine down and examined it under the microscope.
We also did some fecal analysis, but I'll spare you the details :)

The quarter is winding down.  I got the rest of my Essential Skills signed off for this quarter, 100% on the first try for all of them :)  Coming up, I have a Final in Veterinary Office Procedures on Friday, and two Finals next Wednesday.  I better get studying!

Will let you know how it goes :)

Small Update

Hey All.
The past couple weeks, we've been working on the Gram Stains, Blood Smears, etc that I explained in the last couple of posts.

Today, I passed all of them on my first attempt for those essential skills :)

We're now in week 10 of 12....meaning I'm almost done with 1/4 of my career here at Globe!
I'm excited to have a few weeks off, and then start a new quarter of learning.

For now, it's time to buckle down and finish out this quarter with hard work and studying for finals!


Will write later :)

Bacteria and Gram Stains :)

Monday in VCS we got to help with intakes again.  There was a pretty wild dog and a very viscious cat that were on the intake list.  In both cases, our teacher,  a veterinarian, and John, a CVT, took over and did their TPR, physical exam, etc on them.  It was really neat to see the professionals at work, how they did not let their fear get in the way of the crazy animals, and how they just got it done, no complaining.  It was actually really inspiring to see :)

On Monday, we also went around the school and swabbed several different surfaces to see if we could grow any bacteria from them.  We placed them in a petri dish and let them incubate until Wednesday.  I did the inside and outside of my cell phone, the button to push for sanitizer, and the door handle exiting the girls bathroom.

After some lecture, we got to look at our bacteria samples.  We took individual samples and put them into another petri dish to further explore that specific bacteria next week.  We also took a different sample and put it on a slide to look at under a microscope.  The sample I looked at under the microscope was the one from the inside of my phone.  It had some bacteria, but nothing really outside of the norm.

Friday we get to go to Bob's House, which is a rescue shelter for dogs.  I'm pretty excited :)  And Monday we have no school for Memorial Day, so I probably won't write until next Wednesday or later.

Chow Chow ;)

More Bloodwork!

Last Wednesday we did more bloodwork in my clinical skills class.  We re-practiced the packed cell volume and total proteins that we did last Monday.  We also practiced a second way of doing them.

We also did blood smears, which are easier said than done.  I went through 15 slides trying to make my slide look alright!  Practice makes perfect, I guess.  No one can get everything perfect on the first try, right?

The final produce should look something like this:

We also got to practice running a blood sample through our VetScan HM5, which collects tons of data on the blood, including counts of cells and things like that.

Let me know if you like the added use of pictures or not, and if there's anything I can do to help you understand more what I'm doing in class :)

Will write more later this week!

Bloodwork!

Today in class, we got to work a little bit with blood.  We took samples that had already been drawn and ran two tests on them.  The first test is called a Packed Cell Volume.  We put the blood into what's called a microhematocrit tube.  We spun it down in a centrifuge to separate the cells from the plasma, and then measured the amount of blood cells in the sample using a tube reader card (see picture).

If the PCV is too low, it can indicate Anemia.  If it is too high, it can indicate dehydration.

Next, we broke the tubes and placed some of the plasma (the clear fluid on top) on a refractomer to check protein levels (see below).

Too high of a protein level can indicate dehydration or cancer of the blood or bone marrow.  Too low of a level can indicate malnutrition, kidney or liver disease, bleeding, burns, or poor digestion.

Wednesday we will learn about blood smears and will hopefully be able to do some!

See you then!

My First Injection!

Today in Veterinary Clinical Skills (VCS), we took our third exam and I think I did really good.

We also had a lab practical, which is basically an Exam where you do something physically, as opposed to answering questions on a test.  Our lab practical was on Ear Cytology, which means taking an ear swab and looking at it under a microscope for things like bacteria, yeast, or parasites.  This is one of our Essential Skills that we have to learn, and I passed it on the first try! :)

While we were in working with the dogs, our instructor wanted us to also practice the various restraints we'll have to be tested on (the same restraints I aced on the first try last quarter!).  As we were practicing them, I turned around and our instructor was holding a syringe filled with "Physiological Saline," aka, saline that is used for students learning to do injections (shots).  She asked "Who would like to try an injection?" and I jumped at the chance!  I was the first person in our class to do an injection on a real, live animal!  Steven held this young dog for me and I got to do a Sub Q injection!  A  Sub Q injection is a shot that is injected under the skin.

Anyways, I thought it was REALLY cool to do it, especially since I was the first person to do it!  There were a few people who didn't do it, because it wasn't planned.  I am SO glad that I did :) :)

I spent my break out and about in the beautiful weather!  Then, we took an Animal Physiology Exam.  I'm not terribly confident in it, so I've made a plan to start studying for this class.  It seems like most things come pretty easy to me and that's because they are shown to me (i.e. restraints, injections, TPR's, exams, etc).  But, if I'm only learning by lecture (i.e. Physiology, Biology, etc), I have a pretty hard time understanding it.  Since I love school so much, and I want to do very well, I guess I'll have to start studying.  My plan is to make and use flashcards for every unit.  It may take some discipline, but I can do it :)

I'll update you later this week on how my Exams went.
By the way, I got full points on my VCS presentation last week :)

Tomorrow, I have the full day off from work and school.  I will write soon! 

Intakes :)

Today I did a presentation on Toxoplasmosis for the class.  I don't know my score yet, but I think it went well.

Mondays we get all of the new animals from the Humane Society at school.  They have to check everyone out and do a physical exam as well as TPR's (temp, pulse, resp).  Today, our class got to help out :)

We worked in two groups to check them all in.  We did restraints and TPR, as well as checked for microchips, used a Wood's Light to look for skin conditions, and used a flea comb to check for fleas.  We recorded all of this on their charts, and then also wrote down what the Dr. found in their physical exams.  Our group did 2 dogs and 3 cats.  We rotated duties:  I restrained twice, did TPR on both a dog and a cat, and charted once.

It was really fun to work side-by-side with my classmates and the Veterinarians!  The coolest part was when I got home our Instructor/Veterinarian had sent us the following E-Mail:

Hello,

I just wanted to say how impressed I was today with ALL of you. You all did a great job on your reports and presentation - and then showed great teamwork, and professionalism while performing physical exams on the animals. GREAT WORK!

Great day at school!  I also got pre-registered for classes next quarter :)

Wednesday I have two exams AND a lab practical! Whew.  Midquarter, can you tell?  I'll fill you in later this week! :)

Math Comp One

So, in my program we have several things that we have to accomplish before we can graduate.  One of them is called Math Comps.  Basically, they are math tests for things you'll have to know in the field, like calculating an animal's medication based on its weight.

We have three tries at passing them 100% (sort of like the essential skills), or we don't pass the class.  And these comps are all or nothing.  If you even get one question wrong, it will count as a failed attempt.

Anyways, we had our first one today and I passed it on the first try :)  There were eleven problems and I was one of the two or three people that passed it on the first try :)


Later in class, we got to take ear swabs from cats and looked at them under the microscope!  This is the way ear we diagnose parasites and infections.

Finally, we got to stick a needle into a fatty tumor (kept in formaldehyde) to practice taking a sample from a tumor and then observing it under the microscope!  It was really fun to get back into doing things we'll be doing in the field!

Wednesday we have an Exam.  We'll see how it goes!

Finally Something to Write About!

Howdy!
I haven't written anything because classes have just been basic lecture and information.
Last week, I took my first Exam in Introduction to Veterinary Clinical Skills, and I got a 88% on it :)  Today in Animal Physiology, I rocked out my first Exam with a 95% :):)

We got to work with animals a little bit today in VCS...practicing restraints again.  Our kitty was hilarious...he acted like he was drugged or something.  Extremely lazy and did whatever we wanted him to do.  Awesome patient :)

I really like how this school utilizes hands-on learning.  Last week in Office Procedures, we practiced filling out OSHA injury reports!  And our VCS instructor sent syringes home with us to practice recapping needles safely!

I'm assuming as we get further along in the quarter I'll have more to write about.  I'm sure we'll be doing more with animals starting next week!

That's all for now.  Until next time :)

Weekly Update?

If you have a feeling this blog is so scarce lately, it's not because I've abandoned it.  It's only because there's not much to write about!  The first week of school is always slow, small assignments, syllabuses and rules to go over.  Nothing worth writing about.

Last week in Vet. Clinical Skills, we went started some math (English to Metric conversions).
In Animal Physiology I we went over atoms, cells, etc.
And in Vet. Office Procedures we went through the basics of working the front desk at a clinic, and we got to fill out fake intake forms and checks.  I love doing hands on work in class!

Today in Intro to Vet. Clinical Skills, we spent the first 20 minutes helping check in the new animals for the week.  Every week, the Chippewa County Humane Association loans us about 5 cats and 4 dogs so we can learn on real animals.  This week, we were able to help out with intake (filling out the forms and kennel cards).

Next, we got to play around with the microscopes in class.  We did cheek swabs and checked out the cells that line our cheeks.  It was neat :)

I'll probably write an update Wednesday after classes, or Friday. We'll see ya then!
  

Start of Second Quarter - 1/8th Done :)

First Day of Class

I started my 2nd quarter today!  I feel like my first quarter went by really fast...but I'm not complaining!

I really like this school's view on scheduling.  We do (2) - 2.5 hour classes a week, instead of (5) - 1 hour classes per week, and we have (4) - 12 week quarters per year as opposed to (2) 16 - week semesters and an (optional) summer course.

My first class today was Introduction to Veterinary Clinical Skills, and it went well.  We went through typical first-day information (syllabus, course competencies, etc) and reviewed some information from last quarter (Medical terms, abbreviations)  and finally we started int on the basic information of what a Clinical Laboratory is, what they do, etc.  

So far, I like it...and I know 7/8 of the people in my class :)

This Quarter's Schedule:

Mondays & Wednesdays (1:10-3:20pm):  Introduction to Veterinary Clinical Skills

Wednesdays (5:30-7:05pm):  Animal Physiology I

Fridays (8:30am-12:10pm):  Veterinary Office Procedures

Side Note :)

Also, I will be starting a new job this week. I will be working in the Deli at a local Supermarket and I'm really excited about a change of pace.  I really think this will give me some income, and I will be able to come home and do homework afterwards.  At my Assisted Living (Memory Care) Job, I couldn't do homework after work.  I came home and had to spend the rest of the night de-stressing.  I think this will be an awesome change :)

Conclusion
Wednesday I have this class again, and Animal Physiology I.  I have classes only 3 days a week this quarter (which really saves on gas), so I will be writing a little less.  Just so you know :)  

Thanks for reading!!

Final Grades - Winter 2011 :)

Final Final of my First Quarter

I took my Intro to Vet Tech final....and got 141/140!  The final was delayed a day because of a big snowstorm we got, which is cool because I had extra time to study.  I got two questions wrong, and had 3 extra credit from winning a review game on Monday.  The only two questions that I got wrong were the only two we didn't have on a our previous quizzes (which I studied from).

Heather said I was the first one to get over 100% on her final :)

In the next few days all the final grades should be coming in.  I'll post again when I have them all.

For now, I've got a week off :)

Whoop Whoop! :)

So! Remember how I said I said I got an 84% on my Algebra Final but I was disappointed?  WELL...I went on today and noticed my overall grade had went up.  I looked closer, and the 25pt exam went down to 21pts, and I originally got a 21/25....so my new grade was 21/21...A+!!!  The four point difference raised my grade from a 94% to a 98% :):):)

I knew that exam was hard, and apparently it was for everyone else too.  AWESOME.

Today, I did my presentation on Rabies in Biology and I think I rocked it.  My grade will be posted later :)
I also took the last exam for Bio and I think i did really good.  I guess time will tell.

Tomorrow I have my final in Intro to Vet Tech.  I am pretty confident about it, but Abby and I are getting together early to study.  We'll see how it goes!

Two Finals Down, Two to Go

Today we reviewed for my Intro to Vet Tech Final.  My group won the review and we get 3 extra credit points on our Final.  Not that we need it ;)

I took my Algebra Final and got an 84% on it.  I was actually kind of disappointed because I aced everything else in the class.  The final exam wasn't written by our teacher though, so I can understand why I didn't do the best.  My final grade in there will be an A though :)

Studying tonight for all the Biology stuff I have to do tomorrow.
Two days left of my first quarter!

First Final...

Well....yesterday I got up at 6:30a for my last (hopefully) ever AM Animal Care Duty.  We did that, and then I worked on some homework.  When Abby got done with class, we got together to study for the final in Medical Terminology.  We spent the next three hours laughing our asses off as we thought of unique ways to remember the med terms.  For example, the medical term for "around" is "Peri-" and we used "Peri around the merry go round."  We had over 150 terms to learn, so we had a blast making up all these ridiculous ways to remember them.

Well, all of our hard work paid off.  I got 106%.  That's right.  I got every single question on the 127 point test correct, and nailed all 8 extra credit questions.  The best part of the whole thing was I even heard Abby start laughing during the exam as she remembered one of our priceless memory techniques.  She also aced the exam!

Next week holds finals in Algebra and Intro to Vet Tech, a bunch of stuff due for Biology including a 10 minute presentation on a disease (I picked Rabies), and who knows what else.  I'm strapping myself in for a wild ride on the roller coaster I call the last week of my First Quarter!!!
  

Essential Skills....Complete!

Yesterday, my battery decided to die in my car so I missed Global Citizenship.  We got it replaced before five, so I made it to Biology.  We finished up the final chapters and did a Jeopardy review.  It should be a pretty intense test.  Hopefully I can handle it :)

Today in Intro to Vet Tech we finished the last of our Essential Skills!!  I completed all twenty of them...all on the First Try :D

I can now officially:

-Properly apply canine and feline restraints for various procedures

-Apply gauze or nylon muzzles on canines
-Apply nylon muzzles to felines

-Use a restraint pole (canines)

-Use small animal restraint tools such as a towel, cat bag, etc

-Encage and remove small animals from cages

-Apply an E-Collar

-Implement sanitation procedures for small animal holding and housing areas

-Trim canine and feline nails

-Express canine anal sacs

-Clean and medicate canine and feline ears

-Obtain TPR (temperature, pulse and respiration) on canines and felines and auscultate (listen to with a stethoscope) the heart and lungs

:):):) 

In algebra, we did a review for the final next week.  

I had animal care duty this afternoon as well.  For the morning shift, you take the dogs out, clean the cat and dog kennels, change water, feed them, and obtain TPR's.  The afternoon shift is different.  We spot clean the kennels and clean the classrooms.  Finally, we get to exercise the animals!  The dogs are walked for 10-15 minutes and they get a chance to play.  The cats hang out in the classrooms with us and play while we clean.  I was sweeping and a 5 month old kitten was chasing the broom.  Adorable :)

Next quarter I am signed up for all pm shifts, and I'm excited :)

Now, I've got to go study all these med terms for the final tomorrow.  I'll let you know how I do! :)

Physical Exams!

Today in class we did intake exams on the dogs and cats that came in for the week!  We each got to do an animal on our own, with Heather there for guidance if we needed it.  We filled out the PE forms, and then she looked over them.  She said that we did "excellent" and we did so well she signed off on our Essential Skills for them (on our very first try!).  Awesome!

Then, we got out of Algebra an hour early!
Awesome!

Now I have to go into work from 5-11.
BOOOOO.

Cadaver!

Heya!

This morning I drug myself out of bed at 6:30am for Animal Care Duty at school.  It went really well, and we all worked together well enough we got done 10 minutes early :)

Later, I had Veterinary Medical Terminology.  We reviewed some stuff for the final and then we got to check out two feline cadavers!  Once you get past the formaldehyde stench... it was really cool!  You could see everything!  The liver is huge and the intestines are held into place in a really neat way.  We saw the uterus and pretty much everything else.  I think the coolest part was looking at the veins and arteries.  It was neat to see how small they are and where exactly they are...since we use them for taking pulse (Femoral Artery) and for venipuncture!  She even let us poke and prod them!  The stomach of the one still had some food in it...and I got to feel that!

What a neat experience.

Now its time for the weekend!

Oh, The Joys of Being a Vet Tech Student

Well!  We went over physical exams today in Intro to Vet Tech.  It was fun and we got to work in groups (I was in a group of three) on a physical exam.  It was really fun to do something I know I'm going to be doing!  Since we worked in groups, I only got to do some of the things.  I did get to feel Lymph Nodes, take a pulse (really, REALLY fast in cats!), take notes on a chart, count respirations and help restrain for taking  a temp.  It was a lot of fun!

Then.. we got to express Anal Glands.  Basically, you put your finger inside the dog's anus and squeeze a small sac until the fluid comes out.  I was super brave and decided to be the first student to do it, after it was only explained to us, not actually shown.  It wasn't really that bad (we wore gloves!).  The smell was really bad, but I just walked around the room to the fresh air.  Heather said it can be bad smelling, but it's something you get used to.  Like the smell of a barn :)

Anyways, it wasn't bad, and I was really proud of myself for stepping up and being the first to do it without actually ever seeing the procedure :):)

In algebra, we took a quiz...but it was a group quiz, so we got to work together.  For everyone else, it was a life saver.  For me, I got to help a bunch of people, which was cool.

Tomorrow is another round of Animal Care Duty and Veterinary Medical Terminology.  The, only two weeks left of classes!



-Cherie' :)

Free, Free, Free!

Howdy All :)

Yesterday I worked with a group on a brochure for Intro to Vet Tech about restraining animals in the clinical setting.  I worked well with my group and we rocked it out.  I also got a paper back that I wrote about my preceptorship experience and I got a 98% on it!

A couple weeks ago, I turned in a 200pt assignment late so the most I could get on it was half credit.  It brought my grade down a lot.  With my preceptorship paper and some other things, I brought my grade back up to a B :)

Tomorrow we get to start Physical Exams on the animals!  We'll be learning things like taking vitals and what to look for when you first get an animal in the clinic!  It's exciting! :):)


Today in Global Citizenship we had a busy day.  We revised our Service Learning Reflection Papers, and Julie said mine was great :)  We turn them in next week for a final grade.  Then one of the guys in our class bought Pizza Hut for everyone!  THEN, I did a presentation on a Life of Simplicity and 1000awesomethings.com and I think everyone liked it.  I also got full points on it :)  We ended the class working on posters.  Mercedes pulled up Pandora on her phone and we jammed out to Old School Country songs the rest of the period.  It was AWESOME :)

Next, Scott asked if I would take him to McDonald's (he doesn't have a vehicle at the moment), and he bought me lunch.  I helped him out with some Algebra, and then Christina bought Starburst, Skittles, Cookies and Goldfish for Biology tonight.    I'd say it was one hell of a good Free Food day!

The weeks are dwindling down.  It's exciting to know I'm a couple weeks away from finishing my first quarter!

More Skills Passed :)

Yesterday in Intro To Vet Tech, we tested on our feline and canine restraints.  I had practiced both before, but hadn't done any restraints on large dogs, because they practiced them last week when I was gone.  So here I am, going into take my test without ever having restrained a large dog.

Well, I walked in there like I owned the place, and aced every single restraint...feline and canine :)

This morning, I did my first shift of Animal Care Duty.  Each student has to do ACD 4 times during the semester.    The times are 7:30-8:30a or 4:30-5:30p. Well, I waited until the last minute to sign up, so I get the morning shift. It wasn't too bad.  I cleaned one dog kennel, and took three dogs out to walk them and then assisted in restraining for TPR (temperature, pulse, respiration).  I also helped restrain for two cats medications (an eye ointment and a liquid medication).  It was really neat to be able to help out, and even cooler to know that I will be the one administering medications later on :):)

I guess that's all the excitement for now.  I just have my Med Term class and then I'll be done for the weekend.

Long Time, No Post eh?

Howdy all.

Well, I busted my dreams of perfect attendance last week...a Cold got the better of me :(
I missed an entire week of classes, but luckily we had off of school on Monday, so I only missed one day of each of the five classes that I'm taking.  I spent the time on the couch, and did like 2 homework assignments.

I am doing better, although still full of snot, but I made it back to classes today.  I really didn't have that much make-up work either and I have everything done already!

Today we went over the Physical Exam process in Intro to Vet Tech.  It was a lot of information, but very interesting.  Wednesday I will test on my Feline restraints (they tested on them last Wednesday when I was gone), and Canine Restraints (they practiced those when I was gone too, but I think I will do okay because I practice all the time at home!).

Algebra is great because I understand the concepts really quickly, so I did them and had time to work on the work I missed last week.  I was caught up by the end of the class :)

I also realized that this is WEEK 9, and that means I only have four weeks left of my first quarter!  I love having 12 week quarters a opposed to 16 week semesters.  I think you learn better and do not get burnt out as much.

Finally, a story for you.  We were hanging out with a few friend the other night, and Gangster was talking about taking his dog to the Vet.  He said they told him his dog has knee caps that move out of place.  I was like... "Luxating Patellas?"  He said yep and everyone stared at me in awe!  Felt pretty awesome to rattle off a condition like that!  I also told them a few facts about it!  Who knew I would have real-world application in the first 8 weeks of my career here at school??

On the Agenda tomorrow:
-Global Citizenship
-Biology Exam and Med. Term. Quiz

Have a good night!

Hamsters and Rabbits and Med Terms, Oh My!

In Medical terminology today we covered a couple more chapters, and then she busted out some rodents!
We learned a little bit about sexing Hamsters and we could hold them!  And then she showed us a bunny.  This bunny was super-calm.  Missy would just set it on the table and it would chill there.  It wouldn't even move!

Another really neat thing she showed us was holding a bunny upside down.  When you cradle a rabbit upside down on your lap, it immobilized it.  That means it doesn't struggle to get away or anything.  She could let it lay there upside down without touching it and it wouldn't go anywhere!  Apparently this makes them really easy to work on!

We also took a quiz (which I'm pretty sure I aced!) and corrected an assignment from last week (0 wrong :)

Now, it's time to practice my cat restraints for next week and chill because I have a 4 day weekend (thank you, President's Day).

Have a good weekend everyone!

4 Skills Down, 16 to Go (This Quarter)!

We finally got to work with real animals today!!

We practiced restraints on cats!  My cat was very agreeable to everything I did to her, and even gave me loving between restraints :)

For the Vet Tech Program, you receive what's called an Essential Skills book.  This book contains every procedure you will learn and need to know during your entire 2 years in the program.  For this class, there are 20 check-off tasks. 

You have three attempts to pass these:

Passing the 1st attempt gives you 100%

passing the 2nd time gives you 80%

and passing the 3rd time gives you 70%.

If you fail the third time, you fail the skill and will not pass the class.

Plenty of in-class time is available to practice, and there are open labs every Wednesday so students may come in and practice as well.

ESP: 4/20

Today, even though it was our first day working with the animals, I already got four skills checked off!

-Properly Applying a Feline Muzzle

-Encage and Remove Small Animals From Cages

-Apply an Elizabethan Collar (E-Collar)

-Trim Nails (Cats)

Next week, we will be testing to sign off on the four techniques for restraining cats (which we practiced today), and then we'll start practicing the Dog restraints.  I think the next seven days I will have to torture our kitties so I know I can pass the test on the first try :)

I think I will try to post the number of Essential Skills that I have passed periodically, so if you see ESP: 4/20 (Essential Skills Passed) that's what that means :)  Remember, the 20 skills mentioned are only for the class I am taking this quarter...there will be many more for each class that I take in the future.

In Algebra, we covered graphing rational expressions.  It is something that is tedious, but I find relatively easy to do.  This week is going by very smooth with very little homework...and I have a four day weekend coming up because of President's Day!  Now, though, I need to go study some Medical Terms for my quiz tomorrow :)

Flying High on Life :)

Hello friends!

Yesterday we covered more behavioral things in Intro to Vet Tech, and Funtions in Algebra.

Today we met at the Old Folks home again for Global Citizenship.  It was a lot of fun!  We played a card game called "Wizards," which is similar to Hearts, and I played Blackjack with a few folks as well.  They're so appreciative and always have questions to ask about us.  I'm sad we don't get to go back, actually.

After class, I was going to give Kyle a ride back to school since he doesn't have a vehicle at the moment.  On the way back, he spotted Arby's and wanted to go.  I told him I was too cheap and he said he'd pay.  Free Lunch.  Bitchin Kitchen!

We got back to school and ate, then I finished up a PowerPoint Presentation for Biology on Alaskan Malamutes (I worked with Krystal and the dog was her idea).  We presented them today and we totally aced it :)

We also did our Midterm evaluations...and Mark had like nothing to say to me since I'm getting an A in the class :)  He did say he thought my Biology Article Review was very interesting (I got 100% on it!), and I did well on my Egg Osmosis Lab (also got 100% on it!).

Anyways, I'm flying high on life right about now.  Free lunch, aced my presentation, kicking ass in all my classes!  And we're FOR SURE working with animals in class tomorrow!! Woot Woot! :):):)

Preceptorship!

I did my preceptorship (aka: Job Shadow for School) yesterday!

It was so much fun!  I watched them do part of a dental on a miniature poodle, a dew-claw removal on 5 Bernese Mountain Pups that were... THREE DAYS OLD (Adorable!! and loud!), one cat neuter (fastest, easiest surgery EVER), two dog neuters, and I watched them work on a cat with a hernia.  They let me feel the hernia before they did the surgery, and then I got to see inside the cat and see the actual hernia..and the little guy's spleen that was trying to poke out!  They did blood draws, ran tests, and they even found some ear mites and put them under a microscope so I could see them crawling around.  I got to sit in on a pre-surgery consultation, and even helped restrain a few animals.  I got to helpp carry an anesthetized Black Lab too!

I actually did one of these job shadows before I started school, so I knew this was what I wanted to do.  But this one was a LOT neater and I got to see a lot more stuff.  The Techs, DVM, and Support Staff were all extremely helpful and tried to show me as much as they could.  They answered all of my questions, and gave me advice on things that they've learned working in the field, that you don't always learn in school.

I'm so glad that this was required, because I learned a lot.  And, it again confirmed that THIS is what I want to do, and gives me that much more drive in doing great in school!! :):):)

Mid Quarter Grades

Thursday...My Friday!

Remember how I said I didn't think I did very good on my Biology Exam?  I was right.  Luckily, it was only a 50pt quiz, so it won't be too hard on my grade, but I got a 52%.  :/
I did so bad because even though I created a study guide, I didn't have time to study because I put off my Lab and Article review until the last minute.  Had I done those earlier (since they were assigned the 1st week of class), I would have had time to study and rocked out another awesome grade.
VERY luckily, I was at 107% in that class due to the extra credit he hands out.  My bombed exam dropped me to a 98%.  Lesson Learned.
I did ace my Med. Term quiz though (13 out of 10!).

Today I only have one class, Veterinary Medical Terminology.
We got a new instructor, too.  Vickie is the Program Director and teaches lots of other classes, and after a concussion a couple of weeks ago, she decided she needed to lighten her work load.  Missy is our new instructor.  I like her because she tells us exactly what we need to study for the exam.   When you have a chapter full of about 200 words to look through, it's nice to know which ones she wants you to know.

On a couple side notes-
I filed our tax returns... Free Money!! :)
And a friend of mine told me that the Doggie Daycare across the road from me is hiring!  I put in an application, we'll see how that goes :):)

Time to go beat the animals some more (aka practice restraints!)

Tomorrow I have my preceptorship at a small animal veterinary clinic here in town.  It should be interesting!  I'll let you know how it goes!

Wedneday, Week 6 :)

This week in Global Citizenship we did half of our Service Learning Project.  Our SLP was to go to some Independent Living Senior Apartments to visit and play games with the Residents!  I was suppose to bring topics to talk about and totally didn't, but everything went great!  A friend of mine from High School, KC, is taking this class online and decided to come along with our class to do her project as well.  

We spent the entire 2 hours just visiting with the residents!  They talked about what we're going to school for, where we lived, and things like that.  I thought it was a lot of fun and we even got cookies at the end! ;)

The residents were very happy for us to come back next week, and I'm excited too!

In Biology we had an exam (which I didn't do very well on, I don't think), and a medical terminology quiz (which I know I aced).  I didn't have time to study for either because I was finishing up on the Lab Report and Article Review that was due that day, and I had an appointment with Financial Aid (ew, I know).

Today in Intro to Vet Tech we went over more behavior things and for the last 20 minutes Katie went over restraints on a real dog!!  He was a Pug and it was really funny to see his face all squished in her arm!! Haha.  Next Monday, it will be our turn!! I'm so very excited!!

Finally, in College Algebra we took our Midterm Exam (I got 100% on it!) and Emily said if we had finished our homework that was due we were free to go.  The class normally runs from 1:20-3:25...and I got out at 1:45 :)  Pretty sweet!  I am now getting over 100% in two of my classes!!  I'm pretty proud of myself :):)

Super Bowl MONDAY :)

The Packers won the Super Bowl yesterday... WooHoo!!

Anyways, today I had Intro to Vet Tech where we went over some animal behaviors and restraints again on stuffed animals.  Katie told us today if we have the restraints down by Wednesday we can start practicing on the real animals!! :):):)

In College Algebra, we spent then entire time reviewing for our Midterm.  I had already done my midterm review and need no extra review, but didn't know we were allowed to go home if we had it all down.  I spent the next hour and a half helping a classmate before Emily told us we could go if we knew what we were doing.  LAME.

I did get out a half hour early though, which is pretty cool.  I came home and have been working on all that Biology homework that I told you I needed to do this weekend.  I'm awesome at waiting until the last minute.

That's all for today!  Tomorrow I've got some Service Learning stuff for Global Citizenship, and a Biology Exam and Medical Term Quiz.

Ciao!

Week 6 - Half Done :)

Classes
In Intro to Vet Tech, we learned about restraints on animals...and practiced them on stuffed animals!  We had a lot of fun, and it's exciting to know we'll be restraining animals for real in the next two weeks :):)  We practiced manual restraints and then used E-Collars (the "cones" so dogs and cats can't lick their wounds), a rabies pole and talked about slip leashes.  And of course, I went straight home and practiced them on all of the animals!!

In Biology we went over our Exams from last week (I got a 98%!), and it turns out I had the best grade in the class!  Made me feel pretty good, but someone pointed it out in front of the whole class, so I got sort of embarrassed.  People are like, "You're so smart," and I hate that.  It makes me think people are always going to be like "I bet she got the best grade," or "I know she did good on this quiz."  It puts me on a pedestal and that makes me feel like I can't do bad.

On a side note, I made a full study guide out of the study questions he gave us and a girl in my class named Krystal called me an "overachiever."  I countered with "No, that's how you get a 98% on our last exam!"   Shut her right up :)

Global Citizenship was really interesting.  We did this thing called an Insights Personality Profile.  I think I'll post another blog entirely dedicated to that, because I think it's very interesting.

Algebra went swimmingly as well.  Again, someone mentioned how I'm an "overachiever" because when we were only suppose to do 1/2 the problems in our packet, I did all of them.  I like math, and it's relaxing to do for me, so I did them all.  The best part was I worked like way ahead so I had nothing to do in class on Wednesday :)

Today I had Vet. Med. Term.  We had our first exam and I literally didn't study for it.  My total score (after 2 pts extra credit) was 88%.  Pretty bitchin.  It also made me realize I have a knack for memorizing Med Terms, and if I put a little more effort into it, I could have Aced that exam.

Midquarter Evaluations
At my school, they have mandatory midquarter evaluations for the students to do on the teachers.  I think this is such a great idea.  At the Tech school I used to go to these were optional, and always at the end of the semester.  Doing them in the middle gives the Instructors a chance to improve based on their students responses.

Next Week
Next week I have a billion things do, mostly in Biology!  I have:
-Biology article review
-Biology lab write-up
-Biology Exam 2
-Biology Med Term Quiz
-Global Citizenship Reflection Paper

I guess that's how it goes during mid-quarter, but I can handle it.

More Writing
I realized this week that waiting to the end of the week means too much to write about!  I'll try posting a couple times next week so I can get more info in...and you don't get bored reading to much!

Thanks for Reading!