March 25, 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 :)

March 22, 2011

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!

March 21, 2011

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!

March 18, 2011

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!!!
  

March 16, 2011

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! :)


March 14, 2011

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.

March 10, 2011

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!

March 9, 2011

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!

March 3, 2011

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.

March 1, 2011

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!