Being a better student

I was a much better blogger my first year, but I was a much worse student.

As I become a better student and I get better at really trying to integrate information, it seems I have less time for jacking around on the computer.

Our classes this block are still not super intriguing, but things are getting so much more applicable. I know that pharmacology isn't particularly interesting, but I have always wanted to know why drugs do what they do. I see them used in the clinic and I am pumped to know why we pick one drug over another. It is hard and takes a lot of mental work (ie. paying attention in class and using my brain for all 50 minutes of it). We'll see if it's as rewarding as I hope it is :-)

We are also taking a new class (as in they have never done it before) where we learn about emergency response. We get the training necessary to be a part of the Missouri Veterinary Response team and get to learn about disaster relief and our part in all of it. It can be a little dry because they are all government power points but it is very practical and awesome. Veterinarians play a HUGE role in public health (actually that is the name of one of our other classes this block - Public Health) because they handle food inspection, learn about both the animal AND human side of pathogens that can jump species (such as West Nile), and take care of the livestock that produce the meat and dairy that we all eat. Today I get to practice taking on and off (called donning and doffing) super protective gear in case of biohazards. Gonna look like an alien. Gonna be awesome.

And we have more pathology still. Pathology is really important and luckily we have new teachers who do not suck so much and I am learning more. It is all about the big problems you would see if you opened up an animal and how you would know what caused them. If you see that a dog has an ovarian tumor, is it most likely cancer? Is it producing a hormone? What kind of tumor is it most likely? So that is hard to get through sometimes, but again is incredibly practical.

And then there's public health. Right now we are learning about a salmonella that only people get...and how they get diarrhea. People are gross. That's really how I feel about that. Glad I am not a human doctor. Just saying.

Everything else is going great! Get to see the boyfriend almost every month and get to go see his school over Thanksgiving break! I also will get to go home for  weeks this winter including a trip to the homeland for family Christmas and hopefully a visit with my new little niece :-)