Good-Bye CT

Tomorrow after New Years Day services, myself, my brother Evan, and friend Ben are heading out of CT and heading towards IL.  We will make a pit stop in OH for tomorrow evening and arrive in Champaign on Thursday.  Then, Friday evening, it's Mexico-bound!

Home for Christmas & Rotation Schedule

I made it safely home last night around 430pm.  I drove 6 hours on Friday, staying overnight at Bryan and Ambers in Smithville and then drove 9 hours on Saturday.  The trip went pretty fast so that was nice!  Now it's time for relaxation and enjoying time with friends and family!

Also, after I got home and checked my email, I found that my 4th year rotation schedules were done.  Here is my schedule for those of you who are interested (all rotations are at the vet school's own clinic unless otherwise stated):

3/31/14-4/27/14: Diagnostic Medicine

4/28/14-5/11/14: Cardiology at Purdue College of Vet Med

5/12/14-5/26/14: Small Animal Internal Medicine

5/27/14-6/8/14: Rural Animal Health Management

6/9/14-6/15/14: off

6/16/14-6/29/14: surgical rotation in Tanzania, Africa

6/30/14-7/6/14: off

7/7/14-7/20/14: neurology

7/21/14-8/3/14: small animal emergency medicine

8/4/14-8/17/14: small animal soft tissue surgery

8/18/14-9/1/14: small animal primary care

9/2/14-9/14/14: off

9/15/14-9/28/14: ophthalmology

9/29/14-10/12/14: equine medicine

10/13/14-10/26/14: equine surgery

10/27/14-11/9/14: small animal orthopedic surgery

11/10/14-11/23/14: small animal internal medicine

11/24/14-12/7/14: imaging

12/8/13-12/21/14: anesthesiology

12/22/14-1/4/15: small animal emergency medicine

1/5/15-1/19/15: off

1/20/15-2/1/15: dentistry

2/2/15-2/15/15: oncology

2/16/15-3/1/15: dermatology

3/2/15-3/15/15: imaging/anesthesiology

3/16/15-3/29/15: Wildlife & Exotic Animal Medicine & Surgery

Each rotation is two weeks long with the exception of diagnostic medicine which is 4 weeks long. It is exciting knowing that I am just 8 weeks of class away from moving into clinics!

Done With Class!

Today was our last day of class for the semester.  We had six hours of lecture: one hour of bird skin diseases, one hour of bird and reptile endocrine diseases, one hour of reptile and small mammal skin diseases, and three hours of pig gastrointestinal diseases.  Now comes the fun task of studying for our final!

One More Week!

Only one more week 'til freedom!  I have six hours of lecture Monday, then off Tuesday and Wednesday (off meaning no sitting in lecture but lots and lots of studying) and then our final exam on Thursday and Friday.  I cannot wait, I just hope it goes fast! 

Last Surgery for Fall Semester

Yesterday was our group's last surgery day for the fall semester.  I was assistant surgeon and Olga was surgeon.  Our dog was found as a stray and had been at the shelter for two months.  His estimated age was 5-7 years old.  He was a little cautious at first but quickly warmed up to us once we entered his kennel and started petting and talking to him.  He was a little wary of the stethoscope when Olga went to check his heart rate and listen to his lungs but he is fine with that now.  However, he definitely dislikes his temperature being taken and we muzzle him for that.  He also had fleas but was treated at the shelter so his hair is starting to grow back on his tail and his lower back.  He is an awesome dog once he gets to know you, I enjoy coming in with Olga and working with him with all the exams we have to do.  The surgery went fine, there was a lot of blood so as assistant surgeon I did a lot of dabbing blood.  He is doing real well post-surgery so we are glad for that!

Just four more days of class, can't wait to get the class (and the exams) behind me. 

Weekend

This past weekend I went to Eureka for a Christmas get-together with Uncle Dan, Heather, Andrea, Jerry & Kathy.  It was nice and relaxing and I enjoyed eating, playing games, singing, and eating some more.  Here are just a few photos I snagged throughout the evening:

Today I was in Eureka for church and then headed down to Champaign to give a tour of the vet school to some family of mine from Roanoke and then to partake in the benefit dinner for our mission trip to Mexico in January.  It was delicious and my dessert (coffee ice cream and oreo dessert) all went so I guess it was well liked!  This is my last full week of class for the semester and it's gonna be busy.  It's my groups turn to do surgery this week again.  It is my turn to be surgeon but because the animals are all male and I have already done a neuter I will be assistant surgeon instead this week.  Only two more weeks of school, can't wait to be done!  Two weeks from today I will be home in CT!

Africa!

Monday I received word that I had been one of five students selected for a surgery rotation in Tanzania, Africa in June 2014!  20 students had applied so I am happy to have gotten a spot.  The rotation is 2 weeks long and will consist of neutering and spaying dogs that roam around.  It will be an excellent opportunity for me to gain more surgery experience and myself, along with my 4 classmates who were selected, are all quite excited.  There is one other guy and three girls who were selected and I am very pleased with the group that is going, I think it will be a lot of fun! 

Today I took the final exam for the advanced dentistry class I was in.  It will be nice to have 3-5pm free again on Mondays and Wednesdays!  There are only 8 more days of class left before finals as we have 2 days off before taking the final exam so the semester is definitely on the tail end, hallelujah, I will be ready to have a nice four week break!

Thanksgiving Break

Well, my Thanksgiving break is over. Here's how my break went:
Sat: went to Danville, IL and helped tear down a house with some people from Champaign and Cissna Park.  The house had been burned inside a number of years ago and the owners didn't have enough money to fix it.  After the holidays, the plan is to rebuild the house for the owners. Saturday evening Lucas and Diana and their four kids came from Bradford and we went out eat.  They stayed overnight at Walt and Janelles in Mahomet.

Sun: went to Champaign church and spent the afternoon and dinner with Lucas and Diana and kids.  Headed off to Tremont in the evening.

Mon: didn't do too much, went out with my uncle a little bit in the afternoon on a call to check out a forklift (he's a mechanic)

Tues & Wed: spent these two days helping with clean-up after the tornado in Washington and Pekin, IL.  The devastation there was astounding.  I have never seen anything like it, so many homes were totally destroyed.  There was wood, shingles, peoples belongings everywhere.  It was amazing that only one person died in Washington.

Thurs: was in Tremont for Thanksgiving services with Gramp and Gram B and then off to Eureka for Thanksgiving dinner.

Fri: hung out with Heather and Andrea and spent Friday evening with their Mom and her husband, had a good time!

Sat: drove to Bluffton, IN and spent some time with the Meyer family before heading off to testimonies

Sun: was in Bluffton for church and baptisms and then headed back to Champaign

Now tomorrow it is back to the grindstone, just three more weeks of school!