Hell Week Survival

Today marks the end of what the CVM class of 2019 dubbed "Hell Week." It consisted of three exams, two simulations, four writing assignments, an interview, and, if you were proactive, a pathology assignment/quiz and a nutritional analysis. Now, I am sure that there are plenty of vet schools that have multiple exams in one week, and probably even multiple exams in one day. However, the thing to consider in relation to the program I am in is that we are a quarter system. We ideally fit 16 weeks worth of material into 8, which means we have a LOT of information to handle. It isn't unbearable (most of the time), but it does take a toll on your brain, let alone your emotions. I know I am stressed to the max because I have an eruption of breakouts across my face, and I haven't eaten a decent meal or been to the gym in over a week. I'm honestly surprised I've showered this week. But I made it, give or take a couple embarrassing moments, which I will share with you now.

1. During the anatomy exam, I made the mistake of confusing tears (from lacrimal glands) with cerebrospinal fluid (in the brain). Whoops...

2. By the time I got to the practical, I couldn't remember arteries from nerves. All I was thinking about was the nap I could take when the exam was over.

3. I was typing a post-simulation assignment shortly after the anatomy exam and was very clearly falling asleep and entering strange levels of consciousness. At one point I actually wrote something about underwear. (I think I meant to type something about helping the client to understand, but Lord knows where I was going with that or how I got to underwear...)

4. The afternoon before the exam, I slammed two energy drinks and STILL managed to fall asleep over my notes for a couple hours. The struggle was real, guys.


 Note to self: the crash from several b12 tablets chased with alertness beverages is rough.

Although this week was hell, I wouldn't change this experience for anything. I am so blessed to be here, and I never want to take this opportunity for granted. As horribly stressful as this week was, and despite all of my studying, I didn't perform as well as I wanted to. Initially, I was really upset. I felt that I had spent days of my life studying and trying to understand this material, and I couldn't pull off an A. But something one of my professors said this week hit me. He said, "What do you call the person that graduates academically last from veterinary college?"

The answer is Doctor.

We are given this opportunity to become doctors, and only a very small portion of that is based on academics. The skills we need outside of textbooks are just as important to becoming great veterinarians. Fortunately, I think I have that portion of this program under my belt, so I try very hard not to let the lower grades bring me down. As long as I do the very best I can, that is all I can ask for. Some people learn in different ways, and some people take longer to understand things. Just because I can't regurgitate information for an exam doesn't mean that I don't understand the concepts. As hard as it is to have faith in yourself, it is absolutely necessary if we are ever going to survive the next four years.

That being said, it is also important to not let studies overcome your life, because the crash is not fun. Every now and then an all-nighter is warranted. But I make sure to sleep if I need to sleep, and take a break if I need to take a break. My mental health is more important than a perfect score on an exam. Take care of yourself, and you will be able to take better care of others.

Just a friendly reminder.

Updates

So I know I have been a terrible blogger. I had an entire month off and didn't prepare enough posts to last, and I completely neglected you all over Christmas break. I am very sorry. But a lot has happened, so I will update you:

First of all, I moved! I finally got out of the creepy apartment with the stalker living above me. I moved to a complex right across the street from the school, and one of my best friends is in the same building! I absolutely love it here, and I am glad that I made the choice to spend the money to break my lease and move to a place where I can finally feel safe. I'm on the second floor, and I have a mountain view, and a "lake" view. (You can't convince a native Minnesotan than a man-made pond with a fountain counts as a lake).

View from the patio

Love watching the ducks here

Also, I did my first surgery! I volunteered with the mobile clinic that the school has been running, and I was able to perform a kitten neuter. It was the scariest and most exciting experience. Most of the cats we worked with that day were feral, so I got to utilize my cat wrangling skills. I sedated, examined, shaved, and vaccinated 18 cats and kittens. I also drew blood for FIV testing, a skill that I need some more practice with in the future (sorry kitten veins!). 

Selfie from the mobile clinic

Thanksgiving was really awesome. My childhood friend Josh was here on a business trip, and he extended his trip to spend Thanksgiving with me and the dogs. We ended up going to a classmate's place for Friendsgiving, and everything was delicious. I brought a Minnesota classic: Tater Tot Hotdish. Otherwise known as heaven in a pan. I didn't really do any Black Friday shopping, but I spent the day watching the COPS marathon and relaxing. 

I was excited to go back to my second quarter of vet school at the end of November. This is known as the notoriously hard quarter, and I have to agree. I have never studied so much in my entire life and still have a hard time with the exams. We have six classes: Immunology, Physiology, Anatomy, Practice of Veterinary Medicine, Genetics and Nutrition, and One Health. One Health is basically epidemiology, with a focus on crossing the bridge between human and animal medicine and public health. It is interesting, but sometimes a bit heavy for an 8am class. I think I could be a much better student if classes started around 10am... 

Christmas break came and went. Christmas is never a really happy time for me. I always feel so sad for all of the people and animals who are alone, and this year I almost had to spend it alone. Luckily, my dad was able to come down and we had an awesome time relaxing and watching television. I made a pretty good spread for Christmas dinner, and we stayed in matching pjs all day. I was also kitten sitting for my friend, and the kitten and my dad became best friends right away. 

So in love

Best buds

He's such a teddy bear

I clearly was not the favored babysitter

We had a lovely visit, and one day took a trip up to Sedona. It was a lovely drive, despite the terror of driving on curvy roads with a 75 mph speed limit. We walked around the tourist area and had lunch at a tavern that was fantastic. We are planning on checking out the Grand Canyon when he comes in February. 

Naturally, I was excited to see snow! (True Minnesota girl here)

Although we had a great visit, it was still a weird Christmas. This was the first Christmas that my family wasn't together. Had I been in Minnesota, it still would have been weird since this was the first Christmas after the divorce. Also, my mother recently was diagnosed with breast cancer, so it was incredibly hard for me to not be there for the holidays. Even worse, I couldn't be home for her surgery, and I was so stressed about everything that I ended up failing a genetics exam, which is ridiculous considering I have taken two genetics courses. I'll be really cramming in the study time for the next exam so I can pass the course. 

Even with all of the emotions surrounding the holidays, it was nice to have a bit of a break. However, getting back into the swing of classes was inevitable and I'm currently in the midst of what we are calling HELL WEEK. Three exams, two simulations, an interview, and four writing assignments all due within a seven day period. But such is life of a vet student...and I wouldn't trade it for the world!