Vet-in-progress

Small animal intern ~ Vetblr ~ Studyblr ~ Follow me on Insta: vet.inprogress

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June 2019: Became a vet but I’m still in progress ✅🙌👩🏼‍⚕️ #vetinprogress #vetlife #vetstudent #veterinarian #internlife (at Ontario Veterinary College) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzQUVgAh1QtMG9llFwB5MbQPSfPPFEI9CRRjvQ0/?igshid=wids3j6varso

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Sorry for the radio silence but I’ve decided to move my platform to Instagram! Please follow me as I share my life as a new grad veterinarian and a small animal rotating intern!

IG handle @vet.inprogress

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How to survive vet school: The NAVLE

Now that results are out and I know I passed I figured I’d offer some tips and advice on what I did to survive and study for the NAVLE!

Disclaimer: this is what worked for me and everything is my own personal opinions. Not everything works for everyone, do what works best for you.  

How I studied

September 

I took an ICVA practice ($50) at the beginning to see where I was at and what I need to work on! These exams are 200 questions (you don’t get to see what you got wrong) and they give you a predicted score (range) and a break down of species and how you did on them! I found this incredibly helpful because I knew I should focus more on equine than cats. Pro-tip -- if taking tests without knowing things will freak you out more than it will help skip this step, but I find it incredibly helpful

Casual practice question taking everyday, do the question of the day emails (Zuku/Vetprep) 

 October 

More practice questions every day I did 40-50 most days 

Started reviewing my power pages and power lectures 

I want to emphasize I did this when I had time and at this point I spent 1-2 nights a week dedicated for studying. At no point was I in the library 8 hours a day... during October 

November (test month 24 days to go)

Ramp up studying mostly practice questions, practice exams, reviewed the power lectures/pages on questions I got wrong. I spent a solid 8 hours per weekend in the library studying (note not all my time was spent studying because you need to be a human too!)

Two weeks out I did a second ICVA practice test 

Night before exam

Got dinner, threw a TV show on in the back ground and casually did some practice questions to keep my nerves in check (I needed to feel like I was doing something but at this point there is nothing you can do to really change what happens) 

During the exam 

Went through a series of questions where I’m like “hell ya doing great” and periods of “oh F I’m going to fail” this is natural 

I forced myself to take breaks after two blocks (120 questions) After four blocks I started taking breaks between each

Pro-tips 

You will never feel prepared no matter what

Study with friends whenever possible, make studying more enjoyable. I couldn't have gotten through this without my people.  

You will feel like you failed the exam (before and after), you likely won’t feel better when its over and that really blows 

You have worked hard for the past 3.5 years, likely you will pass. The odds are in your favour. Don’t give up your life in pursuit of NAVLE studying. It’s a serious exam but you can still have a life. 

It doesn't matter if you choose VetPrep or Zuku they’re almost the same thing. I prefer VetPrep to Zuku because the interface is more professional and I found the questions more similar to the actual NAVLE format. I also know someone who passed without taking anything. 

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When none of your group members know the answer

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When someone asks me how vet school is going

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How I want to react when I get an “It just started this morning” from clients

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Starting fourth year rotations has me like

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When I get a really obvious diagnosis right

Knowledge is power

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My ride or die clinical year survival kit

Dry shampoo

Clinical strength deodorant

Fabreeze “Fresh laundry” spray

Tide to go pen

Pocket snacks

Battery pack for your phone

Breath mints

A can do attitude and a prayer.

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When the lead surgeon lets me pick the OR late night jam

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When my resident is taking the time to mentor me during a busy day

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How to spot a new student on clinics 🙋‍♀️

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Hey! Hope you are enjoying your externship! I was wondering where you got the little shelf that sits on your desk? I love it!

Hi anon! I got it from Ikea a couple of years ago! 

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Wait...are you telling me it’s called internal medicine because it has to do with internal organs!?

My rotation mate

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Confidently saying the wrong diagnosis to the supervising clinician

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4 weeks down 34 left until Dr. V-I-P

4 weeks into my 8 week long mixed animal externship and I honestly can’t believe the sheer amount of information I’ve retained from the last three years of lectures. I also realize how much more I need to learn!

One of the most important things I’ve learnt is that I don’t need to know everything once I graduate. It’s okay to look it up in a book, other resources or have a pow wow in the treatment room with some of the more seasoned veterinarians. As much as we strive to know it all 4 years is simply not enough time to learn it all... heck, a lifetime isn’t enough time to learn it all.

I have more stories to come from my externship but my favourite part so far is my ever improving surgical skills! The one part of practice I’m feeling confident in.

Clinical year has been amazing and exhausting so far but I’m so happy I get to do this for the rest of my life. I’m so greatful for all the vets, techs and support staff that have helped me so far!

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Use caution when asking owners if anyone else in the house besides Fluffy has any skin lesions. They will lift up their shirts and show you.

Dermatology professor on zoonotic skin disease 

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First Live Animal Surgery

Pictured above is a vet student who for the first time in her life, did a live animal surgery and is recovering her patient. I apologize for taking so long to make this post, but third year left me very little time for writing! 

My patient was a tiny kitten and she was in for a spay (OHE). At my school, we begin training for surgery in our first year.  

In our first year we learn:

Identifying instruments/suture materials  + holding them properly

Learning how to suture (cadavers and models)...mostly simple interrupted and continuous, focusing on proper knot tying and tissue handling

Aseptic technique (surgeon and patient)  

In our second year we learn:

Everything in our first year plus 

Steps of OHE and neuters (dog and cat) and practicing on models and cadavers 

Biopsy techniques (variety of techniques and organs) 

Some more complex suture patterns, burying knots, layers of closure 

Various other procedures in theory only

In our third year we learn:

We’re tested and practice everything from first and second year 

Advanced wound closure (planning, tension lines, more complex suture patterns etc.) on models and cadavers 

Too many other surgeries in too many species to count (theory only)

Ophthalmology surgical procedures (enucleations, eyelid wedge resections and many more) on cadavers 

Abdominal exploratory surgery, FB surgery, splenectomies, gastropexies, cystotomies etc. on cadavers 

Live animal spays and neuters (pending successful completion of a surgical competency exam)

It is a very big moment for us that one day in our third year of the veterinary program, when we get into our surgical groups, they hand us our patient and we get to work doing a physical exam, running blood work, anesthetizing and prepping the patient, before we head into the OR to do our first surgery.

One member of our group of three is anesthesia for the procedure (do not feel bad for them anesthesia is more complex and involved than a spay, so it is an amazing role to have), the other two are surgeons (primary and secondary). During our first spay, I was lucky enough to be the primary surgeon. We broke the procedure up fairly evenly between the two of us. I opened, removed the left ovary (my second did the right ovary), removed the uterus, and closed the linea alba and skin (my second did our subQ layer).

Our first surgery went incredibly smoothly, with no hiccups! I do feel bad for the surgeons who were observing us. They became quite exasperated when we were reluctant to cut something even after we had confirmed it was what needed cutting several times.  So a huge shout out to all of those patient surgeons who take the time to teach us novice vet students!

Over the year we have the opportunity to do 5 live animal spays (+/- some neuters if the patients are available). We each rotate through each position, so everyone gets to do about an equal amount of "stuff."