Making the best of your free time

Entry, Experiences
Joshua Yoo, Ohio State

"Take full advantage of your free time," is some of the best advice I have received in recent years from a respected mentor last spring.  While it seems trivial at first, it reminds me to live life to the fullest while also maintaining a sense of balance.  I'll never forgot the first day of class, we had a lecture on erythropoiesis and thinking that it was going to be a long semester.  Oddly enough, before I could blink, finals were around the corner.  While finals sometimes seemed to drag on, our class persevered with purpose and were delighted when break came.

 

I returned to Los Angeles to visit my family and catch up with old friends which was terrific.  I also took a fun short road trip to catch up with colleagues and mentors.  Sure, we keep in touch with people through email, phone, text, and etc, but nothing can replace a face to face meeting.  It was comforting to share stories with current and past veterinary students as we have all experienced many of the same joys and challenges of veterinary school.

 

Cleft PalateI was fortunate to schedule an externship at a southern California referral hospital which quite frankly, blew my socks off.  This was my first externship as a veterinary student and I really enjoyed the camaraderie, education, and support that the specialists, interns, and technicians gave me.  Working with interns who were recently in my shoes gave me a tangible idea of what to expect when I pursue internship.  Words can't describe how much I learned and enjoyed accompanying surgeons and interns on consults and then watching surgery being performed.  I saw a number of orthopedic and soft tissues surgeries but will especially remember watching a 7 pound gastric foreign body removal, laparoscopic gastropexy, and a secondary cleft palate repair.  I will definitely apply to the rotating internship at this hospital in my 4th year and look forward to other visiting other externships down the road.

 

I'm really thankful and glad for my externship as nothing can replace the clinical education.  In additionSeven pound gastric foreign body! to that, being able to experience the culture of the hospital through externship is something that can only be done face to face.  That said, I also caught up on Dexter and Homeland over break, so I'd say my break was a success.