Vet Med Family

This piece was submitted anonymously to TVG by a student from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dear Illinois,

We hear a lot about “Vet Med Family” at our school.  Every email from an exec board member starts and ends with, “Hey Vet Med Fam!”  Interview day and tours describe the tightness of classes and how our private Facebook pages are filled with the freshest memes.  Vetscapades every year includes a “Never Separated” category, where we all vote for those small groups that are never apart.

Yeah, those are definitely Vet Med Fam things for sure.  But this semester, Vet Med Fam has been something else entirely, at least for me.  It was texting me about updates on patients during lunch, because that’s what we would normally do everyday.  It was letting me know that you would send me notes if lectures didn’t get recorded while I was gone.  It was sending me study guides for the midterm that I took two weeks late.  It was messages letting me know you were available to talk whenever I would need it.  It was the subtle check-ins where you just stopped by my desk after I got back, where you asked if I was okay, without actually saying the words.  It was a last cupcake you had baked and you thought I needed some chocolate.  It was the invitations to coffee.  It was making fun of me for buying yet another t-shirt.  It was picking up the slack I left behind in clubs.  It was a donation to a cause that was pivotal to a person you had never even met, but who was and is still the most important person in my life.

Vet Med Family is the true support that we give each other.  We aren’t all friends.  We don’t necessarily have a full name to every face in the room.  We can annoy each other.  But in the nearly three weeks I was gone, and the nearly three months since, you’d never have known that from the massive amount of support I received.  People across classes, people who don’t know me, people who are the closest to me, faculty and staff, it didn’t matter.  The support was there.  Because of that support, I am still here with you all, prepping for finals, going downtown for trivia, scoring free food at lunch lectures.  Because of your support, I’m slowly moving forward, healing in my own way.

So thank you, Illinois.  You made the hardest time of my life a little bit easier to handle by being true Vet Med Family.

Cute Pet Alert!

Greta Doden from Illinois submitted these adorable photos of her furbabies. They're sure to give you your daily dose of cuteness!

Freja - "I see ducks!"Harlowe - "Wrinkles!"

Ham and Bean - "Santa Pigs"

Being Kind While Smelling Like Fried Rice

By: Katelyn Guill-Sanchez

My most rewarding experience thus far on my journey to DVM has nothing at all to do with animals and everything to do with humility – waiting tables. It sounds so silly, but I think waiting tables has helped me to develop better client interaction skills than any formal training that I’ve had. I work in a busy sushi/hibachi restaurant near Kansas State University every Friday and Saturday night. After every sleepless Thursday night and every dreadful 8 am Friday exam I drag myself to work – and it’s the thing I look  most forward to each week. Beyond my curriculum, it gives me a sense of time management and purpose, and some extra money in vet school always goes a long way. Being a waitress has taught me how to triage (cats and noodles are basically the same thing, right?). It has taught me to work quickly and efficiently and how to be kind and patient with strangers, even under stress. I love my job. I have met some wonderful people, and my restaurant experience even landed me my Student Rep position with Hill’s. I strongly encourage other students to work odd jobs during summer breaks if their schedules allow. Taking a step outside of vet med has given me a new perspective on being understanding and patient with strangers – because hell hath no fury like small children with plates of fried rice.

Creativity is Key

These awesome paintings were submitted by Elizabeth Bonnette from LSU!

A Student’s Guide to the AVMA Convention

By Lisa Phelps from Ross University

Are you interested in attending the annual AVMA convention as a student? I have, and I think it is a fantastic idea! However, it can be overwhelming, so I would like to share some tips with you that I learned from my own experience.

1. Know what you want to get out of the experience:  There is an overwhelming number and variety of opportunities at the AVMA convention - wet labs, the convention hall, poster presentations, and so many lectures!  It is easy to get lost in the schedule.  I went to the convention without any idea of what I wanted to do while there.  I recommend that you take some time to sit down and look through the schedule.  What do you want to do the most?  What would you like to learn or experience?  This will help you focus your time so that you get everything that you want out of the weekend.
2. Don’t be afraid to change it up:  As I mentioned before, I had no schedule going into the weekend. I ended up at a marine mammal husbandry lecture that I never would have normally planned on attending.  This lecture provided a very interesting view into a whole side of veterinary medicine that I normally would not have seen! I am very glad I accidently ended up there.
3. Don’t get scared!  There are a lot of brilliant Veterinary professionals who attend this event.  As students, we are just beginning.  You won’t understand every lecture topic, or all of the research posters, or even half of the booths in the convention hall.  For example, I got involved in a lengthy conversation in the convention hall about a 3D reconstructing MRI. The salesman started showing me examples of the machine’s work.  At the time I hadn’t taken a diagnostic imaging class yet and had honestly never looked at an MRI before.  I admitted that I was a student, and we hadn’t covered imaging in our classes yet.  He was very nice and gave me a more simple explanation of the machine. His explanation actually helped me in my diagnostic imaging class later in the school year!
4. Talk to as many people as you can: I know we have heard it over and over again, but the more people you talk to, the better experience you will have.  There are fun events every night (concerts, ball games, etc.) where you have an opportunity to talk with and to get to know your colleagues.   This is what these events are about; it’s good practice for you!  Who knows? You might end up with an exciting externship opportunity!
5. Don’t forget the swag!  Make sure to leave time to go through the convention hall exhibits.  There were a lot of tote bags, socks, water bottles, collapsible dog bowls, sunglasses, etc.  You name it!  To obtain the items you could play games or do another interactive activity!  I even received a free two month supply of dental wipes for my dog.

Attending the AVMA convention is a wonderful opportunity to dip a toe into the pool of our future careers; however, it is expensive. Between hotels, flights, and time away from your studies, you want to make sure you make the most of the weekend.  I hope my guide can help you. Have fun, and I’ll see you there next year!