staging.vettimes.com

Blog

  • Mid-sessionals – the dos and don’ts

    Mid-sessionals – the dos and don’ts

    Right now, a lot of vet students are heading towards their first mid-sessional exams – the first university level exams the majority of them will ever have experienced.

    The rest of us have mid-sessionals, too, off course, and while we no longer have the luxury of ignorance and the bliss it comes with, these are no longer uncharted waters and we do have some advice.

    Don’t

    Panic

    While, unlike other courses, the first year of veterinary medicine does technically “count”, you won’t be graded in the way the majority of students are. It’s a nice and clear-cut pass or fail system. Also, if you have the worst time with your mid-sessionals and don’t even reach that passing grade, there’s plenty of time for you to make that up with coursework and the summer exams, which will carry a lot more weight. Both the university and your faculty members understand the transition to university is a whirlwind, and these first exams while you’re still finding your feet might not reflect your best work; therefore, your mid-sessional results do not have to reflect the rest of your year.

    Just talk – listen!

    Nobody is going to send you into those exams blind! The uni will give you all of the information you need to know – it might be online, or in a lecture you didn’t go to because it didn’t look particularly important. A lot of the answers to your questions can be found just by paying attention.

    Burn yourself out

    I have been guilty of this. I can sometimes get so caught up in maximising my revision that I run out of steam with maybe a week or two still to go before the exams and realise, suddenly, I could have given myself a bit more slack. Be smart, kids; don’t be me.

    Just revise the interesting stuff

    It can be tempting to ignore revising the content that bores you or you can’t see the relevance of learning. Trust me when I say if you are being taught it, it is important and even if It seems like common sense, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t even give it a glance when you come to revision.

    Image © Rawpixel.com / Adobe Stock
    Make study groups and draw from each other’s strengths, says Eleanor Goad. Image © Rawpixel.com / Adobe Stock

    Do

    Talk to people

    Right now, everyone around you is in the exact same boat, without a clue what’s going on. How much content in each lecture do we need to know? How are questions worded? How many questions are in a paper? What’s 2 + 2, again? Talk to each other, work with each other, make study groups and draw from each other’s strengths. Talk to your lecturers; you are allowed to ask them what kind of stuff they expect you to take away from their lectures. Talk to your personal tutors and staff members; they might be able to direct you towards some sample questions.

    Start revising early on – and stay organised!

    Know which notes are for which topic, and, maybe, even make a handy list of all of your most hated topics/lectures so you can maximise your study time.

    Your best

    I know it sounds super corny, but at the end of the day it’s all that you can do. You’ve made it into vet school so trust in yourself and your abilities. You can do this.

  • Don’t bite off more than you can chew

    Don’t bite off more than you can chew

    All students dream of having it all – straight As, buzzing social life and maybe a small part-time job to help you afford the latter…

    There’s no doubt that whatever year you’re in, whatever course you’re on, you’ve probably got a lot going on.

    The important thing I’ve found, however (easier said than done, mind you), is not to overload yourself in an effort to try it all right off the bat – I’m looking at you freshers.

    One step at a time

    When I first came to uni, I began juggling a lot: three jobs (yes, I appreciate the hypocrisy, but hear me out), making new friends, keeping in contact with friends and family at home, moving into a new city, joining societies – and occasionally sleeping, but who has the time?

    And then, of course, there’s the course itself – the very reason I was there in the first place – and yet it was just one of the armada of things I had to think about.

    I understand when you rock up to university as a first-year, everything around you looks equally shiny and new, and so exciting. It’s bursting with new opportunities, restaurants you never had in your corner of the country, clubs you’ve always wanted to join, sports you’ve never even heard of… it can be so easy to just run to fresher’s fair and sign yourself up for everything with the full intention of going to it all – and you may try. But, take it from me, if you actually want to enjoy each new experience, take it a step at a time.

    Find your passion

    Try joining a society or two in your first few weeks, and if you discover they’re not really you, there’s no harm with trying something else… and so on, and so on until you find something that sticks – something you have a real passion for.

    There’s no use spending significant amounts on new trainers, gym gear and a tennis racket before you realise you’ve zero hand-eye coordination, but have a real penchant for amateur dramatics.

    The average student is at uni for three years. That’s plenty of time to try everything you wanted to and more, and if you’re a medicine student – really, what’s the hurry?

    WEBmorning-1092771
    Get a handle on those early starts before signing up to various clubs and activities, suggests Eleanor Goad.

    Slow and steady

    I would also recommend learning to adjust to your routine before adding new commitments (I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “don’t run before you can walk”).

    Lectures can be daunting enough on their own, so get a handle on those 9am starts first before signing yourself up for an away match the other side of the country that gets you up at 6am!

    Stress is a big problem for students, and not just for vets. It’s obviously important to extend your interests outside your course and do things that excite and drive you but, at the same time, be sensible and know that if you want to have it all, it might require a little bit of trial and error – and a lot of patience.

     

  • What to do when you’re stumped by a case

    What to do when you’re stumped by a case

    Critical patients can be overwhelming – concurrent diseases, numerous medications, non-responsive to things you have tried…

    The best thing to do is start from the beginning and ask yourself different questions to reopen your mind to the case.

    What was the full details of the history?

    Run through the history, but in an unbiased manner. The important point to remember here is to retell it as it was told – not what information you think is relevant to your current thought process or theory.

    What are the findings on the physical examination?

    Repeat a full physical examination, go slower and be more thorough – as you may have missed something.

    It is not uncommon for findings to change – the patient may have developed more obvious clinical abnormalities, or a key finding may have been missed.

    What is the problem list?

    Identifying this again can help you determine whether you are heading down the wrong path, or if a problem is present that is more easily worked up.

    What have I missed or am I missing?

    When you ask this question, you may not think of anything; however, it prompts you to consider that you don’t have all the information you need and that you need to find it.

    What more information do I need?

    This is a good follow-on question, as it gets you thinking about whether you need to read up and get some facts to develop a plan moving forward.

    Don’t rely on your memory, and assume that what you know is correct and everything you need to know.

    What is my next step?

    Whether it is to run a test, do a procedure or continue on the existing plan, you have to decide your next step.

    If the decision has high risk or serious implications then run it by a senior clinician, mentor or colleague. However, don’t present the information in a way that supports your decision, otherwise you are not getting the best value out of their input.

    Present the information in an unbiased manner and be open to a different opinion.

    Inform the owners

    When you are stuck, it is best to inform the owners of the challenges you are facing – including your findings, thoughts and concerns – and involve them in the decision-making process.

    Keeping them involved in the progress of their pets condition is the best way of maintaining trust.

  • A different kind of exam

    A different kind of exam

    A veterinary career and examinations go hand in hand. I can’t count the number of papers I’ve sat over the last quarter of my life that have opened the doors to where I am now.

    If you manage to make it even half way through the vet course it can be assumed you have mastered the art of taking tests.

    But third year, I’m coming to realise, is a game changer.

    The same, but different

    I don’t think it properly dawned on me until our first day back during an afternoon practical. We were going over a routine canine examination, mimicking the role of any vet when a fresh patient comes through their doors; travelling from nose to tail, searching for abnormalities, checking mucous membranes, smelling inside the ears – the works.

    We also covered various injection sites along with their pros and cons, how and where to auscultate the lungs, and even how to wash our hands – which, it turns out, is far more complex than life up until now had led us to believe.

    Now don’t get me wrong, they hadn’t waited until third year to teach us all of this (a lot of it was basic stuff; the habits general practice workers could do in their sleep). No, the difference was that, in these practicals, we actually had real dogs.

    New experiences

    It sounds childish given our future line of work, but as any vet student will confirm, when we see an animal, any animal, but especially dogs, we get very excited. It’s not just the fact it’s a cute dog (although, I won’t lie to you, that’s also a big part of it, too), but getting to practice something you’ve spent hours, if not days, learning about in the classroom on an actual patient – even a volunteer one who’s really just there for the treats and attention is such a breath of fresh air and an experience to be jumped on.

    Palpating lymph nodes that aren’t sewn into stuffed animals, palpating an abdomen that isn’t lying on your dissection table – all these things are akin to luxury for new third years.

    But, with this rush of this new kind of learning, came to realisation of what they were preparing us for: the dreaded OSCEs – a whole new kind of exam.

    Image © stokkete/ Adobe Stock
    “Before long, we won’t be able to pass every test they throw at us by last-minute reading and flash cards” – Eleanor Goad. Image © stokkete/ Adobe Stock

    Growing up

    It’s always difficult having to start over or break out of an old routine into a new one, but when you go from pre-clinical to clinical you pretty much have to do just that. As you and your cohorts shuffle ever closer to becoming real full-fledged vets, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that you get treated more and more like one, and are expected to act a little more like one.

    Before long, we won’t be able to pass every test they throw at us by last-minute reading and flash cards. Attention to detail, compassion, patience and professionalism will begin to carry the same weight as memorising words from a page.

    In my mind, this can only be a good thing; a little scary, perhaps, but it’s also a nice reminder of where we’re headed. Working with real animals, working on problem solving – it all helps to make the future a little more tangible and less of an abstract concept.

    I don’t know how I’m going to shape up with this new style of assessment coming my way, but I’ll certainly give it my best.

  • Tips for vet school: the first few days

    Tips for vet school: the first few days

    The first few weeks of university life can be a little scary, and it’s understandable you might just want to hang back to try and digest it all.

    Trying to be outgoing, charming and outlandishly sociable when you’ve just been thrust into a new city, a new environment, and left to fend for yourself can feel like a daunting task. But I really can’t encourage you enough to get out there as soon as possible…

    Get to know as many people as possible in your first few days

    By now, you’ve probably heard something along the lines of “the first person you sit next to in uni becomes your new best friend”, but try not to get so comfortable that you completely stop socialising after the first day.

    While there is some truth to this rumour (I can personally relate), university is a massive new chance to meet people from all walks of life. You might find yourself immediately gravitating towards those who are familiar – maybe from the same region of the country – but it’s important to fight this instinct and expand your friend group to those with different ideas, concepts, etc.

    Trust me, it will come in handy during those group revision sessions in the future.

    Know you won’t always be top of the class

    I’m sorry if reading this makes you upset or mildly infuriating, but that may mean you are the kind of person who needs to hear this the most. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, for those new to the game: you do not have to know everything; you will not be able to know everything; you will  get things wrong – and every one of these things is okay.

    What’s more, everyone in your whole year (indeed, your whole course) is just as fallible as you are. You are not competing against them any more, they are your allies, your sounding boards, your tutors and tutees.

    Also, don’t expect 90-100% on your first test… or the second.. My point is you shouldn’t be upset with yourself when you’re not perfect, because nobody is – and that’s okay too.

    taking notes
    If you like taking hand-written notes, Eleanor suggests you bring lots of pens and a bottle of electrolytes for the resultant hand cramp. Alternatively, invest in a laptop or some type of tablet. Image © WavebreakmediaMicro / Adobe Stock

    Stay organised

    If I could time travel, this is one of the main things I really wish I could tell myself. If you were perfectly organised for your A-levels, then that is excellent – but now forget everything you know.

    Revision

    Of course, you may be the exception that proves the rule, but for nine out of 10 people, the best revision methods you employed for your GCSEs and A-levels will not be the best method for your university examinations. In fact, it may take you a while to find out which method works best for you (flash cards, quizzes, etc).

    Note-taking

    Finding the fastest and most efficient way of taking notes is also paramount, ideally (though not essentially) before stepping into the classroom.

    If you like taking hand-written notes and find you produce more in this way, then be sure to bring lots of pens and a bottle of electrolytes for that hand cramp. If you’re a little slow at writing or find you lose paper notes easily – *cough* guilty *cough* – then I would suggest using a laptop or some type of tablet – something light and portable that you’re comfortable with.

    Once you’ve found which type of note-taking works for you, and what revision type works for you – stay organised.

    Everything in order

    If you find yourself having trouble understanding certain lectures, read ahead on these topics so you know which questions to ask the lecturer. Also, understand there are a number of different broad topics to veterinary medicine, and then try filing your notes in these groups – take my word for it, it makes everything so much easier when you take your end of year exams, which are often divided into units.

    And, most importantly of all, have fun. Get the most out of it, grab it by the horns, carpe diem and all of that.

    I hope you enjoy the next big chapter of your life.

  • A little impatient

    A little impatient

    Over the summer I found myself with itchy feet. It’s probably down to the demanding workload, busy schedule and general fast-paced nature of the veterinary course that when everything grinds to a halt at the end of exam season for several long months, I find myself at a loss for what to do.

    I might be exaggerating here, in truth I’ve managed to keep myself pretty busy in the hiatus between terms – jobs, work experience, friends and family – all pretty normal when it comes to summer holidays. But I think it’s the lack of a real challenge I’m missing more and more each day.

    Missing the madness

    I don’t know if it’s just me, but the things I miss most in my time off are those things I find a little stressful and that really test me…

    No, I’m not crazy. I don’t crave total anarchy in my life at all times – and, yes, it is nice to switch off and unwind from time to time – but I’ve been challenging myself mentally ever since my GCSE years when I looked down at my chemistry mock to see a “D” staring back at me and thought: “Hmmm, just a little way to go then…”

    Knowing there’s so much still to cover and in such a short space of time doesn’t help either. It sort of makes me want to get ahead of the game – and I know as soon as the term starts, everything begins to speed up again and I find myself constantly on my toes, I’ll look back and regret wishing away the time I had with my feet planted firmly on the ground.

    Image: Veri Ivanova / Unsplash
    “I have to keep checking myself with self-reminders to appreciate the pauses life is offering me” – Eleanor Goad.

    Time to relax

    I like keeping busy, being occupied – and although I think this is probably a good thing in respect of the line of work I’m heading into – I have to keep checking myself with self-reminders to appreciate the pauses life is offering me RIGHT NOW and enjoy them as much as I can.

    I know it’s not healthy to always be operating at 110%, and it’s a slow lesson I’m learning, but I’m really trying to enjoy this down-time without feeling guilty, like I should be doing something, or that I need to be studying something.

    I’ve had friends that struggled with this feeling in the summer between A-levels and friends who, like me, are struggling with it now. When your course is so demanding, when there will always be something more to know, it can be difficult to get the idea into your head that you’re allowed a break. But take it from me – you are.

    Stop and smell the roses

    I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to shake my itchy feet entirely – I like to be going somewhere, and I’ve never one for sitting still – but I’m doing my best to take advantage of every day before I go back to university.

    It’s important to check in with yourself from time to time and to be kind to yourself. We deserve breaks and lazy days, and to forget what day of the week it is in that disconcerting-but-oddly-freeing way the summer seems to induce.

    There will always be time to work, but do try to stop and smell the roses.

  • Two down, three to go

    Two down, three to go

    Image: Image © stevecuk / Adobe Stock
    Eleanor Goard says that, at the start of your course, it’s hard to envisage how you’re meant to metamorphose into a competent and qualified vet in just five short years. However, two years into her studies, it no longer feels impossible. Image © stevecuk / Adobe Stock

    I feel so incredibly lucky to be where I am today: two years down as a vet student, on the course of my dreams and heading toward the career I’ve been aspiring to since I was six years old.

    And it’s still as surreal, stressful and exciting as ever!

    For Bristol uni, at least, the gap between the second and third years is significant in that it’s where we transition from pre-clinical to clinical content; moving from the nice safety bubble of learning and classrooms to more of the practical stuff, and the “this is why you were learning it in the first place”.

    Holding pattern

    If I’m being honest, it’s a little daunting. It’s uncharted territory – just like the beginning of the course.

    I think I’ve fallen into a comfortable pattern of learning, digesting and regurgitating theory, so the idea of breaking away from that is, quite frankly, a little scary. One thing that keeps the nerves at bay, however, is acknowledging how far I’ve already come.

    When you start vet school and walk away from those first few lectures realising how much you already have to learn, it can be really hard to envisage how on earth you’re meant to metamorphose into a competent and qualified veterinary surgeon in just five short years. But here I am, two years later… and I think the pieces are starting to come together.

    Voyage of discovery

    I know so much more now than I ever thought possible: how everything works, why it sometimes stops working and how to make it work again – the gist of any medical degree at its heart.

    The fact I will be able to call myself “doctor” in just a few short years still seems incredible, but no longer impossible.

    Yes, it’s something new, something slightly intimidating; but I’m so excited to explore this new part of my degree, where I’ll begin to learn new skills I will use for the rest of my career – to start discovering what being a vet actually means, and what kind of vet I want to be.

  • Things I wish I’d known

    Things I wish I’d known

    Looking back, applying to vet school was probably one of the most stressful times of my life – and for good reason.

    There’s a lot to get your head around; I was juggling A-levels, work experience, open days and, in hindsight, I‘m so thankful for whatever pearls of wisdom regarding the whole the process I managed to glean in the form of various blogs, websites and face-to-face talks with my local vets.

    It’s only been two years since I, too, was anxiously waiting my results. So much has happened since then, vet school of course bringing its own set of trials and triumphs, but nevertheless, as the month of exam results looms I can’t help but empathise with those who are now where I was not so very long ago.

    I know when I was at that stage I had so many unanswered questions. About student life, the course, the application requirements… So I’d like to try and help any others who might feel the same way by going through a few misconceptions I heard floating around when I was applying to vet school, with a little bit of friendly advice thrown in for good measure.

    Common misconceptions

    # 1: It’s all about the grades

    Now, to all you budding vets out there, I’d love to tell you that grades don’t matter in the slightest, but the vet course is demanding and most vet schools out there expect the standard three As.

    That being said, if you fall short just a little it doesn’t have to be the end of the road. The University of Nottingham requires an A in Chemistry and Biology with a B in another chosen subject, and one of my closest friends in my year was admitted to Bristol with two As and a B. What stood her apart and made the university look past her grades is a part of the application process that outranks exam results in so many ways: interviews.

    results
    Didn’t quite hit the mark? Don’t worry, says Eleanor Goad. If you fall slightly short of your three A-grades, it doesn’t have to be the end of the road. Image © highwaystarz / Adobe Stock

    Universities receive so many applications each year, most of which promise academic excellence and prowess. But, when it comes to sorting through these candidates, what really helps you stand out from the crowd is what you‘re like as a person. Not the letters on a piece of paper, or even your personal statement when all’s said and done – just you. This is where you show your passion, your enthusiasm and, most importantly, get to make eye contact with an actual human being instead of filling out a variety of forms.

    It’s daunting, I know. I remember the butterflies at my first and, in fact, all my interviews. But the key thing to remember is you’re only nervous because of how much this means to you, and if you let the interviewer see this for themselves it says far more about you than your grades ever could.

    # 2: You will live, sleep and breathe the vet school, you will have time for nothing else

    One of the main things I kept hearing, especially on open days, was that the curriculum of vet school was so demanding it would consume my entire student life. I was told many times I would have no time to work, to socialise or live my student life in the same way as the rest of my cohorts.

    I know that every uni experience is different and indeed each vet course is different but, in my opinion, it IS possible to have your cake and eat it too.

    If you manage to get into vet school you already must have excellent time management skills and so if you’d like to get a small term-time job (I even managed two) or join several societies or explore the nightlife of whatever new city you’re venturing to has to offer, a little time management is all it takes.

    I’m not saying you won’t be busier than some of your friends on other courses or that you can slack off – rolling into bed at 4am every morning, but you can have a life outside of vet school if you so wish.

    # 3: I need to study all the sciences and have 100 weeks of work experience to be good enough for vet school

    Honestly, this one is just plain wrong.

    If you’ve got an itch only science can scratch, then by all means enjoy those triple sciences – maybe maths too if you’re that way inclined. But if you’re anything like me and you have a penchant for English, economics, history or something that doesn’t seem entirely “vetty”, unless you’re looking to apply to Cambridge or Glasgow (these do require more “academic” subjects) it is okay not to go down the all-science route.

    Vet schools look for well-rounded enthusiastic individuals and if your choice of A-levels are brought up at interview, as they were at mine, it’s much easier to enthuse over a subject you’re genuinely passionate about than one you’re taking for the sake of it. And in regards to work experience, not all of us can be fortunate enough to live within range of three farms, two vet practices, a vet hospital, a cattery, a kennel (etc) or to even have access to, or the funds to travel to, all of them.

    As long as you get as much varied work experience to the best of your ability, for example the RVC only asks for a minimum of four weeks, then you won’t be dismissed for not having enough.

  • Seeking clarity

    Seeking clarity

    We often find ourselves overwhelmed by a complex case – or even numerous cases that are not so complex.

    The first step is to try to seek clarity. How do we do this? Well, we start from the beginning and go over everything again.

    How and why?

    This process happens numerous times on shift – we have little “mini-rounds” sessions where myself and the other clinicians talk through difficult cases from start to where we are now.

    It could be to try to determine whether we are missing something, figure out our next step, or work out how we are going to manage what we have diagnosed.

    We must always seek clarity to provide us with a pathway forward, reduce stress and anxiety, highlight the next course of action, identify things we have missed, and increase productivity.

    Getting together

    Have set times for when you regroup. For example:

    • after morning consults, when you have to develop a plan to work through all the cases you have in hospital
    • after your initial round of diagnostics
    • if you have not developed a plan one hour before afternoon consults

    Whatever you decide, have set times where you can stop and think, and seek to clear things in your head. The best way to do this is to have a reminder in your mobile phone, or simply agree a set time with your colleagues when you can have a team huddle.

    If going through this process helps clear things for you, imagine what would happen if teams did this within their own group of co-workers. Team members would know what was happening, and who would need to do what and why – leading to productive teams with clear pathways.

  • VN Times Calendar Competition

    VN Times Calendar Competition

    voting-online-header

    voting-online-logo-footer

    voting-online-sponsor-logos