Real Deal
I remained (primarily) awake for 22 hours yesterday and began to seriously suffer the effects of sleep deprivation. My balance was questionable. I repeatedly fell asleep as Dr. Schlipf was lecturing to us for the last official time. I was dutifully attempting to take notes and all went well for the first page. However, the 2nd and 3rd pages are stark witness to the somnolent state of my brain. It is funny in a really sad way -- I hope Dr. Schlipf didn't notice.
I ate Skittles to stay awake during the second half of the aquatic medicine lecture -- resorting to such junk is not a desirable situation to be in... but it was better than nodding off with a jerk before the prof.
Why so sleepless? I worked midnight to 7:30 am in the large animal hospital (the night was uneventful and I actually got some studying done), then changed into a clean pair of green overalls and returned to the hospital for my large animal clinical rotation. Yesterday's activities were among the highlights of this term. Jay (fellow classmate) and I went on a couple rural veterinary practice calls with Dr. Brady Bergin.
I have heard nothing but good about Dr. Bergin, who, just four years out of vet school, was voted teacher of the year this spring. However, I had very little personal experience with him until yesterday. Now I understand what everybody was talking about. He's patient, tactful and encouraging; he explains what he's doing as he works, doesn't leave the student in a fog of semi-understanding; and his application of horse psychology/behavior knowledge is laudable.
At the first farm "we" floated the teeth on a mare, checked a fetlock wound, and gave some vaccines. Strangely, the vaccines provided the most, er, excitement of the visit. We were informed that one horse was a "poke-poke-stab" animal (i.e. you poke her in the neck with your finger a couple times (to blend the needle stick with other tactile stimuli) then stick the needle in the muscle and all is well). I vaccinated that animal, and all was well.
Naturally, it was Jay's turn for the second horse. We were told this animal can't handle the poke-stab method, but rather falls for the "pinch-neck-skin and stab" method. Well, the horse couldn't handle the stick. In the ensuing drama, the owner was smashed into the stall wall, the horse popped the latch off the stall door as it came plunging through, the goat became temporarily lame, et cetera. But it got its vaccines, and Dr. Bergin gave it a mini-lesson by linking neck-skin-pinching with positive reinforcement. The horse learned relatively quickly.
We then met up with Dr. Estill and two Italian ladies in the ECFVG (Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates) program. One of the program requirements is that they take radiographs of a pig, so we followed them to a small but well-kept piggery in a high-end neighborhood. The pig had septic arthritis and apparent necrosis in a hind leg. It made a lot of noise, but none of the sows attacked us so I am pleased.
The final call was a lameness exam on Dr. Estill's wife's horse. It seemed to localize to the left hind, and worsened with a hock flexion test. We took 4 radiographs each of the right and left hind leg hocks -- hopefully I'll get to seem them today. This is all very exciting -- the first time I ever observed radiographs taken in the field, and even better, the first time I ever took radiographs myself. It was a fantastic learning experience.
So long for now.
I ate Skittles to stay awake during the second half of the aquatic medicine lecture -- resorting to such junk is not a desirable situation to be in... but it was better than nodding off with a jerk before the prof.
Why so sleepless? I worked midnight to 7:30 am in the large animal hospital (the night was uneventful and I actually got some studying done), then changed into a clean pair of green overalls and returned to the hospital for my large animal clinical rotation. Yesterday's activities were among the highlights of this term. Jay (fellow classmate) and I went on a couple rural veterinary practice calls with Dr. Brady Bergin.
I have heard nothing but good about Dr. Bergin, who, just four years out of vet school, was voted teacher of the year this spring. However, I had very little personal experience with him until yesterday. Now I understand what everybody was talking about. He's patient, tactful and encouraging; he explains what he's doing as he works, doesn't leave the student in a fog of semi-understanding; and his application of horse psychology/behavior knowledge is laudable.
At the first farm "we" floated the teeth on a mare, checked a fetlock wound, and gave some vaccines. Strangely, the vaccines provided the most, er, excitement of the visit. We were informed that one horse was a "poke-poke-stab" animal (i.e. you poke her in the neck with your finger a couple times (to blend the needle stick with other tactile stimuli) then stick the needle in the muscle and all is well). I vaccinated that animal, and all was well.
Naturally, it was Jay's turn for the second horse. We were told this animal can't handle the poke-stab method, but rather falls for the "pinch-neck-skin and stab" method. Well, the horse couldn't handle the stick. In the ensuing drama, the owner was smashed into the stall wall, the horse popped the latch off the stall door as it came plunging through, the goat became temporarily lame, et cetera. But it got its vaccines, and Dr. Bergin gave it a mini-lesson by linking neck-skin-pinching with positive reinforcement. The horse learned relatively quickly.
We then met up with Dr. Estill and two Italian ladies in the ECFVG (Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates) program. One of the program requirements is that they take radiographs of a pig, so we followed them to a small but well-kept piggery in a high-end neighborhood. The pig had septic arthritis and apparent necrosis in a hind leg. It made a lot of noise, but none of the sows attacked us so I am pleased.
The final call was a lameness exam on Dr. Estill's wife's horse. It seemed to localize to the left hind, and worsened with a hock flexion test. We took 4 radiographs each of the right and left hind leg hocks -- hopefully I'll get to seem them today. This is all very exciting -- the first time I ever observed radiographs taken in the field, and even better, the first time I ever took radiographs myself. It was a fantastic learning experience.
So long for now.
posted by Claire at 06:38
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