Vet Times

Tag: veterinary school

  • Breeding hate of caesareans

    Breeding hate of caesareans

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    They should be joyful operations – from a distressed, painful dog in a potentially life-threatening situation, to a fixed one, in less than an hour, with none of that unsatisfying mucking about with blood gasses or puzzling over blood results. The surgery itself is relatively simple and rather fun. To top it off, you (ideally)…

  • Aggressive patients

    Aggressive patients

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    I’ve discussed before the massive emotional shift that seems to occur in the transition from a student to a new graduate – namely due to the responsibility – but the transition to being an actual vet also means being on the front line when it comes to aggressive patients. As a student, you are often…

  • In at the deep end

    In at the deep end

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    Being a new grad is scary. And, although I don’t think I’ve been dropped in the deep end as much as some of my colleagues may have, I feel entirely overwhelmed the majority of the time and question several times a day whether I actually went to uni. Starting in practice has made me realise…

  • Language: lost (or gained) in translation?

    Language: lost (or gained) in translation?

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    We spend five years at vet school learning a myriad of vet jargon; a whole new language, with a fair bit of Latin thrown in too. When you think about it, even the “simple” descriptive and directional words – e.g. caudal/cranial – were alien to us before vet school. The funny thing is, just as…

  • An abbreviation too far?

    An abbreviation too far?

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    We love an abbreviation in the veterinary world. CBA, RTA, TTA – just hopefully not all on the same patient, or all at the same time. To laypeople, medical notes must seem like another language. Therefore, it’s no surprise, when said laypeople request access to their records, that these notes rarely hold the answer. So…

  • New vet schools are not the solution

    New vet schools are not the solution

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    We’ve barely had a day of news in the past year that didn’t include Brexit. Yet, do any of us really know what the real consequences will be? Within the veterinary profession, specific factors are undoubtedly going to be influenced by Brexit, even if we don’t know the extent of these yet. They do, however,…

  • Back to school

    Back to school

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    This week, I returned to my old school to talk to some A-level students about university life. During the question and answer session, fellow ex-students and I were asked the reasons why we chose our respective universities. We discussed the criteria we considered before coming to our individual conclusions, such as: accommodation city versus rural location…

  • Preconceptions

    Preconceptions

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    Many preconceptions about the veterinary profession exist, with many of us having heard the old “is that seven years of training?” or “vets are all loaded” comments (cue eye roll). But what about on a personal level? Now I’ve finished vet school and passed (yippee!), I’ve been faced with a couple of misconceptions when I’ve…

  • The art of veterinary medicine

    The art of veterinary medicine

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    So, with less than three weeks until finals, my friends and I have finished rotations. Some of us have had job interviews and some have accepted job offers. This is all getting a bit real… Supposedly, we’re ready to take on the outside world as real vets. We’ve got heads full of knowledge and hands…

  • It’s good to talk…

    It’s good to talk…

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    The issue of poor mental health in the veterinary profession as a whole is becoming more recognised, and has sparked the launch of initiatives such as Mind Matters and Vetlife’s helpline service. But what about vet students specifically? When I was applying for vet school, I remember numerous people told me the hardest part is…