Western U

Western University

My attitude towards Western University thus far has been hum drum, mostly because it is expensive (as a private veterinary school) as well as the fact that I have heard mixed reviews on their teaching methods. Well, Sean likes the idea of me going to veterinary school in Southern California so he can stay down here and keep his career localized while he finishes up his schooling, so he encouraged me to look into it more. I signed up for their preview day.

After a long week of exams, I did not even think I was going to be able to get the motivation up enough to go out there Saturday morning. Well, thankfully it worked out because WOW, did I fall in love! I drove out with Bonnie; when we arrived, we got a tour of the vet med part of campus (walked past the medical school with all the med students in their white coats).

After the tour we went up to a little auditorium and sat through some talks given by the recruiter and one of the faculty. Then, we did a mini PBL (problem based learning) example. It was about “Hendricks” the okapi, who was losing weight. We started filling out the board with things we knew, things we did not know (and needed to find out) and ideas about what might be wrong with him. I am completely smitten with PBL; it feels like my homeschool days, that was my mom’s entire teaching philosophy. She always said, if she didn’t teach us everything, at least she taught us how to find out everything. That is what happens in real life anyway, right? It isn’t like the patients come in with multiple choice exams stapled to their foreheads. PBL really resonates with me. :)

When the dean walked in, I was shocked! The dean of the vet school, coming to speak to us lowly little “prospectives”. Well, not only did he speak to us, he inspired us (or me, at least). The one thing that really stuck with me is he said that we need to prepare “all of ourselves.” When we will get to vet school, we will focus on becoming vets. Until then, however, we need to learn how to be human beings. He also talked about how their method is to teach us to learn, and to continue learning long after we have graduated from veterinary school.

To close, we got to do a Q & A with four students, three second-years and one first-year. The girls were so different but obviously great friends. Part of one of the things that really appeals to me about Western is their method of having groups of seven students working together that rotates every eight weeks. I think that gives an awesome opportunity to make solid friendships during a stressful time of life. Through the questions, we learned even more about how Western works. The faculty sounds amazing, obviously very supportive and wanting to see their students succeed. Each student gets an advisor and a “big sib”, a first-year student gets a second-year student (matched via compatibility survey) as a mentor to get them acclimated to the way of life of a veterinary student. They also do a WAVE program, so the animals we use are all donated by their owners after they die. Accordingly, the school has a high reverence for life. All animals, living or deceased, are treated with dignity and respect. They do not do unnecessary procedures on animals (i.e. put a catheter in a healthy dog for practice). I was extremely impressed! Oh, and their NAVLE (the equivalent to the bar for law students) pass rate is higher than the national average.

It’s hard to explain. . . I just loved the way I felt being there. I guess I should listen to Sean more. ;)

Graduation

It is finally starting to feel real: I got an email from the College of the Desert people giving me instructions for registering for graduation and purchasing my cap, gown and tassel. I can't believe that all this hard work is finally going to come to fruition! 

Bonnie took me shopping on our way home from Western, and we found the perfect graduation dress! It is a surprise, you’ll have to wait until the graduation to see what it looks like. It sure is cute, though!

Oh, and the greatest news? MY MOM IS COMING DOWN FOR THE GRADUATION!!! We got her plane ticket all set, she got the time off of work and I am ecstatic!! I know it’s just baby college, but it has been a journey and I am so glad that she is going to be there for the close of it.

Summer

Since I do not have to go to Davis early, I am looking into ways to cram in tons of vet experience this summer. I am going to try my best to get into Companion, the vet clinic that I have worked at before and is run by a vet I have known since I was ten years old. But, since I have plenty of small animal vet experience, I want to diversify. I am going to keep trying to get in contact with the Living Desert for their internship program (for which I cannot find any information about online). I am also going to try to get into either the emergency vet clinic in Indio or the exotics vet clinic in La Quinta. I figure it is a win-win situation; I get time spent in the environment I crave, and they get free labor! Plus I have experience and a decent head on my shoulders, so I will not be a burden. Lastly, I will be able to put in lots of extra hours at Guide Dogs of the Desert and the Riverside animal shelter. I might try to get in at the Yucca Valley animal shelter, too.

There is lots of other stuff to do this summer besides gaining experience. The trip alone is going to be a blast! Not only will it be a chance to get away for a bit, Sean and I will be able to spend an entire week together and get to celebrate our third anniversary in one of our most favorite places in the world. I think Cub is really going to enjoy it, too, since she loves water and there will be plenty of room for her to run and explore. Besides the trip, I do have to take a Spanish class this summer. Then Sean and I need to get Shorty the trailer fixed up since he is going to be where we live this summer and where I will live for the next year or two up in Davis. 

I am going to spend time with my great friends Don and Cathi, my awesome pseudo-family who has always been there for me. I have been neglecting them with my last two crazy semesters, and then I will be moving so that’s even worse. Need to make up for lost time and time that will be missed in the future. Oh yeah, and I will be spending plenty of time with the love of my life, Sean. Can’t wait! :))

Baby cow. :)