The Externship Project Blog

×

Error message

Notice: Only variables should be passed by reference in ovc_bootstrap_subtheme_preprocess_page() (line 53 of /var/www/html/externship.ovc.uoguelph.ca/sites/all/themes/bootstrap/ovc_bootstrap_subtheme/template.php).

Learning to “do,” not just to “know”

Posted July 6, 2017

The first three years of vet school involve a ton of written exams. We spend most of our Monday mornings filling out bubble sheets and short answer tests, and then we spend the month of April writing final exams on everything we’ve learned in the last year. We get to be very good at taking tests, at memorizing things and regurgitating information. But now we start our fourth year, and we begin a whole new type of...

Emergency medicine and on-call duties important part of Externship experience

Posted July 5, 2017

I’ve wanted to be a veterinarian since I was 7 years old.  I’ve always felt a special bond with animals and wanted to spend as much time with them as possible. 

I pursued a Bachelor of Science at the University of Guelph where I worked as a research assistant in the...

A Stroke of Luck

Posted June 30, 2017

Coming to Australia was a huge gamble. Travelling across the world on my own to a foreign country, subjected to a novel environment with varying mindsets, and with the hope that the placement I chose was as awesome as I imagined it would be. I hoped that I would be able to gain valuable experience at my chosen hospital due to the fact that it was a 24-hour hospital and its close proximity to the University of Queensland School of Veterinary Science. But in all honesty, I really didn’t know. And even so, given my uncertainties, boy did I hit the jackpot!

Bubbling with excitement as I set off on this adventure of a lifetime

Posted June 29, 2017

Being admitted into OVC is the most incredible feeling in the entire world for any young student dreaming to one day become a veterinarian. But one thing many students, myself certainly included, don't consider in that happy moment is the immense, enormous, near impossible amount of hard work ahead of them in the program. Long days in the classroom followed by even longer hours in the library, huddled over books and laptops full of seemingly endless information. A vet student's new dream becomes the day they finish their third year (phase 3) final exam marathon and can finally, FINALLY, enter their clinical year. This is the year...

Diagnostics vital in veterinary medicine

Posted June 28, 2017

Diagnostics are so important in the medical field, especially in the veterinary field where our patients cannot tell us what is bothering them. As veterinarians we can gather the information for the client about how their pet is acting to help narrow down what tests we can run to help pinpoint a diagnosis.

I am very fortunate that my externship clinic has a wide array of diagnostic tools. One of the most used machines is the digital...

Combining love of outdoors, wildlife and travel with externship placement

Posted June 26, 2017

I don’t think I remember a time in my life when I didn’t want to be a veterinarian. As many others, I grew up loving all animals, but I was also always interested in how I could help them and keep them healthy and happy.

I was born in London, Ontario, and moved to Guelph when...

A leap of confidence: from the books to the surgery table!

Posted June 23, 2017

Second week came along… all the hours spent in books and lectures are starting to become more real. All the hard work is starting to pay off. I knew that achieving my “ideal destination” was going to take a lot of time and effort, and I won't lie to you, I had moments of self-doubt… but those moments are fading away. I never doubted this is the career I wanted to follow and the more hours I spend at the clinic, the more I solidify my love for this profession! And this week was very special! I did surgery on my own cat “Teagan” (well… my son’s cat to be more precise).

“Farming – Not for the faint of heart!”

Posted June 23, 2017

This was a phrase said by one of the food animal vets at the end of one of our herd health visits. Some background: we had done some pregnancy checks, checked fresh (recently calved) cows for any signs of infection, and looked at a sick cow that the farmer had pointed out to us. When we do our checks, the farmer walks with his clip board and tells us which cows to check and how far along they should be in their pregnancy. The farmer is the most knowledgeable...

Exploring my externship surroundings

Posted June 21, 2017

There is so much to learn and see during the externship both in and out of the clinic. I decided to take time to explore the area of Lancaster where I am spending 8 weeks. For me, I am three and half hours away from home and my weekends are spent discovering what Lancaster County, Pennsylvania has to offer. I take every opportunity to go out and see new places, since I don’t know when I’ll have an opportunity to visit again.

Once of my favorite day trips...

Tick talk

Posted June 16, 2017

Hi everyone, it has been a busy week at Hoosick Veterinary Clinic. For this week’s blog, I would like to talk about Lyme disease. Lyme disease is a commonly diagnosed disease in this area but not as common in some parts of Canada, including parts of Ontario. So, what is Lyme disease, who is at risk, and where are high risk areas in Ontario, Canada?

Lyme disease is caused by the infective spirochete agent Borrelia burgdorferi. The spread of the disease is facilitated by the Ixodes scapularis, more commonly known as deer ticks. These ticks are referred to as multi host...