In finishing my first year of vet school, I remember feeling elated and exhausted, accomplished and worn out. It was a trying year for pretty much every part of me–spiritually, emotionally, and physically. To be finished with arguably the hardest year of school thus far in my life imparted a great sense of pride in my ability to handle all the stresses that come along with being a veterinary student.
My classmates decided the best way to celebrate would be with an all-day outdoor party at the veterinary fraternity, Alpha Psi. It was a great time to relax and spend time with my peers whom I normally saw only under high-stress situations in the library. I had a great time, although I remember the jealous and angry looks of the second-year students who still had two more days of exams to endure as they walked by.
I was 100% one of those angry second-year students this past month. May was wrought with studying on top of studying on top of studying. It was difficult, and my social life plummeted to new lows. I threw myself into my studies and for the most part, the results paid off!
Studying for second-year exams as opposed to first-year exams is a lot more enjoyable, for lack of a better word. The classes we took as second-year students are much more clinical (and more difficult). I really do not want to complain about the workload in school, because after all, I chose to be here and I am pursuing a career that many people only get to dream about having.
At the end of the day, it is a great feeling to be able to sound and feel more like a doctor. For example, my entire vocabulary for directional terms has been replaced by “dorsal” and “lateral.” Instead of talking about how the humidity makes it difficult to breathe, I think about how my concurrent bradycardia affects my cardiac output, and which drugs I could potentially take (if, hypothetically I were under general anesthesia) to counteract both of those problems.
I guess you could say that second year still has not left my mind. But I guess that is the point of veterinary school –the information should not ever leave your mind!
