Made it through week 1

Sooo... interesting week. We have PBL sessions 3 times a week, where we talk about our case, and come up with learning issues, then we go home and research those issues. For instance, in our case this week (a dog that was limping on its rear leg), we had to look into the radiology of the leg, why his radiograph was different from normal, different diagnostic tests, the pharmacology of certain drugs, the types of surgery to repair his injury, the histology of the joint, and a bunch of other things. I really enjoy that part, because each piece of information you learn has a "why" attached to it, you can put in in context, and you feel like you're making progress.

We also got to spend some time in the Hill's wellness center this week. We learned how to do physical exams, and just covered some very basic clinical skills. So its nice, while being buried under this avalanche of information that you actually get to do some hands-one work, and get a peek at why you're going through this in the first place.

We did have a couple "lectures" throughout the week. We discussed a journal review on cartilage degridation, had a Q&A session where we reviewed the radiology of our case, and talked about a speech our small groups have to get for a class called "Veterinary Issues."

The part that has me in a sheer panic is anatomy (and a little bit histology.) I SUCK at straight memorization. I went in today, and spent an extra 3 hours in the anatomy lab with my group, and they were kind enough to let me basically dissect a whole leg, but I'm having the hardest time remembering the names of the muscles, and the features on the bone. Its had me in tears at multiple points throughout the week, and I've even thought that its not too late to pack up and go home. I've been giving myself pep talks pretty much all week, and forcing myself to work on remembering everything, but I can pretty much guarentee that this will be a thorn in my side for the next 4 years. I need to talk to the school about getting a tutor, or something.

Oh, as far as anatomy goes - I like how the school handles it. Instead of using purpose-bred dogs for dissection, Western only uses donated animals. So each group has a dog of varying size, age, breed and health. We have the opportunity to stumble across some abnormal features due to illness or injury. Its cool. But, they do try to emphasize that these were once pets. Many dogs still have collars on. Ours doesn't, but her name is written on her ID tag. Its a bit unsettling, but I suppose it would be more unsettling if they tried to completely erase her history.

Anyway, that's week 1. PBL has an amazing way of highlighting just how much you don't know, but its also rewarding when you make big dents, and convert it to what you do know. There's so much information being thrown your way, and the schedule changes on you, and keeps you in this constant state of not knowing what to expect, or what's going on.

I've decided to study until Tyler wakes up (lucky bastard gets to sleep in today,) and then do something fun, just the two of us - I feel like I've been ignoring and neglecting him all week. Then I'll spend Sunday studying, and playing catch-up so I can start Week 2 on the right foot.