Vet School - Almost the End!

It's official - the countdown is now beginning to look more like a countdown and not just wishful thinking. I mean really: when there are three digits on a countdown it's not really counting down, so much as reminding you of the eternity there remains. I only have four more rotations (8 more weeks) before I finally get my DVM and officially become a doctor. The scary part is when I inofficially become a doctor, aka when I learn how to be a doctor on my own. It definitely has been fantastic to have the safety-net that is being a student.

Who doesn't love the ability to make decisions, but the comfort of knowing that the responsibility really doesn't fall on your own shoulders? Soon enough, I will gain the responsibility and the decision-making. And this scares the ____________ out of me (you can fill-in any appropriate/non-appropriate word). I definitely don't feel ready to be pushed from the proverbial* nest, but I know it's soon time to try out these wings. I keep getting told that I will be a good (at times great) doctor, and I hope to God these people are right. It definitely keeps me up at night, thinking about all those bad doctors out there who still get to keep the title doctor - even though they definitely haven't earned the right. I can only hope these people see something more than I can see in myself.

I have made some great friends here at school and hope we all keep in touch as we branch out across the country. I am happy to say that these are people who I know will do their best become leaders in their community. (As for others...well, I can only wish them luck and that they find their way.) They have been my saving grace and my sanity, both which run short when everyone is sleep-deprived, stressed, and running on a lethal combination of adrenaline & caffeine.

Vet school has definitely made me stronger and helped me to grow more than I ever thought possible (and honestly, at times more than I ever wanted). It has also broken my heart and tested my will. I am glad to say I have laughed more than cried...which is really all I can ask for.

And it has made me realize what my goals are. Wanna hear/read/see them? If not, skip to the end...there are some terrific definitions for you to learn!

Liz's Goals:

1. Have a freaking life outside of work.

2. Enjoy every day, as much as possible.

3. Become a surgeon. Seriously, I love it. Cutting, fixing, power tools. What more can a girl ask for?

4. Live my Gura's (pictured on the left) mantra: Let it go. Always let it go.

5. People are weird. (not really a goal, so much as a fact. But I had to have a top five list...top four list is just weird)

Alright, enough mushy blather. This is what happens when a person is tired and hopeful...as opposed to tired and cranky (that was me yesterday). Enjoy the following train of thought:

Definition of proverbial: characteristic of a proverb

Definition of proverb: A short pithy saying in frequent and widespread use that expresses a basic truth or practical precept.

Defintion of Pithy: Consisting of or resembling pith

Definition of Pith:

1. Botany The soft, spongelike, central cylinder of the stems of most flowering plants, composed mainly of parenchyma.

2. Zoology The soft inner substance of a feather or hair.

3. The essential or central part; the heart or essence.

4. Strength; vigor; mettle.

5. Significance; importance.

6. Archaic Spinal cord or bone marrow.

Based on this: proverbial nest really means - soft, spongy nest made of bone marrow. No wonder why people talk about leaving it all the time! Ew. And yes, vet school has made me more random (that's right, I'm blaming vet school for that).