When the catapillar becomes a butterfly...

Aka when Liz becomes Dr. Myers. It was an amazing commencement, surrounded by friends, family, colleagues, and mentors. The graduation speaker was great, Dr. Baxter Black, as was the rest of the speakers.

The best part of this graduation? It should be the last one I have to go through, personally. And that made it all the sweeter!

A huge thank you to all my friends and family who have supported me through this gauntlet called vet school. I definitely have grown during the process (and not just because of poppy seed!). It is true, the heat of the fire creates something purer than before. Vet school = fire. Thankfully I didn't turn into ash!

I want to especially thank my sweet husband, Keith. He has been through all the ups and downs that have been my veterinary training. Without him I am nothing, and without him I couldn't have done this. Only he truly knows what this has been like for me, and I am so grateful that he is my wonderful soulmate. (Is it bad if I make myself cry?)

Things I've Learned This Past Few Weeks

1. I really don't like Equine Surgery. But I do enjoy the people in the department.

2. Horses still scare me, but some are really sweet. I guess just like people, they can also be weirdly unpredictable.

3. People come by to try and save our soul with their religion. And even when we declined (we already have our own spiritual beliefs), they were nice enough to return my stolen wallet. There really are nice people out there.

4. Thieves steal weird stuff. A list of things I had stolen from my wallet:

Two dollars in cash

All my loose change

Gap Visa card

Costco card...apparently they expect to buy a lot in bulk...with my $2.

5. Our baby moves a lot and I still can't feel a darn thing. This time...avoiding the doppler at the doctor's office.

6. Taking a 15 minute nap can really be the difference between grogginess and sanity.

7. People always look at your belly when you are pregnant. Even when you aren't showing yet.

8. My husband doesn't like to feel helpless. Especially when it comes to taking care of me. And that I love this about him.

9. We are crazy. Moving, new job, and new baby...three HUGE life-altering events and we plan to do them within the next 6 months. What were we thinking?!

10. I still like it when lists end on multiples of 5.

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).

Helping One at a Time

Recently I went to Boston to do a two week externship at Angell Animal Medical Center.   It is a wonderful hospital with a grand history of excellent small animal veterinary medicine...and currently is one of the best hospitals on the East Coast!

I was fortunate to spend my time in the surgery department, where I got to scrub into a bunch of really cool surgeries (don't worry, I won't bore you with the details).  There were some great cases I saw and got to help out with, which further reminded me why I love veterinary medicine!  One of the interesting cases I saw: a hindleg amputation on a gerbil.  Why?  Because it got hit by a train.  A toy train.  Poor 'lil guy!  (This makes me think about all those cartoons with the damsel in distress tied to the railroad tracks.  Maybe there was an evilrat stroking his mustache at the time...)

The case that will stick with me the most is Lucky the Ass Cat.  I was hanging out in the surgery department when a clinician from the associated MSPCA shelter came by to ask for assistance from one of the surgical residents for their Ass Cat (as everyone kept calling her, as you will see why).

*This is Lucky the Ass Cat.  She loved her box and would sleep in it.  Her butt has no hair in this picture; it was shaved for preparation for surgery.

A cat came in that had her tail degloved (this means the skin was torn off).  They didn't know how it happened, but knew that the cat was in some serious pain.  I went with the surgeon, who carefully assessed the patient and determined that a tail amputation would fix her just right.  Even though this trauma had happened and was most painful, Ass Cat was the sweetest purring kitty.  Since the shelter was super busy, I ran the anesthesia on the Ass Cat.  The surgeon performed the tail amputation and Ass Cat did great under anesthesia.

Every day after that, I would visit her to see how she was doing.  She would purr and act like nothing had ever happened.  Thankfully, the shelter renamed her Lucky, but she will always be Ass Cat in my heart*.  She taught me that even under the most traumatic situations, it is possible to act with grace and kindness.  Lucky the Ass Cat was never angry at the world for what happened to her, just happy that people cared enough to take care of her.  And I will never forget the graciousness the surgeon showed to help out an animal in need, glad to be able to help when needed. This case really reaffirmed what I learned in Boston and what I love about veterinary medicine: medicine and love can cure a lot!

*note: Yes, she is a black kitty - my weakness.  And yes, I did think about taking her home, except I already have neglected cats at home!

Learning to be a Vet: Tucson

This past summer I spent some time in Tucson for an externship at my old work place, Veterinary Specialty Center of Tucson.  I loved it!  It was fantastic to see Dr. Gores and Dr. Boulay again, and to meet Dr. Shields.  They are such fantastic clinicians.  Not only was it great to see all the doctors and staff I used to work with, but it was so much fun learning.  

*This is Dr. Boulay wearing his infamous flame scrubs to celebrate my last day working at VSCT (2006) before I went off to vet school.

 

It is amazing how 3+ years of intensive medical training makes you understand stuff that I never did before.  The doctors and technicians were so generous to allow me to ask questions, observe, and scrub in to whatever surgery I wanted. It really enforced what I want to be when I grow-up to be a doctor: a strong clinician who is able to communicate and motivate, who practices excellent medicine and fantastic surgeries.  I was definitely motivated after visiting VSCT!

While I was in Tucson for two weeks, I got to stay with my friend Bea.  Bea and I met at UofA while we were going to graduate school.  But then I figured out my life, much after Keith did and left grad school, and went onto work at VSCT.  Bea, our friend Steph, and I had a great time catching up and just hanging out.  We had a blast together!  We even went out to a party, which is really out of our comfort zone.  Of course, it was with a bunch of rocket scientists.  Seriously.  Nothing like a bunch of drunk rocket scientists and Guitar Hero Rock Band for an interesting night.  Another night we went out for to see a movie and ended up at a video game arcade afterward.  Steph and I rocked at this Japanese Taiko video game.  It was just great to see my wonderful friends.  We had a blast!

Overall my trip to Tucson was a great reminder of what lays in my future, working hard to become a great doctor who has the blessings of supportive family and friends.

Veterinary Medicine Isn't Always Glamourous

Today was a very hard day for me.  I had another weekend emergency/ICU shift, which is supposed to last for 6.5 hours.  I say supposed to because they never do.  My last emergency shift went from 2pm until midnight.  That's right...you do the math (or count on your fingers if you are like me).  Not that I am really complaining.  After all, it's the way medicine is in real life.  Emergencies don't schedule and treatment and tests take time.  But it does wear on a person, especially if that person is sick and sleep-deprived.

So why was today especially hard?  Because it was another example of how much I hate being helpless.  I can't (and won't) go into the specifics, but I ended up dealing with a patient in respiratory arrest that progressed to cardiovascular arrest...and we could not resuscitate it.  Then my other patient, who was also having breathing problems arrested when we took him to get x-rays.  He was only away from supplemental oxygen for less than 1 minute.  Thankfully both patients died peacefully.  

I was reminded that we can't save all our patients and that those who come into emergency are the most critical.  But that is hard for me to take when I don't want to lose hope that we can make their lives better again.  I guess it's just another lesson I have to take to heart: do what I can to help them while they are here.  It just breaks my heart to be unable to help my patients and their owners when they are looking for help. 

I just hope that they know they did the right thing by trying to help, and I hope that their memories give them the peace that their pets have already found.

Fourth Year = Fun + Food + Friends

One of the fun things about fourth year clinics is all the people I am getting to know and work with. Of course I mean all the great senior clinicians and house officers! Seriously, not just sucking up here...especially since none of them read this. But I also mean my classmates. You would think that after spending three years confined in a windowless lecture hall day after day (after day...) together we would be sick of each other. And that is definitely true - there are some people that I am glad not to be trapped with! But with almost 100 people in our class, I definitely did not talk and get to know everyone. However, with these clinical rotations I am really getting to know classmates that I did not have a chance to talk to and am having a blast!

One of my favorite rotations has been my most recent, diagnostic radiology. This rotation focused on taking and interpreting x-rays, ultrasound, and MRI. I had some great classmates on this rotation and had a lot of fun! It was so great to have such a great atmosphere and support while we waded through (re-)learning how to read x-rays. In this picture are two of my classmates evaluating digital x-rays on a post-operative patient that had reconstructive knee surgery. That's right...veterinary medicine is just that cool!

Having great people to work with makes the rotations so much more enjoyable, especially when they can be stressful. Over the course of the rotation, I learned so much about them my classmates and their backgrounds. Many of us had very diverse backgrounds, from city life to farm living. However, in spite of these differences we had so much in common: our interests, sense of humor, and thankfully - work ethic.

So, clinical rotations last two weeks and on the last Friday of a rotation there is a hospital tradition called 'Food Friday.' Basically it is a department potluck where we have fun and eat a bunch; all while we are working of course! This is especially a treat, as for some rotatiions require 16 hour days. (And then Food Friday lunch becomes Food Friday dinner too...aka my orthopedic rotation). So for our radiology Food Friday, we had a Breakfast For Lunch Theme. (Because of course you need a theme for a potluck!)

Two girls brought in electric skillets, a waffle maker, crockpot and a bunch of other cooking gear - all for our potluck. It was hilarious! They did a great job cooking: french toast, waffles, and scrambled eggs. This was in addition to a breakfast casserole, hash browns, and bacon that we all brought in.


These girls were incredible to take the time to bring in all their gear and cook everyone a hot lunch. I had no idea that they were such great cooks and so big-hearted. And of course we all enjoyed this food while working and learning away! Plus I got a great new recipe - breakfast casserole! Maybe these Food Fridays will teach me to be a better cook too!?! Wow, I am learning a lot during my fourth year!

Learning to be a Doctor

It has been a quick three years and now I'm spending my last year of my veterinary training in the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital. It is such a wonderful change of pace from my lecture-based learning schedule. In case you wanted to know how those last three years were spent, let me catch you up:

1. Wake up and get ready for the day
2. Go to campus
3. Sit in the same lecture hall, in the same seat (4-8 hours)
3a. Eat lunch during class
4. Go home
5. Study
5a. Eat dinner during studying
5b. Study some more
6. Go to sleep
7. Repeat

I know that it sounds really exciting. You probably should be jealous for not having the opportunity to live this high-rolling life. And for those of you who think I may be exaggerating...well, just ask Keith. ;) But now I'm onto newer and bigger things. I get to take care of real patients by helping to diagnose and treating them. I get to support and teach owners about what is happening to their pet, what it means, and what we can do about it. It is fantastic! The responsibility is weighty, but the reward is great too. It is a fantastic reminder of why I switched careers: to help those who cannot help themselves.

My favorite patient so far is a feisty Australian cattle dog who came in while her owners were at their son's wedding. That's her in the picture! She had a previously diagnosed tumor that was becoming necrotic, recurring vomiting episodes, and was generally ill. After staying in the ICU for over a week, she went home to her family healthy and happy. And I'm happy to say that she has returned to her old ornery self. Other patients have been equally memorable and each case has taught me something about medicine and myself.


Besides the medicine, I am learning what kind of doctor I want to become when I grow-up. It may sound odd, but this process of veterinary medicine training has taught me a lot about who I want to be and what impact I want to leave on those around me, animals and people. Most of all, it has been a reminder that the marriage of science and love is powerful and can cure more things together than either alone.