Hi all!
I hope that you have all been enjoying the summer months, wherever you may be. Over here in Edinburgh, things have been busy for final years as we began rotations in June- the start of the end!
Rotations consist of spending a week in each hospital department in order to further hone clinical and practical skills. This includes cardiology, neurology, oncology, equine clinics, farm animal clinics, pathology, and so much more.
It has definitely been a transition to go from online classroom learning to in person hands-on work- especially during the pandemic! We are lucky as vet students that we have been allowed to go into the school for some activities, and that rotations have been a mix of online learning and in-person work. The online rotations range from group case-based learning, attending morning/evening rounds, working through diagnostics and client interactions. One of my friends put it well when talking about getting to be on campus for rotations and working hands-on: “It feels like we are finally awakening and are making the transition into veterinarians. The world has been essentially frozen and we are now thawing and excited to practice what we have been taught over the past years.”
I can’t think of a better way of putting it myself. Being able to work hands-on with patients and clients has reminded me why I wanted to go into veterinary medicine in the first place. I’m sure that it has been a similar experience for most during the pandemic- it was difficult to stay motivated and engaged, regardless of whether you were studying or doing something that you enjoy. I hope that with some relaxation of the world, that we are all starting to thaw and getting excited to learn and grow again.
– Sarah
