Monday 6 June 2016

Home for the summer

So it has been a couple months since I posted.  I guess life got busy and blogging slipped my mind!

Lots has happened since my last post.  I finished up my EMS placement.  While I was there I got some pretty amazing experiences including scrubbing in for an equine colic surgery, including putting in some sutures, some more cat neuters, helping with bull calf castrations and lots of other cases.

After my EMS I had a few days at home relaxing before heading back to Edinburgh for the final six week push.  I took the dogs to a leash free dog park.  Jenny had the time of her life when she found a giant mud puddle.  I thought no big deal, her feet will be a little muddy.  Well she decided to sit down.  I felt like the rest of our time in the dog park all the other dog owners were judging me for how dirty my dog was.



When I got back to Edinburgh it was pretty much just lectures, practicals and studying.  The highlight was spending three hours at the Edinburgh Dental Institute with the human dental instructors teaching us how to safely clean teeth and all the different instruments we might encounter.  After four weeks of lectures it was a week and a half for just studying.  Studying for 12 days straight was exhausting.  I had one final exam which covered all of cat and dog medicine, which was all the material I had learned since January.  It seems pretty crazy that we can have one three hour exam for all the material that I theoretically need to know for cat and dog practice.  I have to wait until the middle of June for my results.

After my exam I spent a few days relaxing in Edinburgh.  I went on a hunt for some nice pictures since I hadn't gotten out as much as I had wanted to since my photography tour.

Cherry Blossoms in the Meadows

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle

Scott Monument and the Balmoral Hotel

Dean Village

The Water of Leith
After my few days relaxing I flew back home for the summer.  Since arriving home I have been mostly just hanging out until I start my clinical placements.  I went to a Toronto Marlies playoff hockey game (which they lost but was still pretty fun), spent lots of time walking the dogs and yesterday we went up to the property on Lake Huron to check it out.  The dogs were in for a swim.  While it was unseasonably warm, the water was still a little too chilly for me to swim!

Group Swim

Staying true to his breed - Swimming and retrieving!

A happy dog post swimming


I have one more week off (but am working some for my dad) and then I start the first of my clinical placements.