HELP…I’m Getting Fat in Vet School!

The “freshman fifteen” – a term we dread when we start college and most of us work hard to prevent that dreaded weight gain. When we start vet school it doesn’t even occur to us that there might be a similar phenomenon at play, but it seems that incoming vet students are struggling to maintain Read More …

Oh My Goodness, A MOUSE!!!

Mice exist. Most people have encountered them at some point in their lives — in their homes, apartments, pet stores, work, in alleyways, in subway tunnels, and even in the classroom. That’s right, we occasionally have little a mouse visit us in lecture. Now let’s remember, we’re in veterinary school. We are here because we Read More …

When Tragedy Strikes

Illness and death are things that affect us all, often at the worst possible times. They are never easy to deal with, but being thousands of miles away from your loved ones during such times makes coping with these events even more difficult as you are often forced to cope with tragedy all by yourself, Read More …

When Tragedy Strikes

Illness and death are things that affect us all, often at the worst possible times. They are never easy to deal with, but being thousands of miles away from your loved ones during such times makes coping with these events even more difficult as you are often forced to cope with tragedy all by yourself, Read More …

Why is EVERYONE sick?!

Year 1 in vet school felt like at any given time, at least a quarter of the class was always sick. Now that we’re in Year 2, that seems to hold true, not just for my class, but for the first year class as well. People have a multitude of symptoms suggesting that there are Read More …

Registering for Electives

Registering for electives at the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis might seem confusing, so here is a step-by-step guide: 1. Determine which electives you want to take by going to VIPER –> Curriculum –> Curriculum Handbook –> then either choose your year under “Courses by Level” or “Track Elective Recommendations” (Courses by Level Read More …

Class of 2015 Applicants

It’s official — Class of 2015 applications have been received and are currently being reviewed! Congrats to all of you who applied! There are 1,043 applicants this year, which is fewer than in previous years, but still makes the UC Davis applicant pool more competitive than other schools in the United States. On average, veterinary Read More …

Getting Competitive

I don’t consider myself a competitive person. I had my competitive streak many years ago, but that pretty much ended when I left high school and started my undergraduate studies at Pomona College, one of the least competitive, most collaborative and supportive environments I’ve ever been in. I even stopped competing in skiing and swimming Read More …

Going to School…with Dogs

Imagine leaving an exam (it could have gone well but perhaps it was more difficult than you had anticipated) and as you walk out the door kicking yourself for not studying hard enough, you are greeted by furry creatures with wagging tails. I don’t care what you say, but no matter how bad the exam Read More …

5 Exams, 2 Weeks: Getting Motivated & Maintaining Work-Life Balance

We’re about half way through the Fall term of second year and to mark the occasion, we have 5 exams (3 exams, 2 finals) within 2 weeks. That is uncharacteristically brutal compared to the normal 1 test per week that we have been accustomed to thus far in vet school. Regardless of the seemingly chaotic Read More …