Monday, March 06, 2006
Anywhere-But-Here, Here I Come!
Our 52 weeks of clinical rotations start in May! We have 26 blocks, each 2 weeks long. Well, 52 minus the 8 weeks of off blocks leaves 44 weeks, but I'm giving up four of my off weeks for more rotations, so, out of the 48 weeks of rotation I'll be doing, 18 of them are off this campus. Yes, over a third of my clinical year will be away from the land of Champagne and Bananas!
So where will I be when I'm not here?
We start May 1st, and I have my first off block the last week in May, which I hope to spend working the same job I have now for some extra cash. And maybe some extra time in the heated pool at CRCE (it has a waterslide!)
I will spend the entire month of September in Athens, GA, home of REM and from what I hear, the best peaches and drum circles. I'll be participating in the University of Georgia's
Southwest Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study and hopefully doing some field work. I found a great littel place to stay the attic rooms of a professor's house, justa 5-minute walk from campus. I think after a long day of epidemiological analysis, it'll be nice to have a rooftop balcony to relax on.
In December, I'll spend the two weeks before Christmas at
VCA doing their neurology rotation, then I have two weeks off for the holidays (I really lucked out).
In January, I'm using one of my off-blocks to go back to VCA for their Emergency/Critical Care rotation and a preview of their
internship program.
Mid-February to mid-March I'll spend four weeks at the
Chicagoland Zoos:
Lincoln Park,
Brookfield, and the
Shedd Aquarium. I might crash over at Gregg's brother's and sister-in-law's place when I have long days, since they live right down the street from Brookfield Zoo.
Then, for my last off-campus experince, my very last six weeks as a vet student will be spent at the
White Oak Conservation Center in Yulee Florida, where I'll learn proper tranquilizer gun technique. This place is great--they do a lot of captive breeding/reproductive work with threatened species.
I can't wait.
