♫My bags are not packed, and I'm not ready to go.♫

I am on single digit days now!  It's been a long time since my last post.  I truly wish that they become closer and closer once I actually get on the island.

So I finished my Banfield externship last Saturday.  It was a wonderful eye opening experience into the world of corporate veterinary medicine.  Being a multiple hospital practice requires the necessity to adhere to certain standards that may not necessarily be upheld at some other private practices.  I felt like I was working to the same standards as some human hospitals and it felt pretty awesome.  I also met a lot of awesome individuals I hope to stay in contact with for a long time to come.  I feel a lot more prepared going to veterinary school now having completed this externship and being able to practices my skills as a technician at another practice to see how they do things differently.

I had a wonderful going away party as well last Saturday.  I was able to see some wonderful people that have helped me throughout my life that I have not been able to see in years.  I'm hoping over the next 6 days to be able to see some one last time before I leave.

I also sold my car 3 days ago.  It was a win-win all around as the individual who bought it from me I used to work with and could really use a reliable car that would last them years(My Honda could easily get another 150k on the engine the way I took care of it.)  I was a little sad at first as it was my car, a symbol of my independence.  But after realizing that the whole reason for selling it was not only to have some cash to buy another car on the island, but also to not have to worry about registration and insurance for the next 28-40months.

If you look very closely you can see a yellow Virginia registration sticker on the front windshield.  That was my favorite way of telling my black Honda for the fifty other ones that seemed to always be in the same parking lot as mine.

And of course, I have yet to start packing.  Not necessarily because I'm lazy(although that may have some truth to it) but more so as it is difficult to figure out not only what to bring with you for 2 years, as well as which of the 4 bags to pack it in to make sure it arrives safely and under 50 lbs.

This picture above is only about half of the things that I have planned on taking with me not including actual clothing.  I'm hoping to spend the better part of today after I finish writing this packing the rest of my suitcases/duffle bags so I can be done with it.

My flight leaves Wednesday morning (6 days!).  From there I head to Dallas and then onto Miami.  I'll be staying in Miami the night as I have a 12-14 hr layover until my flight to Saint Kitts and Nevis.  This may be my last post from California but hopefully not from the states, so until next time....

I'm in a hurry to get things done...

All my vaccines are done!  Another check box to mark off on my never-ending list of todos before I leave.  It is still a wonderful feeling to know that something you never thought you would get done in time is slowly starting to all come together.  As time gets closer I will probably post less and less as my time will become less and less free :-)
Next week I will be attending the Western Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas, NV.  This is one of the largest veterinary conferences in the world where the majority of great minds within our industry come together for round table discussions as well as symposiums on practically any subject matter that has to do with animal health (human or otherwise).  I hope to have much to report after this amazing opportunity that pretty much just fell into my lap about three days ago.  The week after that I will be taking a week long well deserved vacation with my girlfriend.  We got a deal on a cruise about four months ago and thought it would be a wonderful trip to spend before we both go off to our respected professional schools.  And the week after that I start at my new six week long internship as Banfield: the Pet Hospital.  Busy busy but I cannot wait  to soak it all in and tell you all about it!

It's the Final Countdown!

We're already 1/12 of the way through the new year.  Wow that went fast!  I haven't posted in awhile as work and my leaving to-do list has kept me rather busy these past two weeks.

What I find amazing about social media is the fact that one no longer has to wait for the first day of school to meet their classmates.  Facebook especially has assisted with this venture.  Other programs should start what I think Ross has done a great job doing.  New students are added to a Facebook group containing officials from the institution as well as current students so that any questions we may have (official or otherwise) can not only be answered in a timely fashion, but also can be answered very honestly by those who have lived it.  It allows you to get excited about a new journey you're about to embark on as well as prepare yourself in ways we have never been able to before.

Students visa requirements can be a pain in the arm sometimes... literally.  I had an LVN give me a rabies shot the other day and I believe it was the first one she had ever given.  Before she put the needle in she said, "Ok, here goes nothing."  I must say, that was very reassuring!  Needless to say I will not miss getting these vaccinations and look forward to just having my blood drawn every two years.  All of the pain is completely worth it though.

My boss was showing me pictures from a trip to Saint Kitts that he attended on behalf of a Novartis veterinary leadership conference.  I kid you not, each picture he showed me taken from a little disposable camera looked like this.

I know that the majority of my time will be spent with my head inside a textbook, but honestly, it's still nice to know that I can walk out my front door and down to this whenever I want for the next 28 months after I arrive.

I just found this neat little countdown timer so I set it up to show my departure date from the States.  Can't believe it's less than 100 days now.  I have sooo much I need to get done still before I leave.

Happy New Year!

Already 2 weeks in to the new year.  I wish you all had a productive 2011 and I wish you all have an excellent 2012.  I know I will.

This past week I sat down and started planning out the next 14 weeks of my life in order to get everything done needed before heading to the carribean.  When you actually sit down and start planning something like this, 14 weeks is nothing.  Before I know it I'm going to be on a plane for 12 hours heading to a tropical paradise (I say this as I haven't associated the carribean with 60-80 hour school/study weeks yet)

I've learned many new things when it comes to traveling/moving outside of the U.S.  For one, a student visa isn't as easy as I thought it would be.  After being on the island for over 29 days I need to have filed paperwork for a student visa in order to stay on the island.  This paperwork requires certain vaccinations be up to date, certain diagnostic tests come back negative, as well as a police background check to make sure you aren't a criminal.  All which must be completed before you leave for St. Kitts.  Not an easy feat to accomplish with only 14 weeks left before I travel, but I'll get it all done.

I should be hearing back from my new student advisor within the next few days.  It's nice that an institution like this pretty much holds your hand through all of the miscellaneous shtuff you must get through so that you can focus on the studying portion of your stay.  This includes finding a place to stay, figuring out where to get groceries(and when), class scheduling, book and supply purchasing, etc.  So it sounds like as long as I show up and pay attention, and possibly soak some of the information up like a sponge, the next 40 months shouldn't be as bad as people say.  On the plus side, I am in an island paradise whose mean temperature doesn't drop below 70F.

Reluctantly crouched at the starting line,

So I realized the other day that I have just over 16 weeks before I will be starting veterinary school.  Surprisingly that doesn't leave me with much time to spare.  Attending veterinary school in another country apparently comes with some extra tasks that must be completed before attending.  Like most schools a deposit is made to hold your seat; however, that isn't the only thing required of you before even starting to talk about financial aid, fees and tuition.

Traveling and studying in another country, especially one as interesting and hot as Saint Kitts requires some extra pieces to the puzzle.  Visa paperwork must be filled out, background checks must be made, and the all time fun piece, a health certificate and Rabies vaccine.  That last one will be a little chuckle to those in the veterinary field as they are a requirement of any interstate/international travel with any type of animal.  I made a joke that other day at work that I would simply have my boss finish that last piece and I would just give myself a rabies shot sitting in our vaccination fridge.

These are many steps that require time in between to complete and therefore I have a feeling 16 weeks is going to come and go by the time I get them all done.

Then comes the financial aid...  For some this is a dreadful time.  For me it is the final question to be asked before starting on this journey...

Is this really what you want to do with your abilities, time, and energy?  The financial aid I see as the final litmus test to determine if this is truly something you want to do.  Vets don't get into the business for the money.  Schooling costs rival next to other medical science programs while providing upon graduation many less professional choices as well as starting salaries.  But I digress.  I hope to spend more time on another post in the future focusing on this problem.

So as you may see, my next 16 weeks will be fairly busy making sure all the 't's are dotted and the 'i's are crossed.  But, hopefully everything will go off without a hitch and I will be writing to you all real soon from 61st parallel.

Graduation Day

It's official, I am no longer an undergraduate student.  This past weekend I was able to enjoy a wonderful ceremony as well as dinner at Kobe Steak house in Rancho Mirage with family and friends to celebrate me finishing my Bachelors of Science degree in Biology.

To give some people some background, this has been a journey that started back in 2005.  It started up in Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, pursuing a degree in Computer Science.  Through a few hiccups and life changes I was pulled towards Crafton Hills community college to finish up general education requirements and finally Cal State, San Bernardino to finish my degree.  This journey has had many twists, turns, u-turns, lane changes, and full on stops to ask for directions.  But, all has finally paid off.

I discuss this, as all of this work has led up to my acceptance into veterinary school.  All of this work has been the key required to simply open the door to an education that will allow me to pursue a profession that I have grown to love after my experiences throughout this 6.5 year journey.

Now the real work can begin.

Acceptance!

So it is official.  No more prerequisites, no more work experience hours, no more letters of recommendation.  That's it!  I will be attending Ross University, School of Veterinary Medicine starting May 7, 2012!  It has been a long journey to this point; and now, the real journey can begin.

It is with great pleasure that I write to inform you of your admission to Ross University's School of Veterinary Medicine for the class beginning May-07-2012.  My sincere congratulations on this important step towards realizing your goal of becoming a veterinarian.


Sincerely,
The Associate Dean of Admissions


For those of you who don't know me, my name is Chris.  After 6.5 years of undergraduate work I have finally put in my paperwork to graduate with a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology from Cal State University, San Bernardino.

I wanted to make this blog as a way to share with others the trials and tribbles associated with being a student in veterinary school, as well as give myself a place to document the milestones associated with the next 40 months of my life.