5 Years

I've been out of school 5 years today. It's pretty hard to believe that I've now been out of vet school longer than I was in. But then again looking back at all I've learned it's not that hard to believe.

So, here are some of the things I've learned...

1. Most things get better in spite of what I do (makes that education seem worth it!)
2. Some people pay really close attention to how much their pet poops
3. My 3 favorite surgeries are (in no particular order)-dog neuters, bladder stone removal, amputations (I know it's morbid, but they're pretty fun)
4. A lot of people are stupid/crazy/smelly or a combination of those
5. I hate dog spays and would complain a lot more about them if I didn't believe so strongly in them
6. More people refuse to put their dog on heartworm prevention than I would think
7. Cuterebra (look it up) are the coolest gross thing I have seen
8. There is nothing much better than lancing a good cat abscess in front of a new technician
9. Cutting off a head for rabies testing is not as much fun as you would think
10. Most dogs get hit by cars during lunch and right at 5PM
11. People are surprisingly unable to recognize that their pet has fleas
12. On any given day you might still see something you have never seen before
13. You can still buy "Gravy Train" dog food
14. The type of medicine you are allowed to practice is dictated by how much money people are willing and able to spend-sometimes you gotta use your crystal ball and magic wand
15. I like sutuing up lacerations and treating wounds-actually seeing something get better is truly rewarding
16. I don't like any kind of orthopedic surgeries. If I can't put a cast or splint on it, I'll likely refer it. Conversely I love using cast material.
17. The same few drugs can "cure" a lot of diseases (Thank you Metronidazole, Simplicef, Cerenia, and of course Prednisone)
18. A lot of people think "worms" have caused their pet's ailment, whatever it may be
19. I still hate looking at chest x-rays
20. Playing with cute new puppies is still fun