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November 28, 2025 7 AM - 4 PM. Today - my very last day at VMCLI - turned into an absolute whirlwind in the ER with my LVT, Kaleen. She told me that normally, the day after Thanksgiving is quiet , but the second I stepped foot inside, we already had two STATs waiting for us. We hadn't even rounded on last night's patients when another emergency rushed through the door. 🐱 Ozzey — A Heartbreaking FATE Case Our first big emergency was Ozzey , a gorgeous 9-year-old tabby who wa

November 26, 2025 8 AM - 4 PM. I started my day in the Intensive Care Unit with my LVT for the day, Brianna. 🐶 Ruby – Chihuahua Ruby was back from last week’s ER shift. She had a gallbladder mucous seal rerouting surgery on Monday and didn’t initially recover well. Her BP dropped, requiring a blood transfusion, but today she was bright, alert, and trying to bite us—a sure sign she’s on the mend! 🐾 Dr. Watson – 8.5 yr Scottish Terrier Here for anorexia and mild anemia. He is

November 21, 2025 7 AM - 5 PM. Starting my morning bright and early in the ER with my LVT, Kristina. The overnight LVT rounded us on the patients we had for the day. 1️⃣ Kane – TPLO surgery (1 day post-op) Kane is a big boy who had a TPLO (tibial plateau leveling osteotomy) surgery to fix his torn cranial cruciate ligament. Today is day one post-op and he’s recovering well! He’s going home later, but while he’s here, he’s getting methadone for pain  and cephazolin to prevent

November 19, 2025 9 AM - 6 PM. Today, I spent the day with Krystle, my LVT, in dermatology. She showed me their microscope setup and explained that they only use 10x and 100x with immersion oil  to examine slides. Interestingly, they only heat-fix nail and ear slides —something I hadn’t realized before. It was fascinating to see how focused dermatology labs are on the details! Case 1: Cooper – Labrador with Paw Pad Nodules  🐾 Cooper, a Labrador, presented with nodules on his

November 14, 2025 7 AM - 5 PM. Today's ER shift with Kristina was full and ups and downs, surprises, and lots of furry faces. 1️⃣ Athena’s Anxious Afternoon 🐕💉 Athena, a sweet Labrador, is a post-op for a right metatarsal fracture repair performed last night. She’s on a fentanyl CRI for pain, but she’s incredibly nervous and hasn’t been eating or drinking. Overnight, her temperature was slightly elevated, but it’s since dropped back down to normal. We spent a lot of time j

November 12, 2025 9 AM - 2 PM. I got to the hospital in the morning and my LVT, Amanda, hadn't arrived yet, so her assistant, Nicole gave me the grand tour. She showed me their linear accelerator - basically, a super high-tech radiation machine that has a cone-beam CT compared to a regular CT scan. Linear Acceleration Machine CT Scan Nicole explained the process to me: during initial visits, patients first get a regular CT scan  while premedicated. The radiation therapist u

November 8, 2025 7 AM - 5 PM. Today's ER shift was with Steph, my LVT for the day - and honestly, she was incredible. From the moment we started rounds, she made sure I was involved in every step, every treatment, every update. It felt less like shadowing and more like actually being part of the team. 🐾 Apollo – The Dizzy Pup Apollo, a 10-year-old neutered mixed-breed, came in yesterday for vestibular signs  — he was circling, off-balance, and seemed disoriented. Yesterday

November 5, 2025 9 AM - 5 PM. Today was my very first full ophthalmology shift, and let me tell you — it was truly eye-opening  (pun fully intended). I shadowed Morgan, an LVT in the Ophthalmology department, and within minutes, I realized how much detail, precision, and patience go into caring for something as delicate as an animal’s eyes. Before the doctor even steps into the room, the techs and assistants perform the “ophtho big three”: a Schirmer tear test  to measure tea

October 29, 2025 9 AM - 6 PM. Today in cardiology felt like stepping into a living, breathing version of my Pharmacology notes — except instead of bullet points and drug charts, I had wagging tails, purring patients, and real families hoping for answers. I requested to be in cardiology with Emily because we’re learning cardiac drugs in Dr. Schenkel’s class, and honestly, I don’t think I could’ve picked a better day to make all those mechanisms click. We started with Sophia ,

October 22, 2025, 7 AM - 5 PM. We started our morning with rounds from the overnight LVT, Angela. The ER was already buzzing - our patient list was full, and several pets were waiting for treatments, medication adjustments, and breakfast. With Kristina guiding me, we dove right in! Our first patient was Biggums , a 1-year-old intact male DSH who was struggling to maintain his body temperature. He was admitted for a hind left digit amputation after sustaining trauma. To prepar

October 8, 2025, 7 AM - 5 PM. Today's ER shift was a whirlwind of emotion, teamwork, and lessons that only veterinary medicine can teach. I worked alongside Kristina, my LVT for the day, and we started our morning with rounds and a debrief from the overnight team. Our first patient was Zeke, a 10-year-old neutered Labrador with fear aggression, admitted the night before for vomiting. His diagnostics revealed a liver mass, and he was scheduled for surgery later that morning.

September 27, 2025, 7 AM - 5 PM. I started my day bright and early in the Emergency Department at VMCLI. I spent my shift with Kaleen, one of the LVTs and also the shift leader. She manages the floor with such confidence and precision - it was inspiring to watch how she kept everything running smoothly while still teaching me along the way. Her technical skills and assertiveness definitely made an impression on me, and I hope to bring that same level of professionalism into m

September 17, 2025, 9 AM, I started my internship shift at VMCLI in Oncology. Today, I was paired with Dee, an incredible oncology LVT,...

September 10, 2025, 8 AM - 4 PM. Day two, week two, and it was a full day in cardiology!!!! I was paired with my AMAZING LVT, Emily - who I quickly realized is not only incredibly kind and welcoming, but also so knowledgeable that I found myself wanting to emulate her in my career. Additionally, she was a fantastic teacher! Emily reviewed heart anatomy with me again, making sure I was familiar with the "normals" before explaining the "abnormals." It made me appreciate how im

September 3, 2025 8 AM - 6 PM. I was scheduled in the Surgery Department on my first day at VMCLI on September 3, 2025. I was assigned to...

About me and my goals for this internship.