Do I Always Have to Go First?

The first day of classes went very well. My professors all seem very nice and very good. I'm sure that I'm going to be learning a lot!

Many of the classes are set up so that we're all doing pretty much the same thing at the same time... except for Physiology. There is a project (worth 6% of the total grade) where we are given an actual clinical case that we have to write up a differential diagnosis for. We then have to meet with a clinician to present and talk about our work, then write a (really short) paper about it before giving a presentation in class. There will be 5 cases throughout the semester, with 4 groups assigned to each. Each case will be assigned on a Friday and then presented to the class on the following Friday.

My case is going to be given to me on August 29. Yes, next Friday! I don't think we'll have learned enough by then to make a good diagnosis! I mean, I know he isn't expecting as much depth from us as the last groups of the year, but I think it would be more educational to get to do one of the later cases... Oh well, it will be nice to get it done early!


After coming to terms with that, I get home and read my e-mail... and I have an e-mail from our Clinical Correlates professor (to me and 8 other students, most of whom are in my faculty mentor group) saying that we get the (dubious) joy of starting Animal Husbandry rotations in Clinical Correlates TOMORROW! Yes, tomorrow. I will have to spend a week taking care of a horse. This includes feeding it before 8AM and again before 3PM. (Before 8AM isn't so hard, just get to school early... but before 3PM again could be hard... I have class solidly from 8AM-5PM...) I will also be learning all of the things you have to do to do a physical exam on a horse.

Well, at least I didn't get stuck with the ostrich!