I'm taking a course this semester entitled "Principles of Bovine Reproduction" aka dairy palpation. Every Monday and Friday I go to class at 7:30 in the morning and try to pass a steel rod through a cow's cervix for an hour (not the same cow, usually five or six different cows). It usually doesn't go as well as I'd like- I've only successfully gotten one cow per day instead of the five I will need for my practical, but I am making progress. Sometimes its my fault, and sometimes its the cows- they dance, swat you with their tails, squeeze you until your knuckles crack and you think you pulled a tendon, and kick when they are really annoyed. I had one even throw a pile of sawdust at me. At the end of the day though I spend most of my time like this:
This weekend I get to take an artificial insemination course and be at the barn from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm, and 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday respectively. That means lots more time with my arm like that, and hopefully the ability to pass more than one rod a day. It also should look great for vet school. I currently have more palpation experience than most Second and Third years, and that's friggin sweet.
4 comments:
I can not tell you how hard I laughed at this post and these pictures! You kill me!
But I do have a question. Are you going to specialize in large (farm) animals or smaller animals? Do you need to learn all this for both? I've never considered being a vet so I have no idea.
The first two years cover all the species but then you pick your "track" or option. I really want to specialize in equine theriogenology (basically an OB/GYN for horses) and maybe some cattle, so I plan on doing this all my life. I'm certainly a large animal fan.
And I'm very glad you laughed at the pictures :) Its a fun class
Now, if we can just convince you to move to WV so you can take care of my parents' farm animals! ;O) Actually, I hope they give up eventually. Dad's 71, Mom's 68 and they have a dozen cattle, or more. They are too old for this.
Aw, well I plan on staying around NOVA and will always be happy to go up and pay them visits when I'm a vet :) I understand- its hard to give up, In my personal finance class we talk about retirement and I just kind of laugh. I don't ever want to retire. I want to be pulling little baby foals and fixing horses forever. At the very least if I cant practice I'll teach and have my own horse to foal out each spring. Its just too good to give up.
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