Clerkships
For those that are unaware of the system for finishing up my education here in vet school, we have 1.5 years of clinical rotations. This means that starting in January (2009), I will no longer be sitting in the classroom learning, but will be down in the clinics learning by doing. Now to get all 105 (or so) of my classmates and I into the clinics, they have developed a computerized system in which you rank your top 10 elective rotations (of which you get 5). This way you have 5 backups in case you don't get your top 5. We also have required rotations that everyone must take to graduate and those are also thrown into the mix. Finally there are 2 selective courses in which you choose between 2 rotations. All of these rotations are then thrown into the computer and this computer spits out your "schedule" for the last 1.5 years (Jan. 2009 to May 2010). Of course certain rotations are only offered at certain times of the year, and there's also a cap to how many people can be in each rotation. A minimum # of students registered is also a requirement. Therefore, it is a very confusing and convoluted system.
Today we received our required clerkships as well as 5 of our elective ones. Out of my top 5, I received 3 and therefore got 2 rotations that weren't in my top 5 but further down in what I wanted. This is interesting because I had put Equine Clinics II (the 2nd of the equine clinical rotations) into my schedule and somehow I got that. My other elective rotations that I received were: Dermatology, Cardiology, Diagnostic Ultrasound, and Comparative Ophthalmology. I have 4 more electives to choose. Of those, I probably plan on doing 2 externships (rotations away from MSU and even out of MI...I'm looking in cali right now). Then I am going to do Oncology (since I didn't get Surgical oncology) and I need to choose one more. Overall, I'm not too terribly upset with my schedule. It's something I can work with.
The annoying thing about my current schedule is that my vacations are all clumped together this coming spring (jan-april 2009) and then spring of 2010. I don't want to just get into clinics and right away have to take vacation. Hopefully I can fill these slots and maybe move my vacations around some.
I AM EXCITED that clinics are that much closer.
Today we received our required clerkships as well as 5 of our elective ones. Out of my top 5, I received 3 and therefore got 2 rotations that weren't in my top 5 but further down in what I wanted. This is interesting because I had put Equine Clinics II (the 2nd of the equine clinical rotations) into my schedule and somehow I got that. My other elective rotations that I received were: Dermatology, Cardiology, Diagnostic Ultrasound, and Comparative Ophthalmology. I have 4 more electives to choose. Of those, I probably plan on doing 2 externships (rotations away from MSU and even out of MI...I'm looking in cali right now). Then I am going to do Oncology (since I didn't get Surgical oncology) and I need to choose one more. Overall, I'm not too terribly upset with my schedule. It's something I can work with.
The annoying thing about my current schedule is that my vacations are all clumped together this coming spring (jan-april 2009) and then spring of 2010. I don't want to just get into clinics and right away have to take vacation. Hopefully I can fill these slots and maybe move my vacations around some.
I AM EXCITED that clinics are that much closer.