A Different Kind of Medicine

A great learning experience

Today was another busy one, but super fun! I work for a school of veterinary medicine / teaching hospital, and today was open house day. During open house, the veterinary school opens up to the public and it makes for a really great educational experience. It is great for children because it not only teaches them about the hospital, but they can also learn about different animals and their body parts. There was a chance to perform an ultrasound on jello filled with fruit, view x-rays, perform surgery on teddy bears, touch real organs, and even learn about parasites. They even brought out the school’s mascot (which is a tiger), and every one had a chance to view him while he was in his cage. My daughter looks forward to going to this every year because she loves dogs and the mini petting zoo that they have. Last year, she really enjoyed putting her arm inside of a living fistulated cow. Fistulated cows have holes in the middle of them that allows veterinarians to easily feel around on the inside of them without harm and study how they digest food. It really is fascinating being able to put your arm inside of the digestive system of an animal. Unfortunately, my daughter didn’t want to wait in line to do it this year, but luckily I have a throwback pic!

Having fun with a fistulated cow!

My favorite part was seeing my daughter “scrub in” for surgery. I always get a kick out of how huge gloves look on her tiny hands, and today I got a chance to see her in full gear. Hmm, do I see a future surgeon?

Scrubbing in for surgery

Overall, it was great fun and we both learned a lot. I always love seeing the things that the veterinary students do. I’ll only have to learn the human body in medical school, but they literally have to learn every kind of animal. That’s one thing I will keep in mind if I ever feel the need to complain about the massive amount of information I will be learning when I start school. It really is amazing, and I am so blessed to be working at a place where I get to see it all on a daily basis.