Just wanted to let you know that I have uploaded photos from my recent trip to London.  I wrote quite a bit about my adventures in London for that photopage so I won't repeat it here.  Suffice it to say, it was an interesting weekend.

 

Today was my second pathology assessment.  It was done in the computer lab using a PowerPoint presentation to show photos and ask questions.  Our professor really likes to make us think outside of what we have learned, extrapolating answers for new situations based on what he has taught.  Some of the questions would be fun if we could do some research and answer them as homework.  For example, we have been learning about anaemia and haematopoietic pathology (i.e. problems with blood) so one of the sections had three photos (gastric torsion in a mare, splenomegally in a dog, and haemorrhage in a bird) which we had to match to blood descriptions such as "low PCV, high total protein" or "normal PCV, normal total protein," etc.  I did fine on the last assessment, but I'm not as happy about this one.  There was a lot more educated guessing on this exam.  I guess everyone failed this assessment a few years ago so he supposedly made it a bit easier.

 

So far pathology is definitely my favorite class and the one requiring the most work.  Each week, after our histology lab, we write up our findings and draw lots of pictures of what we have seen to create a lab book.  Last week it took three typed pages for me to write up the one lab and they don't seem to be getting any shorter. Thankfully, I have learned to take photos down the microscope with my digital camera so I can come home and have photos to look at as I write up and draw pictures of the lab.  Its such a help, and so many other students wanted copies, that now I'm putting them online so the others can down load them.

 

This update is a bit more technical, but for those who are interested here is a bit of what we are currently covering in our classes and labs.

 

Pathology - neoplasia, haematopeietic system, and immunopathology

Pharmacology - anaesthetics, sedatives, NSAIDs, and antihelmintics

Parasitology - flukes, cestodes, and nematodes

Microbiology - mycoplasma, Salmonella, E. coli, and Enterobacteria

 

Everything is starting to heat up now towards the end of term.  We recently received the choices for our two pathology essays and today we submitted our top 5 choices for the pharmacology review paper due after Christmas break.  Thankfully, in pathology, the two  assessments, two essays, and lab book will count for our mark this term so we don't have a pathology exam in December.  Of course, our exams go till Friday, Dec 16, when the ticket prices home are really expensive.  Leaving five days earlier would cut the fares by half!  I have yet to find any tickets home that are affordable, so maybe I will be seeing practice in Scotland over the break.

 

For any of you who live for the Harry Potter movies, I'll make you jealous when I say that my flatmates are going to a opening night, midnight showing of the newest movie tonight at the Glasgow IMAX.  I guess the UK does offer some advantages...

 

Hope you are having a good winter.  Stay warm :)