INTERNSHIP BLOG #THE FINAL

GUESS WHO'S RE-USING IMAGES!

But in all seriousness...

Doggies...
Kitties...

And this, a flier I made for the people of Bay Park Pet Clinic based on knowledge I gained while I was working at the clinic.

Reflection:
I would have to say the best learning experience I had was group experience. After all, work and school both revolve around working in a group, no matter where you are or what you're doing. To be a part of a group and learn the functions of group dynamics was definitely a positive experience for me, and it was certainly a lot of fun once I got the hang of speaking to everyone and being able to help out with everything. I also learned that I'm the type of person who likes to take an active role, as evidenced by the fact that I felt blank and useless when I was unable to do anything to help out around the clinic. I also felt at my best when I was actually doing things, and it made me feel happy and special that I was able to do something to help the people of the clinic, and in a way, help myself to feel good.

And with that, I bid you farewell from the world of internship. It seems like now we're going into the world of schooling again. Won't that be a fun experience?

INTERNSHIP BLOG #LATE AGAIN

So once again, I am restrained by my lack of ability to take photos. So, I decided to do something a little different...

This is a kind of short-comic illustration of things that happen every day I've gone to internship. Panel 1 is arrival, greeting the people at the front when I come in through the front door. After I clock in and put my stuff down, we reach panel 2, in which I've entered the back room and look up at the list of what animals are in house or what animals will be coming in, and what's going on with those animals (there was at least one dental every day, though). Panel 3 illustrates me keeping the (normally) sedated dogs company while they wait for whatever they're there for to start. Since I can't restrain the dogs while they're being pricked, I figure the least I can do is keep them company while everyone else is doing things like that. Panel 4 is actually not random - it's Rocko's Tacos! Rocket, or Rocko, is a parrot that lives in the clinic, and who we will interact with on a daily basis. He often tries to sneak into the room while we're working, too, even though he's not allowed to. Also, he mimics noises that happen around the office... so we'll randomly hear the phone ringing and it'll be him. And finally, panel 5 is what happens at the end... I say my goodbyes, clock out, and head on home.

INTERNSHIP BLOG #THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN UP YESTERDAY

The Important Things...
#1- Observation
There is nothing more important than observing the people at the clinic do what they do. It is a way to learn without hindering the abilities of others, and if questions are asked the experience becomes all the more worthwhile. By observing, I am able to reach basic conclusions and understand what is going on without asking unnecessary questions that would get irritating and repetitive if I were to keep asking them whenever I wanted to know something I could learn just by watching.

#2- Conversation
When it comes to a workplace, conversation is key. It is needed to communicate what is going on from place to place, and it also helps for everyone to get to know each other. As someone who has trouble working in groups, I am finding the need for conversation to be something that has stimulated my mind and caused me to start adjusting to working with other people, as well as listen better and find appropriate times to make comments and react to situations.

#3- Assisting
The final, and my favorite, part is to be able to help. Whether it's just holding something in place for the doctor or getting supplies for people, it always makes me feel good when I can do something to help, and flat-out useless when I can't. To be able to help, to do something, for me, is the biggest accomplishment that I can make, and it makes me realize that you have to do something in order to be able to feel proud of yourself for it.

INTERNSHIP BLOG #INTERVIEW

Dr. Crosby Roper, V.M.D. C.V.A.

Bay Park Pet Clinic
1102 Morena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110-3809

Mentor Interview
Me: Why did you decide to pursue a career in veterinary medicine?
Dr. Roper: I had an epiphany when I was in 10th grade. I was walking home from school, and it just came to me. It may have to do with my having a friend who lived on a farm, and seeing a vet who came out there and did all kinds of cool things.
Me: Why did you decide to pursue veterinary acupuncture?
Dr. Roper: I was tired of throwing medicine at old dogs and it just not working. I would recommend that the owners take the dogs to see a vet who specialized in acupuncture up in Kengsington, and the people just loved it.
Me: Where did you work before you purchased Bay Park Pet Clinic?
Dr. Roper: I worked at the Cabrillo vet clinic, and I also did some on-call jobs before I bought Bay Park Pet Clinic.
Me: What is the most interesting thing you've encountered?
Dr. Roper: It just depends on what you're doing. Endoscopies are always interesting, since you never know what you'll find. One time, we had a kitten who had been chronically vomiting for six months, and we were about to put him down, but we decided to do an endoscopy, and we found a toy mouse caught in his small intestine.

INTERNSHIP BLOG THE WHATEVERTH

I'm seriously getting tired of titling these things.

My week was a lot of fun. There was a lot that happened; lump removals, x-rays, lots of animals, dentals... many things happened, but I think the greatest part of my week was being able to help. I got to hold doggie limbs in place for two lump removals, and I got to help get biopsies for a cat's endoscopy. It made me feel really special, like I had an active role, and it just made me really happy, like I was actually able to do something. Also, Darren stopped in on Friday, and it was nice to see him after being 'away' from school for so long. Here's to hoping I still remember how to do work once I go back...

...But definitely, the best part was helping. Definitely. =D

INTERNSHIP BLOG the 5622nd or something

Here's an image for you.
The clinic really is like a chaos field. There's so much going on... and yet, so little. It seems like one moment everyone's busy and the next we're chatting about movies and ex-boyfriends. Internship has really given me a feel for the way that people act around each other and their non-human companions. It has inspired me to try and spend a little more time with my own K-9 companion (when I am not busy with school!) and to put more effort into what I do - take a more active role, ask more questions, and generally ask if I can do anything to help. When I ask more questions and offer more help, I am generally a bigger help, and I learn more, as I have noticed with what has been going on. The first few days I was quiet and timid, and only kind of watched things, but lately I have been offering my help and people have been asking for it as well - I just need to work on being out of the way when people are trying to pass through an area and I should be fine!

A few possible questions I can ask Dr. Roper are...
->Why did you decide to pursue acupuncture?
->What inspired you to pursue a career in the veterinary field?
->Where did you work before you purchased Bay Park Pet Clinic?
->What has your most interesting experience working as a vet been?
And, as cheesy of a question as it may be...
->If you could go back in time and give yourself advice, what would that advice be?

I have also been casually asking him about other things, like his experience in vet school and what training was like, which gives me a bigger insight about what the field is like, since I myself have taken an interest in the field from working around the clinic. We also talk about other things, like the animals and how my own bighead is doing, and my family, too, since Dr. Roper is friends with my family.

INTERNSHIP BLOG #9001

This blog will be edited. The information is rough and needs more to be added. In other words, I was watching UP with my parents and totally forgot about this.

Some basic background information about Dr. Roper can actually be found here, on the Bay Park Pet Clinic website. To debrief what it says - Roper graduated in 1985 from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. He was a part of the Phi Zeta Honor Society. He moved to San Diego in 1989 and purchased Bay Park Pet Clinic in 1993. He got a certification for veterinary acupuncture in 1997.

Some information not on there- Roper is a kind individual who likes to make things personal. Cards are written when dogs pass away, letters are sent out informing people of special times of month (dental specials in January and February!), and he treats the owners of his patients as if they were friends, speaking to them from both a medical viewpoint and his own 'what would I do as an owner' viewpoint.

-More information will come later. For now, we can go with what's on here. I suppose some askable questions are things like 'What inspired you to move to San Diego?' or 'Why did you decide to pursue acupuncture?' Things like that.