Another week and a bit more routine later and here I am standing at the edge of another week about to begin — and feeling excited for what it will bring. After three weeks in vet school (definitely still including orientation week, even if it’s Week 0!) a routine is starting to slowly form — everything is a bit less scary, a bit less new, and a bit more normal. When I first arrived, the thought of settling into this life seemed impossible… but here I am now, cycling to school every morning, attending classes (and remembering to check in so my attendance isn’t screwed!) and learning my study style has all blended into the mundane of making meals and buying groceries.

This week was the first of our Case-Based Learning (hereafter known as CBLs, lol) cases, which is the core teaching method for Bristol’s veterinary program — and also one of the reasons that drew me strongly to BVS. The format is fairly simple: we choose a chair (meeting guide/director), a scribe (note taker), and a librarian (ensures we utilize reputable sources for our research) and then we are presented with a case in two stages, which we discuss in an outlined 7 step CBL method for each stage.

This week (our first week) we used a wheel to randomly select our chair, scribe, and librarian and I ended up getting chosen for the chair position. My group (go Group 1!) is a really awesome team of 11 members, who made the first CBL relatively easy as we navigated our way through the process. It was tough to know how in-depth to go with our research or what areas to focus on at first, but it was a good introduction to the process — next one starts tomorrow (The Itchy Dog!) so it will be fun to see how our process will change as we become more familiar with CBL.

On Tuesday evening, I went to a lecture held by the Farm Animal Vet Society (FAVS) that went through common farm animal diseases and pathology on post-mortem and learned so much! Two of my classmates from AGEP1 were also there and it was fun learning alongside some large animal focused friends while drinking a Thatcher’s cider and watching post-mortem slides. Such a great night! I also signed up for VIN this week too, which was exciting!

Yesterday was a nice day of catch up studying and I went with my landlady, her young son and his friend to the cinema in Wells to watch the latest Shawn the Sheep. It seemed so iconically British (and Bristolian!) to watch Shawn of the Sheep in cinema… I think the last time I watched a movie at the theatre in the UK was for LOTR’s Return of the King (which severely dates me!), haha!

Wells is a gorgeously historic city, with a beautiful cathedral and so much history on every stone that’s walked on. There was a road we went down that was from the medieval times with the houses lining either side that were clearly still inhabited (and not just by rats and mice!). It’s fascinating to think of the people back then, and how even though our lives now are so vastly different to theirs, we share common humanity: heartbreak and joy, ordinary tragedies or best moments in our lives. Just interesting to think about.

One thing that has been a bit overwhelming this week has been the quantity of Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) and the density of the content but also since we’re in foundation weeks still, it’s so broad and encompasses my whole undergrad. It’s difficult to know what to study for and in what depth. I’ve adjusted my study methods slightly by utilizing written notes and trusty old Quizlet. I have also been surprised by my newfound comfort level in speaking up in groups, both as chair for CBL, and asking questions during lectures. Very different from younger me who could barely talk to a stranger — funny how we change through life… and excited to see where the next few years lead me.