Vet Times

Author: Kele Harris

  • Clinical EMS 101

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    Kele Harris

    At vet school, you learn some basic clinical skills and are taught how to conduct a general clinical examination to prepare you for EMS placements in veterinary surgeries. What they don’t prepare you for is making a complete idiot out of yourself. Before my first clinical placement I told the vets I would be working…

  • I blame the NHS

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    Kele Harris

    A couple of articles have been brought to my attention this week regarding the public perception of vets versus the reality. When somebody finds out that you want to be a vet or are studying veterinary medicine, there are a few arduous questions that usually follow: “Is it seven years at university for that?” “It’s…

  • How far is too far?

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    Kele Harris

    In my interview for Glasgow vet school, I was asked the question “how far is too far?”, and recent episodes of The Supervet on TV had me musing on the topic again, particularly as I had used The Bionic Vet as an example in my answer. At the time I discussed kidney transplants in cats…

  • Two years as a vet student

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    Kele Harris

    Having endured the wait for results, I can officially say I’ve passed my second year at vet school, and reflect on another crazy twelve months of life as a Glasgow vet student. A vet is a unique type of student – despite having a crammed uni timetable we all manage to fill our “spare” time…

  • IVSA SpringBreak in Naples

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    Kele Harris

    A friend who had attended an International Veterinary Students’ Association trip told me I should definitely attend any of its future events if I had the opportunity. Hence, when an email arrived about the IVSA SpringBreak in Naples, I applied immediately. In all honesty, by the time I received an email confirming I had a…

  • Could I have a pet at university?

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    Kele Harris

    I’ve always had cats at home, and they often played the role of revision buddy/lap warmer. That was one of the things I missed most when I first went to university. Pets aren’t allowed in student halls, but now that I live in a flat with other vet students, pet ownership becomes a possibility (landlord permitting).…

  • Examining for the real world

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    Kele Harris

    It’s that dreaded time of year again: end of year professional exams. Having already completed our OSCEs (practical clinical exams), we now have the written exams to “look forward to”. Stress levels at vet school are sky high at the moment, and while my immediate concern is also the fast approaching exams, I have a…

  • Glasgow Vet School Rodeo

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    Kele Harris

    The Glasgow Vet School Rodeo is an annual charity event organised by vet students. It is traditional for second year students to make the event happen, and so this year, I was involved in its organisation. My responsibilities included taking minutes at weekly meetings, correspondence with print media for advertising, compiling the programme and poster/flyer…

  • The German attitude to learning

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    Kele Harris

    The vet handed me the needle and vacuum tubes and, at the slightly bewildered look on my face, asked if I’d ever taken blood from a horse before. Upon my answer of “no”, he shrugged and said: “I’ll show you the first one, instruct you for the second, then you can do it by yourself.”…

  • Ignorance is bliss

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    Kele Harris

    Over the last month there’s been quite an uproar over the reality of the production of halal and kosher meat, which has finally been brought to forefront of the public eye after the controversial decision to ban slaughter without stunning in Denmark. There has been nationwide outrage and horror at the claims that slaughter without…