It’s a new year, which can only mean one thing. In the next few months, I will begin the ultimate rite of passage as a clinical year veterinary student …. rotations.
For those of you who are not familiar with the term, rotations are essentially a series of placements, some core and some elected, that veterinary students must undertake before sitting their final exams.
The types of rotation placements students undertake can differ, but collectively they will cover most aspects of small animal, farm, and equine practice.
Students can choose to ‘Track’ different options, depending on their interests (these are the elective rotations) allowing for them to spend more time in areas that interest them the most e.g. cardiology, neurology, or ophthalmology etc.
It is a nerve-wracking time for every student, signifying the start of a new chapter and offering a direct insight into life as a practicing veterinarian.
The placements themselves are often short, one or two weeks at the most, but can be mentally and physically demanding on students due to their fast-paced nature.
We are expected to process previously taught material, absorb new information and get to grips with clinical practice all at the same time, a worthy baptism of fire into the world of a full-time veterinarian.
Whilst the prospect of being set loose in the clinical world feels daunting, the benefit of starting rotations is that we are finally able to start applying the knowledge we have spent the past four years frantically trying to retain, in real life situations.
Finally, we have real patients in front of us that require treatment or diagnostics that we can be involved with in some way or another.
One thing I am looking forward to is being able to develop my clinical skills further in practice and explore the different departments and specialities offered by the RVC.
I think there will be some rotation placements that will be challenging, and will test my capabilities, but I am excited to be pushed out of my comfort zone and really start to grow as a veterinarian.
In terms of preparing for rotations, I think one of the most important things to come to terms with quite early on is acceptance.
Accepting the fact that not everything will be a walk in the park, and at times it will probably feel as though taking a back seat is easier than crossing the finishing line.
However, it is in those moments that you really start to blossom as an individual, the determination and resilience you have built over the past few years surviving vet school never leaves and is the thing that will always push your forwards, even in the toughest of times.
There is no doubt that aside from the understandable shaky legs at the thought of being so close to finishing my degree, this is an exciting time and one I am really looking forward to documenting for you all.
For anyone else that is about to start rotations or facing a huge change in their life, let’s all collectively take one big, deep breath and face the year head on and don’t forget to take time to relax, unwind and reflect on everything you have achieved so far!
