Nightscrawlers

As posted in the "astounding" thread:

North American Veterinary Licensing Exam: passed.

Illinois State Veterinary Licensing Exam: passed.

New job as associate veterinarian: acquired.

Graduation: 3 months and counting.

So, yeah, lady, take a bow or two or three or four and receive well-wishes, grovelling, pats on the back, and so forth in this, your very own congratulatory thread. You've had so many totally cool careers, and this is kinda the capstone. For now.

First in line: Elfdame, saying, "Congrats on having a job -- let's hope you learn a lot and have some fun patients!"

Next! ...

Big virtual doggy kisses congratulations from Blue and Tsingtao, too!

Giant mutant Hamster dance for you!!!!

:surprise

YAY SK! Good job! I knew you could do it!


But let's be honest, there wasn't a shot in hell of you not doing it. You're that fantabulous!
If you make a speech at Graduation, or a toast at your family dinner later, be sure to thank Nightscrawlers for all the abundance of well-deserved procrastination it supplied you with.

that's so great! congrats! hope you finally found your place in the circle of life!

Congratulations to you! You worked your butt off and suceeded! You've chosen a profession that not only helps animals, but also helps the people they're attatched to. You will NEVER look back at your life and question whether you ever did anything worthwhile or whether you ever made a difference. You'll KNOW you did. You're going to do a lot of good in the world and you're going to have an awesome life!

So here, posted for you in your honor, (you knew somebody would do it), is the Veterinarian's Prayer:

Dear Lord,
I ask that you guide my hands and fill my heart with compasion and love as I tend to the animals that are brought before me.
When I am tired, grant me the energy to persevere.
When I am unsure, grant me the wisdom to make the right choices.
When I am saddened, grant me the ability to share my sorrow.
When I am running behind schedule, grant me the patience to focus on what is in front of me.
When I am overwhelmed, grant me a quiet space to collect my thoughts.
Fill me with a thirst for knowledge, so that I may remain current in my thinking.
Help me to comfort and console all of those who experience some form of tragedy or loss.
And finally, Lord, allow me to extract the best from every day, so that I may continue to greet each new dawn with enthusiasm and dedication for this profession to which I dedicate my life.
---Genie Graveline


So now you're only problem will be all the Nightscrawlers who'll want you to start up the "SK's Free Advice for Pet Owners" forum. (Good luck with that.....)

May this be the start of a wonderful life!:D

Congrats!

WOOO SK!!! I had no doubt that you would do it I'm proud of you!

Poop, blood, urine, anal glands and trying not to get bit and scratched.

Ahhh it's a good life isn't it? (Hey, I like it too.)

Yay on the exams.

Thanks for all your self esteem building comments.

One of the cool things about Nightscrawlers is that if you look at my join date, I've been here a little over 5 years. Some of you have been here longer, but given all the moving I've done and new things I've learned, this site has been one of the few constants in my life in that time which makes it a little like family. (In other words, I don't have anyone else to give the news to that might care.)

As for there being no way in hell I won't complete my goal of becoming a doctor, this was probably the one thing I've done where success was not guaranteed which is probably why it's been so exciting. It has always been interesting, but at times it has felt exhausting, futile, and completely impossible. There are several thousand medical schools in the U.S., but only 29 veterinary schools and for whatever reasons, while seats in med schools remain empty, each seat in each veterinary class has 100 or more applicants. (My seat in my class had 180 applicants for instance.)

There is a saying about veterinary school that, "the hardest part is getting in". I think the people who say this, didn't get in since really ... that was the easiest part.

I liked your prayer, Jeremus but honestly I'd say that the basic text of that has been what I've lived by for the last 25 years. (And strangely, though I've never seen it before, the structure is nearly verbatim to how I start each new service in the hospital this year - I light a candle in church and pray for my patients, their owners, the interns, residents, and attendings, my classmates, and most of all that my performance is solid - that I'm a good teammate, study hard, make good decisions, preservere and practice good medicine.)

It should be obvious that my place on the circle of life is going around it.

Thanks again!

-e

My congratulations on gradually making your dream a reality! You go girl- keep it up!

Congrats, SK! I'm so happy for you. *hugs*

Congrats!