The internet suddenly went out on me when I tried to post my last entry... and it just came back up, after another visit from the internet guy. Thankfully, wireless is working beautifully! I still don't have cable, but I'll be okay with the internet. Without cable AND the internet though, I was going out of my mind. Read 2 books and tried to print out some pictures for my walls, but alas, I didn't have the printer driver.
Anyway. I took a tour of the wildlife clinic today. It's entirely student run and a 2nd and a 3rd year vet student are in charge of all the animal cases. No 4th year students, they are too busy with rotations. That means all the vet student volunteers are in charge of the animals that are brought in... they examine the animal, determine the best course of treatment, and do whatever is necessary to stabilize the animal and nurse it back to health. A veterinarian comes by to make recommendations and perform the surgeries, but otherwise, the students are on their own. It's a good way to gain experience and help animals that have nowhere else to turn. The place runs on some university funds and a lot of donations and fundraisers.
While I was there, I saw a groundhog with a head tilt problem, a red tailed hawk that was feeling pretty feisty, a really adorable raccoon baby, a very noisy blue jay, a pigeon that smacks you with its wing if you get too close, and a hawk that had just been hit by a car. I watched how difficult it was to put a catheter in its tiny leg vein (plus the leg was covered with "scales") and felt its wings, which were bruised and pretty swollen. I was pretty amazed at how confident the students were, and it's definitely an organization I'd love to join.
Exciting! It's getting really close to starting...