"Sweet as"

Two weeks. Already??

The first week was rough, not going to lie. But when I stop and think about it, all first weeks in a new place or starting something new is rough. Insert thought about how that makes us better people... yadda yadda yadda. Truth is, its tough.

Second week, starting to understand how things run and how you can fit in, and how you can start building new skills, new friendships, learn new things, etc. That is where I am at now.

Dunedin. Oh how my lack of research in NZ before coming here has nipped me in the butt a tid bit. Even the people who live here make fun of me for coming here! Dunedin is like Salem, Oregon, for those who know Salem to some degree. It is like Salem in that it is a city that no one particularly loves, and really isn't all that nice once you get past the couple of things that it is known for. It is like Seattle, where it is always rainy, and hardly ever is warm and sunny. And when it is warm and sunny, better be prepared for it to last a few short hours. Luckily, that isn't all that Dunedin has. It is also like Corvallis, filled with students, as it is home to NZ's oldest univeristy, Otago Univeristy, which I have been told has a gorgeous campus which I must see. So it has a very specific population; students, a nice family type affluent group, and a more rough non-affluent group and neighborhoods they reside in. I am quite lucky that I managed to find a house in the very nice affluent area with a set of wonderful masters and PhD students. Unluckily, I chose a vet clinic in a rougher part of town (read: meh, not bad at all, compared to anywhere else in the world), in "South Dunedin" as they like to be sure to call it. Anyway, it may not look all that fancy, but it sure has led to some great learning experiences and some outstanding people.

Things are a bit different here in NZ for vets. First of all, when I called one of the vets a doctor, everyone looked at me like I was crazy. Who? What? There is a doctor here? Sure, they have the same credentials and learn all the same things we do in the states, but its just not in the culture. Things are much more relaxed and casual. I was told today that some people responded better to vets wearing jeans and t-shirts, because it made them feel more like they were a friend or neighbor they were talking to. I don't think I could ever get away with that in the states.

The medicine is very similar. I've had to learn some new drug names, but other than that everything is pretty much status quo. It has been a great experience thus for for me in boosting my confidence. Apparently I learned more than I thought and am competent as a new vet! I've found myself coming up with proper differentials for cases, treatment plans, medications, catching problems and resolving them, interpreting radiographs and ultrasounds, and having a blast. They are even letting me do surgery, which is super generous on their part, and super exciting on my part. I've even had the opportunity to teach a few newer techniques to these vets, like intradermal skin patterns and miller's knots. I have one more week at this clinic and I am looking forward to it. I have a good feel for what my role is there, what they are comfortable with me doing, and I think they have gotten a good feel for my competence level and allow me to do more and more all the time. I even got a nice complement from the owner, as he introduced me to a client, he said something to the tune of: "its too bad she isn't staying with us long-term". I can't remember the exact words, but it was nice to hear that he doesn't mind having me around!

I've been doing my best to sight-see after work and on weekends. In the morning I'm taking a 3.5 hour drive to Te Anau, a town in the Fiordland district. I'll be taking a tour of Doubtful sound, and taking a few short hikes in the surrounding area. Should be gorgeous!

Pictures to follow when I can.

Cheers, from NZ!

P.S. "Sweet as" is an extremely common term used here. It goes something like, "did you see those waves over there??" " Yeah, they were sweet as!"