May 23, 2010
I really enjoyed our stay in Utrecht, but I wish we could have stayed a little longer and seen more of the city. The train to Utrecht left Bonn early in the morning, so I slept the whole way there. As soon as we arrived in Utrecht, we toured the veterinary school there and learned how veterinary medicine is taught in Europe. I did not realize how different it was from American schools until now. Students here must be fully committed to one particular field within veterinary medicine (small animal, farm animal, or equine), but once they are accepted to the university then they do not need to apply to the veterinary school separately after receiving their Bachelor’s degrees. The first three years at the university earn them their Bachelor’s degree, and the next three years earn them their Master’s degree, which is all that is required in order to practice veterinary medicine in Europe. In addition to only needing six years to complete, it is also much more affordable than school in the U.S.! The teaching styles are also different. I like how professors cover all aspects of a single organ system before moving on to the next one, without using lectures as their primary method of teaching. At A&M, the information on each organ system is divided up and spread throughout different courses, such as anatomy and pathology, which are taken over the course of several years, and professors tend to use primarily lectures. Based on my experiences in veterinary school so far, I think maybe I would do better here in Europe! I was amazed when I saw their anatomy study room full of skeletons, plastinated models, and other preserved specimens. If I had had these kinds of resources to study, anatomy would have been so much easier! I might even have enjoyed studying it. I was also really impressed by their equine clinic; everything looked brand-new and state-of-the-art.
After the tour the Utrecht veterinary students had a BBQ and a party for us, where we met our hosts for the night. At this point, I was so tired I had been hoping to go to bed early. We all had a good time, though, and I enjoyed getting to know some of the Utrecht students. However, getting from the party to my host’s apartment for the night was an adventure. As we wandered the streets of Utrecht late at night, looking for a bus stop where we could catch a bus at that hour, we ended up walking down a dark, quiet, empty street. It was empty except for very tall, very drunk man who began walking beside us muttering to himself. My classmate Kat and I weren’t sure what was going on; we thought he might have known our host Tom somehow, since Tom seemed to know everyone. Then the drunk man started shouting at us, and most of it was either incoherent or not in English, maybe both. “This is my street!” was all we could really understand due to his slurred speech. At one point he gave Tom a little shove, so Tom calmly and politely apologized for walking down this street, explained that we hadn’t known the street belonged to him, and told him we would leave. Then we left as fast as we could, and luckily, the drunken man didn’t follow us. We decided to pay for a taxi to take us the rest of the way.
Early next morning we attended two presentations, one on public health and one on animal research. Although I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open, I found both of these presentations interesting. Having suffered through two courses in veterinary public health already, I did not think I would enjoy Dr. Frans van Knapen’s lecture; but he really changed my opinion on the subject. In the next lecture, I was happy to hear about some research being conducted to improve the welfare of laboratory animals, which has always been a concern of mine. Our stay in Utrecht ended that afternoon with a tour of another part of the veterinary school where we saw, among other things, a historical exhibit of different horseshoes from those used in ancient times to modern ones used today. I was impressed by the sheer number of them, all in different shapes and made of different materials.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
“Utrecht” or My Trek?
21/05/2010
The Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine has an amazing and extensive anatomy collection. I was extremely impressed and believe that a similar collection would greatly improve my knowledge and understanding of veterinary anatomy. We then toured their equine hospital, followed by a barbecue with their veterinary student association.
After the Dutch barbecue, which consisted of some thick bacon, sausages, and soy products for the vegetarians, it was time to travel to the host student’s home. This is when my individual “trek” began. Having our luggage with us, we took the bus to the fields to see several football (soccer) games.
All of the games were played by teams consisting of Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine students. It seemed to be more of a series of blowouts by the favored teams rather than actual games. After the games concluded, we then got back on the bus to travel to the homes of the host students. My host student had left earlier in hopes of acquiring additional bicycles, so he was going to meet us at the bus stop for his apartment. We could not find him when we first exited the bus, but he arrived just a few minutes later and we then carried our luggage up his steep stairs.
After settling into our accommodations and meeting a feral bunny which he had helped to rescue, we then prepared for a party, to which we traveled by well worn bikes over cobblestone streets. At the party, a few hours into the next morning, we were exhausted and it appeared as though the party had no near future of ending, as it was planned to continue for several more hours. The trip back was more interesting, as I witnessed a few bike accidents along the way. I then fell asleep and awoke to some American tunes being played on a guitar. Breakfast consisted of a sliced hard boiled egg and garlic sauce sandwich.
We heard several more presentations that day and toured some historical veterinary exhibits. I was still very tired from the night before.
-Knut
(a blog by Greg Hoyt)
The Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine has an amazing and extensive anatomy collection. I was extremely impressed and believe that a similar collection would greatly improve my knowledge and understanding of veterinary anatomy. We then toured their equine hospital, followed by a barbecue with their veterinary student association.
After the Dutch barbecue, which consisted of some thick bacon, sausages, and soy products for the vegetarians, it was time to travel to the host student’s home. This is when my individual “trek” began. Having our luggage with us, we took the bus to the fields to see several football (soccer) games.
All of the games were played by teams consisting of Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine students. It seemed to be more of a series of blowouts by the favored teams rather than actual games. After the games concluded, we then got back on the bus to travel to the homes of the host students. My host student had left earlier in hopes of acquiring additional bicycles, so he was going to meet us at the bus stop for his apartment. We could not find him when we first exited the bus, but he arrived just a few minutes later and we then carried our luggage up his steep stairs.
After settling into our accommodations and meeting a feral bunny which he had helped to rescue, we then prepared for a party, to which we traveled by well worn bikes over cobblestone streets. At the party, a few hours into the next morning, we were exhausted and it appeared as though the party had no near future of ending, as it was planned to continue for several more hours. The trip back was more interesting, as I witnessed a few bike accidents along the way. I then fell asleep and awoke to some American tunes being played on a guitar. Breakfast consisted of a sliced hard boiled egg and garlic sauce sandwich.
We heard several more presentations that day and toured some historical veterinary exhibits. I was still very tired from the night before.
-Knut
(a blog by Greg Hoyt)
DVM in the Netherlands
20/05/2010
Veterinary school in the Netherlands is quite different from veterinary school in the United States. The Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is the only veterinary school in the Netherlands, while there are currently about twenty-eight in the USA. Instead of four years of undergraduate studies, applying to veterinary school, and then four years of veterinary school, in the Netherlands students are either accepted to the full six year program or not, they do not have to reapply. After they have finished their first three years, they are granted their Bachelor’s degree; and they are granted their Master’s degree upon completion of their final year. This means that acceptance to their veterinary school is based on high school grades or an interest in farm animals. Each year the new class starts with two hundred and twenty-five students; and each year about two hundred students graduate, many of which decide to only work part-time. A degree of Doctor is not required to practice veterinary medicine.
The Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association, so their graduates can practice in the United States of America. Americans can apply for acceptance to this program, but a working ability to speak Dutch is required. They are ranked within the top five in the world for both veterinary schools and graduate research studies. By an arranged agreement, graduates of American veterinary schools are also allowed to practice in the Netherlands once permission is officially requested, but this would likely be difficult without the ability to speak Dutch.
Regarding the application process, every year the eight top ranked applicants are accepted. The rest of the spots are determined by a lottery system for all remaining qualified applicants. All applicants that state a specific interest in pursuing farm animal and public health receive an interview, but if selected for admission, they must commit to pursuing a career specifically in farm animal medicine.
We were informed that recently their curriculum has undergone much revision, partially due to the Bologna Reform, a system to standardize higher education throughout Europe. Additionally, from various studies they believe that lectures are an ineffective way of teaching and that the popularity of such a method is due to it being much less work for faculty members as compared to other methods. Their concern with lectures being the primary method of teaching is that the studies show that only about twenty to twenty-five percent of information from the lectures is actually retained by the students. Their curriculum now focuses on a few subjects at a time before moving onto the next. Before their forth year, each student must select either horses, farm animals and public health, or companion animals and can only work in that specific field upon graduation. American veterinarians can change their field without too much difficulty. There is the opportunity for graduates of American veterinary schools to pursue a one and a half year Master’s degree, a four year Ph.D., or a four year residency training at the Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
-Knut
(a blog by Greg Hoyt)
Veterinary school in the Netherlands is quite different from veterinary school in the United States. The Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is the only veterinary school in the Netherlands, while there are currently about twenty-eight in the USA. Instead of four years of undergraduate studies, applying to veterinary school, and then four years of veterinary school, in the Netherlands students are either accepted to the full six year program or not, they do not have to reapply. After they have finished their first three years, they are granted their Bachelor’s degree; and they are granted their Master’s degree upon completion of their final year. This means that acceptance to their veterinary school is based on high school grades or an interest in farm animals. Each year the new class starts with two hundred and twenty-five students; and each year about two hundred students graduate, many of which decide to only work part-time. A degree of Doctor is not required to practice veterinary medicine.
The Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association, so their graduates can practice in the United States of America. Americans can apply for acceptance to this program, but a working ability to speak Dutch is required. They are ranked within the top five in the world for both veterinary schools and graduate research studies. By an arranged agreement, graduates of American veterinary schools are also allowed to practice in the Netherlands once permission is officially requested, but this would likely be difficult without the ability to speak Dutch.
Regarding the application process, every year the eight top ranked applicants are accepted. The rest of the spots are determined by a lottery system for all remaining qualified applicants. All applicants that state a specific interest in pursuing farm animal and public health receive an interview, but if selected for admission, they must commit to pursuing a career specifically in farm animal medicine.
We were informed that recently their curriculum has undergone much revision, partially due to the Bologna Reform, a system to standardize higher education throughout Europe. Additionally, from various studies they believe that lectures are an ineffective way of teaching and that the popularity of such a method is due to it being much less work for faculty members as compared to other methods. Their concern with lectures being the primary method of teaching is that the studies show that only about twenty to twenty-five percent of information from the lectures is actually retained by the students. Their curriculum now focuses on a few subjects at a time before moving onto the next. Before their forth year, each student must select either horses, farm animals and public health, or companion animals and can only work in that specific field upon graduation. American veterinarians can change their field without too much difficulty. There is the opportunity for graduates of American veterinary schools to pursue a one and a half year Master’s degree, a four year Ph.D., or a four year residency training at the Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
-Knut
(a blog by Greg Hoyt)
Bonn / Cologne
May 20, 2010
Monday, the first day of the program, I was still on my way to Germany. I carpooled with another student from College Station to Houston for our flight on Sunday, but we had car trouble and were four hours late for our flight. Our next opportunity to leave was not until Monday, so we did not arrive in Cologne until Tuesday afternoon! The rest of the group was already touring the Cologne Zoo, so we ran around the entire zoo trying to catch up with them. As soon as we could find out where the group was and figure out how to get there, they moved on to another exhibit before we could catch them. We finally met up with the group somewhere near the hippos, and the rest of the tour was amazing. The elephants were my favorite. We got to see their elephant facilities with the biggest stalls and squeeze chute I have ever seen. The elephants came right up to us to check us out. I had never in my life been that close to an elephant before!
After the zoo, we toured the Cologne cathedral. The others had already seen this cathedral before I arrived in Cologne, but this was my first time inside. We went all the way up to the roof, learning about the history of the building as we walked through it. I was surprised to learn how old it was and how long it had taken to complete. We don’t have anything in the U.S. that is anywhere near that old, but it is obviously a much younger country! Sometimes I wonder what places in the U.S. will look like in a thousand years, but I doubt any of the same buildings will still be standing. After our tour of the cathedral, we ate dinner at a German restaurant and finally went home for a little sleep. For me it was an incredibly long day, but needless to say it was definitely worth it!
Wednesday was another long, action-packed day with a visit to an organic farm and a tour of the city of Bonn. The organic farm in Bonn was called “Gut Ostler,” and I was surprised to learn that the farm was actually right in the middle of the city. It was small, but our guide told us that most of their income is derived from education, teaching the public how they operate and how sustainable agriculture can improve the environment. That afternoon we attended a lecture on homeopathy, which is very popular in Germany, I learned. I did not know much about homeopathy prior to this lecture, so for me it was very informative but not convincing. There is no pharmacologically active ingredient involved, and I do not believe that you can change the chemical composition or electrical nature of water simply by shaking it. However, I would be interested in seeing more controlled studies on this subject, since more and more people are using homeopathic remedies to treat their pets. After the lecture, we took a tour of Bonn, which ended with drinks at the “Biergarten” by the Rhine.
Monday, the first day of the program, I was still on my way to Germany. I carpooled with another student from College Station to Houston for our flight on Sunday, but we had car trouble and were four hours late for our flight. Our next opportunity to leave was not until Monday, so we did not arrive in Cologne until Tuesday afternoon! The rest of the group was already touring the Cologne Zoo, so we ran around the entire zoo trying to catch up with them. As soon as we could find out where the group was and figure out how to get there, they moved on to another exhibit before we could catch them. We finally met up with the group somewhere near the hippos, and the rest of the tour was amazing. The elephants were my favorite. We got to see their elephant facilities with the biggest stalls and squeeze chute I have ever seen. The elephants came right up to us to check us out. I had never in my life been that close to an elephant before!
After the zoo, we toured the Cologne cathedral. The others had already seen this cathedral before I arrived in Cologne, but this was my first time inside. We went all the way up to the roof, learning about the history of the building as we walked through it. I was surprised to learn how old it was and how long it had taken to complete. We don’t have anything in the U.S. that is anywhere near that old, but it is obviously a much younger country! Sometimes I wonder what places in the U.S. will look like in a thousand years, but I doubt any of the same buildings will still be standing. After our tour of the cathedral, we ate dinner at a German restaurant and finally went home for a little sleep. For me it was an incredibly long day, but needless to say it was definitely worth it!
Wednesday was another long, action-packed day with a visit to an organic farm and a tour of the city of Bonn. The organic farm in Bonn was called “Gut Ostler,” and I was surprised to learn that the farm was actually right in the middle of the city. It was small, but our guide told us that most of their income is derived from education, teaching the public how they operate and how sustainable agriculture can improve the environment. That afternoon we attended a lecture on homeopathy, which is very popular in Germany, I learned. I did not know much about homeopathy prior to this lecture, so for me it was very informative but not convincing. There is no pharmacologically active ingredient involved, and I do not believe that you can change the chemical composition or electrical nature of water simply by shaking it. However, I would be interested in seeing more controlled studies on this subject, since more and more people are using homeopathic remedies to treat their pets. After the lecture, we took a tour of Bonn, which ended with drinks at the “Biergarten” by the Rhine.
‘A’t ‘B’onn / ‘C’ologne
19/05/2010
Finally I have landed in Bonn, Germany. I met Matis, who works for the study abroad company in Germany, at the airport and we caught the next train to the Cologne Zoo to get back on schedule. After running around the zoo like lost mice, we found the group in the old hippopotamus exhibit while they were in the middle of a tour. I was very impressed with Dr. Wasser’s ability to name all of the birds by both their English and German names. The tour proceeded with information regarding the new elephant enclosure and we observed the elephants as they returned from their pasture. We were allowed to view the elephants from a keepers’ station and two of the elephants decided to come over and interact with us. I really enjoyed meeting the elephants.
We then toured the Cologne Cathedral by rooftop. Not a good idea if one is afraid of heights. The emphasis was on the flying buttresses and the new stain glass window by Gerhard Richter. We were the last group to leave that evening and had to descend several flights of stairs in the dark.
After the tour, we entered a nice restaurant where I first began learning my “ABC’s” in German by reading the menu and trying to order food. The following day we visited a biological (organic) farm known as Gut Ostler. It was several topics of sustainable living and agriculture in action, which I was happy to see. The day continued with a lecture on homeopathy, an Italian restaurant, a historical tour of Bonn, and some bar hopping.
-Knut
(a blog by Greg Hoyt)
Finally I have landed in Bonn, Germany. I met Matis, who works for the study abroad company in Germany, at the airport and we caught the next train to the Cologne Zoo to get back on schedule. After running around the zoo like lost mice, we found the group in the old hippopotamus exhibit while they were in the middle of a tour. I was very impressed with Dr. Wasser’s ability to name all of the birds by both their English and German names. The tour proceeded with information regarding the new elephant enclosure and we observed the elephants as they returned from their pasture. We were allowed to view the elephants from a keepers’ station and two of the elephants decided to come over and interact with us. I really enjoyed meeting the elephants.
We then toured the Cologne Cathedral by rooftop. Not a good idea if one is afraid of heights. The emphasis was on the flying buttresses and the new stain glass window by Gerhard Richter. We were the last group to leave that evening and had to descend several flights of stairs in the dark.
After the tour, we entered a nice restaurant where I first began learning my “ABC’s” in German by reading the menu and trying to order food. The following day we visited a biological (organic) farm known as Gut Ostler. It was several topics of sustainable living and agriculture in action, which I was happy to see. The day continued with a lecture on homeopathy, an Italian restaurant, a historical tour of Bonn, and some bar hopping.
-Knut
(a blog by Greg Hoyt)
Still in the States
May 15, 2010
Wow what a long day! After running errands in preparation for this trip, I drove all over
I am setting off for
To Fly or Not to Fly: That is the Question
17/05/2010
Two weeks of web searching and calling used auto parts businesses in
Now a month later, I have just completed my first year of veterinary school and I’m now on my way to the
Suddenly I hear a loud noise and my car is no longer steering well. I pull over to the side of the highway and realize that my front right tire has blown its outer tread, destroying the fender that I had just replaced. Additionally, there is some damage to my bumper, headlight, driver’s door, and some shredded electrical cables. The tire is still inflated, so I drive the car off of the highway and use AAA Roadside Assistance to tow me to the Firestone Tire down the road. I am forty minutes away from the airport and I need to check in for my flight in about forty minutes. An hour later I have four new tires on my car and the automotive mechanics were able to secure what was left of my fender to my car using a few wire coat hangers as best they could.
I arrive at the airport as my flight is leaving; I am too late to board the plane. I am first told that the earliest I can leave is two days from now, which means that I will miss the first two days of our trip. Under the guidance of Dr. Wasser, I speak with several different US Airways attendants until I finally find one that makes several phone calls and arranges for me to leave the next day, so only one day of the trip is lost. I could not thank her enough; I then slowly drive my car to a nearby hotel to spend the night.
The next day I checked in early for my flight and finally I was headed down the runway and on my way to
-Knut
(a blog by Greg Hoyt)
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