skyblue Perspectives

Monday, January 11, 2010

I always find it hard to pick up the pieces from where I last left it. With my blog posts, it's particularly because I blog so infrequently that so much has past and it's too much of a mouthful to tell everything in one shot. So pardon me, it's gonna be random bits with no chronological order.

With reference to my last post, I passed my exams, so on I am to the next stage of my career: vet sci 3rd year. For the past 2 years it's been mainly theoretical work, but this year and the next will see me in the uni clinic doing rotations, while the hols will have me arranging my own Extra-Mural Work in out-of-uni clinics. Extra Mural Work consists of 12 weeks of 'internship' to be completed during the holidays. The idea is to get us to experience clinical work in different types of clinics, ranging from companion animal practice to mixed animal practice (large and small animals), from wildlife to equine clinics. The reason why I'm not back in SG this December hols is to complete 4 weeks of EMW, in a research lab. True, a research lab is not a clinic, but the idea is to get us to find out what we want to do after we graduate. Research is a likely option. Not all vet students graduate to become practicing clinicians. Some go into research, others work as nutritionists in pet food companies, while others continue their studies to become specialists in optometry, dermatology etc. Unlike medical students, veterinary students graduate as full-fledged animal anaesthetists, optometrists, dermatologists etc etc. Like medical students, we have to specialize and do more courses to be recognized in those fields.

Back to my research stint. Melbourne Uni Veterinary Department has many research labs, and I'm working in a parasitology lab called Gasser Laboratory. Dr Robin Gasser, the person heading this lab, is my second year second sem parasitology lecturer. He has kindly agreed to be my supervisor for this EMW, which means that at the end of my stint, he has to grade me on my performance, and the results sent back to Melb Uni as part of my marks. I wonder how many other professional fields out there get graded during Internships.

I started work last Mon, and Dr Ian Beveridge, my second year first sem parasitology lecturer, helped find materials for me to start a project with. While doing so, I stumbled across a few parasites (nematodes) that ended with beveridgea. Apparently, these names were named after him by others who made the discovery on that worm. I suddenly begin to fully realise how distinguished my lecturers are in their field, and I'm glad to have that honour working under them.

My project is to use molecular techniques (DNA extraction, PCR, DNA sequencing) to find genetic differences between one population of worm (nematode) in one host subspecies in a particular location and another population of nematode in another host subspecies in a different geographical location. These two nematode populations look really alike under the microscope, and has been classified as one species, but due to slight morphological differences, my lecturer suspects that they are in fact genetically different and are separate species. I'm not about to bore you here any further, so I'll just say that it supplies evidence for evolutionary theories and will aid in diagnosis of diseases if and when they arise. I think many people will find it really boring and irrevelant, but I find evolution interesting. We never learn anything about evolution in our course, so to be involved so intimately with this other aspect of science is exciting for me.

I also just realised that this is my first time working in an office. I've been given a desk to work at while I'm not in the lab, to do my research and use the internet. The working culture in Australia and in an office is new to me too, and takes a bit getting used to. It is good exposure, and the coffee machine here gives really good coffee.

The lab and the Melb Uni vet clinic and campus for 3rd and 4th years is located in a suburb called Hoppers Crossing, which is 50mins train ride from the city. To reduce commuting time, my coursemates and I have moved out of the city into a nearby suburb called Point Cook. PC is a newly developed estate, located on the side of the highway. The only ways out of it to the nearest train station is by car, by bus or by bicycle. I cycle 6-7km to school and back everyday. It's tiring but it's good training for MSC 2010. Melbourne Summer Cycles is an annual cycling event that helps raise funds for Multiple Sclerosis patients. It's a 40km ride around the city and I'm taking part in it this year. Hopefully I'll survive the whole ride, if not I'll just be swept up by the straggler car. That'll be embarrassing.

And my darn internet at home is not up yet. So I do all my surfing during office hours and feel bad about it. Should stop blogging now and go back to reading my research papers.

5.moon.sky
7:06 am