Elaine Watson: Ready? Set? 4th semester!

Can't believe the 5th week of 4th semester is already done and over with. This semester is flying by!

All the classes have really been enjoyable. The topics have been a mixture of review, clinical applications, and integrating new information into our brains. You can check out my 4th semester page for a list of courses that are incorporated into 4th semester. Our schedules are a little rough this semester. Yes we start most our days at 10am, but we don't finish with classes until 4p. Most of the time it feels like when you check something off your to-do list, another thing is added so the list never gets smaller. In a way it reminds me of 3rd semester in the sense that you cannot stop studying and risk getting behind in any class. The information this semester seems to be coming at us at a little faster of a pace than previous semesters...definitely challenging to stay on top of it and really make sure you have a complete understanding of everything you have been taught.

A lot has been accomplished so far for Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine's Josh Project!

A meeting was arranged with the nurse matron and the hospital's administrator that allowed one of the co-chairs and myself to introduce Josh Project, our mission, and our goals, as well as clarify the previous donation arrangements that were done in the past by Josh Project but not made known to the matron and the administrator (only the nurses at the pediatric ward were aware of Josh Project and had not communicated the organizations presence and relationship to the correct persons of authority at the hospital). From this meeting it was established that the hospital would sign off on the shipment of Josh Kits in order for the Ministry of Finance to waive any taxes/duty on the kits. It was also established that this is the start of a very committed and wonderful relationship between RUSVM's Josh Project and the JNF General Hospital.
We have ordered 60 Josh Kits to be delivered to St. Kitts! Not quite sure when they will arrive, but I am so excited for them to get here!
The organization has over 100 members again this semester :) a good mixture of returning and new members...I definitely feel like the presentation that I give to the 1st semester and Vet Prep classes during the 2nd week really helps bring a good amount of new members to Josh Project.
We supported a local fabric store and bought some material to use for blankets to be donated to the children of the pediatric ward during our donation visits.
Our wood shop at RUSVM kindly made us an amazing display board that we will be decorating and utilizing at the RUSVM Open House that is held every January as well as community outreach events (hoping to take a group downtown and set up a table at which we will pass out flyers and talk to the community about who we are and what we do).
Jodi Peeler is helping Josh Project get a little radio time hopefully in November on a local radio station here in St. Kitts. We are hoping to focus the program on the human-animal bond and having a clinician or professor with a background or experience in this area speak on the topic as well as answer questions from callers that call in to the radio station. We are also working on doing a press release that will be put in the local paper around the same time when we do a donation visit with some Josh Kits.
We have scheduled two donation visit dates with the hospital for the month of October, the 10th and the 31st. We will be donating coloring books and blankets during these visits. We will be able to have a maximum of 10 members attend these donation visits.
The coin fundraiser is next week! Time for a little friendly competition amongst our semesters! Last semester we raised a little over $1,500 USD and the 7th semester class won the competition and was represented by our very own Dr. St. Jean as Zorro and he even became a YouTube sensation with Dr. Johnson as the dueled in front of the Student Union. The ideas for this semester are pretty awesome. They include having professors dress up as the lifeguards of Baywatch, Dory from Finding Nemo, Flavor Flav, Cruella Deville and a litter of dalmatian puppies, and Elmer Fudd with his partner Bugs Bunny.
Within the next month, Josh Project is teaming up with Island Yoga as we put our thinking caps on and plan a sunrise to sunset yoga/meditation event whose proceeds will benefit Josh Project entirely! We are really excited to have the owner of Island Yoga on board with us and also very thankful for the partnership.

Outside of school and Josh Project...

I was able to celebrated my birthday with a bunch of friends at Ritual's Sushi for dinner. Got a couple really awesome birthday presents from loved ones back in the states :)

I spent one afternoon celebrating a friend's birthday in a group and we went standup paddleboarding/bar hopping through Honu & Pelikana: Standup Paddle Board Rentals & Tours. It was soooo much fun! We actually stopped at Shipwreck Beach for a good while and then paddled down a little ways to Jam Rock. Jam Rock is a really small bar/restaurant that you can find just to the right of Shipwreck. Instead of turning left towards Shipwreck, you turn right and go a little down the way and it'll be on the left. The food was amazing and the staff was extremely nice. The chef is actually the owner. I had a fish entree and it was fantastic. When we were out in the water on the paddleboards, we saw sea turtles and even spotted sting rays.

An island dog adopted me. I named him Mango and he is approximately 1 year old and not neutered (November 8th is the day he is scheduled for his surgery at the VTH). I will now officially have a small herd of critters when I return to the states, and I'm comfortably okay with that. LOL. He was a stray roaming around Port Zante when found. His foster mom did an amazing job with him! She trained him from the get go to make sure he was adoptable. At first he was very unsure of the cats (Ting and Brutus), but now they all play, snuggle, and groom together. He has definitely been a great addition. Even on days when I'm feeling run down from school, he is waiting to greet me with a wagging tail.

Well...that's all for now. Here are some pictures of the semester so far in a nut shell.

Dr. Gyimah as Flavor Flav