Appreciation and Love of Lifelong Learning - This is Just the Beginning
Vet school is a lot of work. But you probably guessed that or have heard me tell you about it. I spent over three and half hours today in the anatomy lab reviewing all the abdominal viscera and all the nerves and vessels of the dog from the neck down. It was a ton of work. My head hurt. I reeked of formaldehyde. But today as we were studying the arteries of the pelvic limb and were wondering where the heck the middle caudal femoral artery went, Chris followed the course of the artery and picked up the muscles it supplied, with a simple,"It goes to the adductor too." But then he added something profound: "You know, a couple months ago we would have looked at that muscle and had no idea what it is."
It really got me thinking. Learning is one of the most beautiful experiences we are privileged to take part in. It just opens up whole new realms of possibilities to us. Sometimes I'm just sitting in class and a light bulb turns on and suddenly I see everything so clearly. Wanna know why waking up sucks? It's cause your body uses a surge of cortisol - the stress hormone - to do it. No wonder some people are grumpy in the mornings.
That kind of revelation and understanding are exactly why I am interested in veterinary medicine. I love biology and ecology and evolution and conservation more than I can say. But here in this profession I have the chance to incorporate all that knowledge into the immediate betterment of my fellow beings. I love that. I love that veterinary medicine is constantly growing. That new treatments are being developed. That they're being applied to additional species. That papers are being written and specialties are being developed. It's why I'm here. I love this profession because as soon as I get that DVM, an endless world of possibilities involving the animals I love so much is opened to me.
It's an amazing honor to have been accepted here at veterinary school. The things we are taught are beautiful and intricate. We are being given the knowledge to heal the body. How incredible is that?
But sometimes I hear people forgetting the wonder of what we are being taught here. I hear people focusing on grades and letting the impending stress of a possibly less-than-stellar grade bog them down. Or I hear people complaining about how things are 'stupid' or a professor's teaching style isn't to their immediate liking - that they 'get nothing out of those lectures'. Both extremes worry me.
We worked hard to get here - damn hard. But the effort we put in then doesn't qualify us to demand everything on a silver platter now. And to be frank, we will never learn that way. There will be times we won't succeed as much as we want to. That's ok. We learn from failure. We learn from it. Even if it's uncomfortable. And we probably are not going to be interested in everything we will be taught here. But there is a reason we are being taught it. Learning sometimes requires opening ourselves to things beyond our immediate comfort zone. But that's only going to make us better doctors.
Now I'll be honest. I'm not perfectly focused in every lecture and grades stress me out too. But that's why our Dean of Professional Students, Dr. Rogers advised us to find the joy everyday we're here. Because every single day here is full of countless opportunities for those priceless illuminating moments.
One of my favorite passages of scripture is in the Doctrine and Covenants: "The Glory of God is Intelligence." Another verse reads, "Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come." (If you're unfamiliar with those verses please see here and here and here).
I believe deeply in those statements. It's probably why Brigham Young said of the Latter-day Saints that "there is no other people in existence more eager to see, hear, learn, and understand truth." I really strive to live up to the expectation of that statement. It's a lofty goal to be sure. But I find that as I do my best, seeking after truth does something wonderful to me. It fills me with the beautiful filling feeling only new knowledge can give you.
Regardless of what you believe in, I'm sure all of you have experienced the profound feeling of illumination I'm talking about. The one that only learning is capable of bringing into your life. It's a powerful, beautiful feeling. It's a feeling that can fill your whole being with a deep sense of gratitude - one that can change the whole course of your personal and professional life. We've just got to do our best to always be open to it. It's what will make us great veterinarians. Even better, it's what will make us great people.
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