Toad... Sheep?

... because I have not blogged for a few days.

I passed infectious diseases, which is a relief - thankfully my fear was unfounded; unless I was just very lucky! Either way it's done, and another hoop has been jumped through. You can't help feeling like a performing dolphin here, surrounded by unexciting surroundings (the vet school canteen is like a shoe-box for people). Plus some students are depressingly humour and common-sense less. The other day one of our lecturers inserted a wee joke in the midst of a lecture. She was basically explaining that blow-fly strike makes a mess of sheep because they burrow through the skin forming some diffuse skin lesoins and causing the wool to fall off. Eventually she put up a slide saying "they end up looking like this" (cue showing slide of a toad). Such a joke would usually pass with a snigger, and the lecture would continue. But some vets were insistant that this would be a stumbling block: "but it's not a sheep it's a toad!" they said. So, she tries to continue her joke (as you would), "nah, it's a sheep. Look, here's its head, here's its tail. I don't have any slides of toads!" etc. No, the vets would not be convinced. How could she possibly confuse a toad for a sheep!!? "But it really is a toad!", "No, it's a sheep... maybe I'll put it in your MCQs and then you'll see!".

At lunchtime some of them were saying things along the lines of "I can't believe she really thought it was a toad". "Um... I think she was telling a joke," I said. "But she was really convinced... I'm not sure she knew! We went up to her and said. I can't believe it!" I actually had to leave at this point, before I exploded. This lecturer knows what she's doing. She's a great lady - I have alot of respect for her. She can distinguish Telodorsagia from Ostertagia worms (which are MINUTE) from about 20 yards, she identified a new disease in this country (CLA), she a leading expert on sheep and other small ruminants and is a genius! I was so shocked... vet students aren't all they're cracked up to be. Correction some vet students... let's not tar us all with the same brush!