Sept. 21, 2020

Hashtag Vetschool

Hashtag Vetschool
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Season 1

This episode is a special bonus episode for our student contingency. We chat to Nada Blagojevic (@dogtornada on Instagram). Nada is a final year vet student at Adelaide University and co-creator of Hashtag Vetschool. #Vetschool is a compilation of study tips and a survival guide of sorts made by an international group of vet students, for vet students. In this conversation Nada gives us a few of her favourite tips from the guide and some of her own wisdom. Enjoy! 

Get your copy of this fantastic study guide here: https://hashtagvetschool.com. 

Go to https://thevetvault.com/podcasts/ to get your hands on the answers to ‘the one question’ from our first 20 guests, and to check out our guests’ favourite books, podcasts and everything else we talk about in the show. We love to hear from you. If you have a question for us or you’d like to give us some feedback please leave us a voice message by going to our episode page on the anchor app (https://anchor.fm) and hitting the record button, via email at thevetvaultpodcast@gmail.com, or just catch up with us on Instagram. (https://www.instagram.com/thevetvault/) If you like what you heard please share the love by clicking on the share button wherever you’re listening to this and sending it to someone who you know will enjoy listening to this.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.This is Gerardo Poli.And this sorry I'm Gerardo Pollard.I'm Hubert Hiemstra and this is the bait felt Before we start we wanted to tell you about it.
It'll give with made for you, we've created a beautiful.I think it's beautiful little document with the answers from our first 20 guest on the podcast.To the standard question that we usually finish the podcaster.That is the question of if there is one bit of advice that you would give to all of the veterans, a new grads of the world, what would it be?
And if the document is yours for free, all you have to do is go to our website at the vet belt.com and subscribe to our e-mail.List and we'll send it to you, straight to your inbox will also send you updates of any new episodes and it cool resources that we've come across.So it go and check it out or you can just click on the link in the episode page, wherever you're listening to this and will take you straight to the appropriate page.
We hope that you'll check it out.Hello, Ed Walters and welcome back to another episode of the weight belt.We have a, another kind of a special one for you tonight.It slightly different form.Not understand visually interview.We are talking to That up like what you bitch, dr.
NADA or not to be on Instagram and she is a finally a Veterinary student at Adelaide University here in Australia.And she is part of a team that have created a guide for studying veterinary science for study tips, study advise live advice.
I don't know, you could tell us more about it in a second called at vet school has not Advocate called hashtag with school.Welcome.NADA.All right, thank you for having me.I'm super excited to have this.This conversation with you tonight and to be on the podcast with you, you've been part of the vet Success Academy, and it's been super cool.
Having you on on those livecast sessions with us too.And I really valued the input that you've had in the questions you had.I appreciate it and honestly of Esa has definitely been part of the reason where I am today, so I appreciate you putting it all together.Yeah, for once today we got to shut up and listen to you instead of him going on and I don't think so.
Exactly, right.That's right.So that'll tell us more about the hashtag.Quit school hashtag.That's cool.Well, there was this 12 or 13 of us.Essentially from all around the world obviously asked in Australia.There's people from the UK, Canada, America, mostly one of the girls just put out, a private, DM to all of us, and was like, who would be interested in putting together, some sort of guy to help not only first years?
But other years study, And we're like, why?Well, why not?First of all and second of all, that's probably our most asked question on Instagram, not through just me but most of the others, especially the others who have big followings.So yes, we put a deadline to it about three weeks, everyone got their information together and then we had one of the girls put it together, essentially, she is super creative knows how to work computers and all of that sort of jazz something that I could never in a hundred million years grass because Like a maybe in a twenty-year-old but it buddy and then yeah and then we made a good life and it's been three weeks and we've had 5,000 downloads wow across the globe anywhere from everywhere.
I think apart from Antarctica reckon at this point come on and I've got lift your game.Well there's interacting with students but yeah it's not it's been Quite an experience to see that many people benefit from it.
So you just download it as a PDF and it goes through how we take notes, how we time manage, how we study after that, and tracking apps.I guess you can call it and then it has a few Anatomy tips of how to learn for anatomy.And then I think I lost one was talking about just general tips for First Years and from everybody.
So it's not just one method of how to study, but there's People doing flow charts and diagrams and tables, and stuff like that.So really kind of delved into all aspects of how people couldn't can study realistically, excellent.So it's am dat people starting on the veteran, a journey or early on and in med school, definitely.
However, being a final year, you'd be surprised how many tips and tricks?I took from it as well, especially some of the apps that they shared.I was like, how do I even not know about these one of the girls put in a thing?You put in a table format and Excel.
And I think for me that was like, I struggled as like, I need to do it like this from now on.So there you go.Almost what two months away from finishing.I'm like trying to organize my notes.You could have finished with the university metal.If you knew this stuff beforehand as every year saying, I think I would have highly benefit if I actually looked at this sort of stuff beforehand or at least before I started my DVM because the amount of notes that we get given, I would have been Like totally somehow organize my notes in a different way that I think would have benefited me because sure about the collaboration in the social learning.
And that's one thing that I really think is super powerful is you might have a group of people who might watch the same webinar or the same, you know, talk or something.But then talking after about your main points, you key points, everyone picks up something different, but you know, you, yeah.
That's so cool that you learn something from the process as well.Well yeah.So now you said earlier that the reason you guys started this project is that you were getting the same sort of questions from people on Instagram all the time.What are some of the most common questions that you get from people want to study video or do early in the process of studying veterinary science, most seats, how'd you get in?
What was it process?And it tips of, you know where I should apply or what should I be looking for in when I'm applying and then go from them?Questions.I like, you know, how did you get into that?What was your path way, some of that sort of stuff, which is pretty endearing?
Considering like I was telling you about before, I only started this during covid.So to be asking getting us, those questions is very, very endearing to say the least sometimes.What happens though is you don't realize the journey with you being a pain and you like your two months away from graduation.
But that's what how many years is now is a fiber is 6.Sex, isn't it?Yeah, that's five years.And what 8 months?10 months, or some at nine months, right?Of trial error, knowledge, sharing and so forth.
So, a little bit in there is little bit of imposter syndrome but I'm sure you had a heap to contribute.So, out of the, the questions.Okay, well, I actually out of the document.What are the 10 things that you think were the best aspects of it?
Would you learn the most from?In terms of how to studying per se, I think it taught me that no way is the right way per se because everyone learns differently and another Were Gay.I guess, the second one following on from that is that one subject you may be better from taking flashcards the other one you may benefit from using a whiteboard, it doesn't even matter if your own studying tips, don't work for one subjects.
It's changing a good benefit for another one.Other ones would be The fact that even just collaborating with them showed me that group studying and collaborating with my friends and other peers is never detrimental.
You can always benefit from someone else, whether it's how to take notes or just something else that they wrote, maybe a note that you didn't grab how they study, maybe how they understood the concept that always helps me other things.Just as small as like, you know, they might be using this app.
Was I may be using a different one.How do they benefit me compared to them Etc?Like just small things like that.There's a few others.But honestly, just in general, for me as collaboration because like I said, Teamwork Makes the Dream Work.Hmm.When what are your standard apps, that you can think of any standout apps from off the top of your head that you learned about that you love for studying.
A lot of people have the iPads and I use notability, and I was also a little bit upset because I was like, I've gone throughout my whole but degree not knowing about this app and I think it's honestly amazing like he just get to make notes on any PDF file that you download.
And I don't think it's that expensive either for a whole year or two.But that one and Forest the one we grow trees.As you study I've seen brief small, other versions of it.Like a study bunny is one of them but then also for ice and I was like, this is life-changing.
I would not procrastinate as hard as I do, but there you go.I'm gonna have to look at that sounds awesome.Yeah, some of them are pretty great.Did the, the note app I discovered at conference just the notes app on the iPad itself.You know, the very simple basic looking Notes app is actually, so freaking useful.
Actually need any extra notes because you, I don't know, you can organize all your files into the different categories.You can take photos.You can ride if you've got an epi pen, so you can write stuff draw pictures.It's A fantastic reaches.I use it for when I go to conference.Now, I'll take photos of the slides and then write my own notes and add things to it.
So yeah, you're right.So heck of a lot better than the piece of paper that I had and I regret not getting an iPad at least a year ago, Zach, right?My dbm notes was going through clinics.I use OneNote because I love it because it's across all devices but also does a lot of the things we're enables you to record and embed video and also record audio.
Remember, we're not in when I started med school.Okay?This is 2003 first year.It was just too much to learn.I was the first person to buy an MP3 recorder and I put this little MP3 recorder at the front and it had a grand total of 125, Mega with the memory.
And so I can record to lacked like another three lectures before I had to empty it, and was the first person recording mp3s and then at the end of the year, at the end of 50 years like like Dozen of these things out there like in the multiplying and kind of having babies of you know.
But we used to share those recordings everywhere.So that's like and now they're like like a you were you're a lecture is recorded and and shared and stuff.Yeah.Yeah that's super cool makes me feel old with everything but as it was you go to lectures or you miss out dude.There's no.Yeah.And if you fall asleep Where I where I graduated.
And then now we got all sorts of stuff.All sorts.Even in the last couple of years, to be honest are so remember, first year in physics or chemistry lectures?Could record it, but they didn't have to.And now, like last year was our last theory-based year, they all of the lecturers had to record and post them.
So It's a small change but it's still pretty big in the grand scheme of things in terms of years.Yeah.So let's say that you're you're about to start uni start, you know, like excited about vet school.It's like, I don't know like a week before its orientation week and you were able to go back in time and then give yourself like five pieces of advice. 5, 1 2 3, 4 5.
OK, what would you tell yourself back then so many things, one of them would be try and actually Form relationships with the lecturers a bit more, I feel like most of the years we kind of just learnt what we needed to learn and I like okay yet there are lecturer for a couple months and then we just move on to the next and we don't actually form a relationship with them which I think would have been super beneficial, the next would be actually understand where you're going because there's so many times throughout the years where I was like, I don't even know what I'm doing next year, in terms of like subjects and categories and stuff like that.
So actually take the time Time to sit there and learn about where you're going.And three would be the fact that It's going to be a lot of time where you're going to have to study really hard but also make sure you take time for yourself because I think over the years I think I've done it in reverse where I studied really hard in take any time for myself.
And now I do the opposite but I think it's worked in a sense and for would have to be the fact that your peers are your best friends.Like my year level is honestly the best we share things, help each other, there's no bickering, there's no competition, nothing And actually try to make an effort a bit more form better relationships with a bit more of them.
Lastly, there's a lot which one do I choose?Are you giving a 10?I don't mind.Just keep on going.There's gonna be a lot of times where I doubted.My capabilities.A lot of the time.
I think I still do but I think honestly just giving things a shot.Whether it's You know, putting your hand up even if that's all you can do and you get it wrong and then go oh no, don't worry about it.That's fine.That's your first step.You got your hand up and then maybe like.
Next lecture, you'll be able to actually answer or that question that they asked and keep going from there.Because like you said to rather, that impostor syndrome is still very much embedded in me.Considering I had a small different deviation from the normal rule, vet school which is fine, not an issue but I think it kind of haunts your Later on like, you know, as good as the others you can't keep up.
I think for me, lossy would be the fact that no way the right way in terms of studying or how much you can retain or what you can present or how people present things, because everyone has a different way of doing things, and the sense that yes they may know, someone may know so much about the hard but they may not know so much about the git and And I shouldn't commit myself to that at all.
I think going, if I was to tell my younger self, what that school would be like and be a lot of comparing.However, like in life, there's always going to be comparisons.You just got to choose what you want to compare yourself to.Wow.And obviously have mentors.
That's my last take away because I wish I had someone that would have Mentored me through early years.I'm finding out the benefits of mentoring a little bit too late, but in the grand scheme of things, I think the right time right now.
The thing, would you guys just created right?Was like, probably the ultimate mentoring piece of advice or feedback or resource really, because you could have a mentor who's really good at one thing, but they're not seriously, good good things.But what do you got there as Accolade?A document of the 10 powerful strategies on every single topic from Every aspect of the globe, you know, you guys essentially become research experts to some degree, right?
Yeah.When you but yes, mmm, I like your point about appreciating your lecturers and then it dawned on me the other day, like, literally in the last few years, the amount of wisdom in cumulative, wisdom and spectacular people who you have, their, you literally blowing them and they are they for you.
They are so bloody smart.That and make some arrogant, 22 year-old.You roll your eyes ago or another half an hour with Professor this and this, and this, I would kill to spend 20 minutes with some of those people now to pick their brains about Staffing, you completely wasted resource because you just not, you don't appreciate what they have.
And I we were elated by world class people and then they you walk away from uni and they're just an available to it.Certainly like right there we go.Now find a book or find an internet you don't have that personal access and as you say, You have that relationship with somebody like that, that would be invaluable for the rest of your career to have them.
At the end of it, an email or even the phone to call them up.And ask for some advice out here, very, very good.Bit of wisdom.They, I feel like in our last clinical yo we get to form that relationship and I feel like it's a little bit too late.I wish we had more than just three weeks with past ologist or whoever in saying that though I'm not quite sure what the other universities do but we if we were to have something show up Two or three years.
After we graduated, we have always said to email them if we need it.So I know graduates from four years out, who still email our lecturers going.Hey, I think I've diagnosed this.What do you think?And they always get back to them and they Rave to us.Younger years about it.Like my student from three years ago diagnosis, I taught you.
Well, so it's really good to see though.But they have our back, still 1 point to share their like I was part of myself stepping out and She is terrified of public speaking and I put my hand up to be your representative because no knew that I had to speak in front of the team from the year, then the inadvertent value that I got from be involved in some level of leadership or some level of student body or something.
Some kind of organizing committee was that it actually gave me access to the school administration and also to the university lecturers because I would have to Like go to them with the grippe or something.Can we build these like tight relationships?And I like, still know all of them and I have some close relationships with them and I wouldn't have got that if I didn't actually step into some kind of leadership or responsibility role.
So that's one potential, but one particular pathway.But what I really loved was actually what you said because humid highlighted what resonates for him was, was where you're going.And for me, my interpretation of that.Around context.
That's right context.You know you can see what you're learning today.Fits in with 50 year, fourth year, third year, second year, first year sometimes.It's so you be like why the hell is this so important?
Like why the hell is, is three spent so much time on this when you sometimes don't see the contacts and maybe it could come down to a little bit around the the way that it's presented.It's not Presented in a way, which adds context it's like, hey, in when you graduate, you're going to see these particular patients all the time, right?
And this Krebs cycle, I don't know what the Krebs cycle does.Okay, Kim forget it right this Krebs cycle, so important because it impacts these five conditions, which you're going to see commonly when you are in general, practice and ones we like contacts contacts.Need to know this, right?
I definitely I reckon looking back on the first three years.I feel like if I had known why concepts for important back then and what I might be seeing through even clinical placements and how that applied like you said it may have benefit of me and not so much.
I just need to pass that exam because it's by chemistry and physics and who cares about that?I'm trying to think how do you get that perspective there?Because I agree.It would be awesome if you had it but it is actually very hard to to have that perspective until you are working through it and go.
That's why Why I should have known that now, I need to go back.It is, it is quite tricky.I think, maybe that's where having a mentor could be super useful.Somebody to give you that perspective because you can't have it.Well, as you say, the right of your lectures, really good at the person, presenting the content, and they try and put it in perspective that might help, but it's not that they probably don't always have time that links into my trying to have better relations with lectures because I would yeah how that fits into future life Like those three are kind of tied in together in that sense.
So do we had you could buddy up between a first in the fifth year.I think, I think the changes the first 1/4 here because it 50 years always on rotations and couldn't give advice because they were not contactable but you could put your hand up to be a buddy and a nude, you be partnered up with a mentor but I think even just like the year above might be of value.
Yeah for sure.Just someone of the Year above so But then there's homework for you now to, and for anybody else, do it, if you don't have it at to UNI, I did, I read the other day, pave, the way behind you, not in front of you are probably right behind you for the others.
Say it up, set up, that mentoring program, because we didn't have it and listening to you talk about it.I think would have been spectacular if we had a formula is because you're friends with the older, guys.But if in an informal setting, the last thing you want to talk about is more Union work, you just want to get drunk and have fun but to have fun, I say, Once a week, we sit down to somebody and say, alright let's talk about stuff.
What problems have you got?What?Don't you understand?What can help you with would be?Would be perfect.That's a great.Yeah.So weighted people get a hold of you guys if you want to check it out.Where do you go to?Yeah, so it's just www.and in full words, it's hashtag that school.com.
Okay.So hashtag AJ is, it's not not the symbol but the actual word has to act because I correct correct.Awesome.I love what you guys are doing it.So, It's inspiring to see these students going above and beyond just getting their heads down and getting through the course.
And I so I read or heard something the other day.I might Safe Garden.Don't know if you come across his stuff and I'd rather you talk about becoming a professional deciding to in your way to a career.But I had something that ended I was thinking about this talk with Nara and thinking that that by the time Europe, fourth, fifth, finally a bitch tuned.
You're a professional student precious and safe.Grave a Formation of what is a professional you think that it's to do with when you start getting money for something?But he and I actually wrote it down somebody who shows up to do their best, even when they don't feel like it professional does.
The hard work of getting better at their craft and the professionals, open to feedback so they craft can get better.And it's about commitment and consistency and not about anything else.So, when you enroll in that visually course, you are instantly, you become a professional.
You have to become a professional Vision student too.Make some space over there and then you guys are living at.You are doing the professionals as well.Then it's license.Thanks for having me tonight.Thanks a lot of your time and this is like with again.Thank you.Thank you again for taking the time to listen.
I hope that you found some value in that.And as always, if you did, and you can think of somebody else who might like it, please take a moment to send them the link to this episode and remember to go to the vet folder.Calm and register for our mailing list so we can send you the answer to the one question.
Have a fantastic week and we will see you next time.