Firstly, congratulations if you were accepted to vet school this year or are a returning student! I’ve put a list together here for a couple must-haves that have made my life in veterinary school so much easier!

1.       School planner! I love using a planner with every day broken down in one hour chunks from 6am to 9pm. This allows me to fill in my ever changing schedule and easily visualize when I am busy and what free time I have during the week. I highly recommend a planner because that way no required events go unnoticed.

2.       Smart water bottle! I’ve used a Bluetooth water bottle that syncs to my phone that tracks my daily water consumption! It’s super easy to use and affordable! It sends you daily reminders when you are behind in your consumption and alerts you when you’ve hit your goal! For busy veterinary students that have so much to think about every day, this helps me stay healthy and hydrated!

3.       Personalized stethoscope! This has been super important during vet school because there are so many stethoscopes floating around in a clinic on campus and off campus that being able to identify which one is yours is important. I thought I bought a unique color scheme for mine but during the first week I found out three of my classmates had the same one! Thankfully I had mine engraved! If you have it engraved upon order, usually the engraving is on the bell, my university store engraves them on the tubing, or for a removable ID you can get clips or tags that hang on to it as well.

I hope you enjoyed this list! If you have any questions or would like more tips you can find me on all social platforms @DRSHANNONDVM and I’d be happy to talk with you!