Happy (not actually) Halloween and welcome to my week on Emergency & Critical Care as a fourth-year vet student! This is a Phase 4 clinical rotation, so it’s basically shift work at the hospital instead of sitting in lectures. I walk you through what my schedule looked like (hello 3 PM–midnight shifts, an on-call night, and six shifts in seven days), what the virtual orientation/rotation quiz was like, and how I tried (and mostly failed) to keep up with studying… while also low-key panicking because it was 18 days until my NAVLE. ECC is honestly not “my thing” because I don’t love the adrenaline, but I went in open-minded—and I was pleasantly surprised. I got to build technical skills and jump in on some really cool procedures like a thoracocentesis (chest tap) and placing a nasogastric tube for the first time. We also saw some intense (and adorable) patients, had a day where five emergencies arrived at once, and I learned a ton from rounds—even on a “chill” shift. I also share a very real part of clinical year life: being exhausted, forgetting to eat (two string cheeses does not count as dinner), and finding little ways to cope—like checking on Link with my pet camera for peace of mind. Overall, I’m happy to be done, but I’m genuinely grateful for how much I learned this week.