Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Never Forget Where You Came From: A Look into a City Kid's Rural Medicine Experience

I was born in the big city of Santa Clara, California, located 45 miles southeast of San Francisco, located in the center of Silicon Valley, home to the headquarters of several high-tech companies, Santa Clara University, and the San Francisco 49ers. I moved to the Raleigh/Durham NC area when I was 6 months old, and enjoyed living life in a busy and growing city. I enjoyed it so much, I stayed to finish my undergraduate degree at NC State, as well as continuing to pursue a dual degree program in veterinary medicine and pharmacology. I grew up within 5 miles of a Walmart, 10 miles from 4 major universities, and loved every minute of it. So why, might you ask, would this self proclaimed "city kid" be interested in writing a blog post about large animal veterinary medicine, cows, and my rural medicine experiences? I suppose the pleasure of rural life lies really in the eternally renewed evidence of the determination of the dairymen, farmers, producers and small towns to not only live, but thrive.

Before my enrollment into a veterinary school, I figured I would stay in Chapel Hill, NC, graduate and continue my comfy life within 3 minutes of a grocery store. For 6 years, I worked in an animal clinic, and loved the fast paced turn around of a small animal office. Within a 13 hour shift, I witnessed 3 dental procedures, a spay, 14 wellness appointments + an emergency hit by car. The never ending case load stimulated my love for medicine, for animals and for helping people in what can be their happiest, or sometimes worst moments. 


Amazingly, through several externships in rural areas, I became fascinated by small town life. These are a few memorable lessons from my rural experiences. 

Attica, NY: Population: 10,285. Cows: 100,500.  Cow to People Ratio: 10:1 
It was here I learned the dedication and passion it takes to work side by side with the top producers of milk in NY at Attica Veterinary Associates. The veterinarians I rode with (Shoutout to Dr. Eila Susskind and others!) gave me an new outlook on how successful a dairy rural practice can be and no matter where you hail from, being a part of a small rural community can be an amazing experience. They not only manage emergency DA surgeries, herd health checks, consultations and nutrition, but also salmonella ridden interns. 

Morrison, TN: Population: 619. Cows: 3,687. Cow to People Ratio: 6:1 
Dr. Mandy Willis gave me my first glimpse into the life of a rural practitioner at Middle TN Vet Services. I had never worked a cow in my life before I took a chance and drove 9 hours from downtown Raleigh, NC into what seemed like the middle of nowhere to learn about bovine practice. What I got was so much more than veterinary experience. I spent most of my days in Tennessee working side by side with Dr. Willis on everything from castrations to complicated diagnostic cases. But the medicine, trampling, bruises and escapes from electric fences is not what I found here that solidified my passion for rural practice. It was the community. Dr. Mandy isn't just a veterinarian. She is a volunteer at women's recovery center, a church Sunday school leader, dedicated to her family values and an outstanding mentor to veterinary students. She dedicates her business mission to promoting and preserving animal agriculture as a solo practitioner and practice owner. Since my first visit in 2013, I have returned several times to not only continue learning about large animal practice, but to be welcomed back by a small community of people I call my second family.     

Ironically, rural America has become viewed by a growing number of Americans as having a higher quality of life not because of what it has, but rather because of what it does not have. It is this way of living that has me returning to small rural towns as a continue my studies to become a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. I encourage all veterinary students to take a chance. Find an externship in the middle of nowhere with a mentor who loves rural practice. I won't ever forget where I came from, but I hope to end up somewhere where I can continue to make a difference to as many people and animals as possible. There is something about getting up a 4:30 am to help with a dystocia, sunday nights feeding calves with your host family, diagnosing and treating sick livestock and visiting with producers that gives you a lifelong respect for the sheer dedication they put in every single day to feed the world. 

If any veterinary students are interested in learning more about rural veterinary experiences, join the Academy of Rural Veterinarians. They offer internship stipends, mentorship and amazing look into life of a small town vet! 

Monday, June 9, 2014

Superheroes


As odd as it may seem, being a leader does not come naturally to me. In fact, I never thought I would ever be considered a leader in any field, let alone the passion I call my career. Growing up, I always tried to match my twin sister, because lets face it, she had the brains and I had the attention span of a gnat. She could hold a conversation with anyone, and I followed along in the shadow of her brillance, hoping for a small piece of her extrovertism to rub off on my otherwise very timid self. I was perfectly content being the kid who could make others feel better about their own confidence, even if my own suffered for it. 

That’s why the first step out the door of being an introvert is always so hard. As with any huge change in an introverts life, I don't usually adjust as quickly as what I would consider "normal folks." Veterinary school was a drastic change that nearly cost me my life. Within one year, I survived a myocardial infarction, was diagnosed with arrthymias, survived salmonella septecemia and somehow finished my first 2 years of vet school.

Several key people played a role in helping me achieve "3rd year status". Although I need to list several key family members and friends, as part of my last time calling her the "Intern", I would like to give Dr. Nikki Schweizer a huge shoutout on a post tonight. For anybody looking for an "unsung" hero to look up to, Nikki is one of those once in a lifetime mentors. Not only has she completed an academic internship at THE best veterinary school in the nation, but she decided to bring her unmatched passion back to Hickory, NC, where she will be starting her own Mobile Practice (http://www.henryrivermobilevet.com)!

One of my favorite stories with Dr. Nikki doesn't actually involve animals (*gasp*). She didn't know it at the time, but I was ready to leave the vet school after my spring semester, with every intention of finding other passions to pursue besides animals. But Instead of ignoring my somewhat obvious internal conflict, she was always ready to reignite my goals. Whether that be inviting me to help diagnose some blood work, late night cookout runs for the hospital staff, ultrasounding cattle, or even just letting me tag along for much needed "away from school" time at the dairy. Although she may not realize it yet, she changed my life, renewed my passion for veterinary medicine, and proved that not every superhero wears a cape (but Pella Green Coveralls are pretty much a necessity!)

I've learned a lot about goats, sheep, cattle and life as a DVM from her. But the best lesson I received is that heroes are never perfect, but they're brave, they're authentic, they're courageous, determined, and they've got what it takes to make a difference in this world.