PHOTOGRAPHY

Submitted by Christine Wright, North Carolina State University

"Glacial" 

DVM Loading... Podcast

Submitted by Katlyn Marr and Karling Hemstreet, Texas Tech University SVM

Veterinary school can be daunting from a lot of aspects. From getting admitted to your dream school to graduating with the coveted DVM behind your name, it can be difficult to navigate life as a veterinary professional. During lunch one day, two first year veterinary students decided to take the leap and discuss the relevant issues that many young professional students face. Thus, DVM Loading… Podcast was born. With your hosts, Katlyn Marr and Karling Hemstreet, DVM Loading… serves as a platform for pre-vet students, current veterinary students, practicing veterinarians, and their families to discuss the real world highs and lows of being in veterinary school. As first year veterinary students at Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine, Katlyn and Karling wanted to unite future, current, and past veterinary students to the practicing veterinary industry to leave a mark on those that need encouragement, advice, or support. When listeners tune into weekly episodes of DVM Loading… they will get discussions about advice on applying to vet school, how to handle rejections, imposter syndrome, finding friends and mentors, how to get involved in the community and clubs, life in general as a vet student, and SO MUCH MORE! The ladies of DVM Loading… plan to pass the torch to fellow classmates once they reach graduation, so the podcast can continue to serve as a platform for information and advice as veterinary medicine will most definitely look different from how it did when they started the podcast! While Katlyn and Karling are from Texas, DVM Loading… is for everyone, from other states as well as countries around the world, with the goal of having guests from other veterinary schools for additional insight. DVM Loading… is the place for future and current veterinary professionals to gain knowledge and camaraderie from others experiencing similar life events. So if you’re looking for advice or just wanting to reminisce on life as a veterinary student, tune in every Monday for new episodes! DVM Loading… is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Questions or comments can be sent to Katlyn and Karling via our email: dvmloadingpodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear suggestions for future podcast topics too, so if you have any burning questions or experiences please reach out to us!

Below is a direct link to DVM Loading... on either Apple Podcasts or Spotify:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dvm-loading/id1670111309?i=1000607059919

https://open.spotify.com/show/4cE1zRKnC9wSSTM4BjJvoJ

With love,

Katlyn Marr and Karling Hemstreet

Case Report

Submitted by Olivia Obringer, Michigan State University

My personal pet, Merlin, an 8mo old MN DSH presented to MSU VMC for inability to urinate. He was adopted by myself 29 days prior and had no history of urinary issues. His bladder was firm and painful upon palpation. An IV catheter was placed, and Merlin was sedated and unblocked. This procedure was uneventful, and urinary catheter positioning was successful. A urinalysis was submitted and was positive for crystals and negative for bacteria and casts. An abdominal radiograph of the bladder revealed 2-3 mildly radiolucent stones in the bladder. Ultrasound of the bladder confirmed the stones (see image below).

A cystotomy was performed and the stones were removed and submitted to the Minnesota Urolith Center. Merlin recovered well from surgery and began a diet of Hill’s c/d. 

A few weeks later, the results of the stone submission confirmed Merlin had ammonium urate stones. Because of this result, bile acids were run, and the results were as followed:

Bile Acids Fasting (Enzyme cycling): 8.6H [Range: 0.5-7.9] umol/L

Bile Acid 2 Hour (Enzyme cycling): 88.5 H [Range: 1.9-11.3] umol/L

Two weeks later, Merlin was sedated for a CT with angiogram and bloodwork. His bloodwork results revealed:

Urea Nitrogen: 7 L [19-36] mg/dL
Total Bili 0.1 [0.1-0.3] mg/dL
Direct Bili 0.0 [0.0-0.1] mg/dL
Indirect Bili 0.1 [0.1-0.3] mg/dL
ALP 104 H [13-48] U/L
ALT 71 [25-76] U/L
AST 22 [14-36] U/L

His CT report revealed a “single extrahepatic splenophrenic portosystemic shunt”.

Merlin never had any neurological signs (ataxia, seizures, dysphoria) and only ever had a history of chronic diarrhea. Due to the blood’s diversion of the liver, Merlin accumulated ammonium in his body which promoted the stone formation in his bladder.

Merlin had a good prognosis with surgery, and that option was pursued. An ameroid constrictor was placed around the shunt, and he did well during surgery and post-operatively. He was discharged the day after. Unfortunately, Merlin developed post-attenuation neurological signs (PANS) a few hours after returning home. He was disoriented, ataxic, and experiencing central blindness. Despite proactive treatment, Merlin continued to decline and developed cluster seizures. He was humanely euthanized.

I will miss him dearly.

Student Experiences: A Tale of Two Vet Students

Submitted by Rachael Lahar, University of Illinois

I met my best friend, Molly Freeman, when we were in our undergraduate careers; we both wanted to become veterinarians. When the time came, we both applied to veterinary schools. However, we were accepted to two different schools. Now Molly is in her third year at Oklahoma State University and I am a third year at the University of Illinois.

During a phone call while we were catching up, we discovered we had the same time off for spring break, something that did not happen the previous year. In previous conversations, we had discussed the similarities and differences in our veterinary school education. There were many commonalities in our education except for one key element: a Clinical Skills Learning Center (CSLC). Oklahoma State University is in the process of having one built; however, the facility won’t be done until Molly will be a fourth year. She wanted to have the ability to practice some of the skills she was being taught in her veterinary school curriculum.

Molly, after hearing about the CSLC and the laundry list of expertise I had gained from it, wanted to experience it for herself. After gaining the necessary permission, the plan fell into place. Molly was visiting me for spring break not only for us to see each other, but in order to learn the skills from me she had not yet had the chance to practice.

During the first day Molly was visiting me we spent all day in the CSLC, starting early in the morning to late in the afternoon. Molly and I have been close friends for years. However, in a professional setting we had never had the chance to work together. We had an amazing time. From my perspective, I had to know all the techniques backward and forwards, not only to teach Molly the skills but also to be able to answer the myriad of questions that popped up. The day flew by in a flurry of placing catheters, bandaging, venipuncture, the marathon of surgical preparation, and more.

For two days, Molly mastered numerous suture patterns, drain placement, and hand ties, and performed a mock spay via the three-clamp method on a balloon and pom-pom uterus setup. I was absolutely astonished by Molly’s drive and persistence in mastering all the skills.

The whole spring break wasn’t solely focused on clinical skills. Molly and I also had a day trip over to Allerton and the picturesque town of Monticello. During this time, we hiked eight miles with the last three of them unfortunately being through the mud. We also birdwatched, took countless photographs, and explored the not-yet blooming gardens at Allerton in the chilly weather. After our hiking adventure, we visited Monticello and met kind people there, and shopped at lovely boutiques/artisan shops.

Overall, spring break flew by and was a unique opportunity for us as veterinary students to collaborate, teach, learn, and most importantly have fun as friends.

AVMA Government Relations Externship: Bailey Goff

Submitted by Bailey Goff, Iowa State University

"All Good Things Come to an End"

Although my time in Washington D.C. has not concluded, my time as an AVMA GRD extern has.  For the past three weeks, I have auspiciously embraced the experiences afforded by the Government Relations Division and their team. I’ll be finishing out two more weeks in another policy-based position in D.C. before returning back to Iowa State University for graduation (less than 50 days away)!

Why did I choose to apply for the AVMA GRD externship?

The externship website touts impressive activities – all that I had the pleasure to engage with during my time in DuPont Circle. “It’s an opportunity to learn a facet of the profession that you won’t find in school…”  During the normal veterinary school curriculum, interacting with the “non-traditional” aspects of the profession – organized medicine, public policy, advocacy – are frustratingly minimal to none.  Serving as an AVMA GRD extern fundamentally fostered these skills while in the learning spaces as a student.  “As an extern, you’ll work firsthand on issues that affect the veterinary profession…”  Throughout the past three weeks, I have had the unique opportunity to engage in the legislative activities surrounding xylazine scheduling – an issue deeply relevant to large animal practitioners, zoo personnel, and livestock producers across the United States. Watching the AVMA GRD team work diligently on making this work for veterinary uses of xylazine highlights how combined voices advance the needs of the profession.  Continued work on the Healthy Dog Importation Act, Farm Bill, and Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act showcased these abilities, too.

“Externs are asked to problem solve, collaborate, adapt to daily changes in priorities, and influence others…”  Navigating schedule changes on the fly, accommodating virtual meetings and in-person engagements across the D.C. area, attending meetings and note-taking on relevant topics, and assisting with legislative-based tasks have provided an avenue to gain these tangible skills. I have to extend my deepest appreciation to my externship-mate, Marie Cozzarelli.  There’s no other person I’d rather get lost with and attempt to ride scooters to the Smithsonian Zoo, then end the afternoon with the messiest scoop of gelato on the hottest spring day in the District yet. While this externship excites my professional interests, I sincerely look forward to what Marie does in this early stage of her career.  By the end of this externship, we joked that we could act as the other with ease – introducing background, experiences, and passions areas. I was lucky to share this externship with an impressive colleague. “It’s a chance to take your learning from veterinary school and apply it outside of the clinical setting – and have a great time doing it.”  I can say I had an incredible time, indeed.

What are my next steps after graduation? Oh boy. With less than two months until I walk across the stage, I reluctantly say I am still unsure. What this externship has built, however, is a level of confidence in choosing my early career path, no matter the timeline. I’ll be continuing my education with a Master’s degree and (likely) moving to the Washington D.C. area in the coming months. While I decide between clinical practice vs. other “non-traditional” jobs, I take with me the wide array of experiences and invaluable skillset attained while serving as an AVMA GRD extern.