City Of Tulsa Animal Welfare: My Experience as a Veterinary Extern in an Underserved Area

SAVMA's Public Health and Community Outreach Committee (PHCOC) grants Underserved Areas Stipends to multiple students each year. Awards cover externships that are carried out between September 1^, 2012 and August 31, 2013. A total of eight (8) $500 awards are available for each academic year and awards can be distributed in a retroactive manner. For more information, please see https://www.avma.org/About/SAVMA/Events/Documents/Underserved-Areas-Stipend-Application-2012-2013.doc

Read on to see how one student spent his externship.

By: Ken Sieranski, 4^th year Veterinary Student, Texas A & M University

During a cold two weeks in the January of my final year of veterinary school at Texas A & M, I traveled to Tulsa, Oklahoma to complete a two week externship at City of Tulsa Animal Welfare.  My experiences at this large municipal shelter impacted the lives of homeless pets in this underserved community and increased my confidence as a spay/neuter surgeon.  I worked under the supervision of Dr. Cathy Pienkos who is not only an exemplary shelter veterinarian, but a kind and patient mentor to many students, most of whom attend Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine. 

I selected this particular externship, because my intended career path is to become a shelter veterinarian.   I have obtained an Internship in Shelter Medicine for next year at University of Florida which will allow me to work towards becoming a specialist in this emerging discipline.  The Tulsa externship has undoubtedly helped me to prepare for my internship next year.  In addition to our typical daily routine described below, I also joined Dr. Pienkos on shelter rounds, experienced the management and flow of the large municipal shelter, and participated in an animal cruelty investigation.   While this experience was invaluable to me as a future shelter veterinarian, I believe that this externship is ideal for any student wishing to both help shelter animals and increase their surgical confidence.   The externship is largely surgery-based, and it was noted on the Association of Shelter Veterinarian’s Website that externs complete an average of 20 surgeries per week. 

A typical day at the shelter started with performing preoperative physical examinations on animals scheduled for surgery that day.   We then calculated and prepared anesthetic drugs and needed preventative healthcare.  The rest of the day was then spent performing spay/neuter surgery on both dogs and cats.  Dr. Pienkos would often let me select which surgeries I wanted to do.  The surgeries were at my own pace, and Dr. Pienkos provided valuable support and guidance when needed without hovering over the surgery table.  I was able to sterilize approximately 40 animals during the externship, both shelter and adopted dogs and cats.  I refined my skills as a spay/neuter surgeon, utilizing both familiar techniques as well as new methods demonstrated by Dr. Pienkos.

While increasing surgical confidence was an important step in my career development, the most rewarding part of this experience was when shelter animals whom I sterilized found homes.  In these cases, I decreased the length of stay of these dogs and cats who were able to go home immediately without having to wait to be placed on the surgery schedule.  Their kennels became vacant a few days sooner and were now available to save the life of another homeless pet. 

During one afternoon of my externship, I traveled to the nearby town of Broken Arrow, OK to deliver a presentation entitled “Opportunities in Veterinary Medicine” to a 7^th grade science class.  I introduced myself to the class and described what I was doing in Oklahoma.  I then utilized a powerpoint presentation to illustrate the many opportunities available to veterinarians including small animal private practice, mixed/large animal private practice, shelter medicine, zoo medicine, military, research/academia, public health/government, aquatic medicine, wildlife conservation, corporate, and other veterinary specialties.  I also discussed how to prepare to become a veterinarian and provided advice for preparation during high school and undergraduate studies.  I tailored the presentation to the Oklahoma students and utilized advice offered on the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s website.  I also used my own experiences and road to becoming a veterinarian to provide an example to which they could relate.  The talk was approximately 30 minutes and included some questions during the presentation.  The remainder of the class period was utilized for additional questions.  Many of the students seemed interested in veterinary medicine, how they could help animals in shelters, and several wanted to know more about some of the different paths available for veterinarians.  They were a bright and attentive group, and I can only hope my presentation has encouraged them to consider a career in veterinary medicine.  I emphasized the importance of community service and supporting community shelters regardless of which career path they select in the future.

I thoroughly enjoyed my externship at City of Tulsa Animal Welfare and would recommend it to anyone who wants to help shelter animals and improve their spay/neuter skills.  The staff is very friendly and appreciative of your help, because they are understaffed.  Dr. Pienkos is an excellent mentor, and the typical student spends 3 weeks there and usually performs about 60 surgeries.  The facility does not provide housing for externs, but I found an extended stay hotel that was pretty nice for my dog and I to stay in for $1,000 for 2 weeks.  This truly is an underserved area and the shelter is underfunded and understaffed.   You will really feel like you are making a difference if you decide to complete this externship in the future.  I am grateful that the SAVMA PHCOC Underserved Areas Stipend has allowed me to participate in such a rewarding educational experience that has also made a difference in the lives of animals at City of Tulsa Animal Welfare.