Professional Development Funds Winner

Brooke Van Remortel, Ross University

When I choose to become a leader in the veterinary profession, I knew I wanted to become a companion animal practitioner. After four years as a veterinary technician, not only was my passion for the small animal hospital environment strengthened, but a new passion for dentistry developed. Upon completing an equivalent of two years of veterinary practicum, I set out to find an externship where I could explore this new passion deeper and determine if it was a path for me. I had two goals for completing an externship at Companion Animal Hospital. The first was to investigate my passion for dentistry in a clinic setting. Secondly, to learn important tools that I could use in my future practice to be a confident leader.

At the Companion Animal Hospital, I was fortunate enough to achieve these goals while following three successful veterinarians in both the exam rooms and in surgery procedures. I spent most of my time however, with Dr. Nick Juleen because he shared my passion for dentistry. I was able to be involved in anesthetic protocols, accessing dental radiographs, and observing dental extractions. Dr. Juleen went over the objectives for performing an oral exam and what considerations need to be made when extracting a tooth. When we weren’t in surgery, I watched continued education courses on dentistry techniques.  The courses were conducted by Dr. Brett Beckman, who is heavily involved in the dental community as a diplomate of both the American Veterinary Dental College and the American Academy of Pain Management. In the videos, I learned how to perform local blocks and tips on how to efficiently remove difficult teeth.  I found the information very valuable and know I will use it when I am learning the material in our class settings.  Dr. Beckman’s professional recommendations will be a great asset for me.

Not only was Dr. Juleen’s love for dentistry infectious, his teaching qualities were excellent. We discussed in length the reality of the veterinary industry and what he thought was the most important attribute of being a veterinarian. In his opinion, communication is the most important skill a veterinarian can have. He feels being an effective communicator is the bread and butter of the veterinary profession because while it is important to know the medicine, it is as equally important that the client understands. Good communication is important for gaining trust with not only the client but also with your coworkers. It was beneficial to follow two other veterinarians at the practice. I picked up that the clients appreciated that all three of the veterinarians were candid and helped them understand the health of their pet.  It pointed out to me that it is important to be in practice with other veterinarians that have the same core values and beliefs as I do.

Overall, this externship was an amazing experience and I’m so happy I chose to do it.  I will carry with me all that I learned at Companion Animal Hospital into both the rest of my schooling and into my career.  I would highly recommend to any veterinarian student to do an externship either at Companion Animal Hospital or another center that suits their needs.  The experience is invaluable because it’s important to remember the end objective which is being the veterinarian. From personal experience, it is easy to get lost in the constant studying and running around however this externship reminded me of my end goal and is going to keep motivated as I finish at Ross University.