COVID-Era Clinicals

Dermatology Externship
By: Amber White

Scratching, licking, and collar jingling. The things that keep us and our clients up at night, quite literally. As a proud dog mom to a very itchy and miserable Labrador retriever, I vowed to myself that I would do everything I could while in vet school to learn how to treat her and the numerous other pets that suffer from dermatological issues. I unfortunately did not receive much Veterinary Dermatology education while in pre-clinical years and was looking forward to studying under a Dermatologist during my clinical year. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to complete an externship in Atlanta, Georgia at the Veterinary Specialist of Atlanta-Dermatology specialty clinic. I was greeted with open arms and welcomed into the small but thriving dermatology practice ran by Dr. Mary Schick. Two licensed and dedicated veterinary technicians and a compassionate office manager helped make my experience at the clinic not only educational but also motivational. 

My time at the clinic was spent seeing patients with Dr. Schick, helping to develop treatment plans, learning about the numerous tools in the Dermatologist tool belt and obtaining a better understanding of the medications used. Dr. Schick even invited me to listen in on a Continuing Education lecture that she was attending, took time out of her busy schedule to lecture me over different shampoos and ear solutions. I was participating in video-otoscopy, mastering the art of skin scrapings and ear cytology, learning all the benefits of Lyme-Sulphur Dips, compounding immunotherapy vaccines, and practicing my ultrasound cystocentesis skills daily. The externship was very hands on and rewarding. I feel very prepared to treat dermatology patients in the future and also have learned the appropriate time to make the decision to refer to a veterinary dermatologist. I’ve brought my dermatology knowledge to my peers, my clinicians and my other externships. The education I received at Veterinary Specialists of Atlanta-Dermatology is truly valuable and I would not trade the experience for anything. 

2020 has been a very rough year for everyone, if you are a 4th year veterinary student you are truly feeling the forces of COVID-19. COVID has not only had an impact on your personal life, but also on your education. Externships are cancelling left and right, some schools are only allowing half of their students in clinics at a time, other schools pushed in-person clinics back to starting in August vs May. Your education has taken a mega hit. We were supposed to be practicing our skills, observing clinicians from all different specialties and working alongside our peers to finally achieve our goals, we were supposed to be learning how to lean on each other, how to take the lead when necessary and how to “Doctor”. I know this clinical year has not been easy for anyone involved including clinicians and technicians. But, because we are vet med, we will not only get through it, we will find a way to thrive because of it. If you have an interest in Veterinary Dermatology, I would consider contacting Dr. Schick at Atlanta Veterinary Specialists-Dermatology for an externship experience that you will not forget.