Interview Highlight: DEI in Vet Med

We are excited to introduce our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Highlight Series! In celebrating talented professionals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, abilities, career paths and identities- we hope to inspire students with similar experiences and underscore perspectives that are often underrepresented within vet med. In introducing conversations about the experiences, challenges, and triumphs of our features we hope to foster acceptance, tolerance and equity throughout our profession. 

I’m Dr. Summer Scheibel. After graduating from Cornell CVM this past August, I joined a practice where I see a variety of small animal, exotic, and wildlife patients, and I practice part time at a local zoo. I’ve loved animals since I can remember and have always had quite a menagerie of pets. It was when I adopted my parrot, Andrew, that I became inspired to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. After taking a few courses from the adoption agency and interacting with local avian veterinarians, I learned that it can be difficult to find good information about the complex care that companion parrots require. I wanted to make that information more accessible and provide care for birds and other exotic critters, especially in areas where there aren’t many vets that see such a variety of species. 

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VIN Rounds: Screening and Diagnostic Tests in Cases

Are you missing out on clinical rotations because of COVID-19? The VIN Student Team has you covered with Tuesday Topic Rounds.  During the month of November, join the VIN Student Team for 30 minute, case-based sessions on different epidemiology concepts. Everyone and all levels of experience are welcome. There will be time for Q&A and discussion following. The next session is Putting It All Together – Screening and Diagnostic Tests in Cases November 30, 2021 at 12 ET.

In this rounds: 

• Learn the difference between a screening and diagnostic test.
• Learn how use tests in combination.
• Learn how to use 2x2 tables in a clinical setting.
• Learn how to use disease prevalence to interpret a test.

TO JOIN THE SESSION, LOG INTO THE VIN STUDENT CENTER AND CLICK THE GREEN BUTTON IN THE TOP RIGHT

The Veterinary Information Network (VIN) is here to help you as a vet student – especially during this worldwide pandemic. Membership is always free as a student! 

Purdue MOARR Symposium

On behalf of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine's Exotic Animal Club, we formally invite you to join us at this year's Medicine of Aquatics, Amphibians, and Reptiles (MOAAR) Symposium happening ONLINE on Saturday and Sunday November 20-21st, 2021!

This year's Keynote Lecture will be given by Dr. Chelsea Anderson, Associate D.V.M. at Georgia Aquarium (USA), who will be presenting on "Beluga Whale Reproduction." Other topics include marine mammal medicine, fish surgery, reptile medicine, amphibian pathology, and more! Attached is the current agenda, which can also be found navigating through the registration page.

Registration for the event will be open until 5 pm on Friday, November 19th. The event is open to professional students, graduate students, undergraduate students, and professionals.

Registration Link: https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__cvent.me_bawN5r&d=DwICAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=3tYehRSzVxojoUkR9Rbf9UKB03zXMfNNi9NFQ7ihrPY&m=JFZSlBSDI3EJfa5Kpdc3p15kg_x5KA01RD9TnaIdm16aruxEtb1VwEn_GJPyvGvT&s=vXuJwPmKMF1tn8aCd-x6xi1AZAHkncKfxdchtfiKaVI&e=

Most of the lectures will be recorded and available for viewing up to 6 months after the event, so if you cannot attend live you will be able to view them later.

We're looking forward to putting on this fun, educational event and hope you will be able to join us! Please reach out to Hannah Smith at hgsmith@purdue.edu<mailto:hgsmith@purdue.edu> if you have any questions.

Dr. Michelle Moyal on learning to be fearless

Dr. Michelle Moyal has been helping pets since she became a veterinarian in 2007, but now she is helping pets and their owners in a new way—through guiding the hands of the next generation. Dr. Moyal is now an assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences, as well as the Chief of the Primary Care Surgery Service at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

She joined the faculty in 2020, and is proud to rejoin the halls of the University that she originally graduated from. Her goals are to help coach and guide veterinary students, with an aim to helping veterinary medicine improve its diversity.

As a first generation American herself, she knows the unique hardships of entering the veterinary medicine as a person of color faces. Her mother learned how to speak English through watching children’s cartoons and shared with her daughter what real determination looked like.

Today, Dr. Moyal is passing that on in a variety of different ways. She shows new students how to stay calm and evaluate situations during surgery, helping them to avoid mistakes through giving themselves time to review a situation.

Although Dr. Moyal is a huge part of the veterinary community, that’s not her only side. She’s also a fun loving person outside of work, and takes work/life balance seriously. Dr. Moyal enjoys Olympic weightlifting and functional fitness. She also moonlighted as Dr. Turmoyal, a roller derby player with San Diego Derby United. These are just a few of her many sides, and proves that you can be a vet and still have some time to have fun.

If she had to switch careers, she would become a wedding planner! The same critical thinking skills that veterinary medicine requires, as well as responding well to pressure, could be just as useful helping brides with their perfect day.

Dr. Moyal cares deeply about the veterinary community, and like most who work in the field believe that mental health is one of the most pressing problems veterinary medicine faces. This is especially the case after the pandemic. 

There is now a huge demand for pet care, and vets are feeling the pressure to skip out on family time, and even things like lunch and dinner, to try and fill that demand. While this is well meant in order to help as many pets as possible, it can have detrimental side effects on the person giving up on life to help others.

Burnout is a serious issue, and one that can stop veterinarians and their team from helping pets entirely. A work life balance is critical to maintain not only for mental health, but to be in the best frame of mind to help others.

Dr. Moyal, like so many other vets, is working to help tame this unfriendly dynamic by coaching new vet students on all the important things in medicine—including how to take a break. Her goal is to help shape a new and better veterinary community. One filled with diversity, openness to change, and inclusivity.

Source: Vetcandy

Student Submission- Photography

"Sunset on the Palouse" by Janelle Thomas, Washington State University