EXTERNS ON THE HILL

Submitted by John La Bonte, University of Arizona

Endless Opportunities in a Lifelong Career

The process of applying and gaining experience before veterinary school is not the same path for all students, but we all have the same singular goal - getting accepted. While applying, most of us have an idea of what we want to do after getting those three letters behind our name without ever thinking of the other opportunities out there. Then, we get to school, and that easy straightforward path gets all jumbled with the number of opportunities presented to us. If you are anything like me and my friends, you go back and forth on internships versus mentorship, pursuing a residency versus CE applicable to our interests, and making more money in small animal GP versus pursuing a passion in equine/bovine medicine, but making less money. 

What I have learned from my four weeks as an AVMA Government Relations Division Extern in Washington D.C. and meeting with roughly 18 veterinarians in public service is that there are endless opportunities for us as veterinarians in the public policy world and the experience you gain is valuable toward our career. The veterinarians I spoke with worked in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Food Safety and Inspection Service/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) , Food and Drug Administration (FDA), AVMA, Congress, U.S. Department of State (DOS), U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The skills we have as veterinarians are transferrable and valued in areas outside of the hospital or field. Again, more options may seem overwhelming like they are in school, but it is also freeing to know we are not stuck if we want to change directions career-wise. 

At the VBMA Western Summit last year, Dr. Kristina Yee cited a study where on average people graduating from veterinary school were ready for a career change after seven years. For her, that meant opening and running her own practice. This stat has really stuck with me because I want to continue to be a postive voice in veterinary medicine that encourages people to join the profession. . While I love being in the clinic, educating clients, and getting to help people every day, I have taken opportunities in school to explore different career options beyond the traditional path most of us will pursue. For me, this has meant exploring opportunities in One Health and seeing how I can incorporate my interest in epidemiology into my career. 

The veterinarians I have met with are extremely passionate and have a desire to make an impact on a large scale. Dr. Lindsey Hornickel, an Assistant Director with the GRD, advocates on Capitol Hill on behalf of the veterinary profession to help Congress better understand the legislative needs of veterinarians. Dr. Chelsey Shivley works at USDA-APHIS as the Antimicrobial Resistance Coordinator and works to monitor antimicrobial resistance in the food and companion animal sectors. Dr. Steven Rekant, a former CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service officer, also works at USDA-APHIS as a One Health and SARS-CoV2-Coordinator. He monitors zoonotic disease reports in the U.S. and coordinates the response to those events. Dr. Jacob Merryman, a former AVMA Congressional Fellow and policy advisor at the US DOS, works on the office’s response to mosquito-borne diseases internationally. Lastly, Dr. Carmen Stamper works at the FDA-Center for Veterinary Medicine as the Health Communications Specialist where she gets to educate the public and veterinarians on newly approved drugs, general safety information, and food recalls. 

The diversity of roles that I saw veterinarians in was amazing and has encouraged me to look beyond the confines of the hospital. I graduate in August 2024, and I plan to work in a small animal GP clinic. I now plan to pursue an MPH and keep my eyes open to public service in the future. I encourage everyone to keep an open mind about their future and to know that networking with veterinarians can only benefit you. Virgina-Maryland CVM has great resources on public health veterinary medicine for any stage in your career. While I don’t know where my life will lead me, I am very excited to be a part of the profession with you all and will always keep my favorite quote in mind by Dr. Kate Baker, “you do not need to be unhappy to make a change.”

TRIVIA RESULTS

Congratulations to Emily Ducote, Louisiana State University for being the TVG 58:3 trivia winner!

This species of bird is the only one that can fly backwards:

Answer: Hummingbird

(Credit: Dennis W. Donohue/ Shutterstock)

FOOT IN MOUTH DISEASE

Submitted by Hannah King, North Carolina State University

SAVMA GRANTS: ICDC

The Integrative Communication and Diversity Committee recently awarded these amazing students with the Travel Grant Supporting Diversity and Communications:

“Thank you SAVMA  I am so very grateful for this generous grant! It will help me pay for the expenses associated with this life-changing externship!”- Tasha Desiderio

 “Thanks to this grant, I was welcomed into a global community of OneHealth experts, the Wildlife Disease Association (WDA), who is committed to DEI and wildlife health by prioritizing the knowledge of First Nations and Indigenous peoples when it comes to disease monitoring”- Mieko Temple 

“Externships have been my favorite aspect of being a vet student but they're so expensive. Grants like these make it possible for me to have these experiences and I'm so thankful!”- Nia Powell

STUDENT EXPERIENCE

Submitted by Katherine Ramirez Lopez, Western University of Health Sciences

A Zoo-tastic Summer

In the summer of 2023, I had the opportunity to travel across the country to participate in a research externship at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. I was so excited when I was accepted to this externship because there aren’t many zoo medicine opportunities available for vet students prior to their clinical year let alone ones dealing with zoo related research. As someone who is committed to pursuing the zoo medicine field and eventually becoming board certified, I knew experiences like these didn’t come around often and should be taken advantage of. To top it off, this was my first time traveling for a veterinary opportunity outside of my sunny state of  California and I was both nervous and thrilled for how the next 8 weeks in a new city would look like. 

My first week at my externship was incredible as I started to become familiar with all the zoo animals and the friendly and welcoming staff. As someone who is very family and friends oriented I was nervous that I would feel lonely in a big and strange city. But the zoo hospital staff knew how to make someone feel comfortable and part of the team! For the first couple of weeks I worked closely with the head and associate zoo vets discussing the layout of the research project which involved conducting a retrospective analysis of African Penguin chick  mortality in populations under human care. This meant collecting and analyzing  medical records of African penguin chicks who passed away in the last 12 years across various AZA accredited zoos and aquariums. Not only did I get first hand experience in seeing what a cross institutional study looked like but I learned alot about ex situ conservation and the integral role it plays in preserving species across the world. With much mentorship from the vets, I was able to conduct a research project from start to finish by presenting the preliminary data to the Maryland Zoo African Penguin Care team and hospital staff during my last week. With the project bringing to light essential base knowledge about African penguin chick mortality, publication of  the research is currently in progress. 

One additional bonus to this externship was that I had the opportunity to shadow several clinical procedures and conservation programs that the Maryland Zoo Hospital oversaw. I got to experience several first from seeing my first primate exam to helping track eastern box turtles across the forest terrain of the zoo. One of the highlights was watching an  African elephant mobility exam and seeing the interaction between the giant gentle creature and its supportive zookeeper via behavioral husbandry. Behavioral husbandry is a component of daily animal care focused on how animals interact with their physical and social environment. As a result, we see beneficial behaviors such as an animal voluntarily participating in a blood draw which facilitates veterinary care and lessens stress on the animal. Getting to see so many different procedures and listen to the vets collaborate on cases definitely reaffirmed my passion for zoo med!

This trip couldn’t be complete without some sight seeing and I was so fortunate to not only explore the vibrant city of Baltimore but New York as well. Getting to walk around the inner harbor of Baltimore was scenic and I even had the opportunity to check out the National Aquarium! While in New York I had to stop and some iconic places such as the Grand Central Station, Central Park, and Times Square! Never had I imagined that I would be able to see these amazing places.

Overall, this experience was definitely one for the books and I can’t wait to partake in more zoo related opportunities and explore more cities.