Photography

"What's on Momma Gator's Mind?"

Submitted by Zackary Franklin, Purdue University

Cutest pet

"Urban Jungle Cat"

Submitted by Lindsey Airth, Western University

IVEC Scholarship Winners

SAVMA IVEC would like to highlight two more amazing students who were awarded the IVEC Scholarships! 

Piper Gauthier is a rising third-year student at University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine who was awarded the IVEC Scholarship (Cycle 2). Piper went to the Manatee Conservation Center in Puerto Rico this summer:

“As a marine biologist and aspiring marine veterinarian, these marine mammals astound me with their unique anatomy and physiology as well as their intelligence. They are not to be underestimated and should be respected. I am happy to have been apart of an institution dedicated to rehabilitating such amazing creatures. Being in Puerto Rico was not only a rich in education but also an enlightening cultural experience. Although challenging at times, I enjoyed navigating through another culture’s language and customs. I was graciously welcomed into several different family’s homes to participate in family activities, dinners, and parties. I got to explore the historical sites with a native tour guide and try all kinds of wonderful street food. My favorite being chorizo pastilles and ceviche. This experience was truly a gift and I know I will cherish the memories, new friends, and knowledge I learned from it for years.”

Maggie Pritchett is a rising third-year student at the Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine who was awarded an individual IVEC Scholarship (Cycle 1). Maggie spent two months as a a veterinary extern at the Lilongwe Wildlife Center in Lilongwe, Malawi:

“From my first morning as a veterinary extern, I knew this was going to be an incredible experience. That first morning in the clinic I was able to assist on a health check on a female vervet monkey that was about to be integrated into a new vervet troop. Before any troop integrations can begin at the center, all primates go through a health check to make sure that they are healthy and fit to meet new primates… Everything about my two months in Malawi helped me to be certain that I want my career to be focused on wildlife medicine and conservation. I would have never been able to gain this experience at my school, so I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and for IVEC for their financial support of this experience:”

Op-Ed

Burnout in Veterinary Medicine

Submitted by Olivia J. Smith, University of Florida

Burnout is a similar issue faced in many healthcare professions, including veterinary medicine. “In a recent survey, 86.7% of US veterinarians had ProQOL burnout scores in the moderate or high range” (Neill, 2022). According to psychologist Herbert Freudenberger, burnout is a “state of mental and physical exhaustion caused by one's professional life". Veterinary medicine is already a stressful field and between communicating with angry clients and trying to keep a work-life balance, there are so many factors that grab our attention and cause us to neglect our mental health expediting burnout. 

One of the factors that contribute to burnout is boredom. This is not one of the aspects of veterinary medicine that people think of off the bat, but it is one to be taken seriously. In veterinary school, we learn to be well-versed in a variety of species. When entering practice, people narrow their focus whether due to specialty or species preference. 

Throughout veterinary school, I have attended wet labs hosted by our veterinary school clubs and have found I enjoy working with both large and small animals. We also have a Veterinary Wellness Society that hosts amazing wet labs encouraging meditation, journaling, and basic life skills management. Balancing these clubs proves to be challenging sometimes, but the variety keeps me interested and actively learning new skills.

Over the past semester, I have started seriously thinking about what happens after graduation. What kind of work life balance do I want? Where do I see myself as a veterinarian? Initially, I planned to focus on companion animals and working with solely dogs and cats. Now, I am pursuing the Shelter Medicine certificate and tracking mixed animal. Upon graduating, I plan to work part-time large animal and provide shelter relief on weekends. Pursuing mixed practice this way offers two different work environments and will keep me focused, interested, and excited. As I become more experienced, I hope to provide consultation appointments to various shelters allowing for travel time. During my first half-decade out of school, I hope to just explore different balances between large animal and shelter medicine. 

By incorporating traveling into my plans, I expect to feel the excitement of occasionally changing locations and exploring different areas while also advancing the field of veterinary medicine. 

Foot in Mouth Disease

Submitted by Winston Weigand, Washington State University