Experiences

Submitted by Katherine Ramirez Lopez, Western University of Health Sciences

SeaVet: A Deep Dive into Aquatic Animal Medicine

In the hot and humid summer month of June, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in the SeaVet Clinical Training program offered through the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine (Go Gators!). As a California native, I was thrilled to make the journey from the Golden State to the Sunshine State, where I fell in love with the charming town of Gainesville. From its picturesque parks to its vibrant springs, Gainesville added an extra layer of enjoyment to an already amazing experience.

The SeaVet program, structured into two dynamic weeks, offers an exceptional chance for veterinary students and veterinarians to dive into the world of marine animal medicine. Through hands-on workshops, engaging lectures, and field trips to marine institutions, participants learn about a variety of aquatic animal species directly from top experts in the field. This blend of classroom knowledge and real-world experience provides a unique glimpse into the care and conservation of aquatic animals. For anyone passionate about marine life and considering a career in this field, SeaVet is truly an invaluable stepping stone.

The program was a whirlwind of engaging lectures on topics such as marine mammal anatomy, cetacean strandings, and fish hematology. Why does a manatee’s brain look the way it does? How do you perform a physical exam on a stingray? What goes into conducting wildlife health assessments? All of these questions were answered, along with many more, covering topics I hadn’t even realized applied to marine life. What made this program more rewarding was the diversity of participants. Since the program welcomed both vet students and veterinarians, I met peers from U.S., European, and Caribbean vet schools. The connections I formed with these like-minded individuals, all driven by a shared passion for aquatic animal medicine, were inspiring. I also had the privilege of meeting veterinarians from across the globe, picking their brains about life after vet school, and getting their advice on how to get involved in the field. We were also treated to a variety of career stories from professionals working at the Georgia Aquarium, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Hearing how each veterinarian carved out their unique path to aquatic medicine was not only informative but incredibly encouraging, proving that there is no single road to success in this niche field.

My favorite parts of the program were the field trips and sea turtle necropsy lab. These experiences were more than just a refreshing break from the classroom—they allowed us to see our theoretical knowledge come to life, bridging the gap between learning and real-world application. Our first trip to ZooTampa at Lowry Park, consisted of a Q&A session with their veterinary staff. This was a perfect opportunity to ask all my burning career-related questions and learn more about potential externship opportunities for my fourth year. We also toured the zoo, getting an up-close look at its Manatee Critical Care Center, an unforgettable experience! The second trip took us behind the scenes at SeaWorld Orlando. There, we spoke with veterinarians and animal care staff responsible for the well-being of walruses, dolphins, orcas, penguins, and sharks. I even had the chance to witness a blood draw on an orca as part of their preventive bloodwork care. Interacting with these professionals gave me confidence and motivation, as they generously shared their journeys and advice on navigating this competitive yet rewarding field.

Finally, the sea turtle necropsy lab was a hands-on highlight, allowing me to apply everything I had just learned in lectures about turtle anatomy. While I had done necropsies before, this session gave me the chance to hone my skills and gain a deeper understanding of marine species. It was an invaluable experience that I know will shape my clinical abilities moving forward.

Looking back, the SeaVet program was more than just an educational opportunity. It reignited my passion for marine animal medicine, introduced me to mentors and colleagues I’ll stay connected with for years to come, and gave me the confidence to pursue this specialized field with full force. For any veterinary student eager to explore the world of aquatic animal medicine, SeaVet can open doors personally and professionally.

Experiences

A Summer In PT

Submitted by Katrina Star Pope, University of Tennessee

This summer, I was able to work in the small animal rehabilitation clinic here at the University of Tennessee. I was able to work alongside the doctors, technicians, and clinical students to help a wide range of patients. We took care of everything from young, agility dogs to older, arthritic dogs. I even helped with a handful of feline patients! As one of the most well known small animal rehabilitation clinics in North America, we had access to equipment such as a pool, multiple underwater treadmills, a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, shockwave therapy machines, lasers, a land treadmill, and many other bits.

Most of our patients came in on a regular basis, and several of them had been coming for months or years. Working there for several months allowed me to get to know the owners and dogs very well, in ways I was unable to in the emergency setting I had worked in previously or even in a general practice clinic. Many of our appointments were over an hour long while running their animals through multiple therapeutic exercises. I enjoyed the positive relationships that I was able to build with both my patients and the clients. The dogs could recognize me in the lobby, and the owners would ask me about my own dog at home.

Additionally, I loved the medicinal aspect of my role. It allowed me to combine several of my passions, including behavior, nutrition, palliative care, and pain management. Every patient was recognized as a unique individual with different needs, goals, and abilities. Therapeutic exercises allow for much more flexibility and creativity than many other types of treatments. The patients can often feel better within days of starting, which can be rewarding for both the owner and the doctor, I think. The longer I was there, the more that I couldn’t get enough of what I was learning.

I have decided I want to specialize in rehabilitation, but I think no matter where I went, the skills I learned would be useful. I learned how to explain even small details to owners about exercises and diseases. I came to monitor my patients for even small changes in their behavior and abilities, using subtle changes in posture to figure out how to best help them. Finally, I was able to experience how important veterinarians are to the human animal bond, with many owners suffering alongside their pets. Even small changes in comfort can make a world of difference in both their lives, turning a senior dog from someone the family constantly worries about to a dog that is able to play once again.

As the summer came to an end, I knew I would miss my patients. However, I was even more sure about what I wanted in my future.

Student Experience

My “last free summer”

by Annie Marlowe, University of Illinois

In veterinary school, the summer between your 2nd and 3rd year is unofficially deemed your “last free summer”. Meaning, that once 4th year clinicals start, and subsequently your career, you won’t have any more summer breaks! This, of course, is slightly over exaggerated, but I kept this in the back of my mind in planning my summer activities.

I decided this summer was going to be focused mostly on recharging for my 3rd year of vet school, with a few weeks of externships and working. While relaxing at home, most of my time was spent going to garage sales, swimming at the pool, or training for a marathon. I had a fair amount of travel as well, attending weddings, crossing state borders to see family, or vacationing to Belize for a week. It was a much needed break from studying and great to relight some hobbies of mine.

The first half of the summer, I was a POD leader for the Summer Bridge Program; this program is open to incoming first year students and others that want to build some clinical critical thinking skills in preparation for vet school. This 6 week program went through several clinical cases based around body systems where I lead students through important questions to ask when uncovering a case. Overall, this was a great learning experience for me in leadership and my own system of going through cases!

I also spent time externing at a general practice clinic about an hour from school, where I learned some new skills and refreshed my memory on some old ones. I followed doctors into rooms and learned what questions are important to ask to owners and assisted techs in the treatment area with blood draws, catheter placements, and ultrasounds. My favorite thing I did was perform my first few spay surgeries on some kittens! It was a tricky process at first and I had some assistance, but in the end I did the full surgery on my own and I feel very confident in my abilities!

Lastly, I shadowed at an integrative medicine general practice clinic in Indiana. This is something that I wanted to gain more experience in as it likely will be a part of my future career. I learned a lot of new ways to approach medicine, such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, ozone therapy, and nutrition. My favorite part of my time spent here was the focus on preventative medicine and making sure clients and patients are set up for success with diet, weight management, and routine blood work.

Overall, my “last free summer” was a success and the perfect mix of relaxation and productivity. I look forward to what my third year of vet school has to offer and I feel even more prepared to tackle a year of surgery and medicine!

Vet Experience

Submitted by Emilee Cramer, University of Tennessee

Working as a veterinary assistant is probably the most common pathway into veterinary medicine. Many high school and undergraduate students have a family member or friend that invites them in, or they live in an area that is constantly in need of help. Try as I might, I was unable to do the same, and I was concerned that this would prevent me from making it into veterinary school. Fortunately, I achieved my dream, but even after finishing my first semester, I worried that my lack of clinical experience would leave me missing core skills. However, I found that being unable to obtain clinical opportunities allowed me to find other experiences that shaped my direction and desires in veterinary medicine.

One of these experiences was at a wildlife rehabilitation center. It was here that I learned about holistic medicine, wildlife husbandry, and basic treatments for wild animals. Most importantly, it was where my love of birds blossomed. I loved them so much, in fact, that I took an ornithology course in undergrad, and I decided that I would work on birds as a veterinarian regardless of what kind of practice I work in. I have since learned that birds have a reputation for being quite fragile in a clinical setting, not just a rehabilitation one, but I am so fascinated by them that this far outweighs the fear of working with them.

I also spent a great deal of time among many shelters and rescues in the northeast United States. In addition to learning about herd health in a small animal setting, I grew intrigued by the nationwide transportation of animals to escape euthanasia. This inspired me to carry out a research project that surveyed shelters and rescues across the northeast, which as a region has massively improved their shelter euthanasia statistics in the last few decades, to determine how we might have such success countrywide, especially in underserved areas. With each correspondence and each interview, I felt the massive gap in veterinary care and the need for more shelter veterinarians. I also learned about shortcomings that prevented certain areas of the southeast from getting the help they so desperately need from northeast rescues, one of the biggest being that the time animals spend in shelters is far too long, leading to increased disease prevalence and a pressure on the capacity of space and labor. This drove me to want to become a highly efficient surgeon for spay and neuter procedures as well as the desire to work in shelters to keep the flow of animals high and the spread of disease low.

Since starting veterinary school, I have pursued opportunities that propel me in the direction of these goals, like working for the UTCVM’s Small Animal Surgery Emergency Team, taking our avian medicine, shelter medicine, and surgery electives, and joining the executive boards for our Avian, Wildlife, and Exotics Club as well as our Shelter Medicine Club. The impact that my experiences prior to veterinary school have had on me has been tremendous, and the things I learned, though not always clinical, have been so helpful in my education and will surely carry over into my career. Little did I know that these experiences would teach me so much about the spectrum of care, options for shelter veterinarians, One Health, and so much more. I got to see firsthand how rural communities struggle for resources and modern medical technology. I learned about client and community education and the absolute necessity of relationships within and across veterinary medicine, animal care, the public, and the government. I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do in the field growing up, but I got to experience so many facets of veterinary medicine that, now, I have more interests than I think I can wrap into one career. Of course, this isn’t a bad problem to have; I enjoy the idea of being a jack-of-all-trades if it means I can always keep learning and expanding the sphere of animals that I can help.

SAVMA GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Submitted by Brianna Brown, University of Pennsylvania

Retrospective Conference Travel Grant

Through the support of Wildlife Futures Program and SAVMA retrospective travel grant, I attended the SYMCO Wildlife Conservation Conference in South Africa this past summer. The conference was run by the University of Pretoria’s veterinary school, and it was 18 days long. This trip was an incredible, eye-opening experience into the field of veterinary medicine. There were students from all over the world present at this conference and through discussions and our experiences, I got to engage in some invigorating debates about the future of wildlife medicine and the role veterinarians should play in conservation. One animal that made this experience one of my most meaningful veterinary experiences is the rhino. We worked with both black and white rhinos at both game reserves and orphanages/refuges, and I learned how incredibly resilient and beautiful these creatures are despite the horrible challenges they face. While working with these animals, I learned the current methods in place in South Africa to try and to protect the rhino from poaching. We learned about the dehorning process including the pros and cons of the procedure, and I learned how to microchip the horn of those rhinos that were dehorned. We also worked with organizations like Genesis K9 and Down2theWire who help to fight against poaching through unique ways. I also gained an important understanding of politics, and the role veterinarians should play in acting as the liaison between the animals and the people/country trying to protect them. I also gained important knowledge on how to run a refuge/orphanage through our work with elephants at Hoedspruit Elephant Development Center (HERD). There, I had some incredible interactions with elephants, and the knowledge I gained from this experience I hope to use in the future to either run my own refuge or help support an existing one through volunteerism and guidance.

 When we worked with painted dogs and lions, I learned the important role that population control can also have in conservation. On the game reserves that we visited, both the lions and the painted dogs had begun to inbreed and overhunt the land. So, we learned about reversible methods of birth control that can help control the population without preventing future fertility such as progesterone usage in lions.

From a medical standpoint, through my work with rhinos, I learned about various anesthesia protocols that can be applied to wildlife medicine in this country as well as. I also had the incredible opportunity to learn how to use a dart gun. I learned first about the mechanics behind the various dart guns available on the market as well as the types of darts. We then were allowed to practice darting on targets on the ground and then in the air while in a helicopter. This knowledge has already come in handy with my externship at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

We also worked with some incredible veterinarians during the trip, and on one of the days, the veterinarians allowed us to do work ups on a herd of sable antelope. We watched as the veterinarian darted members of the herd, and then each student was allowed to go out with the veterinarian to draw blood and do a health exam.

Throughout the trip I also got to interact with vet students from all over the world and learn about their experiences and knowledge of the field. I was able to explore a gorgeous country going shark cage diving and on a safari in addition to our veterinary work. I will never forget this experience, and I am so grateful I was able to have this life changing opportunity that will help me to be a better wildlife veterinarian in the States.