STUDENT EXPERIENCE: GREECE

Submitted by Valentina Poggi, University of Illinois (via IVEC)

"My name is Valentina Poggi and I am a fourth year student at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. I am honored to have been chosen for an International Veterinary Experience Scholarship and would love to share with you my phenomenal experience learning veterinary medicine abroad. This past month I had the unique opportunity to attend an international externship in Rhodes, Greece for two weeks. This experience was primarily focused on shelter medicine. During the first week, I spent a majority of my time in the clinic under the supervision of Board Certified Small Animal Soft Tissue Surgeon, Dr. Clara Moran and a Board Certified Shelter Veterinarian, Dr. Loukia Agapis. My team and I were able to spay and neuter nearly 60 feral cats that were brought to us through the local capture and release program our first week in Greece. In addition to fine tuning my surgical skills I also had the opportunity to learn about the miller’s knot and I was also able to incorporate it into my routine spay procedures. In addition to the feral feline spays and neuters, I was also able to see and help with a lip commissure to eyelid transposition for repair of a feline eyelid agenesis, a canine cystotomy, a kitten evisceration repair, a chicken cloacal prolapse, and even a brachiocephalic obstructive airway surgery. The variety of surgeries I was able to witness and help with on this international experience was incredible. In addition to improving my surgical technique, I also had the opportunity to help with a suspect parvo case. This experience increased my confidence in my skills and also allowed me an opportunity to grow as a doctor. Working as the primary surgeon or clinician on my own cases allowed me to put my knowledge to the test and really allowed me to expand my knowledge. It also reminded me that asking for help and advice is something I should be prepared to do as a future practitioner. Additionally, I was forced to learn not only how to practice veterinary medicine in a different country with different expectations, language barriers, cultural customs, and different supplies. Learning about the supply constraints in Greece and working with financial constraints associated with shelter medicine was something I had not been exposed to yet. From this experience I was able to witness firsthand how the feral feline population is constantly growing in Greece. Being in Greece and helping with the capture and release program allowed me to be able to make a small dent in helping with population control and hence the welfare of these animals. 

The second week of my externship I spent at the Rhodes Animal Welfare Municipal Shelter. Greece in addition to having a large stray feline population the country also has a large stay dog population. To give you an idea of the extent, the shelter I visited was originally created to house 70 dogs but currently the shelter has nearly 300 dogs. This shelter is attempting to accommodate as many dogs as they possibly can to help alleviate any potential animal suffering. At the shelter I was able to learn from a board certified shelter veterinarian, Dr. Loukia Agapis, the importance of shelter rounds and how to appropriately screen both the dogs and their environment both effectively and efficiently. As veterinarians we take an oath – “Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health and welfare, the prevention and relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge. I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity, and in keeping with the principles of veterinary medical ethics. I accept as a lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my professional knowledge and competence.” This international experience reminded me of the oath I will shortly be taking this coming May. It reminded me that regardless of what country we as veterinarians practice in we all must live this oath. During shelter rounds, I was able to assess the animal health and welfare of nearly every kennel in the shelter. In addition to the animal health and welfare I assessed things like the cleanliness, drainage, as well as the safety of the animal’s enclosure. Thinking in this mindset reminded me the importance of assessing more than just the physical health of an animal. I also was able to practice my ability to triage patients in order to determine what order we should see each patient during our week at the shelter. Having this experience opened my eyes that there is more than one way to practice veterinary medicine and reminded me how important giving back to the local community is."

SAVMA PHCOC: FARVets in Guatemala

By: Vivian Lee

During March of 2022, I had the immense pleasure of travelling to Santiago Atitlán,

Guatemala, a small mountain city located near Lake Atitlán, a massive volcanic crater in

Guatemala’s southwestern highlands, as part of the FARVets Program. FARVets is a non-profit

organization dedicated to planning, organizing, and implementing sterilization clinics to assist

animal welfare groups abroad. As part of this program, I worked closely with Fantasma Animal

Rescue, a local organization in Lake Atitlán that focuses on animal rescue, spay and neuter

clinics, and vaccinations. There is a historically high number of stray animals in Atitlán,

Guatemala with animals having a few familiar faces in their lives but not being provided the

proper nutrition and veterinary care needed to thrive. Many of these animals will go from

restaurant to restaurant in search of food, and at the end of the day they have no home to go

to.

Due to the overpopulation of animals, many of them are susceptible to disease, injuries,

and malnutrition. During the clinic, I performed multiple wellness procedures such as physical

exams, vaccinations, dewormings, topical parasite control, and other medical procedures as

necessary as possible. In addition, I performed my first ovariohysterectomies and castrations

with veterinary supervision, as well as assist with anesthesia and the recovery of the patients.

By offering these free veterinary services, our team was able to help hundred dogs in getting

the veterinary care and attention they need to ensure that the population is left healthier and

happier. Since I have limited amount of small animal clinical experience, being able to improve

on my surgical skills in addition to animal restraint, drawing blood, giving IV medications, and

placing catheters made me significantly more confident in my abilities and will surely help my

future career as a clinician.

I was lucky enough to attend this location in Guatemala, which has more than 20 Mayan

ethnic groups and is most notably home to the Tz’utujil and Kaqchikel people. This town is rich

in Mayan culture and is known for textiles, ceramics, holistic therapies, and other handmade

crafts made by the locals. As an advanced Spanish speaker, it was an honor to be able to speak

to the local people in Spanish and help translate many of the veterinary medical terms so that

they could understand what procedures we were performing and answer any questions they

had. As a second-generation Cuban Chinese American, it was invaluable to experience their

culture and see how open they were to helping their animals and giving them a better chance

at life. Being that this was the first time I had travelled internationally since COVID, it was a very

eye-opening experience and really helped bring perspective into my life that I still take along

with me today.

One of the most important missions of this trip for me was to help educate the local

citizens and pet owners of common canine and feline health issues. This ensures that we not

only leave the animals we treated in good condition, but by making locals aware of common

health issues and the importance of veterinary care, we will indirectly help other animals in the

future. A wonderful opportunity I was given as part of FARVets was to visit a local children’s

school about a 5-minute walk from the clinic location, and we spoke to the kids about the basic

needs of animals, what the clinical signs of rabies are and what to do when they see a dog with

rabies, and what a veterinarian’s role is. Many of them were eager to learn more, ask

questions, and engage with us. I left feeling like we had made a very positive impact on the

community and sparked better relationships for the next time the program visits Santiago.

Finally, not only did I gain many skills, but also I gained a family. Although we had only

spent one week together, we spent the entirety of our long days working hard in the clinic and

learning a lot about one another. I had the pleasure of working with three incredible

veterinarians who put a lot into making it an unforgettable experience, and were extremely

patient and enthusiastic to teach us veterinary students. It really demonstrated to me what a

positive and healthy work culture is, and how much the time flies by when you are having fun.

The other Cornell veterinary students who were part of the trip, some of which whom I had

never spoken to, were so supportive, encouraging, and had a lot to teach me as well. I still hold

many of these people close to my heart, and look forward to hopefully working with them again

in the future.

I am forever grateful for my experience with FARVets and would highly recommend it to

anyone who is interested in pursuing an opportunity abroad that will change your life. I would

like to thank SAVMA’s Public Health and Community Outreach Committee (PHCOC) for

awarding me the Underserved Areas Grant to help offset the costs of this program. I would also

like to thank the following people for making my FARVets experience possible: Dr. Jesse

Navatta, Dr. Mark Fealey, Dr. Mariana Prado, Claudia Guinansaca-Aguilar, Emmy Luo, Stacy

Kaneko, Kaela Toback, Sandra Pinto, Sara Dutra, and Dr. Paul Maza.

About Vivian:

Vivian Lee (she/her) is a third-year veterinary student at Cornell University’s College of

Veterinary Medicine with a keen interest in conservation medicine and aquatics. She

has had various experiences at institutions including Mystic Aquarium, Mote Marine

Laboratory and Aquarium, Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, University of Florida’s Tropical

Aquaculture Laboratory, and The Marine Mammal Center.

She currently serves as the SAVMA Delegate for Cornell University and the

International Exchange Officer-Elect for National SAVMA, representing veterinary

students on a national and international level. In her spare time, Vivian enjoys going on

hikes with her guide dog in-training, Siggy, as well as dancing and travelling.

Vivian is happy to speak with everyone (pre-vet students, vet students, and current

veterinarians), and you can connect with her here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivian-

marie-lee/

AQUAVET Experience

My name is Elizabeth St. Germaine and I am a 3rd year veterinary student at Western University of Health Sciences. It was an honor to be chosen as one of the six students to participate in AQUAVET® III from June 23 – July 28, 2019. The AQV3 program was an intense 5-week course focused on the clinical aspect of captive aquatic animal medicine. 

The first two weeks were taught at the Georgia Aquarium where the focus was on aquarium medicine. We performed and observed clinical techniques of anesthesia, behavioral conditioning, diagnostic lab work, endoscopy, necropsies, physical examinations, radiographs, restraint, ultrasound, and venipuncture on various aquatic animal species. One of the aspects that I highly appreciated was the quality of care provided to all animals, no matter the species and the staff always have the best interest of the animal in mind with a strong emphasis placed on animal welfare. Before a blink of the eye our time with the Georgia Aquarium team was over and we made our way to Athens, Georgia.
	The third week was taught at the University of Georgia with a focus on endoscopy and surgery in fish and reptiles. This training was extremely valuable as working with endoscopy equipment is often not taught in veterinary school and many students do not have the chance to perform surgery on aquatic animals. Aside from the hands-on activities during this week all the students provided a 55-minute seminar presentation. I delivered my presentation on anesthesia in marine mammals focused on pinnipeds and the differences between the three families: Odobenidae (walrus), Otariidae (sea lions and fur seals), and Phocidae (true seals). Now with our presentations completed and some experience in surgery and endoscopy on fish and reptiles, we left the United States to head to Mexico.

The last two weeks were taught at three Dolphinaris facilities (Cancun, Riviera Maya, and Cozumel) in Mexico, where the focus was on dolphin medicine and training. We performed and observed clinical techniques that included behavioral conditioning, endoscopy, physical examinations, sample collection and analysis, and ultrasound. The most valuable part of these last few weeks was the amount of hands-on training with ultrasound and observing the voluntary behaviors that the dolphins had been trained to present for medical procedures. 

The experiences at the Georgia Aquarium and Dolphinaris truly highlighted the importance of communication and relationships. Strong relationships between the veterinary team and animal caretakers/trainers allows for the highest quality of care for the animals. It is through the relationships that the animal care team has with their animals that alerts the veterinary team of the slightest change in behavior. With this information a plan is communicated and trust between the animals and caretakers allows for the completion of necessary diagnostic testing. Along with communicating within the staff team, there is a lot of communication with the general public. The Georgia Aquarium and Dolphinaris provide great educational opportunities to their visitors, which educate them on about animal welfare, conservation, and ocean health. Through these experiences I was not only able to build relationships with staff members from each of these facilities, but also with my fellow AQUAVET® III classmates from around the world. 

Overall, the opportunity to participate in AQUAVET® III was an amazing experience that I will reflect on frequently. I’m extremely grateful for all the support the veterinary community provide for me because without it I would not have been able to participate. Opportunities outside of the classroom like the AQUAVET® III program allow me and other students to gain valuable technical skills and knowledge in the aquatic animal medicine field for our future success. I look forward to exploring future opportunities in aquatic animal medicine!

The Veterinary Oath

Honorable Mention, Experiences
Heidi Rivadeneyra, Tufts

I woke up this morning to the sound of a rooster crowing, birds chirping and some faint singing and drums in the background. As my eyes open, there is a faint light coming from the window, but I see nothing else. I grab a flashlight and turn it on to see my little desk just as I had left it with some books, handmade bracelets, and a cherished, yet at many times pointless, cell phone. Figure 1: Dr. Valery Shean, Joyce and Me in Kangole, UgandaAs I literally crawl out of bed un-tucking and lifting the mosquito net, I laugh as I hear that rooster crow again. Even after weeks of hearing him every day it is endlessly entertaining. I am reminded of so many little kid stories and amazed at their accuracy in describing the sound I had only heard on cassette tapes up until a few weeks ago. I stand up and pull on my full-length skirt before opening the door of my grass-thatched hut so as not to be seen as indecent in my good-old American pajama pants. Outside it looks like the sun is just rising. The sounds I heard from inside have come to life as I open my door and I thank God for where He’s brought me. Listening to people sing and dance every morning reminds me of what is important in life. It’s nothing like at home. I wonder how I ended up here in the middle of Karamoja, Uganda... What could I do to help a people who had been war-torn for the past 50 years, stealing each other’s cattle just to survive? Well, I have yet to find out. So far, I am sure they have taught me so much more than I have given them.

We drove a couple hours and were getting close when we saw a lorry truck sideways in a pond down from the road. We opened the window to ask if everything was okay. They said all the people were out but they needed help. As we pulled up, I saw why... it had been carrying a bunch of cows. They had been tied up in the back of the vehicle... packed in – maybe about 15 total. A number of them had gotten out and some were swimming to shore as we came over, but there were about five still stuFigure 2: A Karamojong herdsman with his cock. We locked the vehicle and Dr. Val ran down to help... her veterinary oath kicking in. I shut the window and as I get to the back of the lorry, Val is already in the middle of everything, yelling for me to bring a knife. I take the keys and run back to the vehicle, unlock the door and find my knife. Val is nowhere to be seen as I return, so I follow suit
Figure 1: Dr. Valery Shean, Joyce and Me in Kangole, Uganda
and jump into the water, still in my full-length skirt. People yell, warning me it’s deep and telling me to be careful. I, of course, ignore them and slide down the slope in my sandals and skirt right into the water. It’s up to my waist as I walk around the top of the vehicle, which had become the side as it tipped into the pond.    As I turn the corner, the scene is quite amazing. Val takes the knife to free one of the cows whose head is barely above water. There were five or six total and they were all tangled with each another and in the frame of the vehicle. Val hands me back the knife and I put it in my pocket, covered in manure and swamp. She tells me to hold up the head of the cow to keep it from going under again while she and another man try to pull at various legs and tails to free it from the mess. I hold it up by the nostrils and as I’m standing on one bar of the vehicle and the side of another cow that was already dead, they extricate it enough for it to be freed. There was one more living cow entangled awkwardly under a few who didn’t survive. I hold it’s head out of the water and then pull on one of its legs while Val and the man move another dead cow and try to get the other end free. I hope that it doesn’t decide to kick me and try to stand far enough forward that it won’t be able to, when eventually it is able to struggle its way out of the mess. They pull it to shore while Val and I determine that our work is done.

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From Davis to Nicaragua: Forging Partnership in Veterinary Care

David Kim
UC Davis, '14

About a year ago, Eric Eisenman, a fellow classmate, approached a few students, including myself, about forming a student-run project to provide free veterinary care to a developing country.  We had just attended a lunch talk given by Dr. Richard Bachman, who spoke of his experience with Oregon State’s IVSA program that organized international veterinary trips.  It seemed strange that UC Davis did not have a similar program, and we were all eager at the idea of starting something new.  The amount of work for our group, which we named International Veterinary Outreach (IVO), seemed daunting as we began the long process of becoming a 501(c)(3) as well as planning inventory, permits, and fundraising, but slowly, things started to fall into place.  Through a mutual connection, we were able to make some contacts in Jiquillio, a small fishing village on the northwest coast of Nicaragua, the second poorest country in the western hemisphere. 

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