Y2S1 Week 10: Dr. Ian Dunbar, Cardio Final and a Weekend in SLO!
We are now officially done with the cardiorespiratory block and moving on to endocrinology and reproduction!
Monday started out with a hot yoga session followed by a quick run with Churro. We then had a lecture on thoracic radiography followed by one on respiratory control. These lectures built upon prior information from the past week and helped tie together some clinical cases. We then had an awesome lunch talk centered around “preparing for veterinary business ownership” by Dr. Saum Hadi, DVM. Dr. Hadi broke the talk into three sections, what you can do now as a vet student, what you can do once you graduate, and what you can do when you are ready to take the jump into practice ownership. He emphasized the importance of utilizing all the resources that are available to veterinarians interested in practice ownership such as, “Today’s Veterinary Business Magazine” and DVM360. He also highlighted that while in school it is crucial to minimize controllable debts and work towards earning a good credit score. He recommended that students focus on developing solid communication skills, build liquid assets, and fully understand their contract before signing on with a practice.
During the talk, Dr. Hadi also focused on the importance of practicing high level medicine and making sure that the client is aware of all the options available to them. He concluded his presentation by helping us understand some key things we should consider if we are interested in starting our own practice. That includes location, cost structure, and truly understanding the type of practice that we want to create. Overall, I thought that this talk brought up a plethora of key points regarding practice ownership and it was nice to learn about some of the things that can be focused on during vet school.
The rest of Monday afternoon consisted of a nice radiology discussion where we had the opportunity to put the morning’s lecture to use and apply our new knowledge. I then got to spend a little time with Churro before heading back to campus to help instruct the undergraduate Knight’s Landing course. This week we had an animal handling lab which was a blast and Churro got to join in the fun and be one of the demo pups. The students were able to learn proper handling and restraint, all of which are foundational skills in veterinary medicine!
Tuesday morning started off with a nice 6 miler with Churro followed by a respiratory review lecture. We then had a discussion on the interaction between the heart and the lungs. This lecture was a helpful way to wrap up the past 6 weeks and fill in any knowledge gaps regarding how the heart and lungs work together to maintain homeostasis. The afternoon consisted of a discussion section that was centered around the evaluation of pulmonary function. This discussion brought together all of the prior week’s information on the lungs and tied it into some clinical scenarios. Tuesday evening consisted of some quality time with Churro and a SAVMA meeting with our AVMA representatives. We are now officially five months away from the event and it is so exciting to see how much progress has been made!
Wednesday morning started off with a hot yoga session followed by a pathology discussion. This three-hour session was a great way to bring together all of the cardiopulmonary pathology material and review for the upcoming final exam! The rest of the afternoon consisted of some studying and an anatomy review session with the amazing, Dr. G! Dr. G, is our wonderful anatomy professor who, without fail, generously hosts review sessions during the week that we have our exam and is always willing to go over things as many times as we need. After the review session Churro got to spend some time with his little buddy, Clover.
Thursday started out with a hot yoga session followed by a quick run with Churro. The rest of the day was spent reviewing for the upcoming final exam and anatomy practical. That evening, I had the opportunity to attend a SVVMA meeting and listen to Dr Ian Dunbar speak about “A Behavioral ‘Vaccination’ at the optimal time.” This talk focused on the importance of early socialization of any animal in order to mitigate preventable behavior problems in the future. Dr. Dunbar emphasized the power that veterinarians have on the future of young animals, especially in the behavior department. Many owners that walk into a vet clinic with a young animal are first-time “fur parents” and need to learn about the proper way to socialize their animal. It is also key to realize that the first vet visit is a crucial point in a young animal’s life and can leave a long-lasting effect on their temperament for better or worse. These little youngsters don’t forget the people who either manhandled them or were kind to them in the clinic. The bottom line is that spending a little extra time with puppies and kittens on their first visit, and making the experience positive, will pay off tenfold and will make future visits less difficult for everyone involved.
This talk was something that every veterinarian should hear. It is easy to get caught up in the chaos of the day and whisk through appointments but taking a minute to realize the impact that either a positive or negative experience will have on the animal for the rest of their life is so important. It is also crucial to educate owners of the importance of early socialization and help them find the recourses that they need to be successful pet parents. Behavior, temperament, and training problems are the major reason for people surrendering or euthanizing their pets (Dunbar) so it is our responsibility to help intervene and change the trajectory of that animal’s life and relationship with its owner.
In the end, this all comes down to education and communication. Most of our curriculum is focused on the details of systemic disease physiology, treatment, and prevention whereas the mental wellness of the animal is often overlooked. We are not taught the importance of early socialization and therefore that information is not passed on to our clients. By talking the time to become educated on this concept, you will be able to help a tremendous number of animals and their owners. Dr. Dunbar has a plethora of free resources for people who are determined to make a difference in the lives of these animals and their owners. These resources can be accessed at this link!
Friday morning started off with a short run with Churro followed by the written portion of our cardiorespiratory final. We then had a little break before heading back to campus for the anatomy practical. At the end of every block, it is fun to look back and see just how much material we covered. In the middle of the grind, it is easy to lose sight of the big picture but when you have a chance to step back and sit in the moment, it is pretty awesome to see just how much you have learned in such a short amount of time! After the anatomy practical ended, I hopped in the car with Churro and headed down to San Luis Obispo for the weekend.
Saturday morning started off with a wonderful 11-mile run with Churro and his friend, Booker. Booker is one of Churro’ best buddies from when I was at Cal Poly for undergrad. It was so cute to see them reunite, and running with two dogs was much better than I was anticipating. There were no accidents, only one close call with a deer. I then had the opportunity to meet up with Jenn and practice locating some equine acupuncture points. With the help of Madeline’s handy set of notes, we were able to practice identifying the different meridians and key points. It was fun to actually apply our knowledge and walk through the concepts that we have been going over in the online lecture portion of the course. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing with the dogs and catching up on some SAVMA work. I then had the opportunity to spend some quality time with Tasha up at her beautiful ranch. We were treated to a special dinner made by her daughter, Alea, who is quite the little chef! It is always an absolute blast reconnecting with old friends, and I am so fortunate to have such genuine people in my life!
Sunday morning was spent at the beach with Churro and Booker! We were able to watch the sunrise, and the pups ran their brains out for almost two hours. I then spent some time prepping for the upcoming week and then took the pups to Avila Valley Barn for some fall pictures. They loved running around the pumpkin patch and smelling all the other animals. After some decent time at the pumpkin patch Churro and I headed back up to Davis and got ready to start the second to last block of the semester!
Quote of the week: "Sometimes I see a beautiful eye and just want to pluck it out" -Anatomy TA (who is doing his PHD on eyes)
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