The Life of a Veterinarian: More Than Just Helping Animals
/The story of my unconventional journey into veterinary medicine
Most veterinarians had their careers picked out by the age of seven; this is not my story. If you had asked me as a child what I wanted to do when I grew up, I wouldn't have known what to say. I was drawn to the idea of helping others, yet was hesitant to pursue the careers that had been modeled for me. Field trips to the firehouse portrayed firefighters as heroes, but I didn't really fancy running into burning buildings. Our local police force had a mounted unit, and I remembered wondering if there was any way to be one of the officers that got to ride a horse without having to perform the other parts of police work, like risking being shot. I guess I had a decent sense of self preservation. The idea of being a human doctor never really appealed to me either. Sure, doctors save lives, but my visits to the pediatrician usually ended with a needle in my arm, and somehow that didn't inspire me.
I was a late bloomer. The idea of going to vet school came to me my freshman year of college, and I owe it to my best friend. It was Thanksgiving day. We had all piled into the family minivan for the two hour drive to my aunt's house. At some point during the drive, conversation turned to what classes my friend and I were each taking. She mentioned something about animal science classes and that she was thinking about a career in veterinary medicine. I remember thinking two things. First, I was insanely jealous that my small liberal arts college didn't offer animal science courses. Second, would I be a total copycat if I decided to go to vet school?
I began volunteering with local veterinarians to find out what life as a vet was really like. I soon discovered that being a good veterinarian was much more than diagnosing and treating a wide range of species. Good vets take on the role of teacher when explaining complex medical conditions and treatment options to owners. They are called upon as advisers when owners struggle with difficult decisions, and counselors when owners experience loss. The more I saw, the more confident I became that I finally had the answer to that question posed over a decade earlier. I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I couldn't get enough of it. I volunteered in small animal hospitals, rode along to farms with large animal vets and jumped at every opportunity to gain exposure to veterinary medicine.
It was during those early years that I first saw a horse receive acupuncture. As someone who is not terribly fond of needles, the concept of acupuncture was a little hard to stomach. Why would anyone let someone put not just one, but a couple dozen needles in them? And how could this possibly be a good thing? The horses changed my mind. The nice thing about horses is that they don't lie. I watched horse after horse go from alert and slightly anxious to completely relaxed, with head held low and lip drooping, just minutes after acupuncture needles were placed. It's hard to argue a placebo effect when a horse resembles a pin cushion, but is so relaxed he looks like he's been given IV sedation. I promised myself I would learn how to do that someday. Many years later, not only can I produce these results in my patients, but I have also personally benefited from acupuncture treatments. I have the horses to thank for convincing me to give it a try.
I became a veterinarian because I wanted to help people. Don't get me wrong, I do love animals. One doesn't sit through four years of undergrad lectures followed by four years of intensive veterinary medical training just because puppies are kind of cute. A passion for working with animals is a prerequisite, and one that I was born with. The beauty of veterinary medicine is that it gives me the opportunity to assist animals in need, while simultaneously building relationships with their people. Too often, I hear people say that they want to become a veterinarian because they hate people. They've got it all wrong. Veterinary medicine is about teamwork. It's about finding the best course of treatment for an animal and his person in a given situation. If the owner isn't on board, treatment is bound to fail. So much of veterinary medicine is making sure that the humans are working together toward a common goal. There is nothing more comforting to an owner than to know that her vet is on her side.