As I was growing up, James Herriott's stories of the life of a British veterinary surgeon provided romantic inspiration for becoming a veterinarian. The mentorship of Robert Brown, a softspoken and wise veterinarian further fanned that flame. My chemistry experience at Va Tech almost diverted my attentions to a laboratory career, but I stayed the course. Research hadn't lost its appeal however, and as I progressed through veterinary school, I became focused on laboratory animal medicine.
Then I went through my internal medicine rotation with Dr. Michael Leib, and everything changed. I was hooked on clinical medicine, companion animals, and clients. Clinical medicine allowed me to combine my academic interests with hands-on skills. I greatly enjoy the physical aspect of procedures such as surgery, endoscopy, and ultrasonography and the intellectual challenges of case management. Being able to do all this while working with dogs, cats, and other animals was particularly satisfying. And getting to know people as clients instead of patients fosters a type of relationship that is personal, and at the same time more objective.
There were some hurdles on the way to this profession: an early allergy to cats and an initial sqeamishness in the presence of blood (I still don't like needles in me!). But since 1988, I've only had two or three days that I didn't look forward to going into work. And all those romantic notions of treating animals from reading All Creatures Great and Small: They're Real!
I hope to share some of them in this blog.
Len Rice, DVM
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