Life-changing Careers IN MULTISPECIES MEDICINE
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Careers in Multi-Species Medicine
As veterinarians we always consider our training as to what comfort level we wish to pursue in our careers. Some students take tracks while others learn both large and small animal medicine. A common misconception is that exotics are so seperate from all other species we are familiar with that we will lose our training for companion and production. This is far from the truth. In Multispecies Medicine, we are working with just that…..all of what we have learned, not just a portion of it having to choose between Small and Large Animal practice. Anyone who has progressed into the further study of exotic species via ACZM or ABVP can attest to this fact.
We care for many herbivores that are similar to those we studied in large animal medicine: hindgut fermenters like horses, foregut fermenters like cows. We also care for omnivores like dogs, as well as strict carnivores like cats. So for those considering a career in Multispecies Medicine, you may know more than you think you do. Multispecies Medicine allows us as veterinarians to incorporate all of our knowledge of Veterinary Medicine, just in a smaller package, which keeps us on our toes and provides challenges daily. I can honestly say, we never have a dull day in this field of medicine.
The other challenge is using fear-free techniques and slowing it down to take the time to earn the trust of our prey animal species. This also is comforting to owners and decreases the overall stress in our day as well. As we take time to work with them in a fear-free manner, we are giving ourselves the gift of grace, and its something you don’t always find in large corporate fast-paced environments. We get to know our patients and work with our clients through education which includes overall health as well as diet, environment, enrichment and husbandry thus allowing them to live long, healthy and happy lives. There is no field of Medicine more rewarding than Multispecies Medicine.
Students
If you are a student thinking about a career in Veterinary Medicine, one of the avenues that is often not presented to you is a career in Multispecies Medicine, so let me introduce you. We see over 60 different species that you are probably most familiar with just walking into your neighborhood pet store. You might see hamsters and guinea pigs, birds and reptiles, and even a hedgehog and a ferret or two. These are all common species we see at our practice. Many of them come from loving homes and are very personable themselves. Our clients would not be here if they didn’t want the very best for their precious pets.
Everyone that walks through our doors already has something in common with all of the staff that work here…they love them as much as we do. We believe they deserve the best care just as any pet would recieve in practices that see small and large animal species. We use fear-free techniques for our prey animal species because trust is earned and we never want them to be afraid of their visits to us, especially when they are sick, weak or debilitated. Our appointments run about an hour for first visits and half an hour for recheck appointments so that we can take the time to do thorough fear-free examinations and answer any and all questions and/or concerns that our clients might have. This also allows for education about diet, husbandry, environment, enrichment, as well as health concerns as many of these can be contributing factors to overall health. And we are available for telemedicine consults for those currently in treatment, so that clients can feel comfortable knowing there is always a hand to hold if they need one.
We are called a Center because our primary goal is education. This helps our clients to learn how we can work together for the best benefit of their pets so that they can live long, healthy, and happy lives. Many of our clients have done their own research about their pets and their needs….terrarium size and set-up, the best diet including healthy treats, and how to play and introduce their pets to other species that live in their household…and are very knowledgeable, while some have bought their pets with only limited knowledge from the pet store at the time of purchase. It is our job to give our clients as much information from a professional standpoint as possible as well as clear up any misinterpretations they might have found online. As you might imagine, this requires communication skills on many levels. So your career in Multispecies Medicine will give you both the knowledge as well as communication skills that will benefit you for years to come.
