Diary of a Dick Vet

I’ve just finished my first week of EMS here in my hometown, at a busy and well-equipped 7-vet practice with forty staff members. It’s been quite a change from my UK experience, where there were three vets, four staff, and only a very small surgery with fairly minimal equipment. Aside from the change in size, there’s also new trade names to learn for the drugs and different methods in treating even the common ailments, and a few diseases and breeds you don’t find commonly in Scotland.

It’s a big busy practice and it’s been a challenge meeting and gaining the trust of the staff, but I’m starting to feel a little more settled in; everyone has been extremely friendly, but there is a gap between being the weird girl who stands and watches everyone and gets in the way, and the one who the techs are willing to help practice blood draws. I have two more weeks of practice to see and there’s a lot I want to try before I leave, so hopefully comfort levels will grow and they’ll let me do even more over time.

Of course, a few interesting cases have presented, including an injured deer and a small but critical anomaly in a routine bitch spay, that allowed me to watch an expert work under pressure. The dog was fine and was discharged the next morning. The deer had a sadder ending, but there is certainly some relief in knowing that it was humanely euthanized instead of falling victim to a predator due to its weakened state.

This week of EMS has really driven home to me how beneficial the program is. So far, I’ve seen many ‘foxtails’ or ’spear grasses’ that have managed to invade the ears, foot pads, nostrils, eyelids, and more unusual spaces of both cats and dogs. These tiny but painful foreign bodies are common to the area, particularly at this time of year, and while I was taught about foreign bodies and their removal in class, it was only briefly, before moving on to more interesting but less common diseases and ailments. EMS allows me to see and practice the day-to-day stuff, AKA the stuff I need to know, and not just the kind of problems you see in the referral setting. Removing the foxtail isn’t necessarily the difficult part, but learning to see the symptoms it tends to present with is useful.

Perhaps the most useful part of doing EMS back in the US? I think I might be getting my American accent back! The techs and vets said I sounded funny, but I think I’m starting to revert to my true accent. I must, however, stop saying ‘consultation’ and ‘qualifying’ instead of ‘appointment’ and ‘graduating.’ Bad habits die hard!