To me. In 2006, I left full-time practice at Bridgewater Veterinary Hospital for a teaching position at Penn Vet in a new program focused on the plight of homeless animals in shelters. I stopped all clinical work at the practice in 2009, to focus on some new programs in development at Penn. It’s not as though I haven’t been busy, it’s just that I had to take some time away for the new program under my direction at the vet school.
My job at Penn is to teach spay and castration techniques to the students, and we do this in shelters and also at the Ryan teaching hospital. So far, I’ve had the pleasure of working with dozens of interns and surgeons, and over 450 vet students. We have surgically sterilized thousands of pets, which has been a huge help to the shelters coordinating with Penn. I also teach classes on the subject of animal sheltering, free-roaming cat issues, and diseases of particular concern to shelters and rescue groups.
The students also bring their own pets to me for veterinary care, so my clinical work has continued. I like this clinical role, as I get to know the students and their pets just a bit better than I would in the classroom or operating room.
At the urging of several friends and associates, I have returned to clinical practice at Bridgewater, working two shifts each week. My time in the office should allow me to do more of the things I enjoy—seeing pets and their families. I’m re-energized to be back, and looking forward to seeing some of you in the office soon.