Bunnies...our cute and furry mascot for Easter. What a wonderful marketing tool, but as a lot of people already know, they’re not cute all the time in real life. As a veterinarian, I haven’t actually had lots of clients bring in rabbits, but the times that I have had experience with rabbits, or stories others have told me about rabbits, never seem up to par with the cute bunnies we see hopping around in the Cadbury commercials. Yeah, they are cute from a distance, but sometimes up close and personal turns into childhood trauma, heartbreak, and deadly fear. These are not your child’s Easter Bunny stories. This is my story… It seems pretty common with adults that I’ve talked to, all having similar stories about rabbits. Something from their childhood has traumatized them about this species of animal. I am one of them. When I was little, my mom and I were walking through the Columbia Mall, back in the old days when there was a pet store still there. It was every parent’s nightmare. I know now they were probably all thinking, “How do I distract my kid long enough to make it passed the pet store without them noticing?” Sadly, no kid ever missed it, so parents spent the next couple of hours arguing with their little ones, trying to reason with them why a puppy, or an iguana, or a rabbit would not be a good purchase. It always ended in tears of frustration on the parent’s side and tears of anger on the child’s side. On this particular day, I found a bunny that I wanted. It was a white rabbit, with a few gray spots, the cutest little bunny I’d ever seen, except for the other ten bunnies right there with it, which I would have tried to get as well, but my mom wouldn’t even consent to one. Sooooo, I threw a bit of a fit, but she said that there were plenty of little bunnies out in the wild. “Really,” I thought. “Then I must catch one.” Bound and determined, as soon as we got home, I found my Easter basket and went on a hunt. I searched high and low for what seemed like hours and didn’t see one bunny. My mom must have lied to me. I was frustrated and angry, so when she called for me to come in, I refused. “NEVER!” As you might guess, that didn’t go down very well, and she dragged me back in the house kicking and screaming. Basically, the bunnies didn’t traumatize me, but my mom did. I learned that day that I won’t always get what I want, and that is a terrible lesson to learn. Just terrible. This is a friend’s story… As a vet, I have fielded some phone calls about wild bunnies. I also worked at a wildlife sanctuary for work study in Florida when I was in college. It was always depressing getting baby rabbits in because they rarely survived (such an uplifting story). A lot of the time people would bring them in because they disturbed the rabbit hole or thought momma wouldn't take them back because they touched them (which, by the way, is not true) or they would just see momma not come to the hole for a long period of time, assume they were abandoned, and then essentially kidnap them. We'd try to feed them formula and they would usually die after a few days. They're prey animals so they get very stressed. The other issue is replicating the very rich milk that the mother rabbit puts off (wild rabbits only nurse their babies for about 5 minutes a day. Their milk is rich and they fill up fast). So when a friend told me about her experience finding a bunny, I knew how it was going to end. She had been playing in the yard when she came across a tiny little bunny, shivering near a flower garden at her house. She quickly picked it up and ran inside to her mother, exclaiming, “I found a bunny and I need to save it!” Like most people would do, her mother scolded her for picking it up, thinking that it would not be taken back by its own mother because of the human scent on it. The little girl started to cry. What would she do now? Feed it some grass, that’s what. So she proceeded to fill a box with grass and try to feed the bunny some milk. The bunny huddled in the corner of the box for the night, not really accepting any milk, but she thought it was. The next morning, the bunny was still huddled there, and she tried more milk and headed off to school to tell everyone about her new pet. Her mom thought, “I better get home before she does this afternoon because that bunny is not going to make it.” Like most adult days, one thing led to another and her mother didn’t get home before she did, and the little girl found a dead bunny in the box on her return from school. She cried her eyes out and she still remembers this story in detail to this day, so it obviously caused some emotional scarring. Don’t let that be your daughter. Be the mean parent and send the bunny out first thing. Tell your kid that bunnies carry some sort of disease or something. It’ll save you the pain later on. My friend’s story… This is a too-late warning for all you parents who thought it would be a good idea to grant the request for an actual Easter bunny. Your kids woke up this morning to a cute little bunny, and you were a rock star for a moment. That moment will soon end. A friend of mine received a bunny as an Easter gift once. She had begged and begged, and her parents finally relented. It was cute, and fluffy, and tiny, and it had beady, red eyes. She didn’t remember that from the Cadbury commercials, and it made her uneasy. It was cuddly though, so she rolled with it. It was scared and vulnerable, and she vowed to take care of it, so for the next few weeks she fed and watered it and cleaned its cage. She’d pet it, but it never did warm to her. Then one day, when she reached into the cage to pet her sweet, indifferent bunny, it bit her. She describes it as, “It snarled its dagger teeth, then clamped down on my hand, and didn’t let go until it drew blood.” She’s a bit much, but it obviously left her traumatized. She complained to her parents, but they insisted that she continue cleaning the cage, feeding, and watering her rabbit. It was a lesson in responsibility, and they were determined to teach it. From that day on, it was like a battle, her vs. the bunny. She only reached into the cage if she absolutely had to, but every time she did, that mean old rabbit would pounce and bite her every time. Then the rabbit started the distress squeal when dogs would bark, which was all the time. She thought this was enough to give her a panic attack, but the worst was yet to come. One morning, when she went to play in the yard and the neighbor’s dog started barking, she tensed her body, ready for the squeal, but it never came. When she went to the cage, she found her rabbit, laying on its side, red eyes wide, dead as a doornail. To this day, she can’t stand rabbits with those scary, red eyes. A Pet Owner’s Story - AKA - A Pet Owner’s Deception While at the wildlife sanctuary in Florida, I had an interesting run in with a visitor. I was working with animals in the back and I heard the doorbell. A lady came in with a cardboard box and said she had found these just outside her house, not on her doorstep in the box, but huddled together like they’d been born there. I looked in the box and then told her, “I'm sorry, but we only accept wildlife here, not domestic animals.” I hadn't been to veterinary school yet , but I knew white rabbits with black or gray spots on them were not wild. She wasn't very happy, and I ended up having to get the sanctuary director to tell her basically what I just told her and she left in a huff. We decided that she had probably let her pet rabbits breed and didn't want to deal with the babies. This is my story...about rabbit testicles...so just an extra tidbit in case you wanted to know... Rabbit testicles. They are quite different from others, and it makes neutering them an interesting process. Their testicles are long and narrow . They also have an uncanny ability to suck their testicles close to their body, so you have to make sure you have the perfect plane of anesthesia while neutering them. Their testicles also tightly adhere to the scrotum. In dogs and cats, you make your incision and the testicle easily pops through. In rabbits, you have to dissect with instruments around the testicle to get it exposed. It adds a slight twist and challenge to an otherwise very simple surgery. These are just some lessons about rabbits in case you were considering a new pet. Always think things through before purchasing a pet, but especially one that only appeals to you because of a short run of commercials that also center around chocolate. It may not actually be the pet that you really want. Just go get a pound of chocolate. Also, not all rabbits are demons and will die leaving you heartbroken, but maybe you learned a few things today. You may have learned about how to treat wild bunnies, how to avoid buying your children a pet on the fly, or just a random trivia question about rabbit testicles. I hope it was helpful. Happy Easter! Since I hated on bunnies for this whole blog, I'm adding some cute pics of a good bunny, the infamous Marlon Brando.
1 Comment
Two weeks ago I discussed the need to develop talent in STEM fields. Some very successful women I know took part and shared their stories with me to promote those fields and encourage women to pursue careers in areas that have been underrepresented by women. Slowly, young girls will follow in their footsteps and create an equal workplace. Luckily, I have two more interviews to share. Enjoy learning about these ladies and their careers! Brittany Daniels Construction Engineer My days are quite varied, and my work schedule is uncommon. I work 28 days straight, and then I get 28 days off. It’s called a rotational schedule. As a construction engineer, I am responsible for managing the construction execution of facility upgrade projects. I work in an oil and gas processing plant in Kazakhstan (which is located on the border of Europe and Asia and shares its northern border with Russia). In a typical day, I meet with construction contractors to plan upcoming work or visit project sites to understand progress of current projects and resolve construction issues. I also perform project management tasks in the office which include developing construction plans, writing and negotiating construction contracts, and reviewing engineering designs. My job is very dynamic and work is performed in three languages, so I am constantly working with translators. I am learning a little bit of Russian and Kazakh, but have a long way to go! I became very interested in pursuing an engineering degree during my junior year of high school when I took AP Chemistry and Calculus. I had a very inspirational chemistry teacher, which is why I chose out of all the engineering disciplines to major in chemical engineering. During college, I started to think about my future career and what it would be like to go to work every day. Then I thought about what type of work sounded the most appealing to me. I am a very active person who enjoys working with others, so I knew I did not want to sit at a computer desk all day. I had an internship in college where I worked on engineering projects in the oil fields and loved working outside. I got to where I am today by working hard, being genuine and respectful of others, and seeking opportunities to network and demonstrate the skills and knowledge I gained in college and in the workplace. Women engineers are still a minority in my field, so I have had to work harder to earn respect and prove myself with individuals who are not used to working with women, especially women who are in positions of authority. I have found success in my job by acting culturally sensitive and treating everyone I work with respectfully. I seek input from others and listen attentively. I am quick to publically recognize strong performance by my coworkers. I have noticed these simple things go a long way. Women have just as much potential as men to be successful in any career they choose, and historically we have been underrepresented in STEM careers. It is important for women who are interested and have an aptitude for math and science to follow their dreams and find a career that is a strong fit. Only you can decide what career is best for you. {For women interested in pursuing a career in this profession} Seek opportunities in your community to learn more about engineering and different types of jobs and industries. If you know someone, a parent, relative, neighbor, or friend’s parent who works in a profession in which you are interested, ask if you can shadow them at work or volunteer in the office to learn more about their company and what their job is like. For example, if you are interested in being a doctor, see if you can volunteer at your local hospital and shadow doctors. You never know unless you ask! You might be surprised how many people are willing to say “Yes” and share their career experience with you or invite you to visit their office or work facility. Brittany Bannish, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics University of Central Oklahoma As a professor, my day-to-day work can vary quite a bit. Some days I spend most of my time teaching, planning lectures and assignments, grading, and meeting with students. Other days I spend much of my time in meetings (about everything from improving a particular course we offer to planning the next Math Club meeting to making decisions about our Master’s program). Still, other days are dedicated to research. As a mathematical biologist, I use mathematics to help answer questions arising from biology. I collaborate with scientists from all over the world (Pennsylvania, Utah, Russia, Hungary, the UK), as well as work with undergraduate students at my university. Most of my research involves writing mathematical models (sets of equations) that describe complicated biological processes, solving the models using a computer (I have had to learn much more computer programming than I expected I would need to know!), and reading lots of biological literature to see if my model results make sense, to determine the next steps I should take, and to learn what the current open questions in the field are. I also spend time talking to my collaborators over email or Skype, planning our next set of experiments or discussing the results from the most recent experiments. I love my job, but it is not something I ever “dreamed” of doing – mainly because I didn’t know this type of job existed. I have always been good at school, but I didn’t really have a passion for any particular subject. I went to Mount Holyoke College (an all women’s liberal arts college) for my bachelor’s degree and decided to major in history. I liked math enough that I planned to take one math class per semester throughout my four years, which I realized would put me very close to a double major in history and mathematics. So I thought, what the heck, and double majored. I didn’t know which subject I wanted to pursue after graduating, so I spent one summer doing a history internship in Maine, and one summer doing math research at the University of Nebraska. I had SO much more fun doing math! I had also recently learned in my Differential Equations class about something called a “predator-prey model,” which was a set of equations that could model, for example, populations of wolves and rabbits. I was hooked by this neat application of mathematics to biology, and decided to go to graduate school to study Mathematical Biology, even though my last biology class was in ninth grade. My interest in the subject really developed in graduate school, where I also learned that I love teaching. It seemed like the obvious choice, by the time I was ready to graduate with my Ph.D., to get a job as a professor. The biggest challenge to women in math, it seems to me, is the lack of women in math. It’s hard to feel like you belong when you don’t see many people who look like you. This is thankfully starting to change, but still at many colleges there are only two or three women in a given upper-division math class. I firmly believe that I would not be a mathematician today if I did not go to an all women’s college. I was not confident enough to make the most of my education if I was the only female in the class (I pretended to be tired and bored in high school, even though I loved school, because I wanted some of the boys I liked to think I was “cool”. Yikes. I am very grateful this did not continue in college!). I developed that confidence by being surrounded by other smart, driven women in math. I could see that I belonged. I think it is important to encourage more women to pursue jobs in STEM fields simply because for so many years they were NOT encouraged to do so. How many amazing scientists never came to be because the women who would have become those scientists were dissuaded and told to pursue a more “feminine” career? For young women interested in pursuing a career in mathematics, I recommend finding mentors as soon as you can. These mentors do not have to be women, they just need to be people who support you, are capable of advising you, and want to help you succeed. Math can be incredibly frustrating and difficult, and the difference between sticking with it and quitting can come down to something as simple as a “You can do this! I have felt like that, too,” from a trusted mentor. Also, don’t compare yourself to anyone; your journey is different from absolutely everyone else’s. You may often feel like you are fooling people, that you don’t really belong (look up “impostor syndrome” – this is something I have struggled with since graduate school, but I am in good company; it seems that most of the people I know also think they are impostors. We can’t all be impostors, right?!?), but you are capable, and you DO belong. Surround yourself with people who challenge you to be better, but are supportive. And if you find you’re still not enjoying math, go do something that makes you happy! It is not worth trying to make a career out of something you don’t enjoy just because you think you “should”, or because you don’t want to let anyone down, or because you’re worried it will look like you “quit.” Changing your mind and following your passions is not “quitting,” it is setting yourself up for a happier, more fulfilling life. Veterinary school: It’s the best of times, it’s the worst of times. My friends and I used to describe veterinary school in one statement: “This too shall pass...kind of like a kidney stone.” Don’t get me wrong. The veterinary education I received from the University of Missouri was top notch. The volume of information I learned was huge, and after a tough week of finals, I would often feel like I had a lobotomy. After a few years of practice, veterinarians tend to forget a lot of the things we don’t use, however, we can sometimes surprise ourselves like when we just happen to describe the Krebs Cycle during a conversation. Or when our colleagues are discussing a cat scratch fever, someone blurts out, “Bartonella henselae!” However, after seven years of schooling and a doctoral degree, there are simply some things I (and many of my colleagues) didn’t learn in veterinary school: 1.) How to stand up for yourself- Luckily, I learned how to do this before veterinary school after years of “experience,” however, if you haven’t learned how to stick up for yourself by veterinary school, you’re certainly not going to learn it there. In fact, speaking your mind or standing up for yourself in veterinary school is generally frowned upon. As a student, being agreeable and sometimes downright submissive was encouraged. In a lot of ways, there really is a good reason for that. Students are at the bottom of the vet school hierarchy, for good reason. As a student, you really don’t know a lot, especially compared to faculty members with lots of initials behind their names and years of experience. Even though I do try to avoid conflict when necessary, I’m a pretty outspoken, stubborn person. Keeping my mouth shut is not one of my many talents, especially if someone is being disrespectful or arrogant. However, my need to be agreeable and obedient had almost become habit by the time I graduated. Most new graduates realize quickly that in the real life of private practice, many of those qualities that were reinforced in veterinary school will get you nowhere. While it’s important to be patient and professional with colleagues and clients, there are many times when it becomes necessary to stand up for yourself, and stand up for your license. Do no harm, but take no crap either. Whether it’s a client that wants a prescription drug without seeing the pet, a breeder that wants a half dose of vaccine because it’s “too much” for their chihuahuas, or a coworker that’s case dodging, don’t hesitate to stand your ground. It’s a tough transition from student to practitioner. The world is also a tough place, so toughen up, Buttercup. 2. How to solve a $1000 problem on a $50 budget- When you’re in veterinary school, your clinical rotations often take place in a teaching hospital with state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment, including MRI, CT scanner, fluoroscopy, echocardiography, advanced laboratory tests, and more. Most clients taking their dog, cat, horse, or cow to a referral center are prepared to spend thousands of dollars. As students, we’re trained to listen to symptoms and history, come up with a differential list (possible diagnoses), diagnostics to rule out those differentials, and a treatment plan. This is how we’re trained to treat animals and give standard-of-care medicine. During clinical rotations, most clients (but not all) consent to advanced testing to find an answer. After graduation, an owner may bring you a sick cat. You do some labs and imaging and find the cat is diabetic, hyperthyroid, and has heart disease. You discuss all treatment options to find that the client is on a fixed income. They’re not ready to let go of Fluffy. They want you to try something, to treat them. You may think, “This is not part of the plan! This is not how I was trained!” The fact is, many of your clients may be on limited incomes. They love their pets, but they need to feed their families. However frustrating, in these situations, you learn to improvise and do your best, all while trying your hardest to maintain realistic expectations from the client. Can you actually solve a $1000 problem on a $50 budget? No, you can’t, but like Macgyver, sometimes you can work with the resources you have to get yourself out of a tricky situation and give your clients more time with their pet. 3. How to handle stress in a healthy way- The transition from college to veterinary school can be difficult. Instead of having finals week twice a year as you do in undergrad, picture that hell every three weeks, and the material is twice as difficult. Don’t get me wrong. I worked hard in college. I studied hard and was rewarded with A’s in pretty much every class I took, except Gen Chem I. Darn you, stoichiometry! Not to brag, but I went from being one of the best students at my moderately sized college to just an average Joe. My first week of tests in veterinary school showed a common trend: B’s. B’s?! Really?! Getting B’s really bothered me for about the first week of class, but I let it go. I took school seriously and was willing to work, but I also was aware of what it took to make straight A’s in veterinary school (locking yourself in the library and studying 24/7). Did veterinary school dominate my life, and at times, did I go days without showering or sleeping? Yes. But most of the time, I made time for things that were important to me, which was time with my husband and exercising. However, healthy life-balance habits were not generally encouraged. After squeezing in a run during a one-hour class break, I would get strange looks from professors and fellow classmates while rushing into class in my spandex covered in sweat. Actually, those strange looks may have just been grimaces from my smell or the sweat I just flicked on someone. Feel like you should eat healthier? Nah, get a pizza and a soda from The Zou (our cafeteria) instead. Sitting in class eight hours/day and then going home and studying has its challenges, and the sedentary lifestyle was somewhat of an adjustment. I’d still run most days, but did my 45 minutes of cardio really make up for sitting on my bum for the other 23 hours of the day? So how did we cope? Well, we ate lots of unhealthy food, drank LOTS of coffee, stared at our computer screens in coffee shops, eavesdropped on other people in the coffee shop when that got too boring, ate more food to reward ourselves, and then laughed with our study pals when all of the previous things listed made us delirious. And yes, I’m not going to lie, there were veterinary school parties, another coping method for many of us. Some of the students (usually the ones that had spent the previous three weeks in the library), would go gangbusters at these parties. It was an entertaining and somewhat disturbing thing to watch. There’s a reason why compassion fatigue, depression, alcoholism, and even suicide is common in our profession. Our careers are stressful and many professionals haven’t established healthy habits to handle that stress. We put so much into our jobs that we forget to take care of ourselves, and if you haven’t established healthy stress-handling habits before veterinary school, you’re certainly not going to learn it there. My advice is to exercise, eat well, don’t drink to excess, get plenty of sleep, and get a hobby outside of veterinary practice for God’s sake. That may seem impossible in this profession, but if you make time to prioritize your health, you’ll be a better person and a better professional because of it. 4. How to back a trailer- Despite going into mixed animal practice and working with farm animals on a daily basis, I was not raised on a farm. I lacked many of the skills a seven-year-old farm kid would have. Weeks before graduation, I came to the realization that my job would entail backing the clinic’s portable chute, which is what we use when we go to farms to work animals. Sure, I could have Omer, one of my technicians, back it for me, but how would that look? Farmers may already think less of me as a young, inexperienced female veterinarian. I didn’t need to add fuel to the fire, so the first several weeks of practice, my husband graciously volunteered to train me on backing the chute during the weekends. On a Sunday afternoon, I would pick up the portable chute with my vet truck, drive it to the local fairgrounds, and practice backing it over, and over, and over again. My husband called this marriage counseling. He would guide me, and often times throw his hands in the air saying, “What are you doing?!” I would respond with, “I don’t know! I’m never going to get this!” There may have been a little swearing from both sides as well. Well, eventually I did get it. Did I have to have Omer back the chute for me on occasion when I failed to do it myself? Yes, a few times, but it always feels good when a farmer gives you a look of surprise and delight when you line the chute up perfectly on the first try. 5. How to have difficult conversations with clients- One of the great benefits of veterinary school is that for the most part, you are shielded from delivering terrible news to clients. Students do interact with clients quite regularly, but for the tough stuff, the “big guns,” like faculty or residents, were brought in. This is partly for liability reasons (and the fact that most students in the middle of their clinicals aren’t prepared for this). Many recent graduates may walk into work and find the patient they have hospitalized for days, hoping for a cure, has lost their battle with their disease. Your hands clam up and you get a knot in your throat, not only at the thought of losing your patient, which is bad enough, but now you have to deliver the news to Mrs. Smith yourself. This is new territory, and it’s hard to say how the client will react. With more and more experience with these conversations (not that you want to have them often), you learn what helps and what doesn’t. You learn how to read your clients and express empathy more effectively. You also learn to remain calm, professional, and understanding when you talk to a client whose immediate reaction is anger. This profession is not for the weak of heart. 6. How to supervise staff, especially those who are older with many more years of experience in the field- This can be a touchy situation. It can be hard for the staff at a clinic to adjust to a brand new veterinarian, especially if they feel they outrank you with experience. Luckily, the staff at my current practice has been very accepting, but this is not always the case for every new graduate. Veterinarians may be faced with staff questioning their methods (especially if they’re different from previous veterinarians). Conflict can also arise when staff don’t appreciate taking orders from the newbie vet. As always, communication is so important in these situations. Assuming you’re dealing with a reasonable person (not always the case), simply explaining and educating the staff as to why you do things a certain way goes a long way. Most people will be understanding if you approach it this way. However, sometimes it’s not that simple. If you can’t resolve the conflict on your own, you may need to get the practice owner and practice manager on your side. However, some are not so lucky. The interpersonal skills of some practice owners and managers can leave something to be desired at times, which can lead to even more conflict. We’re not trained to deal with this in school. Sure, you may get on a clinical rotation with certain blockmates that don’t pull their weight or you just simply don’t get along with them. In most of those cases, you bite your tongue and buckle down for six weeks until the block changes. That’s not possible once you enter private practice. You have to learn to work with the people in your practice, and pray that the practice you’re going into has excellent/reasonable staff. However, even with great staff, not a single practice is free of conflict and every practitioner will have to learn these skills. You may have to change jobs if the situation is dire enough, but in most cases, you’ll need to learn to adapt to your surroundings and work with people to make positive change if possible. 7. How to make changes or improvements without rocking the boat too much too soon- The number of changes or improvements you’ll want to make can vary largely depending on what practice you join. After graduating veterinary school, you’re on cloud nine and ready to save the world. You have the most up-to-date knowledge of medicine, which is why many people hire new graduates. That and you’ll work like a dog for cheap. Some practice owners may be more receptive to change than others. I was fortunate to go into a situation where even as an associate, I was able to make MOST of the changes I wanted and practice medicine the way I wanted to practice. In some practices, there may be some changes you’ll want to make right away, especially if certain practices are not in line with standard-of-care. Remember, most practice owners hire you because they want your input. However, you have to tread carefully. Make a list of changes you want to make and prioritize those changes. You’re probably not going to be able to make ALL the changes you want all at once. You need to approach these conversations respectfully, but be clear about your needs. Don’t lead by insulting the practice owner or saying their methods aren’t appropriate. Even if this is true, you’re not going to get anywhere with that approach. It also helps if you’ve done your research and provide reasons why those changes are necessary. You also have to remember that a veterinary practice is a business. If you’re asking a practice owner to make a $50,000 upgrade, you need to provide evidence that there is a need for that equipment upgrade, and that the practice can make enough money off of that upgrade to pay it off in a reasonable amount of time. If you’re wanting to add a new service, you need to show that there is a demand for that service and that you will market it effectively. In most cases, things are not going to be handed to you. Pick your battles and suggest changes a little bit at a time. Unless there are dire changes that need to be made right away, I suggest practicing for at least a month or two before you suggest any improvements. This will allow you to get a feel for the practice owner and how progressive they are, but also how well the current methods they’re using actually work. You may be surprised how well certain things work, and you’ll learn new methods along the way. Remember, you have the most up-to-date knowledge, but you can learn a lot from the experience of your practice owner and colleagues, even if some of their methods differ from what you’re taught in school. Keep an open mind, but if something is important to you, let yourself be heard.
Needless to say, your first few years after graduation are going to be very enlightening (sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad way). If you get anything out of this blog post, it’s this: Your education doesn’t end when you graduate veterinary school. In many cases, that’s when your true education begins. I’m far from having it all figured out, but I’ve certainly come a long way in four years. March is Expanding Girls’ Horizons in Science and Engineering Month! That’s a mouthful! It’s the 21st century, so why are we still talking about women in science? While women have made huge advancements in biological and medical fields, even making up the majority in some of these fields, women are still a significant minority in engineering, computer, physical sciences, and mathematics. The development of talent in STEM fields is crucial for our country’s global leadership. When an open and diverse scientific community is fostered, you can draw from a variety of unique viewpoints or experiences. So why is it important for women to be encouraged to pursue careers in STEM fields? Women in STEM fields make 33% more money than women in non-stem fields. We all know money can’t buy happiness, but most of us would at least like the opportunity to prove that wrong, right? Women also experience a smaller wage gap relative to men in STEM fields. Not only that, women in STEM fields often get a lot of satisfaction from being involved in exciting areas of discovery, innovation, technological, and medical advances. The more opportunities for women in these fields, the more opportunities we have for economic success and equality. In honor of this month, I have interviewed some of my favorite ladies in many areas of STEM fields. I am fortunate to call these talented, successful women my friends. Enjoy reading about their careers and experiences! Lauren E. Ayers, MLS (ASCP) Medical Laboratory Scientist, Microbiology Technologist Sacred Heart Hospital I work as a Medical Laboratory Scientist within the Microbiology/Molecular Biology Department at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Florida. My work consists of working alongside physicians and nurses to care for patients with infectious disease. I use methods such as culture identification/sensitivities, molecular testing, and antigen/antibody testing to diagnose disease causing organisms (bacteria, viruses, and parasites). My career requires that I work unusual hours, which can dampen one's social life. I have worked several different shifts including days, evenings, nights, and rotating shifts working eight days on for ten hours and having six days off. Working unusual hours in a high stress environment can really take a toll on you emotionally and physically, so you really need to love your career to endure the pressure. Is this career messy? Yes! Does this career involve testing body fluids, tissue, urine, feces, and blood? Yes! Is this career for a weak stomached individual? No! But the payoff, yes, the payoff is coming home knowing you helped diagnose and treat someone's mother, father, sibling, or other family member. Every night I come home and I sleep soundly knowing I made a difference in a patient's life. I have always loved science, especially biology. When I started college I wanted to be a Pediatric Oncologist. I loved children, and I wanted nothing more than to help treat sick children. It was not long before I began to realize not all patients could be healed. I had to accept that even though medical advances have come far, patients still pass away despite all measures taken. I knew I was not ready to accept that, so I continued college looking for the right profession. I then took a general microbiology course and fell in love with micro! When I am peering through a microscope, I feel like I'm looking into another world. I expressed my interest to my professor, and he allowed me to work in his research lab. The grad students that were there introduced me to the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) chapter at the college. The ASM chapter brought several guest speakers to the meetings to discuss multiple careers in the microbiology field. I knew a career in Clinical Microbiology was what I wanted to pursue, so I finished my degree in Biology and finished a secondary degree in Clinical Laboratory Sciences (CLS). The CLS program I attended at the University of West Florida was very educational; not only did I learn Microbiology, but I also learned Hematology, Clinical Chemistry, and Immunohematology. At the end of the program, a seven month internship was required where I gained valuable work experience; this helped me to receive my microbiology position right out of college. I have been very fortunate that I have not experienced much gender discrimination. I work with more women than men in my field. The only time I really feel partiality is when hospital staff (including physicians, nurses, and techs) need advice and immediately skip over me or other female coworkers if they see a man in the room. What I have learned and recommend to others is to be assertive, yet stay professional. Women have the capability to do anything a man can do! If a woman has a passion for any of these fields they should go for it. Lead as an example to others! Younger girls must see women advance and excel in these fields, so they will follow in our footsteps. I also believe women should not hide away from these fields because they are scared of discrimination; prove others wrong and slowly the bias will fade. The work I do is hard and can be stressful, but the satisfaction of being part of a team that saves peoples' lives outweighs all the negatives. When starting college, find advisors specific to Microbiology. Show interest in school and seek advice/guidance from your professors and upperclassman. Get involved with available academic clubs. Always remember to follow your dreams, you only have one life, so live it to its fullest! Take advantage of all the opportunities women have now to broaden their education. Lastly, if there is a will there is a way, never give up! Stephanie Carle, DVM Staff Veterinarian at Abilene Zoo There really isn’t a normal day for me. I work with about 1000 animals. Typically I am Monday through Friday, but as the only vet at my zoo, I am on call 24-7. It is rare to get called in at night, but it does happen on occasion. Most weekends I am called in at least once. On a day to day basis, I am performing routine preventative health exams on various animals, administering medication, performing pre-shipment testing on animals that are supposed to ship to other zoos, doing paperwork (the worst part of the job), managing quarantine animals (new animals to the zoo that go through a 30 day quarantine behind the scenes), taking care of injured birds in our rehab department, managing diets of all 1000 animals, examining sick animals, etc. etc. etc. Currently I have stayed busy caring for a baby giraffe. He was born in December at another zoo and was unable to stand. That zoo nursed him back to health, but by then the mother did not have milk and was already out on the large amounts of acreage at that facility. Since they could not keep this baby near the adult giraffes and continue to bottle feed him, that zoo decided it would be better if this animal came to our zoo where he can be kept in a warm barn and introduced to a herd. Although he is adorable, we want him to learn to be a giraffe, not a human. He has had his ups and downs but is doing great and growing like crazy! Since I could talk, I was going to be a vet. I grew up on a farm where my parents indulged my interest in animals. We had cows, horses, dogs, cats, rabbits, ducks, pigs, etc. I was active in 4-H as well. When I was in high school, I learned about Sea World Camp and went twice; that is when I decided I wanted to be a zoo vet. I volunteered with a small animal clinic in undergrad and spent my summers in undergrad and vet school working at a marine park with the vet. During vet school I externed at that same marine park, the St. Louis Zoo and the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program. Once I graduated, I completed a one year small animal medicine and surgery rotating internship and then spent two years as the zoo veterinarian intern at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo. I am now the staff veterinarian at the Abilene Zoo. I have been fortunate that I have not been faced with much sexism in my career. The majority of new vets are women. I do know that in the zoo world, it is rare for women to have families. Most women zoo vets are not married and have no children. However, it seems that most men are at least married. Perhaps it has always been acceptable for the man to work the long hours with on-call shifts and still have families but not so much for women. I have personally seen women in this field berate other women for having families and using their kids as an excuse not to be on call or be unable to come in when needed. That is unacceptable but understandable. It is hard to have kids and be on call 24-7 but that is the career, I guess. I do remember visiting colleges my senior year of high school and a man at a Florida university stating, “Hmmm, Midwestern blonde girl wants to major in marine biology, typical.” I told him no, I was going to be a marine mammal vet. His attitude towards me was critical. He did not take me seriously and seemed to know that I would not make it. My interests broadened to all zoo animals, not just marine, but I did make it and man, I wish I could find that man and stick it to him! Women are just as important as men to the STEM fields. There should be no contest between the two sexes. When a woman can do a traditionally man’s job just as easily as a man can do a traditionally woman’s job, this world will be a better place. I want women to pursue STEM fields so that we can have equality between the sexes in this field. {Advice to young women} If you work hard and never give up, you can achieve anything. So many times in my education I was told that my career path was impossible, no one becomes zoo vets! It is true that this is unique field and there are few jobs, but I have always been determined that I would be nothing else and no one could stop me! Katie Essary BS in ChemE from University of Kansas Reservoir Engineer at Chevron One of my favorite parts of my job is the fact that I don’t do the same thing two days in a row! The needs of the business are constantly changing, and I’m expected to adapt. In my current role, I usually come into the office and work on a few of my ongoing projects, such as estimating the remaining recoverable oil for some of our assets or running economics on various development scenarios. Often times, those projects will be set aside so that I can work on whatever pressing issue my team is faced with that week. It’s fast-paced, problem solving and there’s always something exciting to work on! My love of math, physics, and chemistry led me to pursue a career in engineering. It also helped that I was exposed to engineering at an early age, visiting bridges and other structures my dad designed as a civil engineer. He even drove us by his waste water treatment plants, but I’ll spare you the details on that! I ended up following my older brother to KU, copying his major in chemical engineering as any annoying little sister would do. During college, I completed several chemical engineering internships for Kimberly-Clark, making Kleenex and Viva towels. I then took a leap and agreed to spend my last summer in college working for Chevron as a “petroleum engineer.” After having no classes in the subject, I had no idea if I would enjoy the position, but I couldn’t turn down a summer in sunny California! Once there, I quickly realized that petroleum engineering as a profession was very exciting and state-of-the-art yet with a long, fascinating history dating back to the 1800’s. There are always new problems to solve, and the innovation never stops! That internship led to a full-time position with the company, with my next seven years and six job positions spent in Bakersfield, California, and Houston, Texas. Honestly, I’ve never felt that my gender has held me back in any way. My company embraces diversity and even has a “Women’s Network” with inspirational talks, resources and networking events. Yes, there are fewer women in engineering careers, but I feel as though I’ve always been treated equally and had the support that I needed to be successful. My husband and I are expecting a son in July, so I’ve just recently looked into the life of a working mom at Chevron. They have private rooms for breastfeeding, daycare options, family leave and even part-time work hours to ensure that moms (and dads!) can continue to pursue a career while making a priority of taking care of our little ones! Even though the company is aware of my pregnancy, they’ve still allowed for me to advance my career, putting me into increasingly challenging roles. I look forward to the day when all women get to experience an even playing field, as I do. In order to get there, I think more employers need to adopt similar practices for embracing diversity and ensuring opportunities are given to all employees, regardless of gender, race, etc. There is absolutely no reason why there should be such a dichotomy of % males vs % females in STEM fields. In any field, having a diversity of perspective is critical to advance technologies and I believe that an increase in female practitioners will do just that! If I ever have a daughter, I hope to be a role model for her, telling her she can do whatever she puts her mind to, even if it’s historically been a “man’s job.” {Advice to young women} Find whatever your passion is, and pursue that. If it happens to be a male-dominated field, so be it! Go in there and show them that you’ve got what it takes! Rachel Scharer Fisheries Biologist for Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission My job has variety. Some days I am in the field setting nets, driving a boat, handling fish, and tagging endangered smalltooth sawfish. Other days I am in the laboratory managing data, writing manuscripts and reports, or talking with the public about sawfish, including coordinating events such as retrieval of occasional sawfish carcasses to study. I grew up on the water, and I became interested in marine biology after dissecting sharks during a high school marine biology class. I started volunteering with several marine facilities in my hometown and really enjoyed it. After high school, I attended the University of West Florida for my bachelor’s and master’s degrees. While working on my master’s degree, I attended professional fisheries meetings and did a lot of networking that would help me in the future. After I graduated, I got a job in fisheries management, which was important work, but my heart wasn’t in it. Later, I was able to transfer to a research position because of connections that I had made while working on my master’s degree. Personally, one of the biggest challenges I have faced as a woman is being underestimated. Most of the time it’s based on appearance (too delicate, too small, etc.), or just being a woman. I also know fisheries observers that have run into problems where captains didn’t want women on their boats because it was bad luck. In my opinion, the best thing you can do in most of these situations is prove them wrong by doing the things that you are capable of doing. I think a lot of these biases will go away with time, but we should also lead by example and show the next generation that women are perfectly capable scientists. I belong to an organization called the Gills Club (http://www.gillsclub.org/), which teaches young girls about sharks. They feature women who are studying sharks and rays all over the world. It’s amazing to see what kind of research these women are doing and the positive response we get from our peers and from the girls! Finally, I think it’s also important to encourage our peers and maintain a positive attitude. Like many fields, marine biology can be really competitive, but it’s important to realize that there can be enough success to go around for everyone and we should all be encouraging one another and lifting each other up as we do our jobs. It’s important that women/girls know that they can pursue any field they are interested in. Pursuing a career in any STEM field should be no different than pursuing a degree in any other field. Women should not be intimidated by the typical stereotypes that say women should do this and men should do that. I think this is slowly changing, we are starting to see all kinds of things change for women. In fact, in a lot of classes for my major the women outnumbered the men! Life is short, do something that you love and don’t let anyone tell you that it’s impossible. Sure there are plenty of people that don’t end up pursuing jobs in the field they went to school for, but the people that really have a passion for something always make it. Volunteer, intern, work hard and make as many connections as you can; you never know when or where the perfect job is going to open up! A career in this field may not be easy and you definitely won’t get rich, but if you are doing something that gets you really excited to wake up every day, then it will absolutely be worth it. Cortney R. Strodtman-Pettit, Pharm. D. MTS Pharmacist-in-Charge at Sam's Health Mart in Fayette I work everyday from 8 A.M. to 6 P.M. in our local community pharmacy. I do what most people would expect of a pharmacist, I check and make sure all the pills in the bottle are correct. What people don't realize I do is review patients medication profiles as well as disease states, to make sure that there are no drug interactions or interactions with their diseases that could harm the person. I also answer any question a patient may have on their prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, and even their disease states. Most patients are more comfortable with speaking with their pharmacist than they are their physicians, I have found. I guess this is because they get to see me each month when they come into the pharmacy, and only see their doctors once each year. I also spend my day answering questions from physicians all over the area. They call me with questions about dosing, suggestions that can save patients money, and as a resource to bounce ideas off of. I am lucky that I get the opportunity to make a difference in dozens of people's lives each day. I always knew that I wanted to be in a field where I was able to support myself and a family. I ended up in pharmacy because my great grandmother passed away due to drug interactions that caused her organs to fail. She was using multiple doctors and multiple pharmacies. We didn't realize how dangerous that could be. I wanted to make sure that that did not happen to anybody else. I worked very hard, went to school for six years graduating with a Doctor of Pharmacy, passed a national and two state board exams, and landed my first job in California. After working there for three years, I decided it was time to come home. That is when I became the pharmacist-in-charge of my hometown pharmacy. Luckily for me, I have not struggled with many obstacles because of being a woman. This could be because I was born and raised in Fayette, so people were used to seeing me. I know that some women meet resistance, especially when they work in the hospitals. There are some patients out there that do not believe that women should be in the healthcare field unless they are a nurse. I believe that with time this will fade away, as it already seems to be. The only way that we will totally be rid of this double standard is to continue to put competent and professional women into the work field. Women can do anything that men can do. I firmly believe that. Women can be doctors, engineers, astronauts, and pharmacists! On the same token men can be teachers, nurses, and hairstylists. Why should someone’s gender dictate what they do for a living? Equality is so important, especially when it comes to careers. I would tell them {young women interested in pursuing a career in my field} to do their research. Don't go into pharmacy because you think you're going to make a lot of money. Don't go into any career for the money. Do something that you love and love whatever you do. Be passionate about it. I've had many people tell me what a wonderful pharmacist I am. It isn't because I make a lot of money, it is because I genuinely care about what happens to each person that walks in the door of my pharmacy. If you can't love what you do, you shouldn't be doing it. I would also caution them that becoming a pharmacist is hard work. When you choose an advanced degree, understand it isn't given to you, it is earned. One day though you'll look back and you won't regret it, you will be proud. You will make it through, and you will be stronger for it. Ty Tran IT Systems Analyst USAA As an IT Systems Analyst, I work with business managers and application product owners to understand their business requirements and objectives. Then I work with IT so that they understand what the system should do and what users will expect. Essentially, I translate the business requirements into system requirements. I help guide the IT team with design specifications and direction, work to help remove impediments, make sure the business, IT, and quality assurance teams are on track with development and project progress. I work in an agile software development framework where software development and business requirements are flexible and iterative, changing based on feedback. It's very fast paced. I work with multiple workstreams in my project team area to understand, learn, and share our project experiences on how we can adapt or change our everyday ceremonies to help our teams work easier, faster, and more efficient. I didn't know what I wanted to do after high school. I had vague ideas about medical school because my parents wanted me to be in a medical profession. I was frankly terrified that I wouldn't find a career that fit me and that I could love. I went to college and tried many majors - chemical engineering, biology, teacher education, and library science. I missed my masters deadline for information library science and decided to take a couple of computer science classes. I didn't like "programming" in high school, and I also hated math. I always viewed myself as an introverted person, very artsy and bookish. But I thought I could knock out some prerequisites by taking this college introductory level programming class - visual basic. I became very engaged, challenged, and thrilled by the class. Never in a million years would I have thought I would actually love programming! I found an artist outlet with programming. I could visualize how I wanted to design the program. I changed my major and got a Bachelors in Computer Science. After working in the business as a programmer for many years, I didn't feel the same thrill and engagement and moved to different areas of the business within my company. As a programmer, I could work independently but almost in an isolated environment, which fit with my introverted personality. But I felt like I needed to grow myself in another direction, away from being a developer but still remain in IT. As I worked on many projects, I made a lot of contacts and another analyst pointed out that I would make a great analyst since I had a strong background in technology and could redirect my energy into helping IT understand business requirements and helping the business with their objectives. The position requires strong verbal and written communication skills, challenging me to become more of an extrovert, understanding business relationships, and working on my soft skills. This was exactly what I was looking for, and I then transitioned into the position I have now. When I decided I wanted to be an IT Systems Analyst, I found that my managers did not know how to help me transition from a software developer to an IT systems analyst. They began to plan a career path for me by giving me technical lead positions or project management duties, which they thought were stepping stones into an analyst position. My managers, however, did not understand what analysts do and after talking with other analysts, I realized I had to find a manager who was willing to put me on a project as an analyst on a trial basis and not a developer. I networked with other analysts to find projects and from there, I proved I could do the work and was hired full time into the position. I found that I could not depend on my managers to find that opportunity for me but that I had to take the initiative to find it for myself and plan my own career. Like Xena Warrior Princess, I am empowered by taking charge and making my own destiny! I grew up in an Asian culture where my parents discouraged me from engineering because it wasn't a "female" career and pushed me to follow a medical career path. As immigrants in America, they worked hard in minimum wage jobs so that their children would be able to graduate high school, go to college, and have meaningful careers. I realized in my career journey that I wasn't motivated to be in a STEM field to show my parents how wrong they were about "female" appropriate careers but that I wanted to make my parents proud by finding a career that I would excel in and bring out the best in me. I believe the type of career doesn't matter as long as the person is encouraged to grow, discover, learn, feel like they are contributing, accomplishing, and making a difference in the career they choose. I would encourage women to go after careers that will challenge them, motivate them, grow them as a person personally and professionally. There's a misconception about high school experiences I want to clarify. High school has helped many students find what they want to do in life, but for those who haven't figured it out, like myself back then, I think I shouldn't have pegged myself as being a type of person who shouldn't have looked into a technical career because I didn't like math and programming in high school. Though I still don't like math, I understand and have learned how to use it as a tool to get what I needed. I learned to look at programming in a different way, as an art, and it has opened up a new world to me. I also have to say, never let someone plan your life, your career, but be proactive and plan it yourself, and don't be embarrassed if you can't find the right career immediately. |
Jessica Stroupe, DVM
Archives
August 2017
|