As a young girl, I wanted to be a veterinarian. By grade, 6 I had designed my clinic, found a partner and was all set to pursue a veterinary career. It seemed like I had a path. My parents, however, had different ideas. Both came from modest backgrounds, and neither had attended college. My father worked hard as a plumber in a Plumber and Steamfitters union in central New Jersey, where the late seventies had been challenging. A severe economic downturn had stunted big construction projects, and my father was laid off for several months. As his unemployment was running out, the stress of trying to support a family was intense. It took a couple of years for things to return to normal, but those trials and tribulations left an indelible mark.
My parents never wanted me to experience that kind of stress. They were deeply concerned that in an economic downturn, people wouldn’t put money into their animals, and they strongly encouraged me to pursue human medicine instead. I loved science and had fervent desire to help people; therefore, making that transition was not difficult, and I threw my energy into medicine. Neurosurgery became my goal, and by the time college application essays rolled around a few years later, I was already writing about my (hopeful) future career in neurosurgery.
Fast forward about twenty years or so, I was at a faculty development meeting offsite, and one of the icebreakers was a question: “If you could do anything, what would your dream job be?” And, without hesitation, I blurted out that I’d be a veterinarian caring for abused and neglected shelter animals. I hadn’t thought consciously about veterinary medicine much in a long time, but I realized there was still passion there. In the meantime, my home had become a small zoo with four dogs, a teacup pig (long story) and a sugar glider. I had become very active in dog training, even competing in dog sports events.
I continued my Navy neurosurgery career for many more years. With promotions came increasing administrative and executive roles, and I ultimately completed a 28-year Navy career. As I approached retirement from the service, I started thinking about possibilities. I was armed with the GI Bill that would pay for almost any educational option, and by this point, I was entering my early 50’s. If I was going to pursue an old dream, the time had come to take the leap.
I have now completed my first year of veterinary school. It was a whirlwind, retiring from the Navy officially August 1, 2021, and starting orientation on August 16, but it has been energizing. Devoting this much time to learning again has been amazing. A lot has happened in medicine in the 30 years since I graduated from medical school, especially across topics like cancer and immunology, so it’s been great learning about advances outside of neurosurgery. The most fun has been learning material that was totally foreign to me — subjects related to livestock and production animals, comparative anatomy, nutrition and food safety — to name a few. Visiting farms and handling small ruminants, for example, while also meeting the incredible people who raise them with the foothills of Northern Colorado in the backdrop, has been an incredible experience. Additionally, with diseases like COVID, MERS and many others emerging from animal populations, learning more about the human-animal interface, as well as the interface with climate and the environment, has also been very interesting.
That said, there are certainly some downsides. There are many aspects I miss about neurosurgery. The direct benefit to humanity is undeniable. There are also the less tangible parts of the camaraderie with other surgeons, residents and clinical staff. Further, by being in practice for more than 25 years, I had become competent and comfortable in most situations and had earned a certain amount of credibility and respect. That all disappears when starting a totally new field and is certainly an adjustment. There’s also the stark age difference. Not only am I double the age of most of my classmates, but I have also come to learn I’m older than many of their parents (that was an unwelcomed discovery).
The ability to pursue a long-held dream is a truly special privilege. I’m not sure exactly what the future holds for me, but I am excited to be on the journey.
