Veterinary Medicine - October 2007 - (Page 642)

The Veterinary Medicine Interview week; or Freckles, the bunny, who sits with the dying at my mother’s hospice. What would you advise new graduates? Spend their first year with the heaviest caseload so they can broaden their skills. Get a hobby that has nothing to do with veterinary medicine. And, my personal motto, “Don’t fight the mountain, slide on the snow.” should make you want to get up and shake it. My personal jukebox would have plenty of the Rolling Stones, The Flying Burrito Brothers, James Brown, The Meters—if you fake the funk, your nose is going to grow! Also, Irish music—my name is Fitzgerald—like The Saw Doctors or the Young Dubliners. What part of your work do you enjoy most? I enjoy the science and variety of general practice—one day a new puppy exam and the next day placing tracking radio transmitters in rattlesnakes. What would you have liked to do if you hadn’t become a veterinarian? If I hadn’t become a veterinarian, I would still be bouncing for bands and thumping heads. Thank God I don’t have to! What do you consider the greatest threat to the profession? Losing the trust and respect of the public. Veterinarians are still well-regarded by Americans. We can lose this respect by placing charges first and losing sight of what we do. We must stay true to the basis of our profession, which is to relieve suffering. It is a privilege to do what we do, not our right. Since 2000, Dr. Fitzgerald has been placing radio transmitters in prairie rattlesnakes in a study with the Denver Zoo, examining the biology and behavior of these animals. Are you a cat person or a dog person? Anything with a heartbeat. What book would you recommend? E.O. Wilson’s new book The Creation is a plea at one minute to midnight for the endangered species of our planet. The future generations will not thank us if we sit by and do nothing. be airborne and animal-transmitted. It will make the influenza outbreak of 1918 look like a pillow fight. I predict that because of our training, veterinarians will make a big contribution and help save the day. What is the greatest achievement of your career? Passing the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners exam for canine and feline practice. We must continuously try to grow, to learn, and to play above our natural skill set. Which animal health needs are currently unmet? There is a growing proportion of the population that cannot afford veterinary care. It will be a challenge to keep veterinary care affordable and to avoid the quagmire of our human medicine counterparts. What favorite musicians or songs would be in your jukebox? Music should inspire us and lift us. It What makes a good veterinarian? A good veterinarian is a good listener, a keen observer, and a lifelong student of the profession. Veterinary medicine is a harsh mistress—she expects so much and sets the bar so high. But if we give into it with all of our hearts, the rewards are unfathomable. What a privilege to do what we do! O Dr. Fitzgerald’s thoughts on the euthanasia problem General practitioners are the foot soldiers of our profession, so they must be a vital part of their communities. We must impress upon people that companion animals share the same life force that we do and are not disposable. We must aggressively educate the public about the necessity of spaying and neutering. Veterinarians should lobby as a group to institute a tax break for neutering and spaying family pets. Sadly, money is a greater incentive than reason. What changes in veterinary medicine do you hope will occur in the next 100 years? I hope we will see veterinarians continue to be integrally involved in the fabric of the communities they live in, to make significant contributions to the conservation of all animal life on our planet, and to provide a voice for the voiceless creatures we live among. Is there a veterinary leader you’d like us to interview? If so, please e-mail or fax us the person’s name and affiliation: vm@advanstar.com; fax (913) 492-4157. What is your sci-fi prediction for veterinary medicine? There is a big and ugly virus coming. It will 642 October 2007 VETERINARY MEDICINE Photo by Ned Radinsky

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Veterinary Medicine - October 2007

Veterinary Medicine - October 2007 Contents Leading Off The Veterinary Medicine Interview: Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald Toxicology Brief Idea Exchange Animal Sheltering in the United States: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow The Euthanasia Problem Offer Basic Behavior Counseling for Every Pet at Every Visit Promote and Perform Early Spaying and Neutering Assist Owners in Selecting the Best Pets for their Lifestyles Champion Animal Welfare in Your Community CE Form Product Review Advertiser Index Marketplace/Classifieds Mind Over Miller

Veterinary Medicine - October 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.