Pulse - October 2022 - 9

JIM BELL
SCVMA PROFILE
SCVMA Awards Help Young Doctor,
Former Teacher Turned Vet Tech
wo former SCVMA scholarship winners, one a young doctor who now works happily in Sacramento, the other a
50-plus school teacher, who decided it wasn't too late to start a second career as a registered veterinary technician,
love their first veterinary jobs. They share their stories here.
Carolyn Ruff, a math teacher for
24 years, was doing a job she
loved. Then one day her students
asked her about doing volunteer
work, first for the homeless and
the elderly - then for animals.
" I found a local clinic and they were
doing some spay and neuter work for pets
of the homeless and they allowed my students
to volunteer. I went with them and
then volunteered, myself, again and again
and again. I really enjoyed it. It was kind of
a return to when I was a kid and I wanted
to be a veterinarian, " she said.
She soon decided that she wanted a new
career in veterinary medicine. She got a
job at a veterinary clinic as a kennel attendant
and set her sights on an RVT license.
She took classes at Mount San Antonio
College and later at Orange County Veterinary
Assistant School. And she applied for
an SCVMA scholarship.
Carolyn was awarded a grant in 2019. " I
passed the RVT test in December, 2019,
and got my license in February, 2020. I've
been working at Santa Margarita Animal
Hospital [in Rancho Santa Margarita] for
about three and a half years now.
" The scholarship was very helpful, "
Carolyn said. " When I made the transition
from teaching to kennel attendant -
that was a huge cut in salary - it definitely
helped a whole lot. I figured the best way
I could express my appreciation for the
scholarship was to pass the exam and get
my license. "
" In some respects, " she said, her new
career path " was an easy transition because
I had always had a love for animals and I've
always had pets, some of which have had a
multitude of complex health issues, including
Cushing's, Addison's, cancer and diabetes.
I've fostered kittens many, many times.
It was a lot different from teaching because
PULSE
OCTOBER 2022
of the science. That was really interesting
and challenging. It still is.
" But also challenging were learning
to draw blood, place a catheter, intubate,
monitor surgery and clean and pull teeth. I
try to do as many CEs now as I can. There's
always something to learn. "
Carolyn, who is 59 and lives in Trabuco
Canyon, has a daughter who lives in Georgia.
" She was thrilled when I told her I was
changing careers. 'It's about time, mom,' she
told me.
" I really am enjoying my work, " she said.
" But I want to do something with rescue.
That's where my heart is. I'd really like to
work with low-cost spay and neuter clinics
and low-cost dentals and that kind of
thing. "
She does some volunteer work and tries
to support Modjeska Ranch Rescue and
New Life Animal Sanctuary when she can.
She also has volunteered with the Animal
Rescue Corps, a Tennessee-based group
that does large-scale rescue work.
Dr. Ava Abuchaei, who earned
her veterinary degree from UC
Davis in 2021, with financial help
from a 2018 SCVMA scholarship,
has been working just over a
year at Old Towne Animal Hospital
in Fair Oaks, a suburb of
Sacramento.
She said that her job has been great and
has included a lot of mentorship. " A lot of
my friends went to practices where they
thought they would get good mentorship
but weren't actually given it. They have
been placed in stressful situations. I thankfully
did not experience that.
" The doctors in my practice have been
welcoming and they answer my questions
all the time. They admit when they
don't know things and point me to where
I can get answers. So I've never felt like I
was just drowning here without any help.
I can build on my skill set instead of doing
something wrong and not knowing it was
wrong because there's nobody around to
tell me. I feel very lucky. "
She said that her first job " has been significantly
more enjoyable than vet school
ever was. It has been a very pleasant surprise.
It has been interesting. It's different
every day. It's definitely challenging but it's
fun. I like the people I work with - they're
fun and funny. "
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Pulse - October 2022

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