Pulse - November 2024 - 8

SCVMA PROFILE
Pierce RVT Program Has 'Great
Students and Great Instructors'
Jim Bell
at the college to enter the RVT Program. Once students have
obtained their A.S. degrees, they can take the Veterinary Technician
National Exam. If they pass that exam, they can be licensed
to practice.
The Pierce program has been producing registered veterinary
technicians since 1974. The program has hundreds of graduates
who work throughout the United States and a passage rate above
88% for the national exam.
Dr. Yates, who earned her DVM degree at UC Davis, started
teaching at Pierce College in 1995. " I've been involved with the
program a long time and I believe in the Pierce philosophy, " she
said. " It's a semiprofessional program in a less stringent junior
college environment, so it's more accessible for students and
less expensive. "
" We try to impart to our students what Dr. Dao and I both
learned at UC Davis - continually striving for excellence coupled
with compassion for our patients and the clients who own those
patients. "
Pierce RVT students will face life and death situations when
Instructor Melissa Shea works with RVT students at Pierce College.
D
r. Lu Dao, the Chair of the Agriculture
Department and co-director of the Pierce
College Registered Veterinary Technology Program,
attributes the success of the program
to " a combination of great students and great
instructors. "
Dr. Dao mentioned Dr. Rebecca Yates, Dr. Kevin Connolly,
Angela Killips and Melissa Shea as exceptional educators at Pierce.
'Dr. Yates is phenomenal. She is a compassionate veterinarian,
inspiring professor, and a great mentor, " he said. " Dr. Connolly is
a brilliant veterinarian who not only leads his students through
equine courses but also guides them through small animal surgery.
" Angela, an instructional assistant who also teaches classes, is
an amazing multitasker. She is a vital element of the program that
works to ensure everything runs smoothly and that students are well
taken care of. "
And, he noted, " Melissa, who taught as an adjunct in the past,
now has become a full-time addition to our college. She retains a
passion for the veterinary medical field that students aspire to and
tries to ensure that every student will succeed. "
The Pierce RVT Program is a two-year associate of science
program. Students typically must complete pre-requisite courses
8
they join the work force, she said, " and we want them to be competent,
confident and knowledgeable. We don't produce automatons.
They understand the theory of what we are doing to treat our
patients. That's our goal. "
Dr. Yates earned BS and MS degrees at Humboldt State University.
" I had some amazing mentors and a lot of encouragement
to pursue a veterinary career, " she said. " That led me to UC Davis. "
Her interest in domestic animals was primarily in dogs, cats and
horses. " There's more information available about those animals
than all the other species combined, " she said. " My approach was
to learn medicine the best I could in a variety of animals. Then
you could always extrapolate if you were working on an elephant
or zebra. "
As a student, she worked at the UC Davis Primate Research Center,
" so I literally trained on monkeys. " After she graduated, Dr. Yates
joined a Southern California practice that worked with exotics, her
primary interest.
She subsequently worked at the Wildlife Waystation, a sanctuary
north of Los Angeles for exotic animals that closed in 2019
and at the National Zoo, where she hoped to work with elephants.
" Living in Washington, D.C., was a hard transition. And when
9/11 came along, I felt like I was living in a target zone. " That
brought her home to Southern California and Pierce College.
Melissa Shea, RVT, was hired as a full-time instructor last
spring. She is a 2016 Pierce graduate, who got her RVT license in
2017 and worked in a small animal clinic. She returned to Pierce
as an adjunct instructor in the radiography lab in 2019. Now, she
said, she works a couple of days a month as an RVT, which " allows
NOVEMBER 2024
PULSE

Pulse - November 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pulse - November 2024

Chapter Meetings & Calendar
President’s Perspective
Pulsepoints
SCVMA Profile
FEATURE STORY
Practical Pathology
UC Davis Update
Updates
Tools for Success
Industry Insights
Angel Fund
AVMA Diplomates
Resources
Disease Table
From the SCVMA Office
Pulse - November 2024 - Cover1
Pulse - November 2024 - Cover2
Pulse - November 2024 - Chapter Meetings & Calendar
Pulse - November 2024 - 2
Pulse - November 2024 - President’s Perspective
Pulse - November 2024 - Pulsepoints
Pulse - November 2024 - 5
Pulse - November 2024 - 6
Pulse - November 2024 - 7
Pulse - November 2024 - SCVMA Profile
Pulse - November 2024 - 9
Pulse - November 2024 - FEATURE STORY
Pulse - November 2024 - 11
Pulse - November 2024 - 12
Pulse - November 2024 - 13
Pulse - November 2024 - Practical Pathology
Pulse - November 2024 - UC Davis Update
Pulse - November 2024 - Updates
Pulse - November 2024 - 17
Pulse - November 2024 - Tools for Success
Pulse - November 2024 - Industry Insights
Pulse - November 2024 - Angel Fund
Pulse - November 2024 - AVMA Diplomates
Pulse - November 2024 - Resources
Pulse - November 2024 - 23
Pulse - November 2024 - Disease Table
Pulse - November 2024 - 25
Pulse - November 2024 - 26
Pulse - November 2024 - 27
Pulse - November 2024 - 28
Pulse - November 2024 - 29
Pulse - November 2024 - 30
Pulse - November 2024 - 31
Pulse - November 2024 - 32
Pulse - November 2024 - 33
Pulse - November 2024 - 34
Pulse - November 2024 - 35
Pulse - November 2024 - 36
Pulse - November 2024 - 37
Pulse - November 2024 - 38
Pulse - November 2024 - 39
Pulse - November 2024 - From the SCVMA Office
Pulse - November 2024 - Cover3
Pulse - November 2024 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202502
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202501
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202411
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/scvma/pulse_202105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202101
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_202001
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201912
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201911
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201901
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201812
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201811
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201809
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201808
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201807
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201806
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201805
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201804
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201803
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201802
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201801
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201711
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201707
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201706
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201705
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201704
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201703
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201702
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201701
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201611
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201609
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201606
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201605
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201604
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201603
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201602
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201601
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201511
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201509
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201507
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201505
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201503
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201502
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201501
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201411
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/scvma/pulse_201101
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com