There is no doubt that I feel priveleged to be here. But I must confess that now and then I miss human medicine. It's strange but I don't feel like I'm a member of the animal medicine world quite yet. I've come to realize the vast experience my classmates have in the animal world. I see how they grasp concepts so much faster, share experiences and often wonder how much more I could have learned had I had more animal experience. I can't tell them how I got Mr. Richards off the ventilator so he could go tend his 6,000 acre ranch, or how I once treated Roy Rogers. Or even how Mr. Killian made me laugh when he cussed at me objecting to my care. But then it dawned on me that my experience and education in human care will always be there waiting for me, to draw from it the human touch.
A while back it I was curious to see how many RT's were out there that were DVM's as well. So I did a quick google and was not surprised to only find but a handful. The one I found in CA was a gal that worked at a small animal clinic as well as a human hospital in Sacramento. I thought what is she thinking? Why doesn't she focus on her veterinarian career? Why would she want to return to Respiratory care? It now makes sense to me because I feel a great degree of alliance to not only respiratory care but human medicine.
The advantage I possess will some day allow me the privelage to not only work with animals but with humans alike. Until then I must be satisfied with my current understanding and keep chugging along. And of course it was perfect timing that Dr. Reich gave us a pep talk on not judging ourselves too much. He mentioned how he and three other professors form the admissions committee. So if we ever doubted about being veterinarians to remember that by the mere fact that we are sitting in class means he believes that we can! So I will never forget my respiratory roots, someday we will integrate.
One dedicated Respiratory Therapist
