A SERIES OF PERSONAL LETTERS

Welcome to our blog. Are you a student stumbling your way through vet school? For all our fellow vet students and practitioners, this is the most perfect and relatable place. Let’s share all our extraordinary experiences!

Clinical practice is the essence of medical education. Moreover, I have grown up with a tremendous amount of love for animals and have always strived to be around them. I jumped at the chance of receiving clinical exposure during my freshman year of college. It was even more exhilarating since this was happening amidst the lockdown, and I wanted to make the best use of it.

The clinic I intern at is an exotic pet clinic, Pet Health Clinic situated in Maharashtra, Mumbai run by the senior doctor, Dr. Dinesh Vinherkar, with the support of his junior assistant, Dr. Tejashree Missal. Thus, along with the family of canids, they also treat a variety of reptiles and aves.

I was overly enthusiastic during the run-up to my first day at the clinic. I felt like a kid going to school for the first time. However, I was a little intimidated thinking about what task I would be assigned and whether I will be able to fulfill them. For the first few days, the doctors recommended I observe cases, note important things, and ask questions (if any) by the end of the day. “I don’t want to seem ridiculous by asking silly doubts” is something that most of us can relate to, I could too. I assure you that I have asked the silliest of the doubts, but the doctors at the clinic were super helpful. They made sure to answer all my queries and provide additional information on valuable topics.

Many of the cases back then seemed complicated to me and thoughts like, “ahh, how did they know it’s flea allergic dermatitis, all of these skin infections look the same to me!” used to weigh on my mind. It used to make me restless to not know the ‘basics’ (most of the things weren’t quite basic but okay). Although looking at the doctors displaying sheer empathy and enthusiasm towards the animals, I have always gotten reminded of the glorious vision I had of saving lives. It always keeps me motivated. Progressively, I started realizing that this was the place I would gain most of my hands-on experience from and that it would be a slow but sure process.

Attending the clinic consistently aided me in understanding the working of the clinic and the prognosis and treatment of various conditions. In very little time, I got familiar with routine processes like deworming, clipping nails, and taking X-rays to name a few. I felt gratified to see that the doctors could trust me with these basic practices at their clinic.

Saturday used to be my favorite day at the clinic for almost a year as there would be countless patients and 1-2 surgeries lined up for the day. Although now our university conducts lectures on Saturdays as well. Sigh. Despite that, I try to attend the clinic as much as possible because our profession isn’t solely based on mugging up information from the textbooks and trying to concentrate on the lecture through our screens.

Having watched numerous surgeries for the first few months, I was on top of the world when I received a chance of assisting Dr. Vinherkar with an ovariohysterectomy for the very first time. I was shaking like a leaf the whole time (quite literally) but the surgery went well, and I still remember how extraordinary I felt all day.

The utmost learning for me happened in the field of reptiles. Dr. Vinherkar is a reptile specialist and routinely gets a variety of reptile cases. Many of these species require specialized consideration, including the kinds of environments they need to live in, their diet, safety concerns, and compliance with local laws. Dr. Vinherkar is extremely fond of reptiles, and you could deduce that from looking at his clinic as he has a few exotic species there. One of those adorable animals is Spiky, the 7-year-old iguana at his clinic, who is extremely docile and loves to bask in the sun outside the clinic.

Yet another important aspect of this field that clinical experience has taught me is doctor-client interaction. It helps in establishing trust thereby fostering a strong relationship with clients. This strengthens bonds and helps the clients understand the doctor’s treatment options and follow their medication agenda.

It has been almost 2 years now since I am working at this clinic. Apart from all the clinical knowledge I continue to gain at the clinic, I’ve also been fortunate enough to have supportive and hospitable mentors and coworkers in my life. I hope that someday in the future, I will mentor veterinary students in the way that I was mentored here.

Clinical experience is an opportunity to apply knowledge and skills that one acquires during the classroom. I never realized how important experience is in the working world. Managing clinic life and studies taught me the exquisite art of mindfulness, rest, and balance. Do not shy away from the opportunity if you are a vet student and could attend a clinic around your residence. Talk to the doctors and start your clinic journey as soon as possible!

-Aryan Patki (MAGAZINE TEAM, IVSA-INDIA)