Top 13 Uncommon Veterinary Stories from 2013

Happy New Year, everyone!

I thought it would be fun to do a quick round-up of the most popular stories I shared over social media in 2013. It was so inspiring to browse back through all the photos, articles, videos, blog posts, and job advertisements from the last twelve months.

So without further adieu, here they are, in descending order from least to most popular.

#13

Great news! I passed the ACVPM specialty board exam! Read this new post on the blog for all the information you need about studying for and passing the exam yourself.

#12

One perk of being a veterinarian in the Army: watching an active volcano erupt out your kitchen window! This is happening right now here in Sicily. [And has happened many times since over the course of the last year!]

#11

It’s finally here! I’m excited to announce the launch of The Uncommon Veterinarian Podcast. Listen to my interview with wildlife veterinarian and infectious disease researcher Dr. Jonathan Epstein, and keep an eye out for regular bi-weekly episodes!

#10

Are you looking for wildlife veterinary training in South Africa that won’t break the bank? Read all about my vet student internship in Kruger National Park in this new post on the blog! I spent a few hundred dollars total for two of the most exciting weeks of my life.

#9

This new article from U.S. News & World Report discusses several federal and state loan repayment programs for veterinarians!

#8

Great story from National Geographic about wildlife surgeon Romain Pizzi’s groundbreaking work in Laos! After you read the article, check out his personal website here.

#7

One of the bomb-sniffing military dogs under my care was killed during combat operations in Afghanistan last year. I’ve been waiting for the right time to share his story, and that time has finally arrived.

Check out this new post on the blog to learn the back story on my recently published New York Times article about Dinomt’s death.

#6

I’ll be writing about my awesome experiences on three RAVS trips sometime soon, but you should all check them out now to start planning! This was on the Zuni reservation in New Mexico.

#5

Why is it that I love giant anteaters so much? Learn how you can become an anteater anesthesia expert at the National Zoo here.

#4

Ahh, this is totally my dream job! Unfortunately I’m not quite there with the minimum qualifications… yet. Any of you able to move to Rwanda in December to start working as a veterinarian with the Gorilla Doctors? $5000/month + room/board, vehicle, & benefits: not bad!

The actual job listing for this is now expired, and Dr. Jan Ramer has returned as the Regional Veterinary Manager after previously holding the position from 2009 – 2011.

Check out my interview with director Mike Cranfield here.

#3

Did you know that Veterinarians Without Borders (both U.S. and Canadian versions) accept volunteer veterinarians and students to assist with their life-changing work all over the world?

Read about Cornell student Chelsea Anderson’s experience in Liberia in this post on the blog.

#2

Here’s a highlight from my Army career so far. This was one of the dogs I took care of during my assignment in Egypt. She was hit by a car and suffered a brachial plexus avulsion injury, which resulted in the amputation. It was my first solo amputation, but she did great and became a very happy tripod!

And coming it at #1:

Check out this figure from a new essay in the New England Journal of Medicine titled, “Are We in a Medical Education Bubble Market?”

As you can see, our profession doesn’t look so good.

Don’t let this get you too depressed, though: the job market for us uncommon veterinarians is a whole lot better!

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So there it is! The top 13 stories I shared in 2013.

Now that Facebook is seriously restricting the number of “fans” who actually see each story, I’ve been considering doing a weekly wrap-up of my daily posts here on the blog.

Is that something you would be interested in?

Any other suggestions on better ways to spread the word?