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Bill Croushore, DVM
July 25, 2009:
This blog installment is directed at any young persons considering veterinary medicine as a career. I'll give a little background about why I decided on veterinary medicine as my chosen vocation. Then, I'll give some advice on making the difficult decision to spend yet another 4 years getting an education.

When I was a teenager, I worked part time on my uncle's beef farm. I didn't have much contact with the cattle, but I helped feed, clean pens, make hay and other chores. My father had gone to college and earned a masters degree in ruminant nutrition, but unfortunately was unable to find employment locally in his chosen field that would pay enough to support his family. He made the difficult decision to move home to western Pennsylvania and took a job in a factory. I knew he loved agriculture but I didn't know exactly why. I enjoyed driving the tractors and feeding the cattle, but some of the work was hard and miserable. I considered at the time to get a degree in an agriculture related field, but I knew that it would be tough to make a living in my home town.

Eventually, I decided to go to pharmacy school so I would have the security of a good paying job. Since I grew up in western Pennsylvania at the time the steel industry was declining, job security was my major priority. Veterinary school was never in my mind. Even a medical degree seemed like too much school.

Ben Franklin, in his address to the Continental Convention in 1787, said, "It is therefore that the older I grow, the more apt I am to doubt my own judgment, and to pay more respect to the judgment of others." How true. In other words, when we are young, we think we know everything, but with age comes wisdom. I was sure I wanted job security; absolutely, positively sure.

That is, until, I spent my first 2 weeks as an intern in a pharmacy on the south side of Pittsburgh. I remember the night I decided to pursue veterinary medicine as a career. I had just worked a 5 hour shift in the pharmacy after classes were over and I was in my dorm room eating a can of pork and beans. I thought, "I can't do this job for the rest of my life. I'll go nuts." I don't know if you know anyone that works retail pharmacy, but it can be quite a stressful job. Fortunately for me, one of our biology professors had earned his veterinary degree, yet decided to work in academia doing research and teaching. I was in his office the next day asking him how I could go to veterinary school. He put me in touch with a local practitioner who allowed me to spend Tuesdays with him in the office. He couldn't pay me and I wasn't much help to him anyways, but I gained some valuable experience.

During the application process, I met with an advisor whom I asked to give me a letter of recommendation as part of the application process. He asked me what I would do if I didn't get accepted into school. I told him that I was going to be accepted and I dind't have to have a contingency plan. He insisted that I have a back up plan since veterinary school admission is extremely competitive. I got the impression that he didn't believe I could get in. He wasn't the only one; many of my friends and acquaintences, and even some of my family, didn't believe I could do it. It made my resolve even stronger.

There were a lot of people at the time who told me that I was crazy for wanting to be a veterinarian. I knew I would eventually be crazy if I stayed in pharmacy, so I went at it full bore. I eventually earned my pharmacy degree and decided to leave home for Blacksburg, Virginia, to apply to the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. That's when I grew up.

I still didn't know why I wanted to be a veterinarian, but I wanted it more than anything else in the world. I would have sacrificed everything just to be accepted into school. I worked as many hours as I could in a pharmacy to save up for school. I spent my day off during the week riding with a local large animal veterinarian to gain more experience. I took the entrance exams twice to make sure my score was high enough. I even bought a new suit for the interview with the admissions committee. This was a big deal for me since I had never really worn a suit since I was about 7.

And since I had been told over and over how difficult veterinary school is, I was prepared for the work. Lots of work. 80 hour weeks sometimes. But I was fascinated with clinical medicine and I knew I would remain focused.

I wanted it really bad. Finally, I got the letter in the mail with the admissions committee's decision. I opened it with hesitation and removed the letter. I unfolded it and thought, "What if they don't want me? What if I'm not smart enough? What will I do?" And I read it. "Dear William, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the class of 1997." I wanted to cry for joy. What a relief. I was going to veterinary school! I was going to veterinary school!

The next four years were a lot of work, but I always remembered the elation I felt that evening when I read the letter. I was driven by it. All the sacrifice payed off and I earned my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine on May 9, 1997. But, why did I want to graduate from veterinary school? Was it to prove to the naysayers that I could do it? Was it to escape from pharmacy? Was it because I liked helping my uncle on his farm? I still didn't really know. I did know that veterinarians don't earn as much money as other professions with similar schooling. That was repeatedly stressed to me by those that were discouraging me from choosing this profession. Even pharmacist's starting salaries were higher than that of veterinarians and generally still are. I still didn't know why.

But now I do. I love my profession, but it wasn't love at first sight. I struggled my first few years out of school, not really understanding my role. Now I know that my role is that of a servant. I serve my clients and their livestock. I serve them during the day and sometimes in the middle of the night. I help keep their livelyhood, their livestock, healthy. And I fix them when they aren't, if I can. If I can't fix them, their suffering ends.

I am challenged every day. My challenges include difficult medical cases, difficult surgical cases, difficult herd problems and learning new technical skills among others. I have developed strong relationships with my clients and they depend on me for wise counsel. Every day brings something different and I have to use my problem solving skills that I was taught in school to bring every challenge to its conclusion.

If you are considering veterinary medicine as a career, ask yourself why. Why do you want to be a veterinarian? Is it because you like animals? If so, you can get some pets or start a farm. You don't have to go to veterinary school. If it is because you want to serve while being challenged and work with animals, then prepare for the challenge.



July 3, 2009:
I do a lot of driving being a large animal veterinarian. I log about 35,000 miles a year in my truck. From an economic standpoint, it is dead time, I can't bill for time traveling. We charge a modest call fee, but it's just about enough money to pay for the vehicle and expenses. From a production standpoint, it can be very useful time. It gives me time to think. I get to think a lot during the year since I spend about 40,000 minutes a year driving. That's about 666 hours, or about 27 days.

I listen to news radio a lot. Sometimes it's sports talk; sometimes it's political. I especially like the Dennis Miller Show. Most people either love him or hate him. I think he is hilarious and never dogmatic. Talk radio gives me the opportunity to ponder the events of the day. But, you should take everything you hear on the radio with a grain of salt. A wise hippie classmate of mine once told me, "Believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see." Sound advice.

Sometimes I worry since I drive so many miles that I am at risk of being killed in a motor vehicle accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2007, the most recent year for which statistics are available, there were 30,401 drivers or occupants of vehicles killed in motor vehicle accidents. That's a lot of people. Recently, an Air France jet crashed over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 228 people on board. It was talked about a lot on the radio. Air travel scares me. I don't really like to fly. But I have heard a hundred times, sometimes even on talk radio, that you're more likely to be killed driving to the airport than you are in a plane crash.

Since I don't believe anything I hear and only half of what I see anymore, I decided to investigate this for myself to see if it's really true. According the National Transportation Safety Board there were 3,026 passenger fatalities as a result of commercial plane crashes since 1983. Remember, in 2007, there were 30,401 drivers and passengers of motor vehicles killed on our nation's highways. In the the last 25 years of commercial air travel, that's only 25% of the total fatalities in one year of vehicle accidents. So far, so good.

I still didn't really believe it's safer to fly than to drive yet. So, I decided to look a little deeper. If you break it down by miles traveled, something interesting comes to light. In 2007, there were 1.03 fatalities per 100 million miles traveled by motor vehicle in the United States. But, since 1983, there were 1.88 fatalities per 100 million miles traveled by commercial airline. That's almost twice the risk of dying in a place crash than driving. When you factor in that alcohol impaired drivers account for almost 1/3 of fatalities, things look even better for me since I don't drink and drive. Taking this even a step further, There 1.29 fatalities per 100,000 commercial airline departures since 1983. If you assume that the average motor vehicle trip is 25 miles, there were only .025 fatalities per 100,000 motor vehicle trips (departures) in 2007. On any given trip, airline passengers are over 50 times more likely to die in a crash than in a motor vehicle accident. Or, auto travel is 50 times safer than flying. That makes me feel better. I hope it makes you feel better too, unless you fly a lot. Remember, you should believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see.

But you won't see me making any farm calls in a plane.



June 24, 2009:
Sometimes we lose sight of the big picture. I think it's part of human nature. As a large animal veterinarian, I need to constantly remind myself to stay focused on the big picture, and not become fixated on the minutia. By big picture, I mean long term goals. So, I have to ask myself, "What are my long term goals?" Well, I decided to go to veterinary school so I can practice medicine, contribute to society by serving livestock producers and earn a living that will support my family. I made the decision knowing full well that I wouldn't make as much money as other professions and I would sometimes work long hours.

Unfortunately, in this current economic environment, it can be difficult to remember the big picture. That is especially the case in the dairy economy. I have been told by several farmers that it has never been worse in 50 years of farming. And I tend to believe them. Farmers are losing about 6 cents per pound of milk produced. Many are facing the reality of going out of business. I am facing the reality of losing clients.

If I allow myself to dwell on the negative of the moment, it can be downright depressing. I went to veterinary school to practice medicine. I still do that every day. In fact, as I get older and more experienced, the practice of medicine becomes much more fun. I never know what I am going to see on any given day. Maybe I'll do an emergency cesarean section on a cow carrying an extremely valuable calf; maybe I'll fix a broken leg on a calf. Who knows, but I am practicing medicine and I will continue to, God willing, as long as I can.

I went to veterinary school to serve livestock producers. Yes, I do that by practicing medicine, but I also do that by helping the livestock portion of the farm to run more efficiently. For example, frequently I develop a strategy with a producer to improve the rate at which his cows become pregnant. Or, sometimes I'll work with a producer to make his cows more comfortable so they can make more milk. Or maybe I'll troubleshoot a feed problem if the cow's aren't making the milk that they should. I believe that the veterinarian can make a huge impact on the profitability of a farm in this respect. So, in this case, I am contributing to society by serving livestock producers.

Finally, I went to veterinary school to be able to earn a living to support my family. Please bear with me while I get a little philosophical. Some veterinarians make a lot of money and they should because they work hard and provide a valuable service to society. Some make a living, but that's about it. I have always believed that if a person cares about his work and takes pride in doing a good job, success will follow. Success will not precede, it will follow. Sometimes slowly, very slowly even. I made the decision to work in this field because I have always been fascinated with farming. Farmers feed the world and that is a noble task. I am fortunate to be able to provide for my family by serving livestock producers.

So, are you thinking of becoming a large animal veterinarian? If you are, evaluate your long term goals.



June 8, 2009:
I've been asked to write a blog. Funny, I wasn't even sure what a blog was a few months ago, but people tell me I have to get out of my comfort zone and try something new. So if you are reading this "blog", rest assured that I'm not in my comfort zone.

I am a veterinarian. Specifically, I am a private practice veterinarian, as opposed to a professor, or a veterinarian working for a corporation in research or a veterinarian working for the State or Federal government. That's one of the many beautiful things about the profession of veterinary medicine; opportunity. Not all veterinarians spay dogs and give shots.

More specifically, I work primarily on cows. Occasionally I am asked to look at a sheep, goat or a llama, but cows are my bread and butter. I enjoy working on cows. The days can be long and the work can be hard, but I can't imagine myself in any other line of work. It's almost like it's not work sometimes.

Don't get me wrong, there are challenges. Since animals don't get sick only between the hours of 8 am to 5 pm, we get called out at some pretty late hours of the night to doctor a sick cow. Sometimes it's to deliver a calf, sometimes to fix an injury and sometimes just to treat a really sick cow. But I don't get to do the fun stuff during business hours unless I am available to fix the broken cows beyond business hours.

I do fix broken cows (when they can be fixed), but I do a lot more with the farmer to try to prevent cows from getting sick. We set up vaccination programs tailored to each farm to prevent infectious diseases. We prevent parasites by preventing exposure to the parasites and treating the animals that may be infected. We monitor for diseases on farms through specific testing. As the saying goes, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

But probably the thing I enjoy the most about being a large animal veterinarian in private practice is the relationships that I have with my clients. I am in business, yes, but my purpose in being a veterinarian is to serve my clients. If they are successful, I am successful.

Occasionally, I am presented with a problem that I haven't seen before. Having no experience with the new problem, it is still my job to work through the problem and find a solution. This can take many forms: herd problems, milk quality problems or even a difficult case in an individual cow.

For example, last week a farmer called me about a cow that was sick and he wanted me to examine her. It was one of the farmer's best cows. During the examination, I didn't find specifically what was wrong with her, but I knew she needed surgery to make the diagnosis. So, after making her side numb, we opened her abdomen on her right side with her standing to take a look. What we found amazed me. She was not able to pass feed through her small intestine and all the feed that she had eaten was blocked up behind the obstruction, kind of like a plugged up drain. So, after sending the farmer back out to my truck for some more supplies, I cut into the intestine and removed a ... tooth!

This cow had swallowed a baby tooth and it lodged in her intestine plugging up her drain. We sutured the intestine closed, cleaned everything up with sterile fluids and closed her abdomen. After several days of antibiotic treatment, the cow is back to normal, eating everything she can find. I tried something new and solved the problem. Maybe they are right about leaving my comfort zone. Just like I'm doing with this blog.