the Extern and the Biker

It's hard to be an extern. It's this strange moment when a veterinary student is about to leave academia, their home for almost eight years, and step into the practice of medicine. But it's also wonderful. It's a chance to take the theoretical and make it practical.

I remember being an extern in a hospital when the team gave me a chance to see a patient on my own. I walked into the room to find a gruff older biker, leather jacket and all, who was not happy to see me. His cat was sick, and he was tired of explaining her chronic conditions to yet another new face. But when I recognized the signs of cerebellar hypoplasia, his whole demeanor changed. We talked through her case, and then some, turns out he'd built her an incredible catio setup and was very enthusiastic about it.

Externship is valuable. It turns knowledge into experience, and that means everything. -Sam Lewis, DVM