My Unlikely Patients by Gregory

My Unlikely Patients by Gregory - May 2018 Scholarship Essay

My patients matter to me, and the patients I work with are anything but ordinary. When I prep their veins to help the doctor draw blood, the needle prick goes under the paw. If I measure out general anesthesia, the dosage is much less than for any human. These patients can’t tell me or the doctor their symptoms and have a hard time counting backwards, let alone sitting still. And, after surgery, I usually serve a mix of hard kibble and something sloppy with a raw bone for dessert.

You guessed it! The patients I treat are animals.

At the Huntington Beach Animal Hospital, my mentor Dr. Boutros extends his expertise beyond the realm of dogs, cats, and guinea pigs. I’ve assisted him as he neutered a rabbit, delivered 7 hamsters part of one litter, and even gave a check-up to a parrot.

When most college students intern at a doctor’s office, they get stuck pushing papers and making coffee runs. I’m fortunate that the understaffed veterinary hospital had other plans for me. Of course, I gave flea baths and made copies of amoxicillin prescriptions. But for the most part, Dr. Boutros treated me as a medical assistant and used every diagnosis and procedure as a hands-on teaching opportunity.

My work at the animal hospital combines two facets of medicine that appeal to the future physician in me: a fascination with the inner workings of the body and a desire to translate that knowledge into making people (and pets) feel better.