Special Guest: Dr. Alexa Veterinary Intern

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Special Guest: Dr. Alexa Veterinary Intern"

Eugenia Butler
5 years ago
Views:

Alexa: Hi Dr. Alexa so very excited to meet you, every staff member at WCV brings something special into our lives and to the patients.

1 Special Guest: Dr. Alexa Veterinary Intern Monday June 19, 2017 Amanda Nicholson, WCV: Hi, all! Thanks so much for joining us this afternoon. Please give a big welcome to Dr. Alexa! Dr. Alexa: Hello Everyone! Comment From BarbG Welcome Dr Alexa--great to have you here Welcome, Dr. Alexa! Comment From Izzy/Carrie Hold Please for Dr. Alexa: Hi Dr. Alexa so very excited to meet you, every staff member at WCV brings something special into our lives and to the patients. I was wondering what aspect of your job might be new or different for you than what you did in the past? Welcome to the Critter Nation :)

2 Dr. Alexa: Hi Izzy/Carrie! I am very excited to be working here at this clinic with the other amazing doctors and staff. Being a new graduate of veterinary school, I hope to really solidify my clinical skills as a doctor and really expand my surgical experience especially in orthopedic surgery. The rehabilitation aspect of the clinic is something that I understand and have volunteered a lot of time doing in the past at other rehab centers. Taking on the medical responsibilities of the patients is the aspect of the job that is new to me, but I am eager to complete. Comment From TerryMI Welcome aboard, Dr. Alexa Comment From Jackie in VA Welcome Dr. Alexa! Comment From julia phx az Dr Alexa welcome Comment From Sharon in Fl Hello Dr. Alexa. We are excited to meet you. Comment From David in VA Hello Dr. Alexa, welcome to the madness ***** For Dr. Alexa--Plan to be here at 1:30, but if I get hung up in pond installation work, I want to welcome Dr. Alexa. 3 questions for her: When is your birthday? 2. What is your favorite critter? and 3. What is your shoe size (don't ask, just answer..lol). Thank You! Dr. Alexa: Hi Lydia, My birthday is October 10th, my favorite critter is the elephant and my shoe size is Thanks! Amanda Nicholson, WCV: Ooh, the elephant! Comment From "guest" Question for Dr. Alexa. Have you had the chance to meet Randy? Is he your favorite colleague, or merely the wisest person you have ever met? Dr. Alexa: Yes! I did get the chance to meet Randy, and he is indeed one of the wisest people I have ever met. Lol Comment From Dancelady Hi Dr. A!exa! Comment From Cathy Welcome Dr. Alexa! What other rehab centers have you volunteered at?

3 Dr. Alexa: Growing up I always had an interest in life science/biology and the environment. I did not decide to apply for veterinary school until after freshman year of college. I started volunteering for the Chintimini Wildlife Rehabilitation center in Corvallis, Oregon for three years while finishing undergraduate school. It was really this experience which sparked my interest in pursuing wildlife veterinary medicine. I also worked at the Tufts Wildlife Clinic during veterinary school. Comment From Dancelady Ha ha "guest" we know who you ade Comment From julia phx az have any pets at home? Dr. Alexa: Not currently, because I have not lived anywhere permanently yet, but I plan to! Comment From Sharon in Fl If past years are any indication your orthodox background should come in very handy and you will be able to hone your skills. have you met buddy Dr. Alexa: I have seen him in the enclosure, but I have not met him in person yet. Comment From Hummingbird Welcome Dr. Alexa! What is your favorite kind of cookie? Dr. Alexa: I was in girl scouts for many years so my favorite cookies are the Samoa cookies. Amanda Nicholson, WCV: Oddly enough, this was a question at rounds today (new question for when new students/volunteers start). Comment From Susan from NJ Dr Alexa, can you tell us a little about your background? Where are you from? Dr. Alexa: I was born and raised in Vancouver, Washington which is just north of Portland, Oregon across the Columbia River. I completed my undergraduate degree at Oregon State University in 2013 with a B.S. in Zoology. That summer I moved across the United States to attend veterinary school at Tufts University starting the summer of I just recently graduated this past May and have started the internship here at the Wildlife Center of Virginia a couple weeks ago. Comment From julia phx az say hi to Buddy for me i miss him Comment From Dancelady Hope you are liking bearcubs, as they are also mainstay of your daily! Comment From Lydia Oh wonderful! Thank you for answering. Elephant Ha? I don't believe you will be treating any of those at WCV. LOL. We are in the midst of a major storm where I am living and our Internet and TV satellite went down. But I switched cell phone to Verizon and at least that is working. Dr. Alexa, and I correct in

4 understanding that your internship is six months versus one year? I was thinking they were usually for one year? Is there a special reason? Dr. Alexa: This year we are having the traditional one year intern and in addition the clinic added a shorter term internship as well to help the staff with case load. Will we see you on Hospital Cam next week? Dr. Alexa: Yes! Welcome to the chat Dr Alexa. Have you had the opportunity to see the cubbie? Dr. Alexa: Yes, I have seen the cubbie! They are very cute! Comment From Hummingbird Do you think you will stay in the east when you finish your internship at WCV? Dr. Alexa: Yes, my fiancee lives in Maine currently and I plan to move back there with him after I finish the internship. Comment From Cathy Hoping you have been introduced to our cubbies! They sure hold a special place for us! Comment From Lydia That is wonderful Dr. Alexa. I am sure WCV is very happy to have you. I think extra hands are always appreciated and welcomed Comment From Lois Welcome Dr. Alexa, I am sure you will have your hands full with every critter imaginable during your stay at WCV. Have your fellow staff members been trying to give you commands as if you are an Amazon Alexa? They are a mischievous bunch. Dr. Alexa: Not yet! Amanda Nicholson, WCV: Oooh. This sounds like a WONDERFUL idea. Comment From Susan from NJ Is that a turtle as your profile pic? Any special one? Any reason why? Dr. Alexa: I really enjoy working and rehabbing turtles which is why I picked it! The profile pic is of a box turtle. Amanda Nicholson, WCV: He is the most handsome turtle I've ever seen.

Amanda Nicholson, WCV Amanda Nicholson, WCV: (don't tell Wilson) I'm so sorry I gave AA an idea, Dr. Alexa. LOL Comment From Sharon in Fl Poor Dr. Alexa. They will show no mercy.

5 Amanda Nicholson, WCV Amanda Nicholson, WCV: (don't tell Wilson) I'm so sorry I gave AA an idea, Dr. Alexa. LOL Comment From Sharon in Fl Poor Dr. Alexa. They will show no mercy. Comment From Jackie in VA Love that face! Who is this handsome box turtle? Amanda Nicholson, WCV: He was a patient in 2013 (released in 2014). Comment From Linda fm Suffolk, VA Welcome, Dr. Alexa! I am sure the staff is very happy to have some extra help during this busy season!! Comment From ʕ ᴥ ʔ dancelady ʕ ᴥ ʔ I am using my Kindle (storm here) and it doesn't like some of the words I am typing. I meant that Bearcubs are pretty much a mainstay of your daily activities, do you have any history with black bears, or their habits? Like if you have to patch one up, treat mange, and so on?

6 Dr. Alexa: I had the opportunity to triage a few bear cubs at Tufts over the years but we did not have the facilities to keep and rehab them full time. So I am excited to learn and witness the process of rehabilitation for these bear cubs. I love turtles also Dr Alexa. We just opened a new turtle hospital her in Charleston SC. They are magnificent Dr. Alexa: That sounds awesome! What have you done at the Center so far? What animals have you worked with? Dr. Alexa: Since working here at the clinic, I have mainly been getting oriented to the clinic and staff, but I have participated in patient care of various turtles and birds of prey such as bald eagles, red tailed hawks, and a red shouldered hawk. Amanda Nicholson, WCV: Today is her "outreach day", so obviously the best day so far. Though I didn't make cookies as I didn't realize it was National Oreo Day... Comment From Linda fm Suffolk, VA Ooo - I know we "never" name the patients but that box turtle was often referred to as Tom Cruise! Comment From Sharon in Fl Dr. Alexa what would you say was the most challenging surgery you have performed? Dr. Alexa: I have assisted with some challenging orthopedic surgeries like total hip replacement surgeries in dogs. Those can be long procedures (around 7 hours) in the operating room, which is very tough. Comment From Susan from NJ Any particular animal you are looking forward to working on? Dr. Alexa: I really want to work with a Golden Eagle, as I have never gotten the chance to rehab one before. Do you plan to continue working with wildlife during your career? Dr. Alexa: Yes! My dream job is to be a state or federal wildlife veterinarian and work with wildlife in a population management setting along with research. Comment From julia phx az when you go back to Maine will you have a job waiting for you? Dr. Alexa: At this time no, but hopefully closer to when my internship ends I will have a job lined up! will you be here for the gala in the fall?

7 Dr. Alexa: Yes, I will be here for the gala and I am excited to attend. Comment From Lydia Love your box turtle avatar Dr. Alexa. Since moving to Virginia, I have had the pleasure of helping three box turtles cross the road in the direction in which they were heading, of course. They seem to be plentiful here. One of them looked very very young and tiny, probably this year's baby. Do you know the approximate hatch time of box turtles in VA? Dr. Alexa: Usually in the late summer Comment From Lydia Shame on Amanda. Dr. Alexa had I been there today, I would have brought you cookies for outreach day Since you like Eagles- hopefully you may be able to attend an upcoming release -which I have been told is very exciting. Dr. Alexa: yes I hope to attend! it is always rewarding to see the releases of our patients especially the eagles Amanda Nicholson, WCV: Ooh, I have a question -- what's your favorite animal you've ever worked with? Dr. Alexa: My favorite animal which I have ever worked with were the Galapagos Tortoises at the San Diego Zoo this spring! They were amazing Comment From Lydia Well then, I suppose the small box turtle we helped across the road must've been last year's hatch. Thanks for the answer Dr. Alexa. I guess this year's newly hatched box turtles will be very teeny tiny. I don't imagine I would even see one on the road Dr. Alexa: Yes, they are usually very small when newly hatched. Comment From Linda fm Suffolk, VA Lydia, I had box turtles hatch in my yard one summer. Their shell was about 2 ½ inches long. Cute little guys/gals. Comment From Susan from NJ How hard is it to remember the physiology of all the different animals you work on? Are you constantly researching or can you rely on your colleagues? Dr. Alexa: It can be very difficult to remember at times, but with repetition and good book/online resources, remembering gets easier with time. and as you mentioned colleagues are sometimes the best references! Comment From julia phx az wow they are big turtles awesome

8 Comment From Lydia Galapagos turtles must be awesome to work with. They are so large and magnificent Comment From ʕ ᴥ ʔ dancelady ʕ ᴥ ʔ Have you seen Ed Clark, who has been away for a lot of the time you have been there -- he is always doing a safari or lecturing somewhere. Would you like to teach others to take care of wildlife and keep our animals, like eagles for example, safe from hunters? That is a very important part of the Education approach that WCV has. Dr. Alexa: Yes! I finally got to meet Ed today. I really enjoy educating others about wildlife issues. In the past I worked for the Maine Audubon Society, giving lectures to lake associations about the common loon and lead poisoning from fishing tackle. Comment From Sharon in Fl What was the average weight of those tortoises you worked on in San Diego? They are huge aren't they? Dr. Alexa: Males can weigh more than 500 pounds (227 kilograms) and females average about 250 pounds (113 kilograms)! They were huge! Comment From Seahawk Nadine-U.P.,WA Welcome Dr Alexa - I am from the Tacoma area in Washington so I know right where you are from when you mention Vancouver. YEAH!!! for the west coast but you are in a wonderful place to learn at WCV they are the best. Dr. Alexa: I do miss the Pacific Northwest at times, but I am grateful to be here at this wonderful clinic! Very cool Linda. I would love to see new hatches. Amanda Nicholson, WCV Baby Eastern Box Turtle oh, we definitely hear more about lead ammunition (more than tackle). Was that a big issue?

9 Dr. Alexa: For the common loons in Maine, mortality from lead fishing tackle was almost 30%. Awww! How cute. Not much bigger than a quarter Comment From stephen in NC Welcome, Dr Alexa, as you know you are among the best of the best wildlife people anywhere. I loved visiting the Center and meeting many of them. Welcome aboard! Amanda Nicholson, WCV: Okay gang, I think we are just about wrapping things up -- at the end of the Dr. Alexa questions! Any final ones? Must have been so amazing to work on that large turtle and to be up close. We have mostly loggerhead and Kemps Ridley where I live. :) Dr. Alexa: Those sea turtles can be even bigger than the Galapagos! What is your favorite food Dr. Alexa? Dr. Alexa: Hm, that is a tough question. I really enjoy eating good seafood like pacific salmon that was sustainable harvested. and fav dessert? Dr. Alexa: any chocolate!! Comment From Linda fm Suffolk, VA Oh, darn. Sorry, Lydia - I mixed up my box turtle photos. Newly hatched ones were about 1 ¼ inches long. My apologies for any confusion. Comment From stephen in NC Our island gets bout 50 Loggerhead nests a year, and one Leatherback in the last 25. Huge girls! Thank you for visiting with us on the discussion, Dr. Alexa. I'm glad you are part of the staff for now and look forward to seeing you on Hospital Cam. You'll be at WCV for the 35th year celebration. It doesn't seem possible it has been that long, but what a wonderful difference the Center has made and is making for wildlife. Dr. Alexa: I am excited to be here and I am honored to work among such well known veterinarians and at this clinic!

10 Seafood is the best. I agree.sustainable harvest is good. There are folders in VA Beach that list the restaurants serving sustainable seafood Dr. Alexa: That is great! Yes Dr Alexa- wish I lived closed- I just made a batch of brownies with sea salt topping. Dr. Alexa: sounds delicious! I wished you lived closer too! Amanda Nicholson, WCV: Thanks so much for tuning in, everyone! Hospital Cam is next week (Thursday), so you guys can tune in and spy on Dr. Alexa that day... and hopefully many of you will have the chance to meet her int he next six months. We just got the all-call to attend a staff birthday party now, so... cake awaits! Comment From Seahawk Nadine-U.P.,WA Best of luck to you Dr Alexa in the future and we look forward to seeing you in action on the Hospital Cam. Don't forget to waive and smile. :o) Dr. Alexa: Thank you! And I will try not to forget! Thank you for stopping by Dr Alexa :) Comment From David in VA You choose cake over being with us? Hmmph Comment From BarbG thanks for being her Dr Alexa Oh Chocolate! You and AA will get along well. I owe Dr. Peach choc cookies..i will bring you some too next time I am there Dr/ Alexa :D Amanda Nicholson, WCV: Bye, all! Dr. Alexa: Thank you everyone for your questions!

Cam in the Classroom Mrs. Gingerich s First Class Grace Christian School South Market Street, Staunton, VA

Cam in the Classroom Mrs. Gingerich s First Class Grace Christian School South Market Street, Staunton, VA Hi! Our class is excited to talk with you today. Wednesday, May 6, 2015 Hello Mrs. Gingerich's