World Veterinary Day: Spreading Awareness of Specialty Medicine

"I am fortunate enough to work at a veterinary teaching hospital that is involved in some awesome research, both clinical and benchtop. There is a lot of collaborative research among specialties, which drive the research forward providing new information to the field of veterinary science. Veterinary specialists provide advanced diagnostics and treatments to pets now, that are akin to human medicine, further evolving the way veterinary medicine is seen and practiced."

"With specialty training and clinical experience, we can identify specific knowledge gaps and strive to find answers. Specialists can guide research design to assess and answer these knowledge gaps more accurately."

"Even in the short time that I have worked in specialty medicine since starting my residency in 2019, we have seen multiple different products enter the veterinary market that have broadened treatment options and help increase the quality of life of companion animals. For oncology specifically, by studying companion animals with naturally occurring cancer, we are able to leverage our experience with cancer in dogs and cats to impact human health. Many of these advances that we have seen now, and will see in the future, are a result of specialty veterinary medicine."

"I am privileged to interact with leading researchers at my company, in academia, and in private practice every day. Most of these individuals are specialists studying novel ways to nutritionally manage conditions we couldn’t fathom addressing with food ten or fifteen years ago."

"Specialist veterinarians provide advanced expertise and diagnostics to patients who are suffering from challenging illnesses. Moreover, we are the leading force in veterinary research and scientific publication, which contributes to the practice of evidence-based medicine. Additionally, often veterinary specialists collaborate with human physicians to facilitate global wellbeing."