Alumni News JUNE 2007
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Alumni News JUNE 2007 Angellic A Brief INSIDE Update Getting the Most Out of Connections from Your Your Skin Biopsies P3 From the Desk of Carter Luke, CEO Angell New Technology When I was working at a small From the Desk of Dana Ramish, at Angell P4 animal shelter in Wisconsin in President, Angell Network the early 1980s, like most What a year! As Alumni, I know Angell Alumni Center P10 people seriously interested in you’re always interested in animals, I had certainly heard of Pathology Department hearing Angell news, and this the world-renowned “Angell year the news is especially good. Update P11 Memorial.” But I was more I’d like to share a few updates familiar then with the world of with you that I believe you’ll human medicine. My six year- find of interest. old son Caleb had some visual issues involving signal The teaching aspect of our role Carter Luke with his transmission in the optic nerve, and mission at Angell has long adopted cat, Lunar. and an ophthalmologist at the been a mark of distinction for University of Wisconsin told me he’d need a special test involving us. Our performance in this some equipment that was only available in two or three places in dimension of our work the entire country. We traveled to Columbia Medical School in continues to be strong. This New York City for the test, but at the time I didn’t realize that very year’s match results for our soon I’d be learning a lot more about that very same equipment Angell internship program were Dana Ramish with a Beagle puppy that could also be found at a certain hospital in Boston. P4 again outstanding. We received from our Boston ACAC. 115 applications from veterinary candidates emerged from our students around the country — current intern class, creating a more than eight applicants for smooth transition and finds you. Some of our recent Director’s each available position. Five of uninterrupted flow of talents and not so recent graduates our incoming 14 interns will and resources. Obviously our Message have a tendency to move and come from Tufts, illustrating our past choices have proven to be neglect to give us their new Welcome to this year’s continued strong relationship the best ones for both Angell addresses. Forwarding newsletter. I hope that you find with that school. And 12 of and animals. instructions at the Post Office it interesting and informative. the 14 interns served usually expire This represents externships at Angell (we host One more thing: I’m sure many after six months, our 16th more than 100 veterinary of you observed Angell’s and each time we newsletter, and externs each year), participation in the reaction to send out a mailing, we’re determined demonstrating the value of the recent series of pet food a few come back that it will not be that first Angell experience for recalls. Concerned pet owners to us marked our last. The so many. as well as local and national undeliverable. In wheels are in media sought out Angell order to keep Angell residency positions are place for it to Richard Roberts, DVM ‘59 expertise. Angell veterinarians you up to date on news here at also similarly filled with continue, even as the were in touch with colleagues Angell and in touch with your exceptional candidates. current director approaches across the country, sharing friends and classmates, it is Incoming Internal Medicine and the mandatory retirement age. information to pass along to important that we P10 Emergency/Critical Care I also hope that this newsletter everyone who inquired. P5 home to heckle his fellow resident Dr. Nathan Peterson for The Angell “slacking off.” Getting the Internship: Yet amidst the pandemonium of our busy emergency load and the Most Out of general shock of the Angell internship, the cornerstones of Angell A Perspective have stood strongly in support of our class. You can still wander Your Skin into Brum’s office for advice, a calming word or chocolate. “Mama from the Hole D” (Dr. Sharon Drellich) still hums in and out of the Hole like our Biopsies Megan S. Schneck, DVM queen bee, quelling any rising mutinies and generally spreading Kathy Tater, DVM, DACVD (Dermatology) encouragement in her wake. And until this winter, when he retired, In the not terribly recent past an email from Dr. Ann Marie The histopathologic examination of the skin can be extremely there was still Dr. Neil Harpster, who I distinctly remember running Manning hit the intern listserv asking for a volunteer to describe the useful in the diagnostic work-up of certain dermatologic cases. The into around 11 p.m. one night while searching for a good anti- intern perspective. As the closet budding writer I have always been, following are some key tips on getting the most information out of arrhythmic plan for my first dog with VPCs. The Angell staff and the it did not take me long to respond. Since then several drafts have this important diagnostic test. Angell residents have been there for us when we’ve struggled. crossed my Angell tablet computer; I find myself struggling to find a They’ve also pushed us when we needed it — to achieve the Select the appropriate cases for skin biopsy. Prior to the perspective that will summarize this all-consuming experience — better standard of medical care. If we are skin biopsy, the clinician will have a list of differential diagnoses to one year of my life spent struggling, good doctors, it will be in large part rule in or rule out. Skin biopsies are in general the most helpful in weeping, smiling, laughing, and above all because of them. diagnosing neoplastic, autoimmune, endocrine and infectious living, deep in the recesses of the Angell diseases of the skin. Skin biopsies typically yield only limited Animal Medical Center. The other part will come from the Hole. information in cases of allergic skin disease. The Hole, our intern office, was so Our internship began as they usually do, dubbed by some of our unknown Prepare your patient and its skin for biopsy. Any treatment in June. Fourteen new veterinarians from predecessors, and despite an early that impacts inflammation and hair growth, such as glucocorticoids, eight schools in the United States and the attempt to rename it, the Hole it has should be discontinued prior to biopsy. It is best to biopsy prior to Caribbean gathered for orientation remained. It still stands snuggled in the administration of medications such as glucocorticoids. If the around a conference table in room 3C, between the women’s bathroom and the patient has already been treated with such therapy, it should be completely wowed by the idea that the Kathy Tater, DVM, DACVD elevator, indeed the metaphorical center stopped for at least two to three weeks before biopsy for optimal names on their business cards started of the cyclone. We use it for everything results. Any pyodermas should be treated with antibiotics prior to wrong with skin. Across the country, there are several veterinary with “Dr.” After a week of orientation, from simple phone calls to much-needed biopsy if an underlying skin disorder is suspected. This prevents the institutions where cases submitted for skin biopsy are reviewed we were so oriented we were going stir- Megan Schneck, DVM ‘07 and survivor of the Angell internship “Hole.” venting sessions to quick-and-dirty second inflammatory infiltrate associated with the bacterial skin infection jointly by dermatologists and pathologists. By thoroughly evaluating crazy. We were hungry for our first opinions. In it we have our own library from altering the cellular pattern of the skin biopsy. the clinical and histopathologic details of a case, these blocked cats, hemoabdomen Golden Retrievers and dyspneic Toy and our own kitchen. We’ve assembled a bedroom in the corner dermatopathology services offer a comprehensive approach to the Poodles. Then finally the day came. It was a Tuesday night and Dr. closet from a donated sleeping bag, pillow and blanket. We’ve even Biopsy the primary skin lesions. Primary lesions result from evaluation of skin biopsies. Angel Tapia (Class of ‘06) handed me her pager. “It’s yours now,” acquired a few accidental pets of the avian and aquarium type; the underlying fundamental pathological process of skin diseases she said with a smile. In 2006, the Angell Pathology and Dermatology Services were however, the Hole’s resident mouse took up residence on his own. and are therefore most diagnostic. Examples of primary lesions pleased to welcome Melanie Buote, DVM, DACVP, as the Camaraderie this year is strong, and as a whole, our class has include papules, nodules, tumors, plaques, macules, patches, It was all ours — the entire hospital: the crazy clients, the Anatomic Pathologist at Angell–Boston. Dr. Buote has become a functioning unit with defined parts. We have found pustules, vesicles, bulla or wheal. The biopsy of ulcerated lesions is paperwork, the patients, and, above all, “The List.” The internship specialized training in the field of dermatopathology. With the among ourselves six developing surgeons, five criticalists, one generally unrewarding. captures you like a cyclone — twisting, turning you around, and addition of Dr. Buote to our staff, all skin biopsies obtained at internist, one ophthalmologist and one wildlife/exotic vet. Together spitting you out into pandemonium. Give the pathologist lots of information. A thorough Angell are now processed and read in-house. Many specialized we have conquered the overnights, celebrated the Hump day and description of the history and clinical lesions will go a long way in The force of that cyclone is always the demand of the Emergency stains for the evaluation of dermatologic conditions can also be survived the Match.