Just like with anything, you only become good at surgery through practice. Most of my classmates either find surgery exhilarating and love it, or find it nerve-wracking and approach it warily. As for myself, I’m a combination of the two: I find it fascinating and terrifying, and both eagerly await and dread any surgical opportunities. […]
Roberta Hemmer
Fourth-Year, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University
Roberta is a native Vermonter who grew up hiking local trails, skiing at the “Beast of the East,” and sailing on Lake Champlain. Although discovering a deep love for music and theater in high school, Roberta was inspired to pursue veterinary medicine by her aunt, who worked as a dairy vet for a decade in rural New York before transitioning to become a small animal practice owner and a Morgan Horse breeder.
Roberta graduated magna cum laude in 2014 with B.S. degree in Animal Science from the University of Vermont, after a wonderful 4 years of chairing her substance-free housing program and performing as a member of the university’s band, choir, and Catamount Singers. Currently, Roberta is most interested in small animal and mixed animal practice, although she finds pretty much everything interesting.
Self-Care Despite Work-Life Imbalance
The notion of “work-life balance” as applied to veterinary school always strikes me as horribly ironic. Routine 11-hour days in the hospital and a wildly variable schedule preclude any work-life balance from ever being obtained, and we all kinda knew that when we agreed to go to vet school. What I’ve learned, however, is that […]
Arturo, The One-Eyed Pup
When I first met Arturo, he was a small growling lump hiding under a thick purple blanket. He had come for a second opinion on an infected corneal ulcer of his right eye. Arturo had already seen 2 veterinarians in 3 days, and the owners were told that since the ulcer was deepening quickly, Arturo […]
