Elliott Garber's Blog, page 2

Are You Willing to Accept Failure?

What have you failed at recently?

I hope you can answer that question with at least two or three good examples.

No? Nothing comes to mind?

Then you’re not trying hard enough.

It’s easy for people like me to hide away our failures. I can pick and choose what to write about, highlighting only the exciting experiences and financial freedom that I’ve enjoyed as a veterinarian. In this age of online personalities and digital branding, it’s tempting to present only the sanitized, hyper-charged images o...

Wildlife Veterinary Internship in Kruger National Park, South Africa

He remembered the two dead rhinoceroses in Kruger National Park, poached overnight for their precious horns and left to rot in the searing South African sun that rose the next morning. It was the first day of a two-week internship during his last year of vet school, and he had a nasty case of travelers’ diarrhea. Thank you, Johannesburg street vendor, but that brai was definitely worth it.

Forensic investigations can’t wait for a vet student with a weak constitution, however. So he jumped in a...

EcoHealthNet Infectious Disease Research Scholarship

The EcoHealthNet Research Exchange and Workshop are incredible opportunities for veterinary students to get funded training in the most exciting kind of infectious disease research. The important thing to note here is the due date for applications for the summer 2014 program: November 15!

The EcoHealth Alliance is an organization that funds a ton of valuable research on animal health and conservation issues around the world. You’ve probably noticed that I share about some aspect of their work...

UVP 006: One Health & Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Cheryl Scott

Dr. Cheryl Scott is a wildlife veterinarian and director of the Calvin Schwabe One Health Project at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. She is also involved with the Western Institute for Food Safety and Security and has recently taken on a formal role helping the vet school recruit students with more diverse backgrounds and career interests.

Sounds like the epitome of an uncommon veterinarian, right? But there’s more!

Dr. Scott actually started out as a nurse and then became a nurse p...

Marine Animal Veterinarian: Student Internship at Gulf World Marine Park

This is a guest post by Austin Leedy, a second year veterinary student at Auburn. She was selected for a three-year Army HPSP scholarship in the spring, so she is also a fellow soldier and future colleague in the Veterinary Corps.

This summer was full of excitement as I was a veterinary intern at Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City Beach, FL. My internship started off with the birth of a female bottlenose dolphin on my first day! Sandy went into labor that morning around 10:00 A.M. and did n...

A Wedding + Networking 101 = Good Trip Home

It’s been a bit quiet here at the Uncommon Veterinarian over the last month, so I wanted to get a little update up before another week slips by. I’ll start things off with a personal update before giving you the inside scoop about some unique veterinarians and opportunities further down the page.

I had a lot of fun participating in my older sister’s wedding during a two-week vacation back to the U.S. The wedding ceremony and reception took place outdoors on an old farm on the Chesapeake Bay ow...

Hands-On Global Health: Rabies Control in the Philippines

This is a guest post by Anne Christine Føllesdal, a 4th year veterinary student (out of 5.5) at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science. She would love to hear from other students interested in the One Health Initiative. You can reach her by e-mail at anne.follesdal [at] stud.nvh.no.

As a veterinary student volunteer for the Global Alliance For Rabies Control (GARC), I had the amazing opportunity to become immersed in the world of global health. I have always had a deeply engrained interest...

A Taste of South Africa with EcoLife Expeditions and Vets-in-the-Wild

This is a guest post by Alison Palmer, a student at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine.

I never imagined being anything other than a small animal veterinarian. It’s what I’ve always envisioned myself doing. After being accepted to Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, I thought I was well on my way to accomplishing that. However, one lunch talk and two weeks in South Africa later, I’m back at square one on deciding what I want to do when I graduate.

A Seed is Planted

I was in...

UVP 005: Zoo & Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Carlos Sanchez

Look at this — two podcast episodes in two weeks!

Giant panda cub exam at the National Zoological Park.

I’m so excited to share this discussion with my friend and mentor, Dr. Carlos Sanchez. Dr. Sanchez is a senior associate veterinarian at the Fort Worth Zoo, but I first got to know him during my externship at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

I’ve been consistently impressed with the openness and helpfulness displayed by almost all the uncommon veterinarians I’ve interacted with, but Dr. Sa...

Army Veterinarian: Do You Have What it Takes?

Many of you have commented and e-mailed asking for more information about my life and work as a veterinarian in the Army. I’m planning to write articles for my site about each of my Army assignments so far, but I wanted to let you know about a little piece I recently wrote up for the Veterinary Medicine page on About.com.

I’m excited to have this article on About.com for several reasons.

First, it’s a great opportunity to share about my work with a much wider community of readers than I’m able...