Our November Spotlight Veterinarian is Dr. Melanie Landry Church.  Dr. Church is a board certified ophthalmologist in Maitland, Florida. She is a 2008 graduate of North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed a small animal internship in Atlanta Georgia followed by a Comparative Veterinary Ophthalmology Residency in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Church is a lover of all species and divides her time between helping dogs, cats, exotics as well as marine patients.  

Idiopathic Issues: What is your current position?

Dr. Melanie Church: Veterinary Ophthalmologist at Animal Eye Associates with offices in Maitland and Orlando, Florida. I practice all aspects of medical and surgical veterinary ophthalmology. I primarily see dogs, cats, and small exotics but will see any non-human animal. One afternoon a month, I provide complementary eye exams to the marine animals at Sea World.

It is a good time to remind ourselves to be careful in the workplace and take the precautions needed to prevent injury from dog bites. It is also a good time to educate your children, family, and friends about how to avoid dog bite injury. More than 4.7 million people each year are bitten by dogs, and up to 1 million individuals seek medical treatment for dog bites.  While this may not be the most pertinent topic for your NAVLE prep, it is certainly important to the longevity of your career.

It’s National Veterinary Technician Week!! I know this is a blog for veterinary students, but seriously where would we be without our technicians? I keep in touch with the vast majority of technicians from my past. The techs I worked with at my weekend job, from vet school, from my internship and my clinic are still my friends and teachers.  

Veterinary technicians play such a critical role in our community. They are highly skilled professionals with multiple hats to wear on a daily basis. Phlebotomist, pharmacy technician, anesthesiologist, patient holder, client communication specialist, dental  hygienist, custodian, dog walker, morale booster, neonate reviver, surgery pack origami artist, inventory manager, receptionist, undertaker, veterinarian security guard, lab specialist, CPR technician, and animal snuggling expert. The list goes on and on.

Our October Spotlight Veterinarian is Dr. Patti Dressel.  Dr. Dressel is a 2005 graduate of Colorado State University. She is an extremely popular small animal clinician in New Hampshire.  You might say that she is the quintessential general practitioner.  She will see almost any species, is competent in all aspects of medicine and her clients adore her as she truly possesses the gift of effective client communication.  

Communication, Compassion and Compliance

We have all heard that the majority of lawsuits in the medical industry occur due to lack of understanding between the doctor and the patient. Often it occurs due to lack of empathy for the client and the perception that the doctor doesn’t care about the patient or situation which occurred. Open, honest, and thorough communication between a veterinarian and a pet owner is crucial. Through good client communication, the owner will gain trust in your care and ability to treat their pet and will be more compliant.