Shadowing Animal Planet’s Rocky Mountain Vet

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On December 18th I arrived at Planned Pethood International (PPI) in Conifer, Colorado to spend the week shadowing Animal Planet’s Rocky Mountain Vet, Dr. Jeff Young. Although I only had one semester of vet school under my belt, Dr. Jeff did not hesitate when he told me to glove in for two canine neuters, one splenectomy, and one large thyroid mass removal.

Outside of my hands-on surgical experience, I learned that Dr. Jeff’s new clinic in Conifer is 100% non- profit, and that no matter what treatment or emergency your pet has, whether it is hospitalized, needs emergency surgery, ultrasounds, radiographs, or all the above, he will not charge the client more than $2,500. This reflects his core belief that expensive veterinary bills should not result in an economic euthanasia if an animal can heal and continue to live a fulfilling life with their owner.

The highlight of my trip was learning this from Dr. Jeff: “I wanted to build a place where we could not only continue providing excellent low-cost health care for pets, but also where veterinary students from around the world could come and train and get the kind of hands-on experience they would never get in school or from a textbook.”

Dr. Jeff hopes to have more students from Ohio State train with him. I look forward to my future training opportunities with PPI to advance my surgical skills in complex surgeries, and learn more about how to implement their low-cost business model.