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Between classes: Pauline Chow

Pauline Chow

Pauline Chow

loves to solve puzzles.

Currently:

  • Animal Health Technology (AHT) Program instructor
  • Veterinarian

What I’ve learned from my patients:
Animals are so forgiving. They love even after incredible neglect or abuse. We need to be more like that

My must-visit web site:

  • www.vin.com (Veterinary Information Network). It gives me the semblance of staying current despite the fact that the entire body of veterinary medical information changes every 5 years.

My role models

My mom and dad told me that I could achieve anything - all it took was a bit of hard work and perseverance, and that nothing was worth doing unless it was done right. I think that’s what got me through vet school.

Passion is infectious

After 21 years of being a practicing veterinarian, I continue to learn something new every day. I am passionate about the profession and offering excellent patient care. As an instructor of budding AHT's/vet techs, I get to convey my passion about the art and science of veterinary medicine to my students, share my knowledge and encourage them to use every learning opportunity to its fullest.

An early start

My first pet was Foosie the white shepherd when I was 1. My older brother got Harry the mouse and my older sister got Tabitha the cat. Then I finally had my own cat, Snowball. I spent hours just staring at them, observing their normal behavior and being captivated by their daily lives. I really thought I could talk to the animals, a la Dr. Dolittle.

My favourite part of teaching

It allows me to express my creativity. Because veterinary medicine has emphasized developing my scientific side, it was a revelation that teaching could put me in touch with my artistic side. Although I’m not truly artistic - I try not to be hurt when the students laugh at my illustrations - my creativity kicks in when I need to take material and present it in unique, stimulating and compelling ways.

The greatest challenge

As a new instructor developing a new program, I grapple with the tremendous volume of material it is necessary to cover in the veterinary field, as well as the amount of time required to adequately prepare for lectures and labs.

My inspiration as a vet

I love the challenge of being given the pieces of a puzzle, i.e. the history, patient’s symptoms and physical signs; deciding what tests to run, then putting it all together to solve the puzzle (make the diagnosis). What inspires me to devote those long hours despite the mental, physical and emotional toll is that I am truly making a difference in the lives of my patients and their owners.

What makes a good AHT student?

The same things that make a good AHT: commitment, compassion for animals and people, and a good work ethic.

My life philosophy

Everything happens for a reason. Life offers many lessons - the challenge is to recognize what that lesson is and appreciate it. With reflection, even the most negative can become positive if we learn from it.

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