March 25, 2024 – The Alcona Animal Clinic in Lincoln hosted 5 juniors and seniors from Alcona Community Schools for a Talent Tour in Veterinary Services. Kathy Jo Schwartz, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, established and opened the practice in 1989 and has been busy ever since. She brought on another doctor, Karen Potter, DVM, in 2010. Both doctors are extremely busy every day with all kinds of animals. A couple of students were very interested in going into the veterinary field not just because they have pets of their own, but because they truly love pets.
Dr. Schwartz began the tour by introducing her staff and providing an overview of what the clinic does and a tour of the building. She explained how pets are checked in, the reason for the animal’s visit, and how a full exam is conducted to determine the care to be administered. Dr. Schwartz stated that they see all kinds of injuries, infections and sicknesses in all kinds of animals.
From the exam room the tour continued to the pharmaceutical room, where meds are kept out of sunlight; some are stored at room temperature while others are refrigerated. After that was the x-ray room; students were excited to see the x-ray machine and feel how heavy the radiology lead aprons were as they put them on. It was explained that these lead aprons protect staff from x-ray radiation. Dr. Schwartz showed the students the entire process of an x-ray, which the students really enjoyed.
As Dr. Schwartz wrapped up her portion, Dr. Potter was getting ready to prepare an animal for a teeth cleaning procedure. The students were invited to watch the procedure from a distance and Dr. Potter explained what drugs are used for this type of procedure and the safety requirements of getting the anesthetic dosage right for the size and type of animal. The students were in awe of actually seeing this procedure.
The tour concluded with Anna, a licensed veterinary technician, talking to the students about her desire to go into the veterinary field, what educational requirements there were, and how she prepared for the board exams after completion of college. Anna said she loves what she does and wouldn’t be anywhere else. Her inspiration and words of encouragement resonated with the students. They truly enjoyed this talent tour and had some very good questions along the way.