“The year 2020 has brought a lot of challenges, but also a lot of good,” said Dr. Liz Mulhall, current Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Intern with Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Program (MSMP) at Cornell University. She and fellow intern, Dr. Joy Keaton, started their one-year shelter medicine internship with MSMP in June 2020, three months after New York State went on PAUSE in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 brought many challenges, but “every single day brings a new opportunity to learn something and help someone,” said Dr. Elizabeth Berliner, Janet L. Swanson Director of Shelter Medicine. Though this year differs from any other year because of the virus, the program’s lifesaving work continues, including learning opportunities for this year’s MSMP interns.
MSMP has been inundated with requests from veterinarians and animal shelters looking for reliable information and guidance around the COVID-19 pandemic for their humane organizations and communities. Drs. Mulhall and Keaton help respond to email requests the program receives from shelters across the Northeast. They also take part in MSMP’s weekly online Shelter Medicine Office Hours, provide direct care for the homeless animals that come through the doors of the SPCA of Tompkins County (SPCA), help teach veterinary students, and much more.
When asked how her internship year was going so far, Mulhall replied, “My first 6 months of my internship have been a whirlwind and have flown by. The internship has afforded me a real work-life balance, which is a zebra in the internship field. Dr. Keaton and I have been exposed to more surgical procedures and medical cases than I expected, making for some very interesting learning experiences. Our partnership between SPCA of Tompkins County and the Cornell University Hospital for Animals has been wonderful.”
A successful shelter veterinarian must be able to adapt to change and meet challenges on a daily basis. “2020 had been a year of surprises,” said Berliner, “some welcome, some very much unwelcome.” MSMP’s activities requiring travel have been scaled back. Full on-site shelter consultations, in-person conferences, and in-person educational engagements have been cancelled. “On the other hand, other aspects of our work have simply exploded. We have been able to engage much more regularly with humane organizations and shelters across the country through enhanced online meeting platforms and ongoing conversations,” added Berliner.
In late March, MSMP started holding weekly online Shelter Medicine Office Hours on Friday afternoons. These open discussions provide shelter staff and veterinarians with updates on the ever-changing field of Shelter Medicine. This forum started out as a place for shelter veterinarians, staff, and volunteers to ask questions and discuss their concerns surrounding COVID-19, but has grown in recent months to cover any shelter-related concerns participants might need help with.
“The field of shelter medicine has taken giant steps forward [in response to the pandemic] in re-imagining not only serving homeless animals, but owned animals in communities struggling with access to care. Locally our program has engaged in re-configuring elements of direct care, veterinary student training, fostering animals, tele-health, and emergency interventions for animals in need,” noted Berliner.
Since 2010, the Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Program at Cornell has successfully trained 2 interns per year in Shelter Medicine. Mulhall said that from the beginning, Cornell’s Shelter Medicine Program stood out to her because it offers “mixed academia and shelter experience.” The breadth of services offered, from spay/neuter to consultation services, was also important to her. MSMP interns are trained in shelter medicine practice via the full-collaboration between the SPCA and the program. Interns gain training in shelter medicine through participation in collaborative clinical rotations with the Cornell University Hospital for Animals (CUHA); college-provided, bi-weekly professional development rounds; and triage and emergency shifts at the teaching hospital. They also teach students and take part in academic scholarly pursuits.
Dr. Keaton is the Swanson Endowed Shelter Medicine Intern. Dr. Keaton’s first official patient as an intern was an older female chihuahua named Mable who had sustained an unknown injury before being rescued by the SPCA. After examination, Mable was diagnosed with extensive trauma to her spleen. Keaton, along with MSMP and SPCA medical teams, spent many hours working to save her life. “The day Mable went to her loving new home made all the challenges of 2020 seem insignificant,” said Keaton. “There are so many other stories like Mable’s that are all made possible through the incredible work of this program. I am so proud to be a part of it.”
“MSMP faculty know when to push me outside of my comfort zone and when to provide extra support,” said Keaton. “The internship is everything I imagined it would be and so much more. Every day makes me a bit stronger as a professional and a doctor. Coming to Cornell University for my shelter medicine internship was without question the best decision I have made for my career.”
Dr. Mulhall’s most memorable patient of 2020 is a cat named Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh arrived at the SPCA after being found lifeless in a ditch. Upon arrival, he only weighed 19 ounces and was emaciated. He was hypoglycemic, and his body temperature was too low to read. “He had many ups and downs, requiring round-the-clock care, and even had to have an eye removed,” noted Mulhall. Thanks to the amazing care provided by both MSMP and SPCA, he was adopted into a loving home six weeks later. Mulhall added, “Gilgamesh reminded me we truly make a world of difference every day. I am so grateful to be part of this team, saving lives every day.”
Graduates of the internship have tremendous impact across the country on animal shelters and communities and ongoing development of the specialty. Keaton is determined to “be one of the veterinarians changing the perception and profession of Shelter Medicine.” Mulhall says she plans to be boarded in shelter medicine. Her life goal is to head a shelter medicine program in a veterinary school.
Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Program at Cornell is offering two Shelter Medicine Specialty Internships next year. Fourth-year veterinary students who are interested still have time to apply. Applications for the 2021-22 Shelter Medicine Internship Program are being accepted through January 11, 2021. Program details are available at the VIRMP site. Mulhall recommends that “anyone considering applying to an internship program contact the program. Dr. Keaton and I would love to talk to you!” Those interested in the Shelter Medicine Internship Program with MSMP at Cornell can email the program directly at sheltermedicine@cornell.edu to discuss this opportunity further.
