A Message from Lindsay Shreiber, V’91
Vice President of Alumni Engagement and Giving Penn Vet Alumni Board
Autumn is a season of transition, during which we harvest what we’ve cultivated and grown and prepare for the future. Similarly, our paths as veterinarians and institutions represent cultivation (education), growth (teaching, learning, and practice), and stewardship (preparing for the future of our profession).
My journey began more than 31 years ago as a new Penn Vet graduate discovering that practicing veterinary medicine was like learning to read: one must recognize the letters C-A-T...sound them out to realize that they spell cat, which codes in our brain to our furry, whiskery, meowing companions. Similarly, we learn that fever, lameness, and lethargy in a dog may mean Lyme disease. We then learn how to confirm and treat it, what drug dosages to use, and how to validate our diagnosis and treatment plan. My vocabulary may be greater today, but I am still cultivating that learning process.
Then 26 years ago I started a new practice. I bought a building, purchased and installed medical, diagnostic, and surgical equipment, and worked on and in my practice. I cultivated and grew the practice through education and learning from my community.
My involvement with the Penn Vet Alumni Board began first with my participation in the Opportunity Scholarship as a donor. For me, this was an ideal way to contribute to Penn Vet as an institution and to provide direct mentorship to veterinary students.
A mentor of mine once told me: “Paybacks will be tough.” Paying it forward has been a pleasure. I have had the privilege of developing relationships with five students who have received Opportunity Scholarships and look forward to more in the future. Currently, outside of any formal Penn Vet program, I am fortunate to have had four current vet students associated with my practice — all have worked for and/or with my practice in some capacity, and I enjoy keeping in touch with them and watching their careers evolve.
The world has changed in the last few years. We are all aware of and affected by factors which require far greater discussion than this short message. As veterinarians, we are part of an honorable, medical, and scientific profession that is poised to help protect our planet.
As is always true, change inspires growth. Penn Vet students are ready to cultivate, learn, and grow. They are intelligent, diligent, tough, fun, poised for the future, and well deserving of our stewardship. I invite our alumni to contact the Alumni Office to discover ways in which we can support Penn Vet and its students.