VEGAN VOYAGER
Dr. JoAnn Morrison
Director of Veterinary Science, Banfield Pet Hospital, Vancouver, WA| DVM 1993, Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine | MS 2004, Iowa State University| Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (DACVIM) 2002, Small Animal Internal Medicine
My Story
This is awfully boring. I always wanted to be a veterinarian, ever since I was about 4 years old. I think I was just hard wired to do this.
My Struggles
I had to get to a point, even though I was doing what I always wanted to do, that I was going to accept how hard it was going to be and just put my shoulders down and drive through. There was no guarantee I’d get into veterinary school. So it was a ton of school work, studying, scheduling, extracurriculars, all the things I needed to do to be a competitive candidate. I had to get outside my comfort zone all along the way (I am super introverted) so putting myself out there in new situations, meeting new people, doing different jobs, interviews….all that was not easy. But totally worth it in the end.
My Heroes
My parents have always been my role models and they always encouraged me and my siblings to just work as hard as we could and make things better for our communities and those people around us. I think that’s a great lesson for everyone. One of the first veterinarians I ever worked for, Dr. Steve Hubbard (another Purdue grad!) is still one of the best veterinarians I have ever had the privilege to know and was a huge role model to me. Dr. Stacy Randall (internal medicine resident at Purdue in 1993) was hugely influential when I decided to try and enter the specialty world. I owe her a large debt for that opportunity. And Pat Summitt. Because Pat Summitt.
My Typical Day
Take care of the pets at home – it is NOT a hoarding situation. 🙂 But we do have 2 dogs, 2 indoor cats, a barn cat, 9 rescue goats, 5 hens, and an accidental rooster named Darnell. Get to work where my primary job is to figure out how to join the provision of clinical care with big data in the ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes. Usually lots of meetings and one on one sessions with my team. If I’m good, I’ll go for a run as well.
My Stressors
Most days I remind myself that most of my stressors are privileged world problems. So I try to keep perspective. But I do worry about the quality of life for our veterinary colleagues, and for our patients. We have some issues to address in our profession. The pets at home are some days the stressors, but most days are the management of stressors. ? It is hard to come home after a hard or long day and interact with a goat and not feel better. Running is awesome and living in the Pacific North West is amazing. Hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, Pacific coast, wineries and breweries, drag brunches and amazing vegan food….I am VERY fortunate.
My Why
I think this is the best job and best profession in the world. You can’t convince me otherwise. It’s a perfect blend of everything: caring for animals; biology and science; compassion; helping people, the environment, and the world; and you can literally do almost ANYTHING and challenge yourself every day within this profession.