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Horse Medicine With A Passion!
There once was a little 2 year-old girl...
...who's mother couldn't keep her away from the big draft horse kept in the backyard of the place where they lived. That girl was me. It has been quite the journey from there to where I am now, with a successful practice and my dream clinic. First came the countless hours spent grooming horses, riding horses, cleaning up after horses, polishing horse tack, anything just to be around these amazing creatures. Then there was the excruciating pain of veterinary school. I mean, there were some fun moments, for sure, but my adrenal glands have never been the same after 6 1/2 years of incessant studying and exams, many disappointments and some triumphs. On to being a veterinarian in the real world, which was absolutely nothing that vet school could have prepared me for, but which would turn out to be an incredible, fulfilling, rich life. Many more disappointments for sure, but also so many more beautiful and fun moments I will never forget.
None of it would have been possible without the help of so many people!
I will not even attempt to mention by name everyone who has been crucial to my success, for fear of unintentionally leaving out some important people (and taking up a LOT of space). From the wonderful friends who procrastinated, studied, cursed and cried with me during vet school to the many teachers (both formal and informal), veterinary school is definitely a group effort.
Once out in "the real world" I would have not gotten anywhere without some amazing mentors: Dr. Jerry Harness of Greencastle, PA, who was the catalyst for my move to the US and is to this day the best teacher I have ever had. Dr. Chuck Guard, my thesis advisor and boss at Cornell, who always insisted on critical thinking and fact based medicine. And, last but not least, the person who made me the equine practitioner I am today, Dr. Philip van Harreveld, who shares his knowledge and expertise generously, encouraging me at every step of the way and reassuring me that I *could* do this. Even now that he is no longer in private practice he continues to be a vast source of information. Thank you all!
Along the way I made many connections and built friendships with colleagues, despite the fact that we are located in a rather remote corner of this country. The exchange of knowledge, the sharing of information, and the help that the equine veterinary community extends to one another is amazing, and it has allowed me to grow professionally and beyond what I could have ever imagined.
And of course, without our clients and their animals none of this would even matter. I could not be more grateful for the wonderful people of the North Country who allow me to follow my passion every day.
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Thank you all from the bottom of my heart! - Dr. Dorothee
Jim was the one who took my dream and ran with it. He designed our clinic and helped with its' construction until the day he died. Even though he is not here anymore, he is with me every day. Without him, Rivendell as it is today would not exist.