2013 PVM Report - Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine

Neurosurgery
with
“Strings”
Attached
People who know Purdue Veterinary Medicine Associate
Professor of Neurology/Neurosurgery Rebecca Packer would not
describe her as “high-strung,” but she does rely on some very
tense strings when she performs as a violinist in the Lafayette
Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Packer’s intriguing combination of
interests caught the attention of the Purdue Today electronic
on-campus newsletter, which did a profile on the board certified
neurologist. The story noted that Dr. Packer sees beauty in
precision -- whether it’s plucking pizzicato notes on her violin or
removing a malignant tumor from a dog’s brain.
Dr. Packer’s career interest grew out of an experience during her
final year of veterinary school at North Carolina State University,
when she did a two-week, clinical neurology rotation as a routine
part of her studies, and “fell in love” with the specialty. “I love
the inherent problem solving veterinary neurology entails,” Dr.
Packer explains. “All cases involve a certain roadmap of nerves,
which go from Point A to Point Z in the dogs and cats we see.
It’s fascinating to study that infrastructure, and it’s a fascinating
challenge to try to pinpoint where and when problems arise in the
neurological system. Every case is like a puzzle.”
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As for the violin, Dr. Packer says that interest was sparked
when she was about seven years old and saw a group of violinists
performing at a shopping mall in Canton, Ohio. “I saw that and
immediately wanted to learn,” Dr. Packer recalls. While growingup,
she took lessons and played in several different regional youth
symphonies. As an undergraduate student at Bucknell University,
she became the concertmaster in the college orchestra, but she
was not able to continue her orchestra commitments in veterinary
school. She started playing again during her veterinary neurology
internship at the University of Georgia, and continued during her
residency at the University of Missouri. After coming to Purdue
University, she joined the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra in 2007.
Comparing music and veterinary neuroscience, Dr. Packer
comments, “Both disciplines require extreme organization and
commitment -- you need to practice and keep up. I also truly love
both disciplines -- I can’t live without either.” She adds, “In general,
music is a way for me to balance the stresses of work, and the worry
that comes with being a veterinarian. I’m constantly worried about
patients and their owners, but when I play music, I find relief from
all that.”
You can view the complete interview with Dr. Packer at the
Purdue Today website at http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/
purduetoday/ by entering her name in the search field.