Preceptor Profile - Western University of Health Sciences

PRECEPTOR PROFILEAT ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, students from WesternU’s College of VeterinaryMedicine receive a good deal of hands-on training – literally – under Dr. Alan Schulman, DVM,Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.“I want them to get used to doing a full exam on every animal,” he explains. “In addition, when wehave a normal dog, I want the students to feel the elbows, shoulders, hips and knees – I wantthem to get used to seeing and feeling what a normal dog feels like.”It is through these procedures that Dr. Schulman hopes to help instill confidence in the studentswho rotate through his practice. “We end up saying to the students that we know they haveexcellent didactic training, now I really want them to get the experiences that will make themfeel that much better about their abilities. I want them to feel good about handling animals anddoing surgical procedures.”At Animal Medical Center, located in Los Angeles, students in rotations may see a variety of cases.“The practice is a full-service, 24/7 emergency referral center and general practice,” Dr. Schulmanexplains. “We see a phenomenal cross section of cases – anything from the normal to all of the exoticspecialties that come in the door.”One to two students at a time spend four weeks in rotation with Dr. Schulman and his staff. “Myexpectations have been met by each and every student who passes through here,” he says.“WesternU students really do measure up. They seem well rounded, have a great attitude andgood surgical and tissue handling abilities.” And, he stresses, “they want to learn. They askbrilliant questions and are very receptive. They have received excellent trainingcomparable to some of the more established veterinary training facilities inthe U.S.”Dr. Schulman says serving as a preceptor has been beneficial tohim “because sometimes I forget the breadth of knowledge after27 years and take some things for granted. It’s great to be able toshare that knowledge.”His own interest in veterinary medicine developed when he wasa child, growing up in New York City. “I knew I wanted to be aveterinarian from the time I was a munchkin,” he relates. Hisparents were extremely supportive, and he reveled in summersin the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York where he learnedabout critters such as frogs, salamanders and snakes.He went on to earn his undergraduate degree from The Collegeof Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University, followed bya DVM from The New York State College of Veterinary Medicine,also at Cornell. He completed an internship and surgicalresidency at California Animal Hospital in Los Angeles and set uphis own practice in 1989.In addition to his work as a veterinarian, Dr. Schulman also is afrequent, well-known guest expert on local and national newsand information programs. In his spare time, he likes to ride hishorse, ski, and work out, train and play with the New YorkYankees during the off season as well as many National HockeyLeague players.Dr. Schulman hopes that students who rotate through hispractice will “get the experience that will make them the bestdoctors.” In addition, he offers this advice: “Be patient and be ableto communicate with people. Never really forget thatcommunication is one of the important things to do as a vet.And, never be complacent, because when you’re complacent,you’re standing still, but you’re not really standing still, you’refalling behind. Keep up with new advancements anddevelopments.”6