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Keynote speaker Dr Mariana Pardo (left) all smiles before her presentation with dvm360® chief veterinary officer Dr Adam Christman (right).  

According to Mariana Pardo, BVSc, MV, DACVECC, it’s a recurring theme in history for people to be hesitant to implement new technology in medicine because they find it cumbersome. She began her keynote presentation

 on the final day of the Fetch dvm360® conference in San Diego, California, by quoting John Forbes in the 1800s and his thoughts on the stethoscope at the time: “That it will ever come into general use, notwithstanding its value, is extremely doubtful; because its beneficial application requires much time and gives a good bit of trouble both to the patient and the practitioner.” Now the stethoscope is universally used for each visit in both human and veterinary medicine, and Pardo aims for the same to be done with the ultrasound.

Therefore, she outlined the basics and practical skills for incorporating point of care ultrasounds in daily practice to bolster patient care. “There’s so much information that you can get from using ultrasounds on your day-to-day basis and it might seem that it requires a lot of knowledge, but I’m going to try to simplify it for you and show you how much information you can garnish that will just become complementary to what we are doing,” Pardo said.

Pardo recommended to first choose the appropriate ultrasound probe based on the application:

: applications for soft tissue, musculoskeletal, pediatric, ocular, thyroid, thoracic, most procedures, DVT, appendicitis, testicular

Features include: high-frequency transducer, best resolution out of all probes, shallow structures, and rectangular field

: applications for general abdomen (ig, gallbladder, liver, etc), eFAST, renal, aorta, IVC, bladder, bowel, OB/Gyn

Features include: low-frequency transducer, large/wide footprint (better lateral resolution), curved field, deep structures

 (also called “cardiac probe”): applications for cardiac, abdominal, eFAST, renal, bladder, bowel, IVC

Features include: low-frequency transducer, small and flat footprint (easier to get between ribs), and deep structures

There are 4 main movements when performing ultrasounds including to slide, tilt, rotate, or rock it back and forth.

“Start getting used to using your hands with ultrasounds, practice on every single patient. If you don’t recognize normal structures, how are you going to recognize a patient who’s not doing well? So honestly for me, my ultrasound exam is part of my whole physical exam.”

: After turning on the ultrasound machine, select the correct ultrasound transducer you will need.

: Select the correct application preset for that transducer.

: Adjust the depth, meaning how deep you want to be able to scan. The right side of the screen will have dots or lines that correspond to the depth in centimeters.

: Adjust your gain, meaning how bright or dark you want the image to appear. This increases or decreases the strength of the returning ultrasound signals that you visualize on the screen.

“You want to try to have the place of interest you’re looking at to be in the center of the screen,” Pardo advised. “Once you get that image where you want, then you’re going to keep that depth at that point and normally you can just scroll up and down and that’s going to show you measurements of how deep you are.”

To conclude, Pardo summarized that using point of care ultrasounds requires an understanding of it and how to use all the knobs and settings. Not to mention, practice makes perfect when it comes to identifying normal versus abnormal structures to offer patients the most high-quality care. 

Pardo M. Hocus Pocus! Integrating ultrasound in your day-to-day practice. Presented at: Fetch dvm360® Conference; San Diego, California. December 2-4, 2022.

Articles

Fetch San Diego keynote speaker Dr Mariana Pardo breaks down performing ultrasounds to encourage their use on each patient 

Make waves by using ultrasounds in day-to-day practice

Mariana Pardo, BVSc, MV, DACVECC, confessed she never saw herself as a veterinarian when she was younger—she’d intended to pursue a singing career. However, her love of biology sparked an interest in veterinary medicine and led her to the path that she is on today. Now, Pardo is the emergency and critical care medical director for Animal Surgical Center in Oceanside, New York, and speaks to veterinary professionals at conferences across the world.

 the events in her life that landed her where she is today and what she hopes attendees take away from her keynote address “Hocus Pocus! Integrating Ultrasound in Your Day-to-Day Practice.”

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

I am a proud Latina! I am from Chile and went to veterinary school there. I came to the States hoping to pursue emergency and critical care specialization. I have a love for miniature schnauzers, and my puppy Lily had a very uncommon cardiac condition called a double chamber right ventricle and received cardiac surgery when she was 6 months old. This was the first of its kind in the United States. They performed a cutting balloon valvuloplasty, where they basically cut her heart from the inside out! She has been doing great since and is now 6 years old.

What inspired you to pursue a career in veterinary medicine?

I actually never thought of becoming a veterinarian growing up—I wanted to be a singer. I had an interest in biology and medicine and decided to try veterinary medicine. It wasn’t until I failed my first year of veterinary school and was kicked out of school that I realized how much I love veterinary medicine. It took a lot to be allowed back in, and I took advantage of that opportunity and have been 100% focused on my career since [then].

What do you hope attendees will take away from your keynote address?

I hope the attendees take home practical ultrasound skills that they can start using immediately in their clinics.

What was one of the most rewarding accomplishments in your career?

By far the moment I became boarded. I left my family, my country, and everything I knew to...pursue this dream. I felt incredibly fulfilled the moment I knew I had finally made it.

Are you looking forward to attending certain lectures or seeing particular speakers?

All of the speakers at Fetch are always spectacular. I have met amazing friends at this conference, and [I] can’t wait to see their lectures and spend time with these amazing human beings.

What do you love most about emergency medicine?

Everything! The different cases, being there for distraught families, saving lives, and, sometimes, being the person to offer relief and a dignified goodbye.

If you could lecture anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

[There are so] many options! I have an upcoming trip to India to lecture, and I’m super excited, [not only] because of the culture and the food, but also [because of] the opportunity to share my knowledge with other communities and learn about the different ways we do things.

Learn more about our day 3 keynote speaker, including her journey into veterinary medicine and her pooch’s uncommon cardiac condition

Q&A with a keynote: Mariana Pardo, BVSc, MV, DACVECC

 interview, San Diego Fetch faculty member Bryce Dooley, DVM, MS, DACVAA, explains the latest advancements in technology, equipment, and more to ensure horses recover successfully from anesthesia. 

The following is a partial transcript of the video.

A lot of what all of equine anesthesia is trying to do is how can we optimize the intraoperative management of equine anesthesia...to make sure that their recovery can be as good as possible. And so this is coming from things like, using co-infusions to reduce the inhalant requirement. But also trying to decide, okay, when when do we need to turn off these infusions?

Videos

In a dvm360® interview, San Diego Fetch faculty member, Dr Bryce Dooley, reviews the latest in this sphere of veterinary medicine  

Updates on equine anesthesia safety

 interview, Richard Lester, MBA, co-CEO at the Ackerman Group Inc in Villanova, Pennsylvania, explains how selling your practice starts with understanding your goals. From there, you can find a buyer who can meet those goals when structuring a deal.

So, the joke in real estate is that the top 3 things that determine the value of real estate is location, location, and location...the 3 key deal terms in selling a practice: one obviously is, what is the price? And then the second is how is that price paid?

Watch the video above to learn about all 3.

In a dvm360® interview, San Diego Fetch faculty member and co-CEO of the Ackerman Group discusses how to align your goals with real estate deal terms

3 Key deal terms when selling a practice

Courtney Campbell, DVM, DACVS-SA, a veterinary surgeon at VetSurg, and Molly McAllister, DVM, MPH, chief medical officer at Banfield Pet Hospital, together take on the second-day keynote at the Fetch dvm360

 conference in San Diego, California. They are both board members of the Diversify Veterinary Medicine Coalition, and their presentation will focus on a topic that perfectly aligns with the organization’s mission— “The Veterinary Health Gap: How Veterinary Health Inequity Affects Us All.” Campbell and McAllister will discuss inequity, health disparities, and the role veterinarians can and should play in promoting a more diverse, inclusive, and society.

Learn more about Campbell and McAllister and their thoughts on the veterinary health gap with this brief Q&A from 

 I was inspired to become a veterinarian the moment I realized that caring for animals can impact almost everyone and everything around you. Helping to improve the health and wellness of animals is an extremely powerful and gratifying experience. I realized that a deep connection with animals brought smiles and joy to my family and everyone around me. Combined with the personal link I felt with animals, I knew that exploring the human-animal bond by way of veterinary medicine was my chosen career path. The ability to strengthen this connection, enrich this bond, and nourish the link between humans and animals is one of the many joys of this profession.

 I was inspired...[by] the overwhelming role that animals played in my childhood. As my friends and confidants, my playmates and teachers, family pets, farm animals, and wildlife taught me so many valuable life lessons, and I wanted to give back to them. Today, I’m inspired to stay a veterinarian because I see how the human-animal bond positively impacts people and...[can] help make a more kind, just, and equitable world by helping people feel the joy...[of] helping others. We are so lucky to get to promote this in our career choice.

What has been one of your most rewarding professional accomplishments?

 My experience in veterinary media and education. The ability to celebrate the beauty of the human-animal bond through a variety of platforms has been incredibly rewarding—from the special connections that I make with clients in person to the experiences that I have had as a daytime veterinary health correspondent on the news, hosting a talk show, podcasts, digital shorts, social media, radio, and magazines [articles]. Veterinary education has been a thrilling pedagogical experience as well. The ability to combine my love for veterinary medicine with veterinary health communication while inspiring others, particularly those who are underrepresented in veterinary medicine, will hopefully have an impact today and will continue to resonate.

 The founding and launch of the Diversify Veterinary Medicine Coalition in 2020. To bring together people and organizations committed to the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our profession and willingness to devote...personal and professional resources to advancing the cause was one of the greatest honors. And as we start to see the impact of this work across veterinarians, technicians, students, and preveterinary students, I am even more committed to ensuring this work lives on and drives positive change so that this is a welcoming profession to all.

What are you hoping attendees will take away from your presentation?

 The veterinary health gap is manifested in a variety of ways...by differences in animal health outcomes across different socioeconomic regions. Animal health disparities are particularly impactful because they can impact humans and animals simultaneously. Defining the veterinary health gap, highlighting animal health disparities, and presenting ideas on how we can help to erase the gap will make veterinary medicine more accessible to the people who need it.

As veterinary professionals, we have an opportunity to promote the human-animal bond as an equitable right for all members of our communities. A key facet of this is ensuring access to the education and care that veterinary teams can provide. Access is multifaceted, but when we better understand the concept...we can each do our part to expand access to veterinary care across our country and thus promote and spread the joy of the human-animal bond.

What are you most looking forward to at the Fetch conference in San Diego?

 The energy and buzz surrounding a Fetch conference are powerful. The innovation, creative storytelling, and cutting-edge research on display are some of the many reasons that I am looking forward to [it]. The connection and bond you share with your colleagues are undeniable. The ability to [join in] fellowship and luxuriate in the abundance of veterinary talent is awe-inspiring. There is no doubt this experience will leave me wanting more.

 I love Fetch as a chance to reconnect with friends and colleagues, learn from inspiring new thought leaders, and energize myself with new ideas and knowledge about everything from clinical medicine to well-being to leadership and more. It is a place for passionate vet professionals and game changers to share ideas and excitement, and I always leave feeling recharged and inspired!

The second-day keynote speakers discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion and how they got their start in the profession

Q&A with keynote speakers: Courtney Campbell, DVM, DACVS-SA, and Molly McAllister, DVM, MPH

Although Fear Free is making excellent strides helping ease fear, anxiety, and stress for both patients and clients, Peter Weinstein, DVM, MBA, emphasized in his presentation at the Fetch dvm360® conference in San Diego, California, the importance of also ensuring a comfortable, safe environment for team members.

“[We] have Fear Free practices and I think it’s wonderful that we’re doing more and more of that, but really we need Fear Free businesses. If we want to take care of our pets, we need to have an environment that is supportive, conducive, [and we] believe in the teams that we have and will have,” said Weinstein. 

During his lecture, Weinstein covered this topic and offered an interactive atmosphere where attendees shared personal anecdotes involving fearing work, hostility in the workplace, and more which displayed how prevalent these issues are. When the audience was asked what they fear when going to work some of the answers included clients, pets, coworkers, and management. Some additional not-so-obvious causes of fear include that of termination, not knowing (eg, not being looped in on important conversations), retaliation, and workplace bullies.

“Why should you be afraid to go to work? Shouldn’t you want to go to work because we get to take care of warm, fuzzy, and cute puppies and kittens. You shouldn’t be dreading the day that you go to work, you should be looking forward to the difference you can make,” Weinstein said. 

When you have a fearful work environment, some negative repercussions include intrinsic motivation diminishing and being replaced solely by extrinsic motivation. “In a fearful workplace, intrinsic motivation goes away, and what motivates people is money and rewards and gifts and time-off,” shared Weinstein. This kind of environment also causes diminished performance and it crushes creativity because staff members don’t feel safe to share their ideas. Last, a fearful workplace encourages short-term thinking and disengagement where employees are not looking far down the road, but rather just for their shift to be over and the next job opportunity.

Promoting an all-around Fear Free practice

To ensure a healthy work environment for all parties, Weinstein urged practice managers to promote and enforce psychological safety for employees. He added to: 

Practice open door leadership (ig, listen, be available, problem solve and provide resources)

Prioritize maintaining a values-based culture

Value respect, recognition, and responsibility

Build a team based on trust, empathy, and communication

“We do have wellness issues within the veterinary field, but we shouldn’t be propagating them by having a fearful workplace," he concluded, "If we can create an environment that mitigates fear for our pets, we can do the same for our team." 

Weinstein P. The Fear Free Practice for Employees. Presented at: Fetch dvm360® Conference; San Diego, California. December 2-4, 2022.

Fear Free practices for pets have been emerging, but this veterinarian argues the need to promote a positive environment for staff as well 


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