Shannon's Blog

Memorial Day Weekend

2013-05-27T17:46:00.001-07:00

Saturday morning started out with an awesome workout of the day (WOD) at CrossFit Athletic Performance in Yorktown Heights. I stopped by the house to pick up Haley, so we could try out some airline carriers at Petco before I dropped by Regeneron for a bit. Well, Haley is much bigger than the carriers that fit JetBlue's requirements, but we are going to have to make it work! She was not enjoying her fitting whatsoever...

Sunday's weather was gorgeous compared to the cold, rainy Saturday that we had to put up with. And, I got to sleep in!!!! A rare occasion these days, although I hope to see more of them now that I don't have school for a few months. Haley and I went for a 6 mile walk, and I spent the afternoon baking strawberry banana chocolate chip muffins and pumpkin spice cake (both Paleo).

I started Paleo (Paleolithic diet) on April 11th to join about 15 of my fellow CrossFit'ers in completing the 30-day Paleo Challenge. The Paleo diet is also known as 'the caveman diet', because you base your diet off of what was available to our ancestors. Forget any type of processed food, sugar, grains, dairy, or legumes. Only meats (grass fed, organic), seafood (wild caught), fruits and vegetables (organic), and nuts and seeds. If you want to know about the reasoning behind the absence of any of the food groups that I mentioned, there is a lot of information available on the web. I could bore you all day with explanations. Needless to say, after 30 days I lost 5lbs, 3.5% body fat, and had the best lipid panel that I have ever seen in my life! I have had a history of high cholesterol, thanks to my great genetics, so to see a lipid panel that was within normal ranges was awesome! I have continued well past the 30 days, and hope to stick with it as best as I can.

Monday morning I met Murph for the first time. Murph is a CrossFit Hero WOD...

Taken from CrossFit.com:

"In memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005. This workout was one of Mike's favorites and he'd named it "Body Armor". From here on it will be referred to as "Murph" in honor of the focused warrior and great American who wanted nothing more in life than to serve this great country and the beautiful people who make it what it is."

Our warm-up was a half mile run to start, and I would have been ok had there not been a warm-up run. About 10 years ago, I broke my fibula and tore my lateral meniscus during field hockey preseason in high school, on top of my pre-existing tendonitis and patellofemoral disease. I should have surgery at some point, because I cannot run more than 1.75 miles. I have no idea why, but at exactly 1.75 miles I am dragging my leg from sharp pain. So, I made it through the half mile warm up, the first mile, and the 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, and 300 squats. Quarter of a mile into the final mile my knee gave out. I was pretty upset, because this was my first time conquering Murph, and my time was going to be under 50 minutes. Until we meet again Murph...

Haley and I spent a few hours outside in the beautiful, sunny, 70 degree weather, and I spent some time thinking of my grandfather who served in WWII. To wrap up the weekend we had a nice family dinner. Happy Memorial Day!

California trip: Getting it all started

2013-05-23T17:05:00.001-07:00

The trip to California was such a great experience, and was extremely productive. I met two of my three roommates on Saturday after arriving, and had a relaxing day wine tasting on Sunday with my family. Monday morning started out at the financial aid office, where I met with an advisor to discuss some options for scholarships, budgeting, etc. Afterwards, I met with the assistant director of student disabilities services to make sure that I had my test accommodations in place for next semester. Both meetings were very informative, and the staff were extremely helpful and friendly. Everyone had a smile on their face and did anything they could to help. It was a very different and positive experience than what I am used to in New York.

Before leaving campus, Jenny gave us a quick tour of the veterinary school. Jenny and I started chatting after I responded to her post, on the Western U CVM Class of 2017 Facebook page, about a room for rent in her house. Unfortunately, someone beat me to it, but Jenny has been awesome ever since with answering any questions I have, giving me great advice, and being an all around amazing friend!

We went back to the house that I will be living in with Angie, Racheal, and Alex to check out the inside. The bedroom that I will be staying in is pretty tiny, so I will have to get really creative with storage space! But, it has very spaceous common areas, and a nice size backyard. Below is a picture of the front of the house and the kitchen. I'm sure there will be plenty more in the future for those interested in what the rest of the house looks like.

After seeing the house, and wishing Angie and Racheal lots of luck on the rest of their finals, we went to check out some CrossFit gyms! I had the chance to check out two of them, and out of the two, I am definitely more interested in CrossFit Chino Hills. However, it is VERY pricey. I still have to see what the monthly rate is going to be with a student discount, but fitness is important to me, so I may have to make some sacrifices.

I had a great experience in the short amount of time that I was there, and I can't wait to get out there and get this chapter of my life started! Western University is a great fit for me, and I am very lucky to have the chance to obtain a degree in veterinary medicine here.

Tuesday morning we drove to LAX to head home. And, of course this happy girl (Haley) was smiling ear to ear when we finally arrived Tuesday evening. :)

A taste of California living

2013-05-19T20:54:00.001-07:00

Dad and I arrived at LAX yesterday afternoon to spend some time with our family and take care of some school stuff at Western University. After arriving, we made our way to Pomona so that I could show Dad the veterinary school. We drove around downtown Pomona as well to check out the surrounding area. Some of the architecture in downtown Pomona was beautiful! It was a cute little town during the day, despite its reputation with crime. We spent the rest of the day checking out the town of Chino, (where I will be living) and meeting two of my three my roommates, Racheal and Angie. By evening, we were headed towards Winchester, to stay with my cousin Davy and his wife Heather for a few days.

Davy and Heather have been great hosts, and live in such a beautiful neighborhood! We spent Saturday morning lounging and telling stories before heading out to wine country. All of us had a great day today at two of the many wineries close to where Davy and Heather live in Winchester. We had great conversation and enjoyed the gorgeous weather. At the first winery and vineyard, Miramante, we spent a few hours tasting six different wines grown on the grounds.

At our next stop, Lorimar winery and vineyards, we had just enough time to grab a glass of wine before closing. The scenery was beautiful along with the architecture of the main building.

Aunt Wendy, Dad, and I are pictured below, underneath one if the arches in front of Lorimar Vineyards and Winery.

We spent the rest if the evening at The Yard House for dinner, and relaxed at the house before another busy day tomorrow!

Why not puppies and kittens?????

2013-05-18T21:17:00.003-07:00

Collaborations between physicians and veterinarians are few and far between, but are beginning to increase as we become more aware of the similarities of human and animal diseases. As Natterson-Horowitz & Bowers describe in their well known book, Zoobiquity: What Animals Can Tell Us About Health and the Science of Healing, these collaborations are extremely valuable. They describe a great example of how this has proved to be true...

In 1999 Dr. Phillip Bergman, a veterinarian (who also has a Ph.D in human cancer biology), felt out of place at a dinner at the Princeton Club surrounded by physicians. Sitting next to him was Dr. Jedd Wolchok MD, Ph.D, and board certified in internal medicine and oncology. Wolchok turned and asked Bergman if dogs get melanoma. Bergman's obvious response was "absolutely". In fact, he was studying this aggressive form of melanoma in dogs. They began comparing the human and canine aspects of melanoma, in conversation, only to find that they were extremely similar. Among many other similarities, with this aggressive form of melanoma, dogs are given about 4 months to live while humans less than a year, and are both resistant to chemotherapy. Wolchok, who was already in the process of developing a novel therapy that would trick human immune systems into killing its own cancer, realized that dogs were the perfect model for testing this therapy due to their spontaneously occurring tumors, intact immune systems, and longer lifespans.

In about 3 months after their initial conversation, Bergman had a trial going with the help of pets whom had already been diagnosed with this metastatic melanoma. Remarkably, more than half of the patients who received the treatment lived longer than their life expectancies after diagnosis. Ten years later, the vaccine, Oncept, was released for veterinary use. The success of Bergman and Wolchok's work has encouraged research on a similar vaccine for human use. However, as Natterson-Horowitz & Bowers state, "human medicine may still take awhile to wake up to the possibilities of interspecies collaborations."

I am fortunate enough to have the chance to collaborate with students of other medical professions in my first year of veterinary school. Western University offers a very unique curriculum, called Interprofessional Education (IPE), where medical students from all of the different colleges (dental, medical, nursing, physical therapy, etc.) work together on a case study. This program is incredibly important for medical professionals as it builds networks and enforces collaborations amongst various fields. Although I haven't had the chance to experience this program just yet, I can only imagine the benefits that come with type of education. More interprofessional programs like this should be adopted by other universities to encourage these collaborations, which can only enhance our understanding of science and medicine.

The work of Bergman and Wolchok is truly inspiring to me, and is a great reminder of the reasons why I plan to pursue a career in laboratory animal and comparative medicine. Although we are very different from many animal species, we share more than 90% of our DNA with the majority of them. By studying disease in animals, we open up greater possibilities in both human and animal medicine, as clearly shown by Bergman and Wolchok's incredible work. It is my goal to contribute to the advancement of science and medicine by becoming a laboratory animal and comparative medicine veterinarian.

For those of you wondering, no, this was not my personal statement... Although, it would have been a good one reading it over! I am writing this on the plane on my way to Pomona, California to visit Western University.

How it all started... Part 2

2013-05-18T21:17:00.001-07:00

My major was undeclared for my first year of college at SUNY Purchase. I knew it would be science related, but there was so much that fascinated me. I had no idea if I wanted to do research or go to veterinary school. It wasn't until the summer after my first year that I discovered the pre-veterinary program at Mercy College. It didn't take long until I was enrolled in the program and officially started building my application for veterinary school. However, I ended up switching my major to biology a year later after realizing that less than 3 people were accepted to veterinary school in this program. Oh, and the professors of the program played a big part in why I switched majors as well. Here's why...

My first day at Mercy I sat in my Intro to Veterinary Science class. The professor, a veterinarian, walked in with some overconfident swag, tossed his briefcase on the table at the front of the classroom, and proceeded to ask, "Who here thinks they can be whatever they want to be?" I raised my hand along with about less than 50% of the class. "Well, you can't be whatever you want to be. You can't be an astronaut if you're not smart enough. Your parents, your friends, they all brainwashed you into thinking you can do whatever you want. Well you can't. And if you think you are all going to be veterinarians you better think again." Funny enough, I failed his course that semester. My first "F", which happened due to a combination of factors, one of them being medical. I re-took the class for a better grade but, I will never forget that day. The doubt, lack of belief, rejection, and overall negativity coming from a professor who's duty is to promote and inspire young minds to reach for their dreams, was abominable and offensive.

Prior to graduating from Mercy with a bachelors degree in biology, I had to work on my veterinary experience and prove that I was better than my average grades and GRE score. In addition to workings as a full time intern at Regeneron throughout my undergraduate studies, I was working part time at South Putnam Animal Hospital as a veterinary assistant, volunteering at Guiding Eyes for the Blind as a canine masseuse, and various oddball volunteer work.

I was interviewed by Ross University, Mississippi State University, and Western University. Although I was accepted to Ross University College of Veterinary Medicine my first application cycle, I chose to decline my acceptance for logistical reasons. Instead, I took the opportunity to work on a Ph.D in veterinary medical science, at Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, in hopes of reapplying to veterinary school after completing my degree. After a year, I realized that the program, location, and overall science that was being done was not for me (to put it nicely). I left the program and came home to work back at Regeneron and re-think my career plan.

It didn't take long until I was back at beefing up my application for veterinary school. I began taking graduate courses in pathology at New York Medical College, re-took the GRE twice (yes three times in total - if you want something that bad you've gotta work for it), took on WAY too many volunteer activities, and broadened my veterinary experience. I was fortunate enough to gain experience in zoo medicine, by interning at Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo Animal Clinic, exotic animal medicine, by shadowing at the Veterinary Center for Birds and Exotics, hollistic animal medicine, by shadowing a vet who utilized acupuncture in his practice, equine medicine, by externing at New England Equine Practice (equine emergency medicine), more small animal work, by volunteering at the SPCA of Westchester's animal clinic, and international veterinary medicine, by volunteering with World Vets Organization on three different trips (boy do I have an itch for another one). I traveled to San Andres Islas, Colombia, where we set up a three day small animal spay and neuter clinic, Grenada, Nicaragua, where I participated in the International Veterinary Medicine Program (spay and neuter clinics for students to learn pre-op, post-op, and surgical techniques as well as an equine clinic), and Zanzibar, Tanzania, another spay and neuter clinic as well as exams and immediate care for the working donkeys.

I also had the chance to gain more valuable animal experience that was not under the supervision of a veterinarian. I volunteered as a sidewalker/leader at the Therapeutic Equestrian Center that works with mentally and/or physically disabled kids and adults, and visited the Salem Hills Nursing Home every weekend with my dog Haley for some pet therapy. As far as my volunteer work was concerned, I'm pretty certain that I bit off more than I could chew... I volunteered for Rock & Rawhide, Somers Litter Task Force, American Red Cross, Somers Energy and Environment Committee, Sparked.com, Regeneron in the Community, and the Summer Youth Track Program on top of everything else I had going on.

I managed to do all of this in one year before reapplying to veterinary school for the second time. Crazy I know, but when I want something bad enough, there's no holding me back. And the hard work and dedication got me into veterinary school...

My advice for the underdogs: If you want it, fight for it. Don't let anyone tell you it's not possible. And for those people that say you're not good enough, gracefully kick them the fuck out of your life and move forward.

How it all started... Part 1

2013-05-16T18:33:00.001-07:00

I knew at a young age what I wanted to be when I grew up. At the age of 6, I told my Mom that I wanted to be a veterinarian, so I could play with all of the puppies and kittens I could get my hands on every day of the week. Little did I know that almost 20 years later my interest would slowly switch from small animal medicine to laboratory animal medicine.

Growing up I had to have just about every animal I came across. Although, I never did get that horse that I begged my Mom for (and for good reason!). I took in fish, hamsters (and bred them too!), a salamander, a leopard gecko, a leopard lizard, a bearded dragon, dogs, cats, mallards, rabbits, a bird who fell out of it's nest... I must be forgetting at least 15 other species (kidding!). I wanted just about every animal I saw in the pet store, minus the snakes and tarantulas... NO THANKS.

I also had a strong interest in the "why's" and the "how's." Yes people, **SCIENCE**. My passion came naturally with my curiosity for how things worked and why things happened the way they did. In middle school, I had the option of transferring from the public school in my town to a public school about 20 minutes from home where my Mom worked. At an age where my friends mattered most, I made the decision to leave them behind and transfer to a new school, Byram Hills, as a freshman. Most normal kids at that age would be devastated to have to leave their friends and everything else behind. My eye was on one thing, the Authentic Science Research Program.

The Authentic Science Research Program, run at the time by Dr. Robert Pavlica (one of my greatest mentors), was the gold star of Byram Hills. Year after year the program produced multiple Intel semifinalists and AT LEAST one finalist. My Mom would come home from work and brag to me about how great the program was; I couldn't help but be excited and intrigued.

After being accepted into the program with a little over 100 students, I had to find a research topic. OF COURSE, I wanted my furry friends to be part of my project! Unfortunately, as a minor, I was not allowed to conduct any scientific research on animals. So, I chose another topic that was close to my heart, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. In 1999, my grandfather lost the battle to ALS, and of course I wanted to find a cure! Little did I know, there was more to finding a cure for a debilitating disease than a high school research project.

I started my research at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, thanks to my cousin George Yancopoulos
(another one of my extraordinary mentors), in June 2003. There I worked on my research project, "....", for 3 years and 12 college credits. I completed the program with less than 20 other students in my class and an incredible fascination for scientific research.

To be continued in Part 2!

The Beginning!

2013-05-15T11:23:00.001-07:00

Less than 11 weeks until I leave for veterinary school! For those of you who don't know, I will be attending Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine this fall. This blog will follow me throughout veterinary school so that I can share this incredible journey with my friends and family back home!

Western University is located in Pomona, California, just 30 minutes east of Los Angeles. I will be living in Chino, which is a little less than 15 minutes southeast of the school. This Saturday my Dad and I will be flying out to Pomona until Tuesday to meet my roommates, check out the house I will be living in, meet a few students, take care of a few things at the school, and visit with my aunt Wendy and cousin Davy.

And so the journey begins...