Knollwood's externs come to us from all over the United States, as well as from South America, eastern and western Europe, Japan, and beyond.  Most externs are senior veterinary students, who spend part of their final year before graduation learning about the day-to-day reality of what it means to be a veterinarian - by working alongside of those of us who feel privileged to do this as our life's work.  Others are graduate veterinarians who are interested in learning about integrative medicine.  And still others are graduates of one of the veterinary acupuncture courses, who come to complete their required hours of study with an experienced veterinary acupuncturist.  Regardless of age or origin, we enjoy working with, and learning from, our externs, just as much as they enjoy working and learning with us!

Lillian Chan, Minnesota CVM - Fall 2012

Lillian will be joining us this fall to, as she told us, "expand my integrative veterinary experiences in a cllnical setting to better prepare me in becoming a competent DVM".  She's already had ample experience, starting with growing up in a Chinese herbal store operated by her family in Chicago's Chinatown, serving as VP of her college's Holistic Club, serving as a Student Delegate for the AHVMA, and attending several AHVMA annual conferences to learn about integrative medicine.

Lillian is an Honor Society member, a member of the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, a student member of the AHVMA, AVMA, and BVMA, and a talented Chinese calligrapher and Gu Zheng performer.  She speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, and Taisanese.

Lillian is pictured here holding her very first spay patient, treated during a trip to Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

Dayle Dillon, Illinois CVM - Spring 2013

As the Vice-President of the national Student AHVMA, Dayle heard Dr. Mitchell speak at a conference last summer.  She decided that since the University of Illinois doesn't offer any exposure to integrative medicine, she could best utilize her externship time with us. Dayle is looking forward to working with us and learning about "everything from acupuncture and chiropractic, to herbs and homotoxicology". 

Dayle is a Dean's list student, and a member of the Veterinary Student Outreach Program, which benefits the local community.  She also voluteers as a tutor and serves on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee.  Dayle plays a mean softball game, and was a four-year Varsity Letter Winner in softball as an undergraduate.

Artur Vasconcelos & Marcela Chavez

Artur and Marcela were senior veterinary students at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil when they externed with us last year.  They participated in a Work and Travel Program that allowed them to spend a month with our Doctors, learning more about integrative medicine. 

Artur hoped to be able to provide clients with "a little help to start seeing their animals as a whole, not just as a broken leg or a sore throat".  And Marcela told us that because holistic veterinary medicine is uncommon in Brazil, she hoped to be able to bring back a great deal of new information to her community.

Both Artur and Marcela helped us tremendously during their time with us.   It was a pleasure to work with them and to learn from them, and we know that we were able to add greatly to their knowledge base, too. Thanks to all of our clients for giving Artur and Marcela the warm welcome that all of our Knollwood clients are known for!

Artur and Marcela's graduation!

Artur and Marcela have now received their degrees, and we at Knollwood are so very proud of them.  With their obvious care and compassion for animals, we know that they will be successful in all of their endeavors.  We wanted to share their graduation announcements with you, including the special translation that they have provided of the truly beautiful text.  (And yes, that IS Dr. Mitchell's Bullmastiff Canuke in Artur's card, which they so kindly said was a tribute to their friend).  Congratulations Artur and Marcela!  We wish you nothing but the best!

"If some believe that our main goal is the Man, I have here the opportunity to rebel and say that I did, or even better, I do veterinary medicine for the animals. It is not my profession that defines my ideals as a person, but just the opposite.

A special tribute to the dynamic couple father-and-mom, who devoted much more than the “bed and breakfast,” to Marcela, who loves and tolerates me with directly proportional measures, and the Veterinary Hospital - UFMG, second home, for me and for many.

I prefer not to mention more names in thankfulness, with the certainty to commit injustices to those who will not fit in this square of paper. But I make it clear to everyone, including those who do not speak, the size of my gratitude for each incentive or scolding.

Arrival or departure? In the race of life, the second option is always the most interesting..."                                                    

"At this point in my life, so unique and important, I want to thank and justify my arrival here.

Thank the people who were with me in any part of this journey - which were many: my beloved parents, brothers and relatives, the friends I left behind and those made during the course, my roommates, which became at some point my temporary family, the traveling and life companion (Artur), for shared emotion moments, to "my" animals that are gone and those who still remain with me, for teaching me the unconditional love, my masters and veterinarians, who taught the practice of the profession, the colleagues who met at the hospital, the friends I made since I came back to BH, and all others who have had their contribution to that I graduated, but were not cited here by some oversight of mine.

Justify being here for these reasons: love for the animals and respect for life. This was the chosen profession, and through it that I want to go from now and then!"