I finally committed myself to becoming a veterinarian during college. Although I was exposed to the profession at a young age on account of my parents being veterinarians, I was undecided between human and veterinary medicine for most of my undergraduate years. Eventually, my path led me to a job at the vet school with a parasitologist. I majored in Animal Science and my professional career evolved from there.

Initially, I saw myself as a science detective. I was learning how to interpret lab tests and radiographs, help an animal in distress or administer medications. But when I became a veterinarian, I realized it was all about talking to people. You interact with multiple family members and you care for puppies and kittens from cradle to old age. Now that I've been in practice for 13 years, I have seen life spans come through my practice. These pets are members of the family and of mine.

It's all about client education. I often take out a text book to explain a diagnosis to my clients, if they require further explanation. I recommend Web sites for more information if they want to do their own research. I always feel happier when my client understands what is going on with their pet. What I like about my profession is the social aspect. I get to meet families, interact with pets and I get to practice detective sciences. And that's what initially interested me.

AVMA offers dozens of brochures to explain treatment options to our clientele. AVMA does more than provide handouts, it helps me educate my clients. Most of my clientele is Spanish-speaking and finding bilingual educational materials was difficult. It's an awful feeling when clients don't understand what is going on with their pet and having educational materials in a client's native language is a huge help. Educating clients is part of my standard of care.

The AVMA scientific reference materials are essential at my hospital if we're going to be leaders in human and animal health in our community.

CLIENT EDUCATION
The AVMA offers all client education materials in English and Spanish. For Dr. Tello, these materials help him provide vital information to a diverse clientele.