Veterinary Sector Spotlight: Veterinary pathology

The multiple threads of an eclectic career path led Dr. Heidi Pecoraro to her position as director of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo, North Dakota. Before starting the combined DVM-PhD program at Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at age 33, Dr. Pecoraro served as a hospice worker, program manager for a National Institutes of Health–funded laboratory, and veterinary technician.

When she decided to become a veterinarian, she knew that studying diseases was the specialty for her.

“In pathology, I can focus on the big picture (epidemiology) all the way down to the miniscule (molecular and microbiology),” Dr. Pecoraro said, who is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists. “It marries all my passions–animal and human health, epidemiology of diseases, basic research, diagnostic medicine, translational medicine–and it is always interesting.”

Following graduation from Colorado State, Dr. Pecoraro completed two years of residency in diagnostic anatomic pathology at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, followed by a fellowship in primate pathology at the Oregon National Primate Research Center. She joined NDSU’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in 2018 and was appointed director in 2022.

Each day is filled with variety. On any given day, Dr. Pecoraro may conduct autopsies and biopsies, examine slide specimens, write reports, collaborate with regulatory agencies, lecture on animal diseases, demonstrate autopsy techniques to students, manage staff, and talk with animal owners.

Being a veterinary pathologist requires a veritable potpourri of talents, she says, including a passion for animal diseases, an interest in disease pathogenesis, strong organizational skills, a knack for discerning patterns in data, and an ability to connect and communicate with a cross range of people, ranging from clients to students to staff members.

While the stereotype of a pathologist is someone working siloed in a laboratory, in reality, it’s a specialty that requires a great deal of interpersonal interaction and communication finesse.

“There are a lot of people skills involved,” says Dr. Pecoraro. “When you are in a diagnostic lab, you deal with clients all the time. We may be speaking directly to an owner and may need to explain why their animal died without all the technical jargon.”

While there is sadness in examining animals that are deceased, she focuses on the closure that she provides to grieving pet owners as well as farmers and ranchers who need to know why an animal in their herd died.

“In a diagnostic setting, I am likely the last person the animal owner may speak to” about their animal, Dr. Pecoraro said. “I am trying to give them peace and closure.”.

She adds that it’s a myth that veterinary pathologists are separate from the rest of the animal care team.

“Sharing clinical history, findings, images, etc., with the veterinary pathologist is paramount to getting to the correct diagnosis and, thus, the best treatment for the patient,” she says.

A veterinary student interested in a career in pathology should seek out an internship in a diagnostic laboratory as well as make connections with veterinary pathology residency programs. Veterinary toxicologists and veterinary diagnosticians are other specialists who are in demand at diagnostic laboratories, she notes.

While many newly minded veterinary pathologists head for industry jobs, working at a diagnostic laboratory has unique rewards, she says.

“We are the ones making diagnoses for herds, for people’s pets, and we work with public health,” says Dr. Pecoraro. “I work with amazing, smart people. I really enjoy all the people I work with. We have a common mission and there’s always something to learn.”

Julie A. Jacob Lewis is a freelance writer based in Racine, Wisconsin.