EP01 Meet the Team - Virginia Corrigan

Vet Tech Talk

Director of Appalachian State University's online Veterinary Technology degree program, Dr. Virginia Corrigan joins University Communication's Dave Blanks on the first ever episode of Vet Tech Talk! Dave and Virginia discuss the new program at App State. Virginia shares the journey that has lead her to this position as well as some of her most meaningful moments during her time as a veterinary professional.

Transcript:

Dave Blanks:

This is Vet Tech Talk, a podcast about Appalachian State University's online four year bachelor of science in veterinary technology degree program. In this first episode, we'll get to know the professionals who run the program here at App State, we'll learn about their lives and the paths that have led them to our university, we'll learn all about the animals in their lives as well. I'm your host, Dave Blanks. Am I an expert in veterinary technology? No, I certainly am not, but not to worry. Our first guest most assuredly, is. Dr. Virginia Corrigan, who's a director of veterinary technology degree program here at Appalachian State. On this first episode, Dr. Corrigan shares her journey from a little girl who loved cats and horses to a doctor of veterinary medicine running this program. You'll learn more about the program, you'll find out what veterinary nursing is and where the program can take you. Also, the important role that wellbeing plays in the field. Now, here's my conversation with Dr. Corrigan. Hello, Virginia. How are you?

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

Hello, I am very well today. Thank you.

Dave Blanks:

Excellent. So you found the place.

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

I found it.

Dave Blanks:

I'm glad. Yeah. Thank you for joining us today to talk about the new veterinary technology program at Appalachian State. We're going to discuss the program, we are going to get to know a little bit about who you are. And this is the first of our podcast about the veterinary technology program. We're going to meet a lot of people, but you're starting us out. Why are you starting us out? Because...

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

I'm the program director for veterinary technology. I imagine that is why you asked me to come.

Dave Blanks:

You're correct. Yeah. So we thought we'd start it out with you. Can you tell us who are you as it pertains to veterinary medicine? And I would like to know also about the animals that are in your life.

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

Absolutely. Happy to share. I think who I am and veterinary medicine are very intertwined I would say, because I am a classic veterinarian. I wanted to be a vet from the time I was six years old. I grew up with animals, specifically cats, and then I also had a fascination with horses. For better or worse, my mom led me down the path and she let me ride my first horse when I was six and I was absolutely hooked. And I rode horses growing up and I competed and I lived at the barn. I was one of those girls. And so it was always my manifest destiny to become a veterinarian because I just loved animals.

Dave Blanks:

Nice.

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

Still do.

Dave Blanks:

So what animals are in your life right now? What are the animals that are a part of your life? Do you have a horse now?

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

The funny thing about that, is I went to vet school and I told myself I was going to be an equine veterinarian, because I loved horses so much and I do not have a horse.

Dave Blanks:

Oh, wow.

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

I never have.

Dave Blanks:

What?

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

Because it turns out that horses are really expensive creatures. They are beautiful and I love them dearly. The animals that currently share my life with me, two dogs and two cats. I have a very, very sweet, best dog in the whole wide world named Yogi. He's an almost 14 year old Golden Retriever. He has spent his life as a therapy dog. So he used to come to work with me in my previous job and he worked with students on the campus at Virginia Tech. And so he's just the sweetest dog. Now, he's happily retired and our part-time nanny should we say, to our three little kids.

Then, I have a seven year old Golden Retriever named Tucker who actually was training to be a service dog and I was his puppy trainer. And no fault of my own, I will say, he did not make it all the way through the training. He's very, very sweet, but was really meant to be a pet and just loves people so much, was not really meant for that life of service. So he shares our home with us and he and Yogi are the best of friends. And then I have two cats, I have Apricot and Kiwi. I have a theme for fruit names for my cats, and they're both just very, very sweet. And they sit with me in my many, many Zoom meetings now.

Dave Blanks:

Nice. So I think you kind of mentioned it, but how long have you been doing this? The veterinary thing has been with you since you were six, you said?

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

I graduated from veterinary school in 2010. I went to the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. And so I've been officially a veterinarian for 12 years.

Dave Blanks:

And how has that journey led you here, to Appalachian State?

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

What a journey. I never would've imagined myself here. And actually, I will be honest with you. As I walked in this building, feeling a little bit nervous about this podcast, I imagined everyone I've known in my career so far kind of right behind me and giving me like a high five, because I've had the most phenomenal career in veterinary medicine. I'm just so proud to be here and I'm really proud to represent my profession, because I love it and I'm very passionate about it. And the people within this profession are just the most amazing people I've ever met. So I'm really proud to be here on their behalf, is how I see it. What led me here. So as I mentioned, I went to veterinary school at University of Tennessee, go Vols. I am a volunteer fan after going there, how can you not?

Dave Blanks:

I will accept that. We'll allow it. All right.

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

That orange color, it just like.... I don't know, it's hypnotizing maybe.

Dave Blanks:

Maybe that's what it is. Yeah.

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

But I had a fantastic experience. Absolutely loved it. And then I went off to Denver, Colorado and I spent a year in an internship program at Alameda East Veterinary Hospital, which a lot of people remember the Animal Planet show that they used to film there. And no, I was not on the show, thankfully. They were not filming it while I was there, which is very, very good because as a brand new veterinarian, it's absolutely terrifying.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah, that would be some serious intimidation.

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

So that would be even worse, if someone was following you around asking you, "So what are you going to do now?" But anyway, it was an awesome internship. And then I moved on from there and actually was in Charlotte, North Carolina, so not far from here. For about two years, I worked in general practice in emergency medicine at Animal Medical Hospital in Charlotte. And that was such a formative experience for me, by myself in the middle of the night with my veterinary technicians and my veterinary assistants and we were just taking whatever walked in the door.

Dave Blanks:

So you were alone with your vet techs from the jump off, there wasn't like a shadowing experience with that?

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

Since I had done an internship, they assumed I was pretty much ready to be by myself. And honestly, it's the best way to learn, just jumping in whether you like it or not.

Dave Blanks:

Maybe not great for your nerves initially, but yeah, you're probably right.

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

After I did two years of private practice, then I actually went to the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia tech. I did a residency there, completed my master's in public health, and became board certified in the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. And then I loved the academic environment and teaching so much, I stayed on as faculty. So right before coming here to App State, I was a faculty member at the veterinary school. And then the opportunity came about, I basically got my shoulder tapped and said, "Hey, would you be interested in helping to start a new veterinary technology program at App State?" And I said, "Well, that's crazy, but it sounds wonderful." I thought about it and decided this was the opportunity of a lifetime, to start something new and to really have a positive impact on the profession. So I went for it and here I am. I have been in this position for about six months now.

Dave Blanks:

Well, I'm glad you're here. It sounds like the program is very promising. Can you tell me a little bit about it?

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

I would absolutely love to tell you more about the program. So what we are aiming to achieve, is a four year bachelor of science program in veterinary technology. And this program is going to have online courses. So all of the courses will be online, and then our students will be achieving their clinical skills training onsite in veterinary healthcare settings. So that might be veterinary clinics, it might be lab animal settings, we're going to be broad in that definition. But essentially, they're going to be doing their hands-on skills training in veterinary practices and then doing their coursework online.

Dave Blanks:

Okay. Gotcha. So the whole first part of it, how long is the online version of it? Does it mix back and forth, online learning, in-person learning?

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

So the interesting thing, is it's not a one size fits all program, because of the varied nature of where our students are coming from in their lives and what other things they have going on. So we are trying to make this program be very flexible and to fit the needs of our students, because a lot of our students potentially could be working full-time or part-time in a veterinary clinic at the same time that they're doing courses for this program, which is the wonderful thing about it being online, is that they can access it that way. We might have students who choose to do the program full-time and then just do their externships over the summer, which is the way we designed it so that they can focus on their clinical experiences over the summer and then focus on their coursework during that semester.

We're going to open it up to any and all of those possibilities for the students. So in an ideal world, one compliments the other, however they're doing it. If they're working at the same time or if they're doing courses and then doing their externships, some people work better one way or the other, honestly. And some people just feel like they need that hands-on right from the beginning, and that's fine. But we do want one to compliment the other. And I think what's really unique about what we're trying to achieve, is that we're making it very practical, as hands-on as you can get in an online environment. We're going to try to really connect what they're learning in the course with what really happens hands-on, make it very, very useful and practical from the start.

Dave Blanks:

Right. So a couple of things that you said. So you said externship, can you explain that to me?

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

I would love to.

Dave Blanks:

Okay, thank you.

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

So an externship in veterinary medicine at least, is defined as a work-based experience that you do while you're enrolled in your program. And then an internship would be an experience that you undertake after you graduate.

Dave Blanks:

Gotcha. Okay. All right. Another thing you said in answer to that question about the program, is it's meeting students where they are. The program's online, so you said where they are in their lives. But what about geographically where they are? Who are these students going to be? Could they be across the country?

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

They could be coming from anywhere. Again, the beauty of online education. We really welcome students coming from anywhere. I know some of the other distance based veterinary technology programs shared with me that they have students in other countries.

Dave Blanks:

Wow.

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

I was speaking with a program director from another program in Florida and she was mentioning she has a student from Iceland. So dream big.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah.

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

You never know. I think in the beginning, we're really going to draw mostly from North Carolina because they're very familiar with App State, in state tuition is definitely appealing. We're trying to build this program to really fit the needs of where the profession is and where it's going. And so that would be inclusive of students coming from all over the country and from all walks of life.

Dave Blanks:

So the vision of the program is shaping the future of veterinary nursing. Is that correct? Did I get that right?

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

Yes.

Dave Blanks:

Shaping the future of veterinary nursing. So what does veterinary nursing look like now and what is it that we are going to be doing differently with veterinary nursing, with this program? Can you give me an idea of that, of what are we trying to accomplish with it?

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

I would be happy to. And first, I'll start with the term veterinary nursing, because I think that in and of itself deserves a little bit of explanation and rounding out because where the profession is at this point is a turning point. If you want to have an analogy of who is a veterinary technician, well, they really are the equivalent of a human nurse. They play the same types of roles in healthcare settings, as you can imagine an human nurse playing. So they're not just the ones drawing blood, taking x-rays. As a veterinarian, I am handing my patient to a veterinary technician or a veterinary nurse and trusting them to do a real bulk of the patient care. Their hands-on monitoring patients who are under anesthesia, recovering them, monitoring them in the ICU, administering treatments and medications, assessing patients, suggesting treatments and ongoing therapies.

So they are so much more than what they might seem from first glance. And so the field is really undergoing quite an evolution right now. And according to the AVMA, which is the American Veterinary Medical Association, the terminology that's widely accepted for this professional is either veterinary technician or a veterinary technologist. And by the book, a veterinary technician is an individual that has graduated from an associate's degree program for veterinary technology. A veterinary technologist is an individual who has graduated from a four year bachelor's program. However, there is a push and there's actually an entity called the veterinary nursing initiative because of the fact that veterinary technician or technologist, it's not really understood when you say that, what exactly this person does.

Dave Blanks:

Right. I wouldn't have been able to guess.

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

But when you say veterinary nursing-

Dave Blanks:

Exactly.

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

It makes sense.

Dave Blanks:

I know exactly what you mean. Yeah.

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

And there's a lot more that goes into that unpack and probably having Jen Serling, who's our assistant director, and she's a credentialed veterinary technician. I think she'd be the best one to walk you through all of that. But suffice it to say that the field is really at this turning point. And I would say again, going back to the analogy of human nursing, were kind of where they were maybe 30 to 40 years ago, where there's differentiation of roles happening, advancement in educational opportunities and really a growth in, again, these career opportunities. Because right now, it's a bit stagnant. There aren't necessarily clear pathways for veterinary technicians, veterinary nurses. And by the way, I will use those terms synonymously because in the field right now, you can use either one. And there are feelings one way or the other, but again, it's becoming more widely accepted that there really needs to be additional programs that provide a ladder and provide growth, so that additional types of career opportunities and advancement in their particular area of emphasis can be achieved.

Dave Blanks:

Gotcha. Well, let me ask you this. So if your plan ultimately, was to be a vet, would this program be a good first step for you if that was where you were heading? What's that first step now? Why is this different or maybe better?

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

I'm really glad you brought that up. That's a common question because there are a lot of people who contact me who are interested in veterinary medicine as a career, and maybe they are interested in becoming a veterinarian or maybe they don't know that there are other options for them. So just to answer the first part of your question, the four year program in veterinary technology is not necessarily for those who know for sure they want to go to veterinary school. We are not providing the prerequisites that they will need to apply for veterinary school. That's not the emphasis of this program.

We're really designing this program specifically for people who would like to become veterinary technicians and veterinary nurses. That's what this program is being designed for. That being said, there might be students who go through the four year program and decide that they would like to go to veterinary school, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. They just need to know that it would be very important to work with their advisor to make sure that they have taken the courses that they need, because veterinary school admission is extremely competitive and it's very specific in the courses that they would need to take.

Dave Blanks:

Virginia, are there other programs like this currently in the US?

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

There are other bachelor's programs in veterinary technology. We are going to be the very first fully online four year bachelors program in veterinary technology. There do exist, bachelor's completion programs that are online in which students are enrolled after they have completed an associates degree, their two or three year associates degree in veterinary technology and they wish to complete a full four year bachelors in veterinary technology. But we are the very first that is a full four year and online. There are other onsite brick and mortar four year bachelor's programs. So we're a little bit different in that way.

Dave Blanks:

Gotcha. So one aspect of veterinary technicians lives, is there's a lot of success and there's a lot of grief as well that these professionals are going to have to deal with in their job. Is part of our curriculum dealing with losing a patient, dealing with helping a family who has experienced a loss? Because that's a big part of veterinary medicine.

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

I'm really glad that you brought this subject up. So wellbeing in the veterinary profession is one of the most important topics to me personally, as well as what's important to this program because veterinary medicine is a caregiving profession. We give care to patients, we give care to people, and it's absolutely incredible to me, what I have learned through the years how much of a people profession this is. And that is something that it is challenging at times and it presents a lot of opportunity for us in education to be able to help our students be prepared. Because the way I think of it is, between stimulus and response, there's a space and in that space lies our power to choose. And there are going to be challenging times in this profession. When I graduated, I went out and did an internship and I was doing a lot of emergency.

And there's some really challenging situations. A lot of emotions, you mentioned grief, loss, just difficult situations where you wish you could help a pet. And for one reason or another, you're just not able to do what you wish you could do for that animal. I will say, not all negative, of course, there's just these absolutely most beautiful moments where the bond between a person and their animal is just illuminated and you get to be a part of that. And even if that is at that pet's end of life, you get to play a part in caring for that animal in their final moments and that can be an absolutely beautiful thing. However, it also is challenging because we came into this profession because we want to save all the animals. And when I was six, that's exactly what I thought I was going to be doing.

So it is absolutely essential that we empower our students and help them to learn the skills to maintain their own personal wellbeing first and foremost, because we need them to be at their best in order to provide the best care to their patients, to their clients, to the communities. And in those challenging moments, again, that's space that we have to choose. That's the power. And so we're going to fill that space with communication skills, leadership, wellbeing, personal development. That is just hugely important to us and why I really believe that the four year program is a wonderful thing, because there's so much to learn that's just strictly veterinary medicine. You have to learn anesthesia, you've got to learn how to place an IV catheter, you have to learn pharmacology. It's just part of the job. But these foundational skills are so important and that's really going to make the difference to someone when they get out there, and they're working and they face a challenging situation. So that's really my vision and my goal, is to help with that component of the job, because it exists.

Dave Blanks:

I had a feeling that was a part of the program as well. So a word you used... I keep doing that like, "Oh, you said this word, you said that word," but you did use the word bond. And that's something that I saw when I was looking through information about you, about who you are. I looked you up on LinkedIn, and you talked about the human animal bond. Can you tell me about that? Like, what do you mean when you talk about the human animal bond?

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

Oh, wow. What a question. That could be an all day answer. So the human animal bond. So it's a broad term, but it's the mutually beneficial relationship between humans and animals. So it's a two-way street. Our lives are better because animals are around and animals' lives are better because we're around, and it's a two-way coin. Of course, not all of the relationships between human and animals lead to a positive outcome, unfortunately. But what we think of when we think of the human animal bond from a veterinary medicine perspective, is how a veterinary professional can help to promote and protect that bond. Because when we think of the mutually beneficial relationship between people and animals... Well, what really came to me as I developed my career in veterinary medicine, is when I take care of someone's pet, I'm actually taking care of that person too, because pets are part of our family. In a lot of situations and a lot of communities and cultures, your pet is part of your family.

And so having that pet around can lower your stress, can decrease your anxiety, can provide you with this companionship that, especially during COVID, you cannot even imagine just these relationships that were strengthened and formed. And sometimes, animals just get people through the day. It's just how it is. And so when I'm helping someone's animal, I'm actually helping them too. Because when an animal is healthy and happy has a good quality of life, everybody feels better. And there's actually just a ton of fascinating research in how animals, again, can decrease anxiety, decrease our blood pressure.

Animals are integrated into different types of settings now, like human therapy, physical therapy, mental health settings, because there's just so many kind of physiologic benefits, as well as just emotional benefits. We think of the human animal bond when you think of service animals and therapy animals, it's just absolutely amazing how we can be better together, is kind of what it boils down to. But then there's also the other side of the coin. There's a moral imperative that we need to take good care of our animals, and that's really where the veterinary profession comes in. Of course, we think of that care for the animals, but we also think of how everybody benefits when animals are healthy and happy.

Dave Blanks:

Could you share a story of an animal that you had a bond with? And we can maybe end with that. I don't want you to be too emotional or anything like that, but I would like to know if this was part of why you do what you do.

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

Oh yeah. I could talk to you all day long about why I do this. I'm extremely fortunate to do what I do. As I mentioned, I've always known I wanted to be a veterinarian. I've always loved animals. There was something about that bond that really spoke to me. And I also feel like as I mentioned at the beginning, the people in this profession, when I think about how caregiving they are and how much of themselves they give to animals and to this human animal bond, it's the most amazing group of people I've ever met. And so there is that piece. And as far as animals themselves, I have lots of stories, but I will share my favorite cat. Her name was Mango. She was part of my fruit trio.

Dave Blanks:

Understood.

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

Yeah. So when I started veterinary school, I was all by myself. I lived actually on a farm. I took care of a family's horses for them, and they were just wonderful. But I was a little bit lonely. So I was happy to find a companion. So I found Mango. She was coming from the shelter environment and she got me through veterinary school. She was my constant companion, she laid on my lap and let's be honest, on my notes as I was trying to study. And she moved with me to my internship, she moved to Charlotte, she moved with us to Blacksburg. And she passed away a couple years ago, but she was the best cat. She was so sweet. She always knew when you needed a cuddle, and she got me through a lot of tough times in my life. So we actually planted a tree in honor of Mango at the house that we just moved away from in Blacksburg, a beautiful Jane Magnolia tree, which is probably just about to blossom and I'm very sad to miss it.

Dave Blanks:

Well, you'll have to plant another one in Mango's honor. Yeah.

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

Yes, I would love to.

Dave Blanks:

Well, Virginia, thank you so much for sharing today. I want to learn more about the program. I'm excited about the program and we will do more podcasts. We'll share more stories of the Appalachian State University veterinary technology program and I'm excited to hear about them. Again, thank you so much for coming by. I really appreciate you for being here.

Dr. Virginia Corrigan:

This is such a pleasure. Thank you so much for having me.

Dave Blanks:

If you love animals, a degree in veterinary technology may be just what you need in your life, put that love for animals to work for you. No matter your busy schedule, you'll learn to capably assist veterinarians and prepare for certification exams to take advantage of a flourishing job market and ensure that pets get the care they need. You can find out more by going online to the vet tech website, that's vettech.appstate.edu. On the next episode of Vet Tech Talk, we'll be speaking with Jen Sterling, the assistant director of the new four year online program in veterinary technology. She'll share more interesting info about the program, as well as the animals in her life. Vet Tech Talk is at production of university communications here at Appalachian State. Check out more of our podcasts by going online to podcasts.appstate.edu. I'm Dave Blanks. Thanks so much for listening to Vet Tech Talk and have a great day.