Page 6 - Volume 18 Issue 2
P. 6
Year 4 Internal Medicine Preceptor of the Year Year 4 Surgery Preceptor of the Year
Bonnie Murphy, S. Gary Brown,
DVM, DACVIM DVM, DACVS
Dr. Bonnie Murphy, the internal medicine Dr. S. Gary Brown capped more than 40 years as
specialist at the Animal Emergency Medical a veterinary orthopedic surgeon with the 2017
Center in Torrance, Calif., has been a Year 4 Surgery Preceptor of the Year award. This
preceptor for WesternU’s veterinary is the second time he has been so honored.
students nearly 10 years.
Dr. Brown, who has recently retired, took on one
Now, students have selected her as the Year to two students at a time in their four-week
4 Core Internal Medicine Preceptor of the rotations for 10 years, first at his own specialty
Year. practice, and later as a staff surgeon at Beacon
Veterinary Specialists in Fremont, Calif., the
“I am incredibly honored that the students company that bought his practice in early 2015.
themselves selected me as one of the
preceptors of the year,” Dr. Murphy said. “I hope that this award means “The fourth-year students did everything that I did, from scrubbing up to
that the students enjoyed learning medicine as much as I enjoyed suturing,” he said. “They were doing some heavy-duty work.”
teaching it.”
In addition to experiencing the real-world, hands-on surgeries, Dr. Brown’s
Her favorite part of being a preceptor is passing on the enthusiasm and charges met with him for an hour every morning for what he called “Bible
passion that she has for medicine, as well as instilling a deep respect for Study.”
the profession.
“It was their introduction to Fossum,” he said, referring to the classic, 1,600-
“Although being a veterinarian is not always easy, if I can help the plus page “Small Animal Surgery” textbook by Theresa Webb Fossum.
students learn to enjoy medicine every day, then they will have as much
fun as I have had for the past 28 years,” she said. “I’d lead them through 60 to 70 pages at a time,” the doctor said. “They didn’t
have to memorize anything, but they learned what’s in it. They will be
Dr. Murphy grew up with horses. returning to the book for the rest of their careers.”
“Apparently, I decided to be a vet -- I couldn’t yet say veterinarian -- at The first time he was recognized as a preceptor in 2009, he was too busy with
age 6,” Dr. Murphy said. “My interest was cemented when my Shetland his practice, Veterinary Orthopedic Surgery Service, to attend the celebration.
pony’s equine vet asked me to tell him whether I really meant that my As Dr. Brown approached retirement this year, he cut back his schedule to
pony had a hole in his ‘stomach’ or if he actually had a hole in his ‘belly.’ three mornings a week, so that this time, he could participate in the festivities,
which included the graduation Dinner Dance and Commencement.
“The precision of medicine and the chance to solve the puzzle fascinated
me.” “I wore a cap and gown to the graduation,” Dr. Brown said. “It was my
parting gesture.
She has a DVM from the University of California, Davis, and board
certification as an internist. “I was blessed to be able to work with WesternU students, and among them
were the 10 smartest women I have ever met.
Dr. Murphy operated a private specialty practice before joining the
Animal Emergency Medical Center. AEMC’s founder and director, Jonnie “It is a credit to the problem-based learning program that the students are
Quantz, DVM, opened the 24-hour emergency center 17 years ago; it now way ahead of the game,” he said. “They already know how to find the
has eight veterinarians on staff. information they need when they need it. They are really on the level of PhD
candidates.”
“One of my favorite things to teach is that 90 percent of a diagnosis is
found in medical history and the physical exam,” she said. “All the other Dr. Brown said that Sherry Appel, JD, DVM, DVSc, DACVS, has stepped in as
diagnostic testing and advanced imaging is meant to confirm, refine, or Beacon’s new surgical preceptor. She is a lawyer as well as a veterinarian, he
refute the initial list of possible diagnoses.” added.
Also, she added, “When you go out as newly-minted veterinarians, listen
to, and learn from, the nurses in your practice because they are
compassionate, observant, and excellent sources of information about
your patients.”
4 College of Veterinary Medicine
Bonnie Murphy, S. Gary Brown,
DVM, DACVIM DVM, DACVS
Dr. Bonnie Murphy, the internal medicine Dr. S. Gary Brown capped more than 40 years as
specialist at the Animal Emergency Medical a veterinary orthopedic surgeon with the 2017
Center in Torrance, Calif., has been a Year 4 Surgery Preceptor of the Year award. This
preceptor for WesternU’s veterinary is the second time he has been so honored.
students nearly 10 years.
Dr. Brown, who has recently retired, took on one
Now, students have selected her as the Year to two students at a time in their four-week
4 Core Internal Medicine Preceptor of the rotations for 10 years, first at his own specialty
Year. practice, and later as a staff surgeon at Beacon
Veterinary Specialists in Fremont, Calif., the
“I am incredibly honored that the students company that bought his practice in early 2015.
themselves selected me as one of the
preceptors of the year,” Dr. Murphy said. “I hope that this award means “The fourth-year students did everything that I did, from scrubbing up to
that the students enjoyed learning medicine as much as I enjoyed suturing,” he said. “They were doing some heavy-duty work.”
teaching it.”
In addition to experiencing the real-world, hands-on surgeries, Dr. Brown’s
Her favorite part of being a preceptor is passing on the enthusiasm and charges met with him for an hour every morning for what he called “Bible
passion that she has for medicine, as well as instilling a deep respect for Study.”
the profession.
“It was their introduction to Fossum,” he said, referring to the classic, 1,600-
“Although being a veterinarian is not always easy, if I can help the plus page “Small Animal Surgery” textbook by Theresa Webb Fossum.
students learn to enjoy medicine every day, then they will have as much
fun as I have had for the past 28 years,” she said. “I’d lead them through 60 to 70 pages at a time,” the doctor said. “They didn’t
have to memorize anything, but they learned what’s in it. They will be
Dr. Murphy grew up with horses. returning to the book for the rest of their careers.”
“Apparently, I decided to be a vet -- I couldn’t yet say veterinarian -- at The first time he was recognized as a preceptor in 2009, he was too busy with
age 6,” Dr. Murphy said. “My interest was cemented when my Shetland his practice, Veterinary Orthopedic Surgery Service, to attend the celebration.
pony’s equine vet asked me to tell him whether I really meant that my As Dr. Brown approached retirement this year, he cut back his schedule to
pony had a hole in his ‘stomach’ or if he actually had a hole in his ‘belly.’ three mornings a week, so that this time, he could participate in the festivities,
which included the graduation Dinner Dance and Commencement.
“The precision of medicine and the chance to solve the puzzle fascinated
me.” “I wore a cap and gown to the graduation,” Dr. Brown said. “It was my
parting gesture.
She has a DVM from the University of California, Davis, and board
certification as an internist. “I was blessed to be able to work with WesternU students, and among them
were the 10 smartest women I have ever met.
Dr. Murphy operated a private specialty practice before joining the
Animal Emergency Medical Center. AEMC’s founder and director, Jonnie “It is a credit to the problem-based learning program that the students are
Quantz, DVM, opened the 24-hour emergency center 17 years ago; it now way ahead of the game,” he said. “They already know how to find the
has eight veterinarians on staff. information they need when they need it. They are really on the level of PhD
candidates.”
“One of my favorite things to teach is that 90 percent of a diagnosis is
found in medical history and the physical exam,” she said. “All the other Dr. Brown said that Sherry Appel, JD, DVM, DVSc, DACVS, has stepped in as
diagnostic testing and advanced imaging is meant to confirm, refine, or Beacon’s new surgical preceptor. She is a lawyer as well as a veterinarian, he
refute the initial list of possible diagnoses.” added.
Also, she added, “When you go out as newly-minted veterinarians, listen
to, and learn from, the nurses in your practice because they are
compassionate, observant, and excellent sources of information about
your patients.”
4 College of Veterinary Medicine
