This article was originally printed in the May/June 2026 issue of the California Veterinarian magazine.

In a recent podcast, comedian Jerry Seinfield noted that in the seventies, there was great emphasis on how “cool” one’s career was—that an admirable career was defined by personal satisfaction, helping others, and other features of “social value” rather than highest salary. I am so fortunate to have a “cool” career in a two-pathologist, private necropsy-only practice. I get to see intellectually stimulating cases, help people navigate grief, and pursue justice for abused and neglected animals. I make a decent living and have an excellent work-life balance. How cool is that?!

Like many of us in the veterinary field, my career has taken unanticipated twists and turns. I started out pursuing general practice and small animal medicine, veered deep into dairy medicine, superficially dipped into academia, then took a one-way road to anatomic pathology (AP) during my third year of veterinary school. (Remember how much you hated systems pathology class? Well, I loved it!) My transition into AP was heavily influenced by the people working within that discipline. I appreciated the AP faculty members’ senses of humor. I also noticed that they were among the few specialists who showed photos of their vacations during lecture…I was a non-traditional student, having had careers as a high school teacher, pharmaceutical sales representative, and basic scientific research technician prior to starting veterinary school. As a result, I especially appreciated the AP faculty’s attempt at demonstrating work-life balance.

I derive great satisfaction from the diversity of cases I receive. Each case is a surprise—like opening a box of Cracker Jack and discovering the toy prize inside. I’ve seen everything from infectious disease, neoplasia, breed-related abnormalities, trauma, neglect, intoxications—the list goes on. One case in particular sticks out. An adult dog developed malaise and spontaneously died at home after receiving an injection of Librela. There was concern the Librela had poisoned the dog. Instead, the necropsy revealed a systemic, pyogranulomatous inflammatory disease. It turned out that this dog had tuberculosis, confirmed by culture and PCR. Besides the pucker factor of being exposed to a serious zoonotic disease, working up this case was a highlight. It’s not uncommon for cases to have a list of differentials; in this case, however, there was a singular cause of death with clear and supportive ancillary testing and no evidence of other, significant disease processes. It was helpful to the veterinarians who treated the dog as well as the dog’s grieving owners to have a specific cause of death.

My practice, Necropsy Services Group, was started in 2008 by Dr. Bill Spangler, a giant in anatomic pathology. His generous and patient mentorship has been a major influence on the “coolness” of my career. Before starting my first forensic necropsy, he told me, “You are the best person for this job.” I’ve carried those words, delivered in his kind voice, into every case. I am deeply grateful for all his contributions not just to my career, but to the entire field. It’s no coincidence that his son, Dr. Taylor Spangler, has taken on the leadership role in the practice, continuing on his father’s legacy of serving owners, veterinarians, and pets. He has even grown a mustache just like his dad!

Another part of the “coolness” of my career comes from a meaningful working relationship with a respectful partner. We work up cases individually but are available for a second opinion whenever needed. We are open to each other’s very different approaches to clients and cases. We are accepting of the peculiarities of our personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. And when there are issues, we are able to communicate effectively to resolve them. In other words, there is no office drama.

I love my career. I would not have anticipated doing this type of work 19 years ago when I started veterinary school with aspirations of becoming an academic dairy veterinarian. On my first day of veterinary school, Dr. Stephen Barthold, another leading light in veterinary pathology, said to me, “What I love most about veterinary medicine is that you can do whatever you want.” As I start my second decade as a board-certified anatomic pathologist, I feel as if I’m living those words. I am so grateful for all the opportunities and support I have received, and I hope I can pass the same along to the next generation of anatomic pathologists.