This article was originally printed in the July/August 2025 issue of the California Veterinarian magazine.

Many of us practicing in areas without immediate access to specialists understand the challenge of navigating complex neurology cases with limited resources. At my home hospital in Oakdale, the “Cowboy Capital of the World,” we’ve even coined a term for it: “cowboy medicine.”

While we rely on our best judgment and provide high-quality care, the desire for more advanced knowledge always lingers. The Don Low Fellowship is designed to empower lifelong learners like us, equipping us to confidently manage challenging cases or prepare them effectively for specialist referral.

I first learned about the fellowship from a colleague who had completed the program in radiology and is now the go-to ultrasonographer in our area. I started evaluating the specialties offered in the fellowship, and neurology immediately stood out as the area where I could achieve the most significant growth and the best opportunity to bring advanced medicine to my patients and clients back home.

I was elated when I received the news that I was to be the 2024–2025 Don Low Neurology Fellow! From day one, the faculty and residents were so welcoming and always willing to answer questions and discuss current and previous cases.

My 200 hours were packed with invaluable experience, encompassing over 100 neurological examinations and in-depth discussions covering localization, differentials, diagnostics, and various treatment strategies.

The team expertly navigated gold standard options alongside practical recommendations for resource-limited situations. We held in-depth conversations on nursing care, bladder management, medication adjustments, and effective client communication, ensuring realistic expectations. Rounds over complex cases led to further exploration of disease processes and treatment options.

Additionally, I was exposed to specialized diagnostics, such as BAER testing for hearing, EEG for seizure disorders, and nerve conduction testing for trauma and neuromuscular diseases.

While veterinary school offered limited exposure to advanced MRI and CT imaging, the Don Low Fellowship provided invaluable access to these technologies, significantly enhancing my diagnostic skills. I can now confidently correlate clinical presentations with anomalies revealed by MRIs.

During my time in the hospital, I saw many MRI abnormalities, including disc extrusion, neoplasia, fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE), acute non-compressive nucleus pulposus extrusion (ANNPE), infectious diseases (cryptococcus, aspergillosis, and an empyema), fractures, and inflammatory CNS disease.

Working with students again reignited my passion for this demanding yet deeply rewarding career. Their enthusiasm for learning and the excitement they showed when encountering new clinical scenarios was contagious, serving as a powerful reminder of my own aspiration to become a veterinarian.

The supportive learning environment encouraged the students to ask questions and practice utilizing their knowledge freely. Providing them with real-world experience and advice has been incredibly fulfilling and has solidified my own growth as a veterinarian since graduating in 2019.

I found that my involvement encouraged the soon-to-be doctors to forge on through their rotation and appreciate the exceptional learning opportunity it provided.

My confidence in performing neurological examinations, determining localizations, prioritizing differentials, and developing comprehensive workups on patients has dramatically increased.

Furthermore, the unexpected level of exposure to other departments through consultations, collaborative cases, grand rounds, and interactions with visiting residents on the service broadened my perspective significantly.

The knowledge I’ve gained from the diverse specialties at UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital is already being shared and implemented at my home hospital, ultimately improving the care we and other local practices can offer.

My experience during the Don Low Fellowship at UC Davis has not only renewed my appreciation for the dedicated educators and mentors in veterinary medicine, but has also strengthened my conviction in the value of referring patients to such specialized centers when necessary.

Thanks to the Neurology Fellowship, I can confidently say my practice has further improved our brand of “cowboy medicine” with a more confident approach to neurological care.