Today's Veterinary Practice provides comprehensive information to keep every small animal practitioner up to date on companion animal medicine and surgery as well as practice building and management.
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THE BACK PAGE: VETERINARY VIEWPOINTS In the Grasp of the Animal Kingdom AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. CLARKE ATKINS In the 8 years I’ve been involved in veterinary publishing, Dr. Clarke Atkins is someone I’ve had the pleasure of working with on a number of articles; an author who I know is incredibly well respected for his dedication and depth of knowledge with regard to his field of medicine—companion animal cardiology. I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Atkins in person at the 2011 AVMA Convention in St. Louis. Our conversation revolved around his current research on heartworm disease. However, I also had the chance to get a “behind-the- scenes” view into Dr. Atkins’ life and outlook on today’s veterinary medicine. —Kelly Soldavin, Editorial Director W hy did you decide to pursue veterinary medicine as a career? I made this decision much earlier than is probably advisable. My first recollection of choosing veterinary medicine as a career was a “what I want to do when I grow up” essay I wrote in seventh grade. I had by then raised many animals, including dogs, cats, pigeons, guinea hens, and a burro and my imagination was firmly in the grasp of the animal kingdom. In honesty, there was no other choice for me; I struggled for years trying to come up with an alternative career path…just in case. Why did you choose a career specializing in cardiology? I originally chose a career in internal medicine that, over several decades, morphed into cardiology. After graduating and completing my internship, I became an internist in private practice in California. However, I accepted an academic position as an internist, replacing a departing cardiologist, at Oklahoma State University, which led to teaching and providing case coverage in cardiology. My mentors in internal medicine included Steven Ettinger (University of California–Davis), Neil Harpster (internship), and Larry Tilley (private practice). I was supported in my pursuit of cardiology by John Bonagura and, in later years, by Bob Hamlin and Bruce Keene. Can you describe your current pursuits? I currently maintain a clinic presence, though less than in previous years. I teach students in the clinic and spend a good deal of time training house officers (interns and cardiology residents). Dr. Atkins and third-year cardiology resident Dr. Marisa Ames examining Martin, an English springer spaniel with cardiac disease. Clarke Atkins, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM (Internal Medicine & Cardiology), is a professor of medicine and cardiology at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine and the Jane Lewis Seaks Distinguished Professor of Companion Animal Medicine. Dr. Atkins is known for his research and teaching in small animal cardiology and is the 2004 Norden Award recipient for excellence in teaching. His research involves canine and feline heartworm disease and pharmacologic thera- pies for cardiac disease in dogs, cats, and horses. He is the author of over 150 publications. Dr. Atkins received his DVM from University of California–Davis and completed his internship at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Prior to his current position, he was on faculty at University of Wisconsin and Oklahoma State University and in private practice in California. 80 Today’s Veterinary Practice July/August 2011