Looking back now, I sometimes smile at how much veterinary practice has changed since I began my career in 1960. In those days, we believed we were using the latest methods and medicines. Little did we know that many of those "modern" drugs would one day disappear into the pages of history!
Before I speak of my own journey, a little history is in order.
The Madras Veterinary College officially attained college status on 1 October 1903. It admitted its first batch of just 20 students to the historic three-year diploma course leading to the qualification G.M.V.C. (Graduate of Madras Veterinary College).
In 1935, the college became affiliated to the University of Madras, and in 1936 it created another milestone by introducing the Bachelor of Veterinary Science (B.V.Sc.) degree—the first veterinary degree programme in India.
Coincidentally, I was also born in 1936. Sometimes I jokingly tell my friends that perhaps I arrived in this world that very year only to join that historic B.V.Sc. course one day! Fortunately, both the college and I kept our appointment.
Today's veterinary profession has taken giant leaps. Diagnostic laboratories, ultrasound scanners, digital X-rays, endoscopy, CT scans and many other sophisticated tools now stand shoulder to shoulder with those used in human medicine. Diseases that once kept us guessing can now be diagnosed with remarkable accuracy. Treatments have become safer, faster and far more effective.
During my days as an active veterinary practitioner, private veterinary clinics were few and far between. In fact, many of us were reluctant to establish private clinics even though the rules permitted it. There was an unspoken fear that if a government veterinarian became too popular in private practice, the higher authorities might suspect that his official duties were being neglected.
I had my own brush with this mindset. On one occasion, I accepted an assignment at the Madras Race Club. The work was generally on holidays and therefore did not interfere with my government duties. To my surprise, I was served with a memo!
I had to patiently explain that, according to the Animal Husbandry Manual, there was no restriction on a qualified Veterinary Assistant Surgeon engaging in private practice, provided it did not affect his government responsibilities. The matter ended there, but the incident revealed the prevailing attitude of those times.
How different things are today! Veterinary clinics and diagnostic laboratories have mushroomed everywhere. Private practitioners are respected for the valuable service they render, and pet owners as well as livestock farmers have many more options than we ever dreamed of. It is a welcome change—one that has strengthened the profession rather than weakened it.
What amazes me most is the confidence and competence of veterinarians working in rural areas. During my time, many complicated surgical cases were referred to teaching hospitals. Today, even veterinarians in remote villages perform difficult surgeries with skill and confidence. I can only admire their dedication.
Another pleasant surprise has been the remarkable rise of women veterinarians. In my younger days, many of us—rather unfairly, I must admit—thought that women were better suited for teaching or laboratory work than for demanding field practice. How gloriously wrong we were! They have proved themselves in every branch of the profession. Whether handling a stubborn bull, performing a delicate surgery, managing a busy clinic or conducting research, they have shown that ability has nothing to do with gender.
If a young veterinarian from today were suddenly transported back to the 1960s, they might look around with curiosity and ask, "Where are the machines?" We, on the other hand, would proudly point to our stethoscope, thermometer and years of experience and say, "These were our machines!"
Somehow, with limited facilities but unlimited determination, we managed remarkably well. After all, necessity was not only the mother of invention—it was often our senior consultant!
Every generation believes it has seen the best of its profession. Mine certainly did. But the present generation has taken veterinary science to heights we could scarcely have imagined. I feel privileged to have witnessed this extraordinary transformation—from an era when diagnosis depended largely on the eye, the ear and the hand, to one where science and technology have become trusted partners.
Comments
Post a Comment