"I did not think of devoting myself into anatomic pathology when I was in vet school," says Tse. "I thought I'd be a surgeon back then."
Obtaining her first Bachelor of Biology from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, May Tse furthered her studies in veterinary medicine in the University of Edinburgh. She came back to Hong Kong, the city where she grew up, and worked in the government veterinary laboratory after a 5-year study in the United Kingdom. Subsequent to her half-a-decade service in the government, she was then invited to attend anatomic pathology residency at Cornell University in the US via the City University of Hong Kong (CityU), and currently works at the CityU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
How is work as an anatomic pathologist like?
Veterinary anatomic pathologists usually deal with animal tissue specimens. After detailed examination under the microscope, a diagnosis and a report would be written. For example, when a lump is observed on the skin of a dog, a clinician may not be able to make an accurate diagnosis based on the history and the outlook of the lump alone. Additional testing may be warranted. To obtain an accurate diagnosis, a biopsy would be necessary, which the lump would be excised and examined by anatomic pathologists.
When it comes to forensic pathology, anatomic pathologists may also have a finger in the pie. Collaborations among different government departments are common.
"Back when I was working in the government veterinary diagnostic laboratory, very often we crossed over with the police force to investigate alleged animal abuse cases. CityU VDL also works closely with AFCD for any animal disease investigation if necessary." says Tse.
In 2011, more than 20 dogs on Lamma Island died of unknown reasons. It was believed to be dog-poisoning when this piece of news first broke out, but was ultimately proved to be an infectious disease spreading among animals with enormous effort by anatomic pathologists and different government departments.
Why pathology over clinical medicine?
"There are two major reasons that fostered my will to work in the pathology field. I found knowing and understanding the disease process and its relationship with tissue response very interesting. Pathology is like detective work and mysteries solving, gathering clues (changes in the tissue) to find the right answer (diagnosis). Plus I enjoy working behind the microscope versus in a clinic setting dealing with lots of different people and the stress of life and death of the animal." says Tse.
Although pathology and clinical medicine are cut from the same cloth, their working nature could, indeed, be very different. Pathologists either examine post mortem (dead) animal bodies or cell specimens like body fluids, tissues, urine or faeces, and seldom come in contact with living animals. Nevertheless, speaking of emotional scenes, Dr. Tse still has something unforgettable to share.
"Some animal owners become very emotional when they lose their beloved pets. I remember back in my residency training in the US, a little boy who was wailing terribly when he sent his pet to the laboratory for post mortem.. It is heartbreaking to see grief on the owners' face!"
Some may think that a pathologist's work is stonier than a clinician's, but in fact, pathologists need strong hearts too!
Which country should I go for if I would like to pursue veterinary medicine? What are the requirements then?
As an experienced vet who spent many of her years in the UK, the US and currently working in Hong Kong, Dr. Tse could surely give you some reliable advice.
The United States/Australia
Undoubtedly, these places have some of the best vet schools in the world! Cornell, USyd...these are all world-renowned and qualified universities for veterinary medicine.
And for the learning mode, Tse commented,
"There is very little hierarchy between professors and students. People there value mutual learning, so it is common to have active discussions between teachers and students. The atmosphere is ideal."
Qualified vets from the States and Australia are also qualified in Hong Kong. No extra qualification tests are necessary to earn a license. However, one thing to note is that both American and Australian vet schools require applicants to finish an undergraduate biology-related degree prior to enrolment. If you are a postgraduate applicant, this would be a great advantage as the duration of study for D.V.M. Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) is only 4 years long, compared to the Bachelor's degree of 56 years in the UK and 6 years in Hong Kong.
The UK
If you're not a biology degree holder but still hope to pursue veterinary medicine, then the UK would also be a good choice for you! Possessing most of the worlds' top vet schools, e.g. Royal Veterinary College, University of Edinburgh, University of Cambridge, with Royal Veterinary College being the world's oldest existing vet school, the UK could certainly provide world-class teaching syllabuses, exposures and opportunities to vet students. According to Tse,
“In the UK, we have the opportunity to be easily and frequently exposed to a variety of animals including farm and exotic animals."
Same as Australia and the US, qualified vets in the UK are also qualified in Hong Kong, without any extra qualification assessments necessary to earn a license. For high school applicants, remember to take three elective subjects in your public exam, including biology!
City University of Hong Kong
And if you are homesick, or just do not want to study abroad, you can consider taking your vet degree in Hong Kong as well! With its first year of operation in 2017, the Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences collaborates with Cornell University, one of the best vet schools in the US, to design the teaching mode and syllabus. Despite the fact that CityU is a rather "young" vet school, its teaching is still of guaranteed quality.
Note: Taking biology and chemistry in high school is a prerequisite for the application for CityU's veterinary medicine programme.
What skills or experience should I equip myself with, given that I want to be a vet in the future?
"I strongly recommend you to participate in some voluntary work in farms or animal welfare organizations such as SPCA and Kadoorie Farm in order to gain some animal-handling experience," Dr. Tse advised.
Students may be exposed to different species during their veterinary studies, so experience of coping with animals could help a lot.
On top of that, being observant could also make you a good vet. For human medicine, patients can verbally express their own symptoms accurately, while as a vet, doctors could only observe the animals' behaviours to make diagnoses. Sometimes, small details could make great differences-and these great differences might lead to great troubles if mismedication occurs due to misdiagnosis!
In terms of studying, the eagerness to self-learn is, as well, crucial.
Tse says, "there are so many variations among cases, and it's far from enough to merely rely on lectures. You have to learn on your own to gain what you have to know."
As a vet, you can no longer check for textbook solutions when tackling animals. What professors tell you may not be updated or replete. Self-learning would be half the key to success.
Do I have any other career options if I do not want to be a clinician or pathologist?
Yes, definitely!
Apart from clinical and pathological medicine, you can also work in the public health, education and research sector.
Public Health
Vet diagnostic laboratories: Study of diseases among animals, e.g. Avian Influenza
Slaughter houses: Supervise food safety
Animal welfare organizations: Promote animal welfare, neutering stray animals, etc.
World Organization for Animal Health (OIE): Global animal health and trade
Education
University lecturer
Research
Advanced studies, e.g. Master, PhD
Animal research
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