Do Residents have to have a certain amount of requirements to get license

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

K12

New Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2008
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
I had an incident about 2 years ago, I took my dog into a Veterinary Neurologist(after a referral) because he had a limp and his leg was lame, I saw a resident, who I immiedately didnt trust for some reason, I explained to him how I believe how his leg got messed up but he seemed to disregard that, after a very expensive Diagnostic he told me my dog had a Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor and his leg needed to be amputated right away

Like an idiot I didnt trust my instincts and went through with the amputation and didnt get a 2nd opinion

Well sure enough a week later he told me the lab results came back and my dog didnt have a tumor, he had Brachial Plexus Neuritis, something I have been reading is very treatable(even though the owner came in and tried to brainwash me into thinking the amputation was neccessary anyway)

Is it possible he could have manipulated me for his own benefit, there was something very off and shady about this guy the whole time, he also never told the main Neurologist how I believe his leg got messed up in the first place

I later found out right after the surgery he went to take his final tests or something and he was done with his residency

Do you need to have a certain number of requirements in order to pass your residency, such as amputating a leg

This has had such a horrible impact on my life in so many ways, the hatred I have for this guy is so intense it is insane, it goes beyond money and my dogs health at this point, more or less problems that have happened to me

And does anyone know why a Biopsy wasnt done? Are biopsys done in all cases where a tumor is present?

I never did anything about this from a legal standpoint, because I have this bad habit of interanlizing my anger and I have since moved away from where it happened(Las Vegas) But like I said this has ruined my life in so many ways and I really cant take it anymore

Members don't see this ad.
 
I'm sorry for your distress.

There is no way anyone on this board (or anywhere else on the internet) can assign any sort of judgement to your dog's case.

If you have a problem with a specific veterinarian, see the Nevada state laws about filing a complaint with the veterinary board if you believe it is necessary.

Just as an aside, it sounds like this could be primarily a communication issue--and not necessarily anything even approaching "malpractice." One thing vets learn in their training is how to communicate--and specifically how to express complicated, technical problems and potential paths to solutions in ways that people without a medicine background can understand. The key word here is "learn." It is not a skill any of us are born with. Many times, communication is what's lacking and the medicine is of a high standard.

Perhaps contacting the veterinarian's office requesting further information would be helpful for your emotional well-being, especially if you do not want to go through the ordeal of filing a complaint and/or want to understand what happened and why.

Hope you find a satisfactory resolution soon. It really, really sucks to be going through what you're feeling--regardless of the reason.

:( I'm sorry.

P.S. I could be very wrong, but I do not believe neurology residents are required to do amputations in order to pass their boards. They have to be knowledgeable about neurosurgery (not sure about the actual procedural requirements--I know there are such things as "medical neurologists" who had to know all about neurosurgery for their boards, but don't ever actually perform surgery in practice).
 
1.Do you need to have a certain number of requirements in order to pass your residency, such as amputating a leg
2. And does anyone know why a Biopsy wasnt done? Are biopsys done in all cases where a tumor is present?

1. No.

FYI a veterinary resident is a fully licensed DVM (could be practicing general practice like any other vet). The residency is to become boarded (a specialist). There are not any quotas such as amputating a leg to become board certified in neurology/neurosurgery.

2. Can not say without seeing the medical records. No a biopsy is not always done. Their are many factors you have to consider when deciding if you are going to biopsy (is it even a tumor which would be likely found on biopsy, will the results of a biopsy change your plans....)

Sorry that you had a bad experience. My advice would be to talk it out with the DVM to get an understanding for what happened, in the case their was any sort of misunderstanding. That is if you can go in without too much "hate"
 
Top