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[Music] Hello Blue Jays and welcome to the nest stories about life after Manor College. I am your host Kelly Peiffer vice president of marketing communications and this is the best part of my day. My hope is that this podcast will encourage, inform, and inspire you, making you feel like at Manor College you belong here always. Before we get to today's guests, it's time for a segment of the show I like to call Did You Know? Did you know the story behind Nevel's Hall? Neville's Hall is the main space on our campus where the Vet

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program eats, breathes, lives, studies. Neville's Hall includes a radiology suite, a cat ward, a small animal clinical lab, a surgical suite, our faculty offices, and much more. So, our veterinary technology program at Manor College has been around and accredited since 1992. This is one of our flagship programs here at the college. This program has a three-year pass rate at 82% on the VTNE, which is the big standardized test that all vets have to take that really assesses the competency of that person. And it's a

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requirement to become a licensed vet for certification. And actually last year's pass rate climbed up to more than 90%. So our Manor College vets are really prepared to go out and become vet tech. So back to the hall. So back in 2021, we dedicated the name of the Vet hallway as Neville's Hall after Jim and Lorine Neville had been really really generous to Manor College over the years and particularly they have a heart for our Vet program. A little backstory about Jim and Lorine. They are friends of the

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college. Jim has been serving as a Manor College trustee on our board of trustees since 2019 and they really love animals. It is because of their love of animals and nature that they really felt drawn to Manor's Vet program that Neville's family really enjoys spending time at a at their home in Spruce Creek, Pennsylvania, where they do fly fishing and a lot of outdoors things. Loren has written a book about one of their dogs and for the last two decades. Um, Lorine has been a doesn't at the Philadelphia

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Zoo. So, a really big heart for animals. So, while Neville's Hall is truly a special place and it's really cool that it's a one whole hallway that kind of encompasses everything in that Vet program, the day that we did its ribbon cutting is kind of a funny story. So, it was mid July back in 2021 and it was just one of those like summer storms where it was like super humid and you could just feel in the air that like it's going to storm. And we had a ribbon cutting ceremony planned for that afternoon with a little um little like

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late afternoon reception with some appetizers and a little ceremony. and the entire campus lost power around 3:30 p.m. Guests were already here to be part of the ceremony. The Nevilles, Jim and Lorine were already here. So, with the help of some lights that were running off an extension cord from a nearby minivan and some candles, we grabbed from our chapel upstairs to provide some ambiance and so that we could see um we had a little script prepared to read. the ribbon cutting ceremony commenced

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without power and it was a really kind of special day and kind of just always remembered remembered that in my mind. Today we have an awesome guest on the show. Our first Vet alumni coming from King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, a graduate of Upper Maran High School. She pursued her passion for animals right here at Manor College back in 2014, having earned her associate of science degree in veterinary technology in 2016. After graduation, she started building an impressive career working at internal

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medicine and anesthesia veterinary technician at Blue Pearl Langhorn. She is now back at her alma mater today as an instructor of Vet. Please give a warm welcome to Dominica Hathcock. Welcome Dominica. Thank you so much for being on the show today. Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. Of course. I was so excited that we finally have a vet on the show. Um we have done about 15 or 16 of these now and it's about time we have a vet on the show I think. So, I'm really excited to have you particularly because you have

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such a great story and I think it'll be one that resonates with a lot of of listeners and other alumni out there who are Vets and maybe inspire them to also want to share their story. Absolutely. If you don't mind, kind of start us off by like how did you hear about Manor? Why did you choose to come to Manor to study vet? Um I this is my second career. Um, so I had graduated uh from college and I was working in laboratory and I wanted to do um like veterinary work and I had tried doing some of that um going to vet

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school and it was not for me and so I really loved what I had done in preparation for that is working as a technician. Um, a friend of mine had been here at Manor and had raved about it and I had learned about them allowing us to choose uh where we got to do our externships unlike some other programs and I was like, "Yes, that is definitely what I want." Um, so I was like, "All right, let's try this instead." And so I applied and actually really loved the program and how it went. So definitely one that uh I would recommend for anyone

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who's looking into Vet. Oh, that's so cool. I love that you said like this is a second career and that you tried other paths maybe and they just kind of weren't working out for you and like that's okay. You know, that's part of everyone's journey. I feel like especially in college, people feel like I have to have it all figured out and no, you don't. You know, that's totally fine. Um and frankly, sometimes you're better off if you don't have it all figured out. Absolutely. So what was it like? So you came in 2014

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um to be a student. What was it like being a college student and were you older? What were you like was that a different kind of sense for you and kind of what was that like? Yeah, you know, it was it was kind of the same and different from what it was before. Like this time I was a commuter student since I lived close enough and I was working to help, you know, pay bills and support. Um but it was fun because I had a great group of friends like orientation time I met these people like hey we're friends we're in the same

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program um so we got to get really close and so you had that you know close friend group you could study like inside Manor and around in between classes and then outside and hang out and so it was kind of fun a little different because I again wasn't living on campus and would go home at the end of the day but it was never a you know oh you're a commuter student, so you're not the same as everyone else. It was really much different, I feel like, than any other place because everyone was so welcome no matter like what type of

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student you were, right? And I think obviously because like we're not predominantly residential. Like it affects the campus culture. You know, only 10% of our campus body live in the res hall. So actually the majority are commuters. Um and you were you working full-time? Yeah, actually I was. So that's crazy to me. How do How do college kids do that? How do you work full-time and go to school and like get some sleep and like eat some food? Like that's just crazy to me. How do you guys pull that off? But

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um a lot of manor students do that. About 85% of our student body are working and we believe about half of them are working full-time while they're a student. So like it's kind of the norm now. Um, I always tell people like college is not the only thing happening in our students lives anymore. Like it's just not the predominant thing anymore. Um, it's something else in addition to like raising a family, taking care of bills, and like doing other things. So, we have to keep that in mind when we

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think about like student flexibility and schedules and stuff. Um, but kind of getting back to your story. So, like why animals? Why vet? where does that passion come from? Um, and kind of talk to me about like your love of animal and animal care. Yeah. Um, basically since I was born, my parents had dogs and we've always had pets and so I was like raised around all of that. Um, so it was definitely, you know, a passion in the beginning and then, you know, even from the like my earliest memories,

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it's like, oh yeah, I want to be a veterinarian. I want to work with animals. I love that my dogs, you know, our pets. And as you get older and you get to experience more, you know, I started riding horses and, you know, branching out and I was like, "Wow, this is so cool." The all the different animals, all the care, everything that's involved with it. And so it was like, "Oh, yeah. This is definitely the path for me to be able to work with everything and anything out there. If it's an animal, it's like, yeah, I want

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to be around it. I want to be with it. I want to touch it. I want to do stuff with it." And so it was a natural path for me I feel like. Oh, that's so cool. I I always love talking to Vet students. Um, and usually their passion is very clear to them. Like usually they're not like I don't know. Like sometimes other students in other majors aren't sure what they want to go into, but like usually vet it's like no, I love animals. And it's not just dogs and cats. It's I love all animals. I want to help all animals. Um, and

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they're just they're so passionate about what they're going to do and it's it's so cool to see. So, I'm glad to hear that was kind of your experience as well. What has it been like? Um, like going from like I'm a child and I love taking care of animals in my home to like I'm a working adult and I have to take care of animals for a career. Like sometimes like when play becomes work, it's you know what I mean? It's no longer fun. What was that like for you when you started actually working with animals for a job? Did it become

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less fun to have animals at home because it's like I'm just working all the time now or you know what I mean? Like is there that division of like a boundary almost? A little bit. Um and I feel like my animals test me all the time with this cuz of course you go home and it's like oh I did something stupid so now you have to take care of them. Um but you know what? I I don't mind. Um, I think I shut down the other side of it, the people side of it. Like if I'm not at work, like this is this part of it is a little different. Like when

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I'm in the um in the field like in the hospital, it's like I will, you know, I'm not going to answer my email. I'm going to set that part aside and, you know, have that balance. Uh, but it's fine. I mean, I have dogs and I have horses and right now and every one of them likes to uh my horse has lots of allergies and eye problems. My dogs, you know, do silly things and so I you know, you constantly take care of them at home, too. It kind of almost never stops. But I feel like it's a little lighter of a

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side. Like you're not it's not somebody else's animal that you're like, "Oh my gosh, I want to make sure that they have the best experience that they're taking care of the best." And like there it's yours. It's a little more relaxed. You're like, "Okay, it's fine." Like I'm not on edge as much, I guess, right? And you have those like instincts with your own like, "Okay, well I I kind of know what they do or don't need. What would And you're taking care of it in a clinical setting is a little different,

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obviously." Um Oh, that's so cool. So, kind of what was what was the Manor Vet program like for you? It's a two-year program. It's pretty intense. Um, you know, before you joined on, I I was talking about the Vet program and how the the pass rate for the VTNE is is pretty high and that like it's a rigorous program, but that's because we want students to pass that VTNE um, you know, quickly after graduation. What was the experience like for you as a student? and then we'll talk about what it's now like being on the other

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side as an instructor. Uh coming in as a student, uh you know, for me coming in as a like a secondary student, already having degrees, it wasn't too bad. Like I was used to having high class work. Uh when I graduated college, I technically have three degrees that I did in four years. Um so I was used to taking over 18, usually 21 or 22 credits a semester. So, I was very used to the workload. So, like that didn't bother me a lot. I was used to studying um and working hard, but this is also something I really

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wanted to do. So, I really wanted to put in the time and effort to get that end goal and to pass. Um, but I actually found it to be like a lot of fun. So, like there was all those labs and you're touching the animals and you're doing things and you're doing it with your friends. Um, and then we did have I remember I did have one day uh one of my semesters where I had a class in the morning and a class in the evening and it's like this huge break in between, but it wasn't long enough that I could go home and do stuff. So, my

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friend and I just stayed and we played games in the cafeteria and hung out. And so, like it was a lot of fun being around with my friends and being able to do this hands-on stuff and learn at the same time. Yeah, that that so helps. And I think that's a huge part of college, right? is like obviously you're here to get a degree and you're here to be serious about that and like move your career forward, but you're also here to make friends and build relationships and do all those like fun things and go to

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events and that's a big part of it as well. So, um, sometimes I feel like the Vet program, the the students in those programs like get a reputation that like they are just so focused on Vet, they don't join clubs, they don't join sports, but like there is time to do that and there is time, you know, and they should they should get involved and especially with each other because you're kind of with each other so much. It's hard not to form bonds obviously with your classmates. So, I'm so glad

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you got to have that experience. How cool. Um, so I saw on your Facebook when before I was doing my pre-show research, I saw there is a a picture of you in a wedding dress with a giraffe. Can you explain this? Did you have your wedding at a zoo or what was this? And I would love to hear just more about this. Yeah. So, um, we did we actually got married at the Elwood Park Zoo in Norristown. Um, oh my gosh. So, we we had rented out the zoo um to have our wedding and to have everybody have these animal

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experiences and um it it unfortunately was raining and hurricaning that day. Um so, people couldn't experience as much. Um but part of the experience, they allowed us to do a giraffe feeding after the fact. Um, so we got to go behind the scenes since it was raining and go into their enclosure and feed them and interact with them and get the pictures. So that was like probably the highlight. It was so cool. Oh my gosh. Yeah, I saw the picture and I was like, I need to ask about this. That is so

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cool. How many brides can say that they like fed a giraffe at their wedding? I mean, there's a lot of crazy things I think weddings nowadays can do, but that is probably one of the coolest ones. Um, so that kind of leads me into my next question. What has been like one of your craziest like animal interactions that you've had? Um, any good stories from that? Let's see. Um, you know, I did actually do a lot of my work in large animals. Um, not as much as those like now it's small, but most of it has been large animal. Um, so

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I've definitely done, you know, work on some high-level expensive animals. I think the one thing that stands out to me was um I do large animal anesthesia and so I was on call and they asked me to come in um and to do this procedure. I was like, "Okay, sure." And I went in and it turned out to be an emu that I had to anesthetize that had eaten chlorine tablets. And so we had to get the chlorine tablets out um out of its throat. I was like, I I don't really do birds. I'm not sure what I'm doing here.

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So, it was a little like a Oh my gosh. A little Did it work? Did you get it out? Okay, go ahead. Oh, yeah. Everything came out. The bird was fine. It was just one of those like, "Oh my gosh, now I I have to put all this knowledge that I like put way put in the back of my brain to test." I was like, "Oh gosh, what do I know about birds?" Oh my. And emus are big. Those are like bigger than you think. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Oh my gosh, that's crazy. So um so today you are a instructor for the Mayor College Vet program. Kind of

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tell us how did how did that happen and what has that experience been like now being on the other side on the faculty side of things. Uh so this actually started years ago. Um I was probably at a school maybe a year or two um when I had seen I think it was on Facebook and they were asking for um TAs for the labs to help out and at the time I had been an overnight supervisor and I had been training um technicians under me and not Manor graduates you know um some of from the other programs or some that didn't have any schooling

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whatsoever. And I was like, okay, we really need some consistency. And you know, the people that are coming are just not having the right amount of experience and I really want to change that. So I reached back out and I was like, "Hey, I'd love to TA." And they were like, "Yeah, great. Let's do this." Um, so I started as a TAI and then I think it was a year or two after I started TA, they're like, "Hey, do you want to start teaching classes?" Um, so then I became an adjunct and I started teaching classes. And then when this

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full-time opportunity came about, I was like, "Absolutely." Like I really love being here. I love teaching these students. I like giving them the experience that they need for the real world since I've been on both sides of it. And it really helps the people on the other side who are hiring. So, I was like, "Absolutely, let's do this." Oh, that's so cool. I I love how like you saw a need in like the workforce, in the field of like, hey, these students are not as prepared as they should be and then you had a link back like to Manor

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like, oh wait, I could help bridge that. Um, and have you seen that like what you did and really help getting those students prepared? Are they better in the workforce when they first start? Is that like helping out now? Yeah, I think so. Um, definitely. Right before as I was just adjunct, like I would be full-time at Blue Pearl and I would have, you know, our students on externships and I was like, I know you know this. I taught it to you. Like, come on, think about it. They're like, oh yeah, I remember. I remember. So, it

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definitely, you know, it's starting to show that they are paying attention and starting to learn all this material. So, it's definitely cool, right? holding them like holding students accountable like I know you know this cuz I was the one who taught it to you or I I know the program you know I went through it myself um what's something that is like a mythbuster for like the either animal care or like as a Vet I feel like this is a field that like if you're in the animal world you know what Vets are

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but if you're not you you just hear the word and maybe you don't realize um I I don't I I never knew what a Vet was personally until I started working at Manor College I just didn't grow up with animals. So, what's like a myth that you could, you know, kind of debunk for us about um being a Vet? Yeah. Uh probably I think the biggest one is like it's not just being the person who like just holds the dog and cats for vaccines. Like there's so much more to it. Um especially like when I worked overnights, I would have to um be

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in the barn. I do all the treatments and care for the horses and the cows and the pigs and the things that are in the barn. Come in and do the same thing for the cats and dogs. be in the ICU doing the math and making sure that everything's okay. You do anesthesia. You do the lab work. You answer the phone calls. You deal with the clients. You know, I have to go and demonstrate um you know, medications and uh how to give and do. And there's so much more that I don't think people see behind the scenes than just, you know, oh, I'm

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going to, you know, hold play with your little kitty and give it a shot. So, it's way more I think than people realize. Yeah, that that sounds like way more. And um Right. And also, I think it's a hard job for sure. It seems like a hard job and it seems like one that maybe doesn't garner as much as respect as it should. Um have you seen any of that? Is there is there work is there work being done towards that or is the industry changing at all and hopefully for the better? I would like to say yes. Um definitely a

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job that demands way more respect than I think people give it. Um I mostly because I don't think people understand really what goes into it. We're definitely seeing a change now um with our doctors and like um they're definitely with the general public like oh no that's our nurse's job. They do all this like please give them respect like you don't talk to them like that. Um, and so they're really starting to utilize us more in our skills, but also like, hey, you can't just disrespect them. You know, you can't just treat

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them the way that you do. Um, I know the industry is trying to, you know, get more awareness out there so that people do understand like everything that we do so that we can demand some of the same respect that people give maybe like even a human nurse. Right. Exactly. Yeah, that that's good. And I think it's good to hear that like kind of coming from like top down like it's coming from the doctors and the vets themselves saying no no no that's that's that's those are the techs and they do this and they give

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the they get the credit. Um that's great. Well, thank you so much for Dominica for spending time with us today. I felt like I learned a ton about uh you and your story and also the industry as a whole. What would be some advice that you would share with Manor uh students either Vet students or just a Manor student um to kind of encourage them to continue and pursue their education? Yeah, definitely. I think the biggest thing is, you know, kind of put yourself out there. Um whether it's you want to

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try something new, join a club, even just talk to somebody and become friends. Like just really putting yourself out there kind of gets you seen um not just by your peers but kind of everybody. And it also will give you a better experience. You'll have a lot more fun, discover more about yourself um and you know have a better time. I think it's the really important to just put yourself out there and go for it. If you that's what you want to do, go for it. I love that. That's great. Um I have a bonus question. As you were talking, I

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was Oh, I want to ask this. Um was there anyone at Manor either when you were a student or when you were TAing or kind of now who was just really influential in your your own experience and kind of you want to give a shout out to? Yeah, definitely. I' I'd definitely say Dr. Marx. uh she was brand new to the program when I started as a student and I've kind of, you know, been with her ever since, but she really, you know, I know it comes off sometimes as being like she's very, you know, really hard

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um on you, but it's only cuz she wants you to, you know, do better and she knows that everyone has the potential to do what they need to do. And she really did like inspire me and push me to become better and to do more. And that really I think helped me learn and to pass my testing and to be a better technician. Oh, that's great. Yeah. Dr. Mark, let's see. When did she join the program? Was it right around when you started as a student? 2015. Right. Mhm. Okay. Right. So about 10 years ago. So remember we just celebrated her 10 years

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I think at the Christmas party this past year. So that's great. That's great to hear. and how cool for her to like see you as a student and then you know kind of watch your own trajectory and write as as a faculty or a staff member at a college like you want to see students kind of grow in that. So I'm sure um I'm sure she's super proud of you and just seeing your own growth in that. But thank you so much Dominica for spending time with us today and we look forward to kind of having you have an impact on

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Manor Vet coming up and in the future. Oh thank you so much. It was a pleasure. Thank you for tuning in today. If you like what you heard, listen and subscribe on Spotify or YouTube and stay up-to-date with all new episodes by following Manor College on Instagram at Manor College. And that's a wrap on another episode of the nest stories about life after Manor College. Remember Blue Jays, you belong here always. [Music]