Five Questions: Dr. Michael Pfander

Q: How did you get started in veterinary medicine?

A: It’s kind of interesting. My father was a veterinarian – he graduated in 1952 – and we actually lived at the office here at Campbell and Sunshine. I was born here and was raised here at the veterinary practice until just before the first grade, when we moved to Nixa. I had a very strong introduction to the veterinary field.

I enjoyed the large-animal specialty – I showed livestock when I was in high school and in college – and after college, I came back and began practicing on the small-animal side.

Q: How is animal medicine different from treating humans?

A: (Without) direct communication with our patients, we have to subtly work through what’s going on. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve wished I could ask them just one or two questions – that would go a long way. But there are a lot of similarities. We benefit so much from having access to the medications that humans have, and we can use those when appropriate, but we still have our veterinary side, too.

Q: What major challenges face veterinarians right now?

A: Finding good rural veterinarians. With the way the system has developed, and the cost coming out of medical school, it’s really hard to go to rural areas and start a practice and wait for it to grow, while at the same time having to make that payment for your education. It’s not unusual for veterinarians to graduate with more than $100,000 in debt. If you need to make that payment back as soon as you graduate, and at the same time you move to a rural area where you need several years to develop a practice, you financially just can’t do it.

Q: What specialties are available in veterinary medicine?

A: They’re involved across the board in industry, in research, in government regulation. The whole profession is a huge field with lots of different groups and specialties.

It’s an interesting field – you get to be a surgeon, an internist, a dentist – you get introduced to the whole spectrum of medicine.

Q: Do you have any pets or a favorite animal?

A: I live on 120 acres around Boaz, so I have a couple of outdoor kitty cats and a Labrador – I have the room for it to run.

I don’t have a favorite. If I were in the city, I might choose a smaller pet. That’s the neat thing about it – there’s such a huge variety that there’s a pet for everyone.