Podcast #060 – Dennis Brooks DVM, Horse Eyes and Veterinary Medicine
Dennis Brooks is a great guy who owns a small woods in central Florida and, with his wife (a veterinarian), cares for three horses and a clan of small animals. So why is he my special guest today? This explanation may take some time.
To start with, Dennis Brooks is a veterinarian, a Ph.D. researcher, a diplomat in the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmology, a professor emeritus in ophthalmology at the University of Florida’s Veterinary College, and has a consulting service for equine eyes.
Dr. Brooks is also the recipient of the Frank J. Milne State of the Art Award of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) (a 2 1/2 hour presentation on the eyes of horses to all equine practitioners), the recipient of the British Equine Veterinary Association’s Sir Frederick Smith Memorial Lecture and Medal Recipient (and the only person to receive both the AAEP and the BEVA awards), written the text on equine eyes for veterinarians, published hundreds of articles and lectured to thousands of horse vets worldwide.
Did I mention that he has done this for over 42 years and is still going strong in teaching others? Those he has taught are now teachers themselves in veterinary colleges worldwide. Above all, he remains humble and grateful, always looking forward to each day for the one small nugget of information that will prevent blindness in horses, his one permanent goal.
Please join us today for a chat about many subjects:
- Where are veterinarians and the profession today?
- How is today’s veterinarian different from 40 years ago?
- Why are suicides increasing in veterinarians, more so in females?
- What got him started looking at eyes, and what keeps him going?
- What new therapies are coming to fruition in horse eyes?
- What new diseases are in horse eyes today?
- What do you do when a horse becomes blind?
- What can you do for an eye problem when a vet isn’t available for a while?
There are a lot of gems throughout this episode. I hope you enjoy my visit with Dennis Brooks, DVM.
This has got to be one of my favorites! Well done!
I loved, loved, loved listening to your conversation with Dr Brooks. It made me think of conversations I had with my vets many years ago. They often stayed around to chat, imparting bits of knowledge, sharing anecdotes, and just connecting. I doubt I realized at the time how valuable it was from a learning perspective, or what that indicated about their skills and commitment to their field, but it was enjoyable and I looked forward to seeing them. It did set an example for me in my work, though. No matter what field you’re in, if you can’t make a connection with someone, or if they are unwilling to make a connection with you, just for a few minutes, communication and work is going to take more effort than necessary. We learn between the lines and through curiosity. Maybe that’s something we figure out as we get more life experience. I seem to run into more and more people who are dismissive and less curious. Thanks for this presentation. You’re very much appreciated!