Maria Lopez - DVM MRCVS Dip ECVIM-CA - Internal Medicine Specialist.

Since joining Pride Veterinary Referrals in November, Maria has established herself as an intergral part of the Internal Medicine department. Here we catch up with Maria, see how she is settling in and understand what drives her.

?You joined Pride Veterinary Referrals in November 2023, how have you settled into your role?

• Pride welcomed me with the arms open as everyone in the hospital was super nice and helpful giving me all the support needed to start this role. Even though it was a big change coming from Spain, I had many people supporting me.?

? ?What attracted you most to apply for a role at Pride Veterinary Referrals?

• ?Having the opportunity to work in a big team, being able to discuss cases with other diplomates, and continue teaching and learning from residents, interns, and students. On top of that, the Pride community has a wonderful reputation abroad being a multicultural team that makes you feel closer to home even at work.

Internal medicine cases can often be complex and challenging, do you have any advice for first opinion vets?

• Many times, internal medicine cases can be challenging as they encompass so many problems at the same time or have been there for a long time. I would recommend taking as much detailed information from the owner as possible and recalling the problem list from there, thinking of the possible differentials, and starting with the investigations more appropriate for the case.??

Do you have an area of special interest within internal medicine?

• I enjoy infectious diseases and on top of that, renal and endocrine diseases are my favourite topics.?

?How do you prioritise patient care?

• I always focus on the patient's necessities and try to accommodate them to cover them. On top of that, in veterinary medicine, we have to consider family needs and also accommodate the best of all of them.?

?How do you collaborate with other disciplines to in your role?

• Many times, our colleagues from other disciplines need our support as there are many findings in the blood or imaging investigations that they perform that are not related to the area that they work in and that is when they need our support. In other cases, they suspect a systemic disease that needs our support to reach the diagnosis or start the appropriate treatment.?

?Your biggest achievement to date?

• ?From an academic point of view, my biggest achievement has been obtaining the European Diploma of Internal Medicine in Small Animals.?

?Is there a memorable case that particularly stands out?

• ?I remembered a dog that had uroabdomen after a cystocentesis; bladder biopsies were unremarkable and after recovering from the uroabdomen, fever developed for weeks without finding the cause. At the end, cystoscopy found a small lesion in the trigone and biopsies revealed a urothelial carcinoma. Chemotherapy was given and she lived for years after this episode.?

? ?How do you like to unwind after a busy day at work?

• ?I like to dance salsa and do some sports such as running, playing padel or bouldering. I also enjoy going for a walk with my dog or cooking while listening to music. ???