Veterinarian
Hi, I'm Dr. Meghan Greco!
Can you tell us what school you went to?
I went to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. I was there from 2005 to 2009.
Did you enjoy your school there?
Yes, I liked school. I liked going to school there. It was definitely fun to live in the city and get away from this suburban environment. It was a good experience, but I was definitely okay to leave because the parking authority was not anyone's friend.
How long have you been practicing now?
I've been in practice for about 15 years now, mostly in small animal exclusively. I've been in Connecticut the whole time.
Why would you say that you went into veterinary medicine?
I went into veterinary medicine because I've always been one of those people who wanted to be a vet ever since I was a little kid, and it definitely stuck. For a little while, I thought about being a marine biologist, which seemed to be something all kids in the '90s wanted to do, but then I went back to veterinary stuff, and I've been working in the field since I was 19.
What did you do since you were 19?
I started at Orange Vet Hospital working as a kennel assistant and worked my way up. I was trained as a technician there, and I'm still good friends with the owner to this day. From there, I went to Central Vet Hospital in North Haven, which is a big referral hospital in New Haven County. After that, I went to school and worked at a cat hospital in Philadelphia through school and afterward. Then I came back here and started working at Sanford.
What are some of your favorite cases?
As far as cases go, I definitely like things that are a little on the grosser side. I'm kind of like Dr. Pimple Popper, but for vets. I'm a big fan of wounds and abscesses. I also enjoy really straightforward cases, like when a dog ate something, you know he ate it, and they're throwing up, so make them vomit so they don't have a problem. I enjoy that because it's very easy to fix.
What would you say is a favorite part of your job?
I think the best part of the job is the relationships that you cultivate with people. It's nice to see the progression from kitten and puppy to older dog and older cat, and just kind of develop that relationship with people over time. They come to trust you and build a rapport, and that's definitely what my goal always was—to have that relationship so people know they can trust what I'm saying and that I'm doing everything I would do for my animals when it's your animal too.
What would you say to young professionals that are looking to get into the vet field?
I definitely think it's important to have experience because this job isn't for everybody. If you are a person who doesn't like people, you shouldn't do this job because people are the most of this job. It's like being a pediatrician. That's the only medical professional that I've come across that understands completely what we go through because you're dealing with somebody that can't tell you what's wrong. We have to figure it out and often deal with stressed and crying owners who think you're trying to harm their animal. So it's important to know how to handle those feelings and how to handle the pet and make things not stressful for people.
What would be your advice to someone who is a new veterinarian?
The biggest advice I can give to new veterinarians is to have a "let me try to figure it out" attitude because if you just rely on other people to tell you what to do, you're never going to learn, and the only way you can learn is to try to figure it out yourself first. I always talk to people and consult with people all the time when I'm not sure about stuff. Admitting that you don't know and trying to find somebody who can help you figure it out is also important. Veterinary medicine is like a team sport, so listening to your vets, other doctors, and talking to doctors in the area who might have more expertise than you is all part of the equation. That only makes you a better vet if you seek out other people's help with things.