Edie has been working for the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO), of the UN, in Asia for nearly 2 years, on projects to prevent and control avian influenza (‘bird flu’).  These projects have taken her to Indonesia, Thailand, and, now, China.

 

AMIGOS: How did your involvement in AMIGOS impact your life?

Edie: Although I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be a veterinarian, it wasn’t until my AMIGOS experience in Ecuador that I first really saw the link between people and their animals. I understood that by helping animals I could help people, especially in underdeveloped parts of the world. That realization has driven me and shaped my career to be what it is now.

 

AMIGOS: What was your AMIGOS experience like, and what did you learn from your participation? 

Edie: My AMIGOS experience was an eye-opening adventure in challenging conditions outside the United States. However, it impacted my life in innumerable ways. I learned not to take so many things for granted, to be more self-reliant and resourceful and to cope in stressful situations. It also sealed my passion for travel, and my Spanish language skills have been an asset.

 

AMIGOS: What is your favorite AMIGOS memory?

Edie: Definitely my partner, Cristina. We had many, many humorous moments that still put us both in teary-eyed stitches when recalled. A favorite was the day we tried to ‘rescue’ a burro with a very swollen leg. We climbed out of my locked yard and used a bright blue rope to move this burro to another location where we could try to treat its wounds. The neighbors saw us and told my host family what we had done. It became a never-ending joke for the rest of my stay. Cristina and I remain in contact to this day, 17 years later!

 

AMIGOS: What is your family like? 

Edie: Do you mean my cat? Hahaha.She’s in Seattle.Right now I have both my immediate, biological family and my “global” family. My immediate family is infused with senses of both service and justice; we have largely committed our lives to pursuit of these ideals. We all also like to travel  My “global family” is my extended network of devoted friends all over the world, who serve as my family wherever I am. I am so lucky to count people from all continents and walks of life as my enriched, extended family! 

 

AMIGOS: In what ways did your AMIGOS experience influence your career path? 

Edie: As I said above, my AMIGOS experience allowed me, for the first time, to see the linkages between human and animal health.  This interface is especially important in developing regions where people live more closely with, and depend much more on, their animals.  This concept never left me, and it became my dream to be able to work at the level of this animal-human interface on an international level.  It took a lot of work, but I am so very fortunate to be living that dream right now.

 

AMIGOS: Are you passionate about Latin American affairs or the Spanish language?

Edie: Because bird flu has not yet come to the Americas, I have not worked in Latin America in the same capacity as I have done in Asia.  However, I still hold a warm place in my heart for the Americas, practice my Spanish when able, and have volunteered twice with the Humane Society on veterinary projects in Guatemala. I would definitely look forward to working in the Americas if the opportunity arose.

 

AMIGOS: What project are you currently working on? 

Edie: I am working with the FAO in China on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI, or ‘bird flu’) control and prevention. Our work is to support China’s bird flu control program and learn more about this disease. My role as a veterinary epidemiologist has primarily been to evaluate the existing disease surveillance program in birds and suggest improvements. We also provide training in various aspects of epidemiology and disease control and conduct field projects to gather more information about the virus.

 

AMIGOS: What advice would you give to someone entering into this field?

Edie: International veterinary medicine is a hard field to get into. There is a big need for more veterinarians to work in public health, including in food safety, and I think there will be many employment opportunities coming up in this field. I would urge anyone applying to vet school or in vet school now to consider it. There will also likely be more incentives to work in vet public health, such as grants, scholarships, and loan repayment. Keep an open mind to all possibilities – epidemiology wasn’t exactly my favorite subject!  

 

The best advice I can give is to NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK! But, that has to be backed up by solid skills and proven international experience. Take ANY opportunity you can to participate in an overseas project, even if you have to volunteer sometimes. Get to know the people you are working with, their backgrounds, and who else they have worked with. I strongly recommend additional training (masters degree and/or PhD) in epidemiology or public health.  Emerging and zoonotic diseases are becoming more of an issue each day; and, there is a shortage of well-trained vets to address these problems as they continue to crop up.

 

AMIGOS: Who is your biggest role model in your industry?

Edie: There are some really great people working in international veterinary medicine, but the person who inspired me the most has been Dr. Peter Quesenberry. I met him when I was doing research in Nepal, and his support and advice absolutely made all the difference for me. He wrote the ‘barefoot doctor’ manual for veterinary service delivery in poor and rural areas. He has dedicated his life to expanding access to veterinary care in Asia by working with people at a grassroots level and providing training in basic, but necessary, skills. All while raising a wonderful family. He is my hero.