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I've long considered my job as the Evolutionary Ecology Laboratory Manager here at BYU my first step to becoming an aquatic animal veterinarian.  It helped me get my awesome internship at the Aquarium of the Pacific where I learned a ton about aquatic animal medicine.

Today I put our new fish from Panama through a formalin dip and a salt bath to rid them of any nasty parasites that may have hitched a ride up here with them.  One of the fish, a large Brachyrhaphis terrabensis came out of the salt bath unconscious and not breathing so I freaked out a little.  I had expected to lose some of them through this process, but a large female meant that I would lose her potential offspring as well.

But then I remembered Dr. Adams words.  All I needed to do was stay with her and make sure water was flowing over her gills.  Gently I moved her back and forth with the net and after five minutes, you know what happened?  She was breathing!  I've never been so happy to see gills moving in my life.

It was comforting to know that I've taken something away from an internship that has already saved a life.  I'm on my way!