Sybil Fiedler has spent the past two and a half years at WSU’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital, where she now plays a vital role as a technician assistant in Transfusion Services, Internal Medicine, and Emergent Surgery.
With a bachelor’s degree in zoology from WSU and currently pursuing a master’s in public health, Sybil combines her love for animal care with a strong commitment to health science. Her journey into veterinary medicine began with a job at a small clinic that fueled her passion for the field. Now, she has her sights set on veterinary school, with the goal of one day operating her own veterinary clinic.
Outside of work, Sybil enjoys time with her two dogs, Biscuit and Schatzi, and her bird, Beeper, as well as exploring nature and creating art.
What is your typical day like at the VTH?
I split my time between departments, so my day starts out in our Transfusion Services as I check our fridge and freezer and get a unit count on how many available blood products we have. Then I let our team members know so they can accordingly schedule donors to come in for a donation. When we have a donation I help with the draws by restraining, prepping, or monitoring the collection bag. The rest of my time in transfusion is spent on creating reports about our blood products.
My typical day in Internal Medicine starts with helping students take physical exams, teaching technical skills, and helping with procedures. I set up and break down scope equipment, hold patients for joint taps or bone marrow biopsies, and assist with any other procedures we do.
On occasion, I pick up extra call shifts for Emergent Surgery after-hours, where I set up and break down operating rooms and get instruments for our surgical team while they are scrubbed into emergency surgery.
What made you want to work in veterinary medicine and at the VTH?
I’ve always cared for animals and had a deep fascination with everything health care related. I grew up as an active member of 4-H and I was very involved for 13 years. When I started my degree, I felt like the majors I chose didn’t fit who I was. I decided I wanted to try out a job in veterinary medicine and contacted every clinic in my county back home. I only received one positive response from a small-town clinic looking to hire a kennel assistant.
The doctor and staff there were so kind and helpful. Even though I was only a kennel assistant, they showed me the best aspects of veterinary medicine and taught me a lot about the basics of working in animal health care. I got to see the close relationships the doctor built with the people, the good he did for our community, and the extensive knowledge base he had to treat his patients. I knew I loved animals and that I wanted a challenging career that provided me with constant opportunities to learn, grow, and give back so I finished my degree and sought another position in veterinary medicine that would allow for growth and give me the experience I needed to go to a veterinary college.
In my last semester at WSU as an undergraduate student, I received an email from my pre-vet advisor that the VTH was looking for someone interested in working in the Internal Medicine department as a part-time assistant. I saw this as a great opportunity to gain more experience, so I applied for the job and got the position. I made the permanent move to Pullman the day after my graduation, and later that year I was hired as a full-time assistant.
What is your favorite thing about your job?
There are a lot of rewarding aspects to my job. Helping animals is a wonderful feeling. We have some long-term patients so it’s easy to develop a close bond with them and I love to comfort and care for them. Working in multiple departments is very rewarding because of the variety of the cases they see, it’s never boring. Just when I think I’ve seen everything come through our door, something new comes in. The fast-paced environment always provides new learning opportunities, which is really important to me. I love constant opportunities to grow and move upward. I work with amazing mentors every day and enjoy it; I learn so much from them and many of the people I work with are now my close friends.
What are your career goals? Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?
Right now, I’m in a public health master’s program to build on my academic background in science, One Health, and infectious disease. I’d like to be a clinician and have been applying to veterinary colleges. In five years, I’d like to see myself finishing my DVM, and in 10 years I hope to have a rewarding career in veterinary medicine back in Washington with my family. I have lots of interests that I’m excited to explore more of. I could see myself with exotics or a mixed-animal practice, diagnostic imaging, academia, clinical pathology, internal medicine, or infectious disease. Ultimately after finding my niche and building a rewarding career for myself, before I retire I would one day like to start a veterinary clinic in a rural or semi-rural, underserved area and build those very personal relationships with staff, clients, and their pets while providing exceptional care and serving my community.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Outside of work, I love to create things and go out into nature. I always have some big art project I’m working on, whether it be painting robots on my furniture, building a table, making funky clay worms for my potted plants, or painting a series of poison dart frogs to hang on my walls. My mom is an incredible artist and taught me the importance of art and nature in my life. Along with my love for art, I have a strong connection with nature and wildlife, and I try every chance I can to go outside and experience it in some way and explore some new places that I haven’t been before. Often, I take my dog Biscuit to walk the trails or hike and watch the animals go about their business.
What advice would you give to pet owners?
Our pets are such a wonderful part of our lives, but to them, we are their entire life. Love, support, and spoil them!