European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 25, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                More and More the in the United states the number of women veterinary student has been increasing while the number of mule students has been declining. Vet is a woman by Harold Faber new York times or Becky Mccarthy of Copake. N.y., it was an Ordinary Day in the life of a country veterinarian quite different from the Dia magic emergencies depicted by James Herriot in his books and television shows. She oper Nind on a dog with an infected Paw examined a Newborn arabian foal that seemed nol la be fending pig party. Treated live goals with various ailments looted a three sick caws spayed a dog and iwo in is and helped in autopsies of a Call and a dog thai had died suddenly. Travelling around the Countryside in her pickup truck Mccarthy personifies a major change in veterinary practice in the United Stales today women Aru entering a male dominated profession in significant Large numbers. Even though Mccarthy is the first female veterinarian in the area she is accepted by the local Farmers traditionally ,1 conservative group. I still get a lol of Calls thai ask for the vet and when i say i am the Vel there is a Long  she said but people arc getting used to it and i am meeting Erma bomb Eck surprisingly till la resistance among Iho  another indication of the change is shown in the enrolment at the slate College of veterinary Medicine at Cornell University in Llaca. Until the 1970s, Only two women were and Milton each year in classes that totalled 65 students. Thai began to change in the 1970s, in 1975. The student body included 37 women. 15 percent of the total of 250. This year 201 women make up 63 percent of the 317 students. It s a National  said Marcia Sawyer director of student affairs and admissions. The number of women slide nos is increasing every year Wilh the number of male applicants  Al the office of the american veterinary Medicine association in Schaumburg. Ill or. Arthur Freeman the executive vice president gave iwo reasons Tor the decline in male applicants. He said tha economic rewards of a veterinary practice had not kept Pace Wilh other professions such As Law and Medicine. In addition he said once a profession becomes identified As female oriented Many men took elsewhere Lor Ihler careers. At present according to the association there arts 43,184 veterinarians in the untied Stales of whom 6,909, or 16 per cent Are women. By the year 2000. Freeman said he expected that women would represent 37 percent of the veterinary doctors but gaining admission to one of the nation s 27 vetch Inaiya colleges is still not easy for women Mccarthy Tor example applied tour limes before she was admitted to Cornell despite High grades a farm background and experience in handling animals. Born on a Dairy and bed farm in Gully minn., she was interested in animals As a girl. It was my  she said my lather had to push me out of the door of the barn logo to Iho first  after graduating from High school she came to new York City to Visil an older sister who persuaded her to iry to achieve her ambition of becoming a vet. She went to College Al Cornell graduating in the class of 1981, and worked in an animal nutrition lab before i Molly entering the four year veterinary College. She graduated in 1907 Al the age of 32 and began to work with Lour male doctors at the Copake veterinary Hospital Here in Columbia county As in Many Rural areas the veterinary problems arc mixed Wilh Many Calls to Dairy and horse farms As Well As office hours Lor dogs and cals. Like other veterinary clinics near new York cily the Copake Hospital has a Large clientele among weekenders who bring their dogs and cats in or examination shots and treatment. Each morning Al 8 o clock Iho four doctors meet and Divide the Calls Mccarthy sol out on her morning rounds the of heyday Al about 10. She drove 10 Miles North to Bridlewood farm in Hillsdale where arabian horses Are bred Lor show and Sale. A Mare had Given birth eight Days ago to a Coll by did to seem to be producing enough milk. Mccarthy used a sell Heslope to listen to the Loal s heart and lungs found two Lech in his Mouth looked him Over generally observed him nursing and pronounced him healthy. From there she drove 20 mites South to the coach farm in a Lialin which maintains a Herd of 500 goals to produce milk and cheese. One Goat had delivered a dead fetus that morning another seemed to be suffering from epilepsy two had minor ailments and one was overdue in giving birth. Mccarthy put on a Long shoulder length of aspic Glove and inserted her hand into the reproductive system of some of tha goals examining them by Leal. It sometimes pays to have Small  she said. Mccarthy who is 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 122 pounds was a bit amused at the often heard criticism of female vets on the grounds that they Lack the physical strength needed to handle Large animals. In most cases strength is not a actor she said. A s hard Woik but the key is using the proper restraints and the proper help. A lot of men have big hands and the strength but a lol of them also have bad backs from trying to wrestle with big  As she drove Oil Miles Cahn who with his Wilo Lilian operates the Goat Larm said she s  after lunch Mccarthy drove 10 Miles North again to the Hillsdale Dairy Arm of Alex Yogun Oll answering a Call about cows that had been slow to recover alter delivering calves. She diagnosed the cases As slight infections of the uterus and inserted Antibiotic capsules. Then it was Back id Tho clinic Lor a routine afternoon in surgery tre Alioa cals and dogs and interrupted by an emergency involving a dog vomiting blood. Alter snorts to save in she and her colleagues in consultation with the owners decided on euthanasia. In a necropsy they found Hal the dog had suffered from a ruptured bladder. By then it was 6 30 . And time to quit. A Normal Day Mccarthy said As she drove Home. A few weeks ago i described the hazards of driving on the ill hand Side of the Road the wrong Side on a Betush hold Island. An australian who has been assigned to teach in the United Stales Fri a year and must learn to drive on Iho right hand Side which he says is the wrong Side k demanding equal Lime. He says in s All a matter of being patient and understanding so far he has mastered gelling in on the passenger Side changing gears Wilh the indicator lever and iding the rear vision Mirror on the wrong Side a s quite Nasy to said. I even feel i have mastered the traffic signals in America Green Means go unless there Cue Lour lick has and you want to Lurn then it Means Stop yellow always Means Speed up and red Means Stop unless you want to Tuin. Then in Means go sort of like Green. Stop signs Are Clear though they always moan Stop. When there arc Only two Stop signs you Stop and wait. When there Are four you Stop and wait then go provided you Weie there first " what is troubling to our australian Friend is Hal his year on his Job ends 5-31 -88. In Australia that s the Lilly Day of the 31st month which he says led him to believe there must be two Chris images in the United slates. And he s still wrestling with the time change. His Light irom Australia to America look 26 hours and he Silil landed four hours alter he Tail Home. Al Tho moment it s tomorrow in the land of 02." of of i deserved Hal. Sometimes americans forget that our customs can be pretty confusing for those outside to understand i was on a plane onco seated net to a japanese businessman who did nol speak a Gordol English. When our drinks were delivered he wailed unlit i picked up mine which lock away a major decision on his part. When the meal was served though i watched helplessly As he picked up a knife and Tork. Carefully sawed into a Large butter Mold and a be it like a piece of Steak. Every Day we learn More and More about one another. 1 saw on television Iho other night a family irom South of the Border who were Stull my pizzas hot dogs and various other junk foods Inlo their systems. In desperation they held their queasy stomachs and said in unison.  i thought to myself k33 i possible thai they could t drink our water and that they spent the Day at Disney world in rest Roostand forgive me but in somehow made me feel a Wile belter. Copyrx1kt  Page 16 th6 stars and strikes monday april 25,19b8