Diagnostic Pathologist


Dr. Thelma Lee Gross

Service with a Smile

What struck me most about Dr. Thelma Lee Gross, a diagnostic dermatopathologist working at IDEXX in West Sacramento, was how rich her life was in experiences outside of veterinary medicine. It was clear that pathology was her drive and her calling, but that very career path allowed her the freedom to pursue her multiple interests.

Dr. Gross was born and raised in the midwest, the oldest of three children. Her first pet was a parakeet named Herman, but she is a self-avowed dog lover. She grew up with German Shepherds, and now is the proud parent of a dachshund, Gus, and a border terrier, Jennie.

Although her grandfather was a plant pathologist, Dr. Gross didn't always know what she wanted to do. She started college early, and moved from the community college to the city college and ended up at Michigan State. During this time she augmented her interest in dance, by taking folk dancing and ballet. She enjoyed doing clerical work for the dance department, as it allowed her to be the first to hear about upcoming events.

She was premed in her junior year, and involvement in the premed club made her realize that she had no interest in dealing with human disease. Her husband at the time was also premed, and they decided together that if they didn't like human medicine, they might as well do veterinary medicine. They spent the last year of undergraduate frantically trying to fulfill prerequisites and to gain the necessary experience, volunteering at the university hospital, the dairy barn, and local practices, and working at the calf barn. Dr. Gross recalls that working in the calf barn was the hardest job she had physically, with the hay bale moving and feces shoveling that was involved. Nevertheless, she persevered and was accepted into the Michigan State School of Veterinary medicine.

Almost as soon as vet school began, Dr. Gross knew she wanted to be a pathologist. She found the field to be very visually rewarding, and offered that advice to young pathologists that "if you don't get excited about what you see in the microscope, this field is not for you." Though pathology was her passion, she was careful to keep her horizons broad. She lived on a small farm during school and raised 12 different species of animals and kept a large vegetable garden. She continued this bucolic life through her residency in Gainesville. When asked how she chose where to do a residency, Dr. Gross responded that she thought the city and the environment were most important. "I could self-teach pathology anywhere I went," she said, emphasizing her self-motivation and independence.

In between vet school and her residency, Dr. Gross worked in small animal private practice for two years while applying for a residency. She found it difficult at first as she had not had a chance to develop the manual skills necessary for practice while she was in vet school. She found surgery to be especially challenging, but persevered and enjoyed it by the end of the two years. Her favorite aspect of private practice was interacting with the clients and seeing the relationships they had with their pets. She recalls one man ("He was mad," she said, using the psychological definition,) who had a pet leech. He allowed the leech to feed on him, and when the leech finally passed away, he came to her requesting a postmortem exam. Dr. Gross denied his request, as her training did not involve leech pathology. Most of the time, however, she found the human-animal bond to be a strong force, shaping people's responses to their pets and situations. "People are fantastic," she said. This respect for the human-animal bond serves her well as a pathologist. She believes that clinical practice experience is important for pathologists because it helps them understand the importance of what they do, and to realize the implications of making a grave diagnosis.

Dr. Gross spent five years at Florida State, first as a resident, then chief resident, then as junior faculty. She knew she was not interested in research, but had not made a decision as to whether she wanted to work in a university environment or whether she wanted to work for a private company. For her, love was the deciding factor.

While attending a dermatology conference, Dr. Gross met our own Dr. Peter Ihrke, "in all his cuteness." After some time of corresponding and dating, they finally got together. They went to the Royal College of Veterinary Medicine in London for a six month sabbatical. During this time, Dr. Gross informed me with a smile that she studied greasy pig disease.

While in London, Dr. Gross found out that pathology is sometimes a 24 hour a day job. She and Dr. Ihrke were residing in a flat above a veterinary hospital. One night, after a gala evening at the theater, Dr. Gross arrived at her flat to find a note on the bedroom door reading, "Dead dog in sink. Need diagnosis." Always one to rise to the challenge, Dr. Gross headed down to the clinic in her dress and heels, and completed her evening with a post on a Doberman and a diagnosis of vegetative endocarditis with myocardial infarction.

Upon returning from London in 1986, Dr. Gross took a job at CVD. CVD was later bought by IDEXX, for whom she continued to work. While in California, Dr. Gross continued to expand her horizons by becoming a Master Gardener. The title earned through classes and an exam, enables her to work for the state and local agencies to provide agricultural advice to the community.

This attitude of service pervades Dr. Gross' professional life. She sees her job as a service position, in that she is there to serve veterinarians in practice, and to provide them with the information and support they need to make prognostic decisions. She enjoys teaching small groups and children. She and her husband are currently re-editing Veterinary Dermatopathology. She would love to get involved with resident training, should her company decide to go in that direction. She is also of service to her neighbors. In Florida, one day her neighbor requested that she post his cow that had been dead for three days. Recalling times when he had been tolerant and generous with her, she steeled herself and cut open the putrid animal. She was happy to be able to provide him with a diagnosis of severe pneumonia.

Dr. Gross has consistently found diagnostic pathology to be a rewarding career choice. "I am constantly providing a service that requires me to stay current," emphasizing the need to be willing to learn everyday, whether through interaction with other pathologists or literature research. "We have to eat all the peas on our plate," she said. "In research, you can leave some of the peas," emphasizing that diagnostic pathology forces you to deal with even the most challenging and frustrating cases, because a clinical veterinarian is relying on you. Diagnostic pathology still allows her to pursue her outside interests. She estimates that the average pathologists works about 45 hours a week. She says that it is one of the best careers for a working mother to have, due to the relatively short hours, high earning potential and schedule flexibility.

What does being diagnostic pathologist involve? Dr. Gross spends most of her time reading slides which arrive in her office in a cardboard flat. She may need to read out 50-60 cases a day. Patient information and history are obtained on the computer. She reads out her findings into the computer, and a transcriptionist types them out and sends them to the referring vet. The pathologists also take turns at fresh tissue duty, whole organ duty, and necropsy duty. Technicians are able to process most samples into slides, but some things require the pathologist's trained eye. For example, if a whole heart arrives, there is a special procedure for dissecting it and looking for abnormalities along the way. A technician could be trained to do the dissection, but it requires a pathologist to see the subtle changes revealed during the procedure. Dr. Gross also spends time each day consulting with veterinarians about the interpretation of the pathology reports and how the information might influence their treatment approach or advice to clients.

When asked for advice she would give to budding diagnostic pathologists, Dr. Gross said that you should decide up front whether you are interested in research or diagnostic pathology, and to tailor your career choices to your preference. She emphasized that a Ph.D., although not absolutely necessary, is important these days as a calling card to industry. She encouraged students to choose projects that have clinical relevance.

Dr. Gross also reiterated that students should not restrict their lives to their profession. "Don't forget that there is life outside of veterinary medicine." She thinks it is important to have outside interests and to stay broad, as this will enrich your life now and once you are settled into a career. "Always ask yourself, 'will the choices I make increase my options? And if it decreases my options, is it worth it?'."

Overall, Dr. Gross is a shining example of the rewards of a career in diagnostic pathology. For one who enjoys microscope work, is self-motivated, and willing to learn, this profession has given her the daily rewards of working with people, contributing to the health and well being of animals and the flexibility to pursue her interests outside of veterinary medicine.