Lisa Hillstock

She/her

Education: Bachelor of Science in biological systems engineering (May 2013)

McNair Project: A Case Study of Patient Flow and Contact at a Local, Private Veterinary Practice (2011)

Mentor: Nora Bello, Ph.D.

The purpose of this research was to discover the range and scope of patients and cases that a typical private veterinary practice would treat within a specific time range. The information was gathered during a three month volunteering experience and focused primarily on patients' demographic information, the types of appointments, and diagnoses and treatments of the patients. Information on clinical practices, procedures, and issues was also gathered. 300 patients and 334 appointments were observed. Majority of the patients were dogs. There was a 1:1 ratio between male and female patients. 171 patients were spayed/neutered vs. 123 who weren't. 90 patients were mixed breeds, and 210 were pure breeds. The majority of appointments were surgeries (47) and illnesses (40) the fewest being work-ups (7) and injuries (9). In addition to numerical data, other clinical issues were observed regarding age requirements, breed restrictions, financial contracts, rabies laws, and doctor-owner communication.