| | The Veterinary Medical Center is a very unique place! Not only do we offer
top-quality general practice care, but we also have ready access to board-certified specialists that can be consulted when needed. There are specialists in surgery, nutrition, anesthesia, dermatology, ophthalmology, dentistry, behavior, reproduction, acupuncture, cardiology, oncology, internal medicine, emergency and critical care.
Another unique aspect of the Veterinary Medical Center is our students. Our goal is simple: we want to provide you and your companion with the best medical care possible and teach our students how to provide that same great medical care when they graduate. Not only are you receiving the best possible care for your pet, but you are also contributing to the learning of our future veterinarians. |
| | What to expect at your visit
Most appointments have a senior veterinary student involved in some way. Normally what will take place: A senior veterinary student will take you and your companion back to an exam room and they will listen to your concerns. They will take all of the information you provide to them and put it in our electronic medical record. They also perform a complete physical exam and if needed; they will take your pet to obtain what ever samples needed (blood, urine, etc.) for testing. After they evaluate your pet, the student then reports the findings and the plan to the doctor. The veterinarian will then come into the room to verify everything do their own physical exam and to answer any further questions that you may have.
The appointments sometimes take longer than they would in a non-teaching clinic, due to the teaching process involved. However, most of our clients tell us that the quality of care is worth the extra time.
General Practice staff Veterinary technicians
Veterinary technicians perform duties similar to human nurses. They take care of hospitalized patients, provide care/husbandry recommendations to owners, organize and assist during minor procedures, inoculations, plus many other essential jobs. Our veterinary technicians not only help clients with questions, they are also responsible for teaching and coaching our veterinary students. For example they teach the students how to draw blood (phlebotomy) as well as proper animal restraint.
Lori Schmieg, CVT
Lori has been with the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center since 2000. Lori attended the veterinary clinical assisting program at Globe Collage/ Minnesota School of Business from 1993-1995. In addition to being a veterinary technician Lori is also a professional pet groomer. Lori shares her home in St. Paul with two retired confirmation champion Cocker Spaniels: Darby 9 and her daughter Soda 6. She also has two senior citizen felines (Kayla 18 and Calvin 17). Lori enjoys volunteering for Therapy Dogs International (TDI). Soda is a registered therapy dog. They spend their free time visiting nursing homes, hospitals and schools. Some of Lori's outside interests include scrap booking, gardening, camping, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
Lori is cross-trained in emergency / critical care and theriogenology (reproduction).
Veterinarians
General Practice has two full-time veterinarians. Their duties include diagnosing and preventing disease and teaching and mentoring students, as well as making sure that your pet lives a long and healthy life!
Kristi Flynn, DVM
Dr. Kristi Flynn grew up on a farm in SE Minnesota and completed her undergraduate studies at North Dakota State University. After graduation from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 2006 Dr. Flynn worked at a small animal practice in South Minneapolis. Dr. Flynn found her place when she joined the General Practice Service in 2012 since she cherishes teaching and life-long learning. Areas of special interest include behavior, dermatology and nutrition. Outside of practice, Dr. Flynn spends time training her dogs with whom she competes in agility and flyball. She teaches classes at Twin Cities Obedience Training Club and serves as the Medical Director for Minnesota Sheltie Rescue. Other interests include gardening, hiking and canoeing.
Sue Lowum, DVM
Dr. Sue Lowum graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine with many awards and honors. She then went on to complete a rigorous rotating internship at the University of Minnesota, where she gained experience in emergency medicine, surgery, and internal medicine. She joined the Veterinary Medical Center's General Practice Service in 2008. Dr. Lowum’s medical interests are numerous but include geriatric medicine, preventive medicine, endocrine disease, cardiology, oncology, and gastrointestinal disease. She loves to spend time with her own pets. She has two Labrador retrievers named Misty and Sydney, who are always trying to encourage her to exercise more. She has two cats, Tico and Tancat, who she adopted through the Foster Kitten program when she was a student. They are always getting into trouble and trying to blame the dogs for their messes. Dr. Lowum also adopted a beautiful ruby Cavelier King Charles Spaniel named Isis who needed a home after Dr. Lowum performed an emergency surgery on her. Although the smallest of the dogs, Isis rules the household. |
