You never know what your clinical experience will bring you, and for Julia, our July Photo and Blog Contest Winner, it was not only the patients that made her clinical experience memorable but also a four-legged friend patrolling her clinical site.

Read her full story below.

Julia’s AMO Story

During my internal medicine rotation in New York, I had the distinct pleasure of working under the esteemed Dr. F., but it was a little long-haired chihuahua named Stella who truly stole the show. Stella wasn’t just a pet–she was the clinic’s pint-sized, four-legged mascot, ruling the roost with a combination of charm and an iron paw.

Every morning, as I staggered into the clinic, still clutching my last vestiges of caffeine, Stella would be there, perched imperiously in her velvet doggy bed. Her daily patrols of the clinic were nothing short of a ceremonial procession. Patients and staff alike awaited her approval, and it was a well-known fact that Stella’s nod (or rather, a sniff) was more reassuring than any lab result.

Stella’s therapeutic prowess was unparalleled. I recall one particularly complicated case presentation where she, sensing my mounting anxiety, trotted over and settled on my foot. There I stood, delivering my report with a chihuahua-shaped anchor of calm, while Dr. F. looked on, amused.

Her favorite spot was Doc’s office, where she basked in the sunlight and kept a vigilant eye on clinic activities. Stella had an uncanny ability to sense when a patient needed comfort in the waiting room, deftly making her way to them, wasting no time in providing a form of canine therapy that no human could match.

By the end of my rotation, it was evident that Stella was not merely an adorable fixture–she was a crucial member of the team. Her presence underscored an important lesson in medicine: that the best remedies often come with four paws and a wagging tail, reminding us all that healing is as much about the heart as it is about the science.