Andrew Willis

By Caitlin Hofen

The seven year old Lusitano stallion was distressed and down in the stall Imported from Brazil, the horse was brought to the the Brazil, the to United States for breeding and showing purposes, but his States and his future looked bleak as Andrew Willis, DVM, and his veterinarian looked and team began their examination. Severe gastric reflux meant that their Severe gastric reflux that foods and fluids could not pass through the horse’s digestive not through digestive tract. Biopsies helped the veterinary staff diagnose inflammatory bowel disease; various medical treatments had bowel disease; treatments been administered for it, but with limited success. for but

Willis and his colleagues began discussing options while and began remaining convicted to returning the horse to good health remaining returning Steroids and a month of intravenous infusion met that objective, and month and the stallion is now competing in shows and used for is now breeding. breeding.

A 2011 Northwestern graduate, Willis wasn’t always involved in in saving the lives of animals However, his passion for them started at the age of 14 when he began working on a ranch one 14 one summer

“When I started there, I literally knew nothing about horses or “When I started knew about horses or cattle,” Willis said. “I was eager to learn, but I was greener than “I learn, I green. I spent about four and a half years there off and on, over green about four and a half there off and over nights, on weekends and on school breaks I learned the basics breaks. and foundation of nearly every skillset for my professional career, and essentially every hobby that I developed as a result every of working there. It was an amazing experience.”

The passion Willis found in animals drove his desire to pursue a in degree in veterinary medicine, starting at Northwestern with his starting Northwestern bachelor’s degree.

“I was not your traditional college student,” Willis said. “During the first two and a half years of my undergraduate degree, I first undergraduate degree, lived at home with my parents in Woodward and attended in Northwestern at its campus branch there The last two and a its campus a half years, I would stay in Alva during the week, but would go would back home every weekend to ride horses ” every

When choosing his major, Willis took a non traditional route by non route by choosing agriculture over biology as a pre veterinary student. choosing agriculture biology student.

“Dr. Scarborough, chair of the agriculture department, was my “Dr. the advisor. Even though it was somewhat outside of his normal advisor Even was somewhat outside of his normal advisory capacity, he really went above and beyond to ensure that I he I would obtain my veterinary pre requisites while still completing my veterinary still degree program I felt as though my knowledge base and degree program. felt though foundation on the basic sciences, as well as general animal science well general and nutrition, were more than adequate for entering veterinary nutrition, school.”

While Willis said he originally chose to attend Northwestern for its originally its convenience, he soon found more benefits than he imagined imagined

“Initially, I chose Northwestern out of convenience and it being out it being cost effective,” Willis said. “Retrospectively, Northwestern was a cost Northwestern great fit for me on an individual level I was able to get to know was to some of the instructors on a much more personal level. Not uncommonly, one could find me in a two hour lull between classes uncommonly, one could me in a two classes drinking a cup of coffee with Drs. Scarborough and Gilchrist in with and their offices ”

Upon graduating from Northwestern in 2011, Willis continued his Upon education at Oklahoma State University where he was drawn to education Oklahoma where he drawn to equine veterinary medicine

“During my first year of vet school, we did mini clinics where one we where afternoon every week of the semester we went to the teaching every the hospital for rotations,” Willis said “While I was on my equine internal medicine rotation, Todd Holbrook, DVM, DACVIM, internal DVM, DACVSMR, was explaining to me the pathophysiology of was to me the of synchronous diaphragmatic flutter with cantharidin toxicosis I diaphragmatic toxicosis. I walked away from that experience with a burning passion to do away that experience a what he did ” did.”

Nominated by his mentor, Dr Holbrook, Willis was awarded the Dr Holbrook, the Zoetis Equine Scholarship Award for an externship. He chose to pursue that externship at Brazos Valley Equine Hospitals in Equine in Navasota, Texas.

“I shied away from doing an externship between my first and “I second years of veterinary college because I felt I didn’t know college because know enough and that would be frowned upon,” Willis said. “I would and be said. encourage anyone considering an externship to just do it ” just it

After graduating from OSU in 2016, Willis participated in an After in 2016, participated in an internship at Weatherford Equine Medical Center, P.C. in Weatherford, Texas Concluding his time there, Willis then held a Texas held residency in large animal internal medicine with an equine residency large animal internal medicine with emphasis at the University of California, Davis from August 2017 to emphasis at University to July 2020. He has returned to the Weatherford Equine Facility and July He has returned the Weatherford Facility and serves as an associate veterinarian serves veterinarian

Since graduating with his Doctor of with Veterinary Medicine degree, Willis degree, sees between 1,500 to 1,800 horses annually on an inpatient, outpatient and emergency basis.

Willis offered advice for any young offered person considering a career in considering a in veterinary medicine. veterinary

“Only pursue this if it is what you you truly love,” Willis said “It takes a truly said lot of years to be able to practice lot of years be able and practice well Along that road, that road, you are going to have to make a lot are to have of sacrifices and it won’t be worth it of if your heart isn’t in it. your

“I would also highly encourage anyone pursuing this profession to profession to strongly consider an internship and strongly residency. Unlike the human residency Unlike the human medical field, veterinarians are not required to complete a residency training program to practice medicine, but doing so will change but the way that you practice for your way your entire career.”