VMCVM Faculty Spotlight: Natalia Strandberg
Natalia Strandberg
Clinical Assistant Professor of Clinical Pathology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology
When did you join the veterinary college?
December 2021
The best part of being a faculty is?
Being able to have a wide variety of responsibilities that I love. I get to spend half of my time behind the microscope looking at cells and I get to spend the other half teaching. There is nothing better for me than to see a student suddenly understand a concept they were struggling with, see students grow and become confident in interpreting bloodwork data, or show really cool cells to a resident and see them get excited. I also love that I can help clinicians diagnose and save pets' lives.
Best advice I've gotten...
Stop comparing your achievements to others' achievements. Focus on making yourself better and be happy with your own progress.
My hidden talent...
I can turn almost any object into a cute crocheted stuffed animal. Crocheted cells are my favorite.
A person who has inspired me...
There are too many to list here. I have been blessed with many amazing mentors throughout my life and I can't pick just one.
Words of encouragement to a current veterinary college student...
I know things can seem overwhelming and like you don't know anything, but as long as you know the fundamentals and know how/where to look things up, you can find the answers. Knowledge will come with experience and you will keep getting better every day. Keep you chin up!
One misconception that all students seem to have is?
I don't know if all students necessarily feel this way, but I know I used to think that my professors were infallible. We make mistakes too and don't have all the answers. I have learned new things about clinical pathology from students asking me questions that I had to look up the answer to.
If I had a superpower, it would be...
To fly. It would feel so freeing to be able to soar in the sky.
This excites me the most about the future of my industry...
The growth of opportunities for veterinary medicine in general. There are so many different career paths that you can take with a veterinary degree that don't necessarily have to be general clinical practice. And the best part is, you can change what you are doing in the future if the initial career you chose is not right for you.
A cause I'm most passionate about...
Mental health and wellbeing. Vet school and vet med are difficult and can be physically and emotionally exhausting. I would love to see a shift in the culture away from the work until you drop mentality. Yes, you should expect to work some late hours as a healthcare professional when there are emergencies, but that should not be the everyday expectation. You can't help your patients if you are burned out.
Favorite way to end the day...
Relaxing on the sofa with my husband and cats watching hockey and/or crocheting.
My favorite quote...
Referring to interactions he had with his neighbors: "Over the next few years, I came to learn that the some of most inane unimportant little things I had done or said in that time had impacted my neighbors in enormous ways. Not necessarily good or bad but significantly and generally in a positive fashion or so it seemed to me. If I had chosen different words to speak or timed my actions only slightly differently, it might well have altered their lives. ... Big important things are built from small and commonplace things." -- Jim Butcher
How many pets/animals live at home? Can you tell us about them?
I have two cats and a Russian tortoise. One of the cats was a case brought to me (when I was in general practice) as a barn kitten for euthanasia due to a hernia involving most of her intestinal tract. My employer at the time generously allowed me to have the owner sign ownership to me and allowed me to use the clinics equipment to repair the hernia. I had never performed a hernia repair and we thought this was a win-win for me and the kitten. I got to practice a new surgical skill and the kitten got a chance at life. The surgery was a success and despite my husband's initial "we are not keeping her" when I brought her home for recovery, we still have her 10 years later.
