Dr. Gershon Alaluf has spent more than three decades in veterinary medicine—healing animals, leading teams, mentoring new veterinarians, and trying to make sense of the human side of the profession. Over the course of his career, Dr. Alaluf has built two clinics from the ground up and has witnessed firsthand when veterinarians burn out and lose their spark. He is a current doctoral candidate at Pepperdine University studying stress, emotional labor, and sustainability in veterinary medicine.
Common-Presenting Complaints in General Practice
Saturday, June 20, 2026
8:00 AM–9:15 AM
Scratching the Surface: A Practical Dermatology Playbook for Early-Career Clinicians
Skin cases are everywhere, yet they often leave early-career veterinarians second-guessing their plans, their diagnostics, and themselves. In this dermatology rounds session, we will focus on a clear, repeatable approach to the itchy dog and cat—built for the realities of busy general practice. Through real-world cases, you’ll learn how to avoid common early-career pitfalls, narrow differentials with confidence, and create treatment plans that actually work in the exam room.
9:25 AM–10:25 AM
Diarrhea Dilemmas: A Confidence-Building GI Framework for Early-Career Veterinarians
Few things test a new veterinarian’s confidence like a diarrhea case that won’t resolve. In this GI rounds session, we will break down diarrhea using a simple, structured framework designed for early-career veterinarians navigating real-world constraints—time, money, and owner expectations. You will learn how to decide when to dig deeper, when to simplify, and how to communicate clearly with clients while managing both acute and chronic GI cases.
11:00 AM–12:00 PM
They Didn’t Teach That in Vet School!
Ever wonder why you never saw an anal gland abscess in veterinary school? No matter how solid your veterinary training was, there are always real-world surprises you will encounter for the first time in practice. This candid session shines a light on the unglamorous ailments that vet school rotations often skip over—from anal gland abscesses to broken dewclaw “disasters” that general practitioners handle every day. Join us for a lighthearted behind-the-scenes look at these common cases and pick up practical tips to manage them with confidence—so that you are never caught off-guard by the cases academia forgot!
4:15 PM–5:30 PM
Horse, Zebra, or Unicorn: When You Hear Hoofbeats…
Join general practitioners Dr. Gershon Alaluf and Dr. Brianna Armstrong, oncologist Dr. Kim Johnson, and internist Dr. Jessica Larson for an interactive, fast-paced diagnostic game that brings real-world clinical reasoning to life—without the pressure of having to be “right.” Each presenter will share cases from their own clinical experience and challenge the audience to decide: is this a horse, zebra, or unicorn? Attendees will vote in real time, follow each clinician’s diagnostic thought process, and see how uncertainty, pattern recognition, and clinical judgment shape decision-making in everyday practice. Fun, high-energy, and great for normalizing diagnostic uncertainty, this session is perfect for early-career veterinarians—and a refreshing reminder for seasoned clinicians that thoughtful medicine doesn’t always mean instant answers.
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