EARLY EDUCATION

Dr. Lovasz has had the privilege in serving as steward and advocate for animal safety and enrichment for over thirty years. Dr. Lovasz displayed a strong bond with animals and people from an early age (in kindergarten his future career goals were either a firefighter or veterinarian). The path toward his commitment for both animal health and well being began with enrollment at John Bowne High School in Flushing Queens. John Bowne was and continues to be the only public high school in New York City that also has a working farm.

As part of the curriculum, Dr. Lovasz had the unique opportunity to work with a varied population of animals including: chickens, horses, guinea pigs, finches, fish, reptiles, mice and rats. The education included handling and recognizing distress, the importance in utilizing appropriately trained individuals in handling species as well as practicing public safety and sharing good handling practices.

Through his high school program, Dr. Lovasz attained a part time job working at the Historic Queens County Farm and Museum. This position elevated his exposure to include working with various farm animals including: goats, sheep, cows, quail, ducks, turkeys, geese and peafowl.

This experience ignited a passion to grow further in knowledge in large animal care, and following his high school graduation with an endorsement in careers in agriculture on his diploma, Dr. Lovasz attended the SUNY Morrisville.

UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

At Morrisville, Dr. Lovasz was trained in the importance of nutritional and environmental care with large animals. He was trained in the safe handling and regard with large animals like cows and horses, the safety protocols that need to be enforce with both animals and people in the area, and the relevance of sedation and appropriate use and administration of local anesthetics for both diagnostic and therapeutic use. Dr. Lovasz was instructed in how to assess different characteristics displayed indicating a patient’s fear, stress, pain or anxiety. This skill is an apical component of a patient’s care management plan.

POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

Upon graduation from SUNY Morrisville with a degree in Large Animal Science in 1998, he was offered the opportunity to sit for the national veterinary technician board examination. Dr. Lovasz felt there was more he wanted to understand with domestic animals before perusing a role as a licensed technician, and enrolled at Laguardia Community College in Queens, New York to gain a degree in small animal science.

It was during this experience that Dr. Lovasz was exposed to the role of general anesthesia in patients for the first time. He developed an understanding the role of the licensed anesthetist, their role in assessment and monitoring from the moment they meet the patient, and ending only upon full recovery, rather than the end of a procedure.

This role filled Dr. Lovasz with a sense of responsibility and trust he had never previously experienced, and provided a standard of care with patient safety to which Dr. Lovasz remains committed to this day.

INTERNSHIPS

Dr. Lovasz thrived in anesthesia and acquired internships at NYU and the Animal Medical Center in NYC. At NYU, Dr. Lovasz was trained in anesthesia in amphibians, fish, and non-human primates.  His attention to both human and animal safety and care did not go unnoticed, and Dr. Lovasz was offered a position to lead the anesthesia team at NYU upon graduation.

This was a role that was enriching and rewarding to Dr. Lovasz, however he also sought more exposure to challenging anesthesia in domestic animals. The Animal Medical Center offered a position to be a part of anesthesia where animals were undergoing incredible procedures which were still very uncommon for pets, including renal transplants, brain surgery, pacemaker placement, even dental implants.

Dr. Lovasz found a great deal of satisfaction in being able to provide support for these and many other cases over the next seven years. During this time, Dr. Lovasz decided that the next part of his journey required further growth in knowledge and ability, and he decided to go back to school part-time with the goal of going to veterinary school.

VETERINARY SCHOOL

In 2007, Dr. Lovasz finished his pre-requisites and acquired a biology degree from Queens College. He was soon off to Ross University College of Veterinary Medicine.

At Ross University, his life’s experiences help him excel, especially in comparative anatomy. Dr. Lovasz completed his Veterinary training at Texas A&M and received the college’s award in anesthesia.

INTERNSHIPS IN ANESTHESIA

In 2012 Dr. Lovasz returned to the Animal Medical Center to complete a one year rotating internship. Among the many state of the art departments Dr. Lovasz was able to extend his anesthesia knowledge and skills with, he was able to participate in roles anesthetizing patients in the interventional radiology department as well as patients receiving cancer treatment via linear accelerator. At the time, IR and the linear accelerator were the first of their kind in the veterinary field.

residency

Following his internship, Dr. Lovasz completed a three year residency in anesthesia, and pursued a Master’s degree in Veterinary Clinical Science. Upon completing his residency, Dr. Lovasz was given the unique opportunity to run the anesthesia department at Northwest Veterinary Specialists in Portland Oregon. Dr. Lovasz fell in love with the overwhelming size of the trees, the abundance of nature and the lack of snow compared to the east coast.

educational efforts

In addition to his role as Anesthesiologist at NWVS, he began educational training and providing continuing education programs for veterinarians as well as veterinary technicians. Dr. Lovasz has provided continuing education throughout Oregon and the rest of the country, including to the Veterinary Technician program at Portland Community College.

Throughout the pandemic, Dr. Lovasz provided free continuing education online to all members of the Veterinary community. The people of Pacific Northwest have a strong connection to their pets, who are family members. Our pets deserve the best care possible when they need to undergo general anesthesia. Dr. Lovasz is honored to provide his lifetime of knowledge and care to these patients.