House Officer Highlight: Cardiology is a Work of Heart for Resident Who Adopted Former Patient

When owners drop off their pets for heart procedures at the NC State Veterinary Hospital, Dr. Seth Bowden understands how they’re feeling. He’s been through a cardiac procedure at NC State with his own dog, an 18-month-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Tilly.

In fact, the third-year cardiology resident was one of the veterinarians who performed the life-saving surgery that closed an opening between Tilly’s aorta and pulmonary artery, a congenital heart defect called a patent ductus arteriosus. 

Though Tilly belonged to a breeder at the time, Bowden was so delighted by her playful personality that he adopted her following the procedure in May 2023. Tilly came to live with Bowden later that month, filling a hole in Bowden’s heart from the passing of his previous pup a few months earlier.

“A lot of the patients we see with heart disease are Cavaliers,” says Bowden. “Adopting Tilly has given me an insight into what some of their owners may be worried about, both before and after treatment for heart disease. It’s cool to think about how all of the training we do at NC State has now impacted my own life.”

Welcoming Tilly into his life and a home he shares with his roommate, NC State oncology resident Jake Romeiser, exemplifies what Bowden calls NC State’s “family atmosphere.” He first noticed the College of Veterinary Medicine’s welcoming and collaborative environment when interviewing in 2022, and he says he continues to feel it today.

“Our faculty frequently open their homes to house officers for weekend gatherings and holidays,” Bowden says. “Growing up playing sports, a team environment is what I was looking for in a residency, and that’s what I’ve found in coming to NC State.”

Finding his beat

Growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, playing a variety of sports, Bowden pictured himself pursuing sports medicine to help human athletes. It wasn’t until high school that he realized he’d rather work with animals.

“Whenever I get home and my dogs are around, seeing them really impacts my day in a positive way,” he says. “Being able to keep other peoples’ pets healthy and happy for moments like those are what pulled me into pursuing veterinary medicine.”

Bowden attended the University of Kentucky as an undergraduate and walked onto the football team as a tight end. He played for a year before recognizing that he needed to focus on studying if he wanted to make his vet school dreams a reality.

While earning his animal science degree, he started working at a small animal veterinary practice in Lexington, Kentucky, and shadowing local equine veterinarians to boost his medical knowledge. Bowden also worked at the university’s Equine Research Farm, caring for horses and helping researchers facilitate data collection for their projects.

After graduating in December 2016, he continued working on the farm before moving to Alabama to attend the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. Bowden’s interest in cardiology took root during courses on the cardiovascular system during his first and second year.

“I fell in love with the way the cardiovascular system works,” Bowden says. However, cardiology wasn’t his only interest during vet school — Bowden met his fiancée, currently a veterinary surgery resident at Washington State University, at Auburn.

Bowden’s training then took him through a yearlong rotating internship at the Ohio State University after he earned his DVM in 2021.

“My internship consisted mainly of emergency medicine, surgery and internal medicine, but I was able to spend several weeks with the fantastic cardiology team at OSU,” Bowden says. “I loved it there. I’ve been blessed with the opportunities to train in places where I’ve formed a lot of good relationships and have many great mentors that helped me achieve the next steps in my career.”

When the time for residency arrived, Bowden says he wanted to match at NC State due to its prowess in both medical and interventional cardiology. These services include the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease using both medical therapy and minimally invasive catheter-based procedures.

‘An outstanding, competent and knowledgeable clinician’

NC State’s stacked roster of board-certified faculty cardiologists was also a big draw for Bowden. Working with four clinical faculty and seeing the nuanced ways each approaches a case is helping him develop into a well-rounded cardiologist.

He says these mentors have also played a vital role in guiding him through research. Bowden’s recent work includes a study assessing the outcome of different methods for hemostasis, or prevention of bleeding, following transarterial occlusion of patent ductus arteriosus — the same condition Tilly had.

His lead mentor, assistant cardiology professor Dr. Kursten Pierce, says Bowden is a dedicated team player whose clinical and interpersonal skills impress colleagues and clients.

“Universally liked within the hospital, Dr. Bowden is a joy to work with, earning glowing house officer evaluations and admiration from his clients,” Pierce says. “He is an outstanding, competent and knowledgeable clinician, excelling as a sonographer and particularly shining in the cardiac cath lab. Seth is an all-around exemplary individual, and any patient would be fortunate to have him as their doctor.”

Day-to-day, Bowden sees a mix of patients: One day could bring a farm animal and another could involve a chinchilla. Getting to personalize treatment plans based on each patient’s individual needs continually sparks his interest, he says, and gives him the opportunity to bond with pets and their owners over months or years of treatment.

“We form pretty strong relationships with pet owners,” Bowden says. “Recently, one of my long-term canine patients passed away, and her owners sent in pictures and a badge reel with her face on it. I have her picture up over my desk and use the badge reel regularly.”

He even occasionally brings Tilly, who is healthy and happy after her surgery, into work so she can visit with her NC State family.

“The cardiology team really loves her,” Bowden says. “During her initial post-op care, they were always around helping me out while I was on clinical duty. We always joke that our cardiology technicians are like her aunts. They even sometimes bring her toys and bows.”

Bowden and Tilly are moving cross-country next July after he finishes his residency. Bowden will join his fiancée at Washington State University to serve as the institution’s newest clinical professor of veterinary cardiology. 

From the lessons he has learned in the clinic to his teaching style and newfound appreciation of NC State sports, Bowden says he’ll carry the Wolfpack spirit with him from Raleigh to Washington.

“I’ve loved it,” Bowden says. “I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else.”

This article is part of a series featuring house officers across the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Hospital. Click here to find previous House Officer Highlight stories.