5 Questions With Dr. Jan Pol of Nat Geo WILD’s ‘The Incredible Dr. Pol’
Q&A
The Incredible Dr. Pol, currently airing its 15th season Saturday nights on Nat Geo Wild, follows Dr. Jan Pol, his family, and his staff as they treat the clients of their Central Michigan veterinary practice.
On the Aug. 10 episode, Dr. Pol rolls out to Clay Knob to perform herd health checks on a bevy of bovine, and the Dutch doc says he’s always ready for anything — even patient visits alfresco.
“The clinic’s cars have a bunch of medicines and tools in them, and we actually have enough with us that we can do surgeries in the field,” he reveals.
Then he answered our “5 Questions.”
If your TV had just three networks on it, what would you be watching?
Dr. Jan Pol: I want a good news channel that’s honest. I’m from the Netherlands, so I want world news. I also want entertainment, too; Hallmark really has some kind, nice shows on. Diane [Pol’s wife] loves to watch those and many times I sit down with her. And maybe some cartoons.
When did you decide to become a veterinarian?
I was born and raised on a dairy farm, the youngest of six, so always around horses, cows, pigs, sheep — and I got along well with them. … When I was 12 years old, the local veterinarian picked me up to help deliver piglets at my brother’s, and I thought that was so much fun. From then on I said, “Hey, I want to become a veterinarian,” and it’s been a job that I have enjoyed my whole life.
If you could transform into any animal, what would you choose?
Most likely a cat. A cat can survive almost anywhere. They don’t make them do anything. They just lay around, eat, sleep, and be happy.
What’s the strangest animal you’ve ever treated?
I have no idea, because I treat anything that comes through the door. I’m a veterinarian from the old school — we had a Hippocratic Oath, where we were supposed to help every animal, and that’s what I am trying to do.
We have had people that bring camels in; I have given a health certificate for an elephant; I’ve seen an alligator; I’ve seen snakes. The most unusual thing I’ve ever seen was just recently: I was doing surgery on a Belgian stallion and I pulled out a uterus! It was intersex! … I saved that uterus in formaldehyde in the clinic among my souvenirs.
Where do you and your wife Diane like to travel on vacation?
We really love sun and beaches and sea. Both Diane and I love to swim and we love to lay on the beach. We love to go to Aruba, which is a Dutch island, but we enjoy any place where it is quiet and restful, because now our life is hectic!
The Incredible Dr. Pol, Saturdays, 9/8c, Nat Geo WILD
