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Hello everyone! Thanks for checking out my my blog! The material in this blog will talk about some of the wonderful opportunities and experiences I have had the chance to participate in throughout veterinary school and beyond. Before I get into what I am up to now, here is a little bit on the path that I took to veterinary school.
Veterinary Medicine has provided me the opportunity to combine three things I truly enjoy: animals, science and medicine. I have always loved them each separately, and what better way to combine all 3 fields than through veterinary medicine? Throughout my life I have gravitated towards animals and have always surrounded myself with animals. From taking care of my grandma’s birds at young age to my family’s dogs, my love for animals began when I was young. My interest in veterinary medicine did not kick in until high school, when I began volunteering at 4 Paws Animal Hospital in Morganville, New Jersey during my freshman year. I volunteered there for 3 years, was then hired on as a technician and have been working there while home for breaks/summers throughout school. 4 Paws has always been there for me, providing me support while I attended undergraduate and currently veterinary school, and they are a huge reason why I am the veterinary professional I am today.
It’s funny sometimes how opportunities can present to you in such different ways each time. From other veterinarians, mentors, collegiate advisors, or even the internet. For example, during my undergraduate junior year English class, we completed a “job application” were we had to find a job/opportunity to apply to in our field of choice and gather all the materials needed to apply for that opportunity such as resume, cover letter, letters of recommendation, etc. While looking for something to apply to, I stumbled across a summer program at Michigan’s State Veterinary School of Medicine, Vetward Bound. Not only did I use this program application to complete my assignment, but I actually applied for it, and got in! This program was a turning point for me in the early stages of my veterinary education. We had the opportunity to shadow 4th year veterinary students in the clinics, present on cases we saw, participate in wet labs, and attended lectures in anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and pathology. It was also a great opportunity for networking – meeting other students, faculty and Deans from veterinary schools across the country. Enter: Purdue Boilermakers!
In total, I applied to 8 veterinary schools, spanning from coast to coast. Purdue was the best fit for me to achieve my goals in the best learning environment possible. What sold me on PVM was during the interview banquet and day, getting the opportunity to interact with faculty (and students) throughout the whole process, and seeing the community atmosphere the school fosters. PVM is truly a family, something that was noticeable in just 24 hours while visiting the vet school. I was also a huge fan of PVM’s curriculum structure, which focused on didactic learning supplemented with problem-based learning (PBL) through cases. The small group environment of PBL provided a different method to learn the material that was presented in class, one that helped me make the material stick. As I enter my third year at PVM, I can honestly say I have enjoyed my time here and all the opportunities PVM has provided me, including leadership, study abroad, and networking opportunities. I look forward to what these next 2 years of veterinary school and beyond will bring!