I am currently attending Vet School at University of Missouri Columbia. I’ve always loved science, as I’m intrigued by biology; but I didn’t decide that I wanted to be a doctor of veterinary medicine until middle school. My first dog, Daisy, a yellow Labrador Retriever, had died young of parvo. We hadn’t known about the series of puppy shots required to prevent it. We finally took her into the vet’s office when there was no denying that there was something very wrong with her. Even when Daisy wouldn’t drink or eat, we’d waited it out. It turned out we’d waited too long, and the Sparta Animal Clinic was unable to save Daisy. It was then that I first thought about being a vet and educating pet owners on proper animal care. Having uncles that would rather use inhumane methods of controlling their pet populations than consider spaying and neutering has also inspired me to pursue veterinary medicine. I’ve become known as an animal lover, and have been the brunt of some jokes in my farm-raised extended family, but I know I have their respect for how hard I’ve worked in my pre-veterinary education.
My freshman year of high school I had no question in my mind who I wanted to go watch for a job shadowing assignment… Dr. Allard and Dr. Russell. I observed such an exciting variety of procedures at the mixed-practice, Sparta Animal Clinic that I knew I would be thrilled to work at such a place when “I grew up”. For two years of summers and school breaks, I worked at that same Sparta Animal Clinic, as a kennel keeper, secretary, and vet tech rolled into one. However, my favorite part of everyday was when surgery or farm-call time rolled around and I got to help as a veterinary technician. I was like an inquisitive sponge, as each new surgery brought with it many questions. I will never forget the first time I gave a shot, implanted a microchip, clamped off a blood vessel, or especially when I was needed to swing and rub a caesarian-sectioned puppy to keep it awake and breathing.
In college, I’ve done everything I can to help insure my dreams of becoming a veterinarian come true. I’ve maintained over a 3.9 GPA despite my busy schedule. Once I had a career-ending injury at the end of my sophomore year causing me to no longer be a division I NCAA athlete, I got a part-time job as secretary of the SEMO athletic office and took on the role of president of the pre-veterinary club. I initiated contact with the Humane Society in Cape Girardeau, and encouraged my fellow pre-vet students to volunteer there as I began doing. From the fall of 2007 onward, when at school, I spent two hours of every week grooming and bathing these lovable rejected animals. A friend once asked me “doesn’t it make you sad to know that most of the animals you’re grooming will be put to sleep?” to which I answered, “well, I’m either helping to increase their chances of adoption or showing them love during their last days.” I’ve spoken in front of hundreds of FFA high school students when SEMO hosted one of their competitions. I’ve job shadowed Dr. Huck, a horse-specialist veterinarian, near Cape Girardeau. I’m in multiple other clubs and honor societies at Southeast Missouri State University, as well. And every time I’d go home for breaks, I’d go to Sparta Animal Clinic and work. However, my biology degree required an internship.
Therefore, this past summer, I applied for and received an internship working with the great apes at the St. Louis Zoo, where I had taken my pre-vet club twice before, for behind-the-scenes tours of the big cat country and the antelope house. Seeing life from a zookeeper’s eyes, and becoming attached to the chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I’m very grateful to have received. Besides getting to care for, play with, and feed the great apes, I also got to observe two immobilizations, of a chimp and an orangutan, and watch the zoo vets in action. I also went on behind-the-scenes tours of almost every animal unit in the zoo during my internship. This experience has influenced my career goals dramatically. Before this summer, I knew I’d love to be a small town vet. However, now I could see myself as a zoo veterinarian, as well. Saving endangered or threatened animals everyday would be amazing. Yet, I figure I don’t have to decide my specialty until vet school.
I am sure that I want to be a veterinarian. Pre-med students at SEMO sometimes ask me, “Why not be a doctor?” I think, “Why not be a vet?” There’s more of a challenge and more of a variety. My patients won’t be able to tell me what’s wrong; I’ll have to rely mainly on my investigative techniques. I’ll be able to work on many species, which is much better than being restricted to just one, in my opinion. I’ve also been told I should be a medical doctor, so I could make “the big money”. Well, I’m not becoming a veterinarian for the money. I want to be happy everyday, excited and intrigued by my occupation, which will hopefully be that of a veterinarian.
