This article introduces another Vet School Diary Writer, Christine, who is headed to Australia to commence her veterinary medicine studies. What are the Vet School Diaries? They are a collection of posts from various veterinary students around the world, each in their own "diary" section of the Pre-Vet/Career forum. This is a great way to get a glimpse of what vet school is "really" like, and to get an idea of what veterinary students must go through academically and emotionally as they prepare to be veterinarians. This introduction is from Christine, who will be heading to Murdoch University Veterinary College in Perth Western Australia in the summer of 2005 to begin her studies. Welcome, Christine, and good luck in your future endeavors!
Read this Vet School Diary in the Pre-Vet/Career Forum.
From Diary Writer Christine:
Hi everyone,
My name is Christina and right now, at the age of 25, I am preparing for the biggest adventure of my life. I have recently been accepted to Murdoch University Veterinary College in Perth Western Australia. I was born and raised in California and have wanted to become a veterinarian all of my life. I have worked many hours while attending school, trying to get my BS in biology and all of my prerequisites for veterinary school. With 171 college units, a 3.4 GPA and a semester abroad in Costa Rica, studying tropical field ecology and Spanish, I was hoping to be a candidate for one of the colleges inside the United States the second time around that I have applied. I applied to Davis, Cornell, Tufts, U of Florida, Kansas State, U Penn, U Chicago, Ross, and Saint George. I got an interview at Ross and Saint Georges and as a last minute resort and on a whim I applied to Murdoch because it was AVMA accredited.
Very quickly I received an offer of admission from Murdoch and I was shocked, here I was in Costa Rica and I was supposed to start in February, two months after I return to the US. I knew there would not be enough time for me to get my dog and myself ready before that time, so I figured I would get into another school. Just in case, I applied to start halfway through the semester, in July, because I had already had all of the beginning biology courses that they would be taking. Well, I qualified to start in July and as the rejection letters started rolling in it became more and more apparent that I was supposed to go to Australia. When the last one came in I knew I had to go.
My adventure starts...
I graduate with my BS in biology from California State University Sacramento this spring and I start my veterinary course on July 25th 2005. I will officially be done in December of 2009.
So here it goes...
Arriving at our chosen location, I jump out of the van, eager to stretch my legs after the long journey. In the midst of becoming victimized by hundreds of blood-thirsty mosquitoes, it begins to rain. Looking up, I let the warm water wash over me and a huge smile spreads across my face. I strap on my backpack, apply liberal amounts of mosquito repellent, and head off into the rain forest. As you are reading my application, I am accomplishing one of my ambitions in life... the chance to study biology in the rainforests of Costa Rica. I worked long and hard to get the money for this trip, but I have worked even harder towards my ultimate goal of becoming an avian and exotic animal veterinarian.
The goal began at the age of ten when I started volunteering with Dr. Barbara Miller. At first, I could only help clean cages, walk, and feed the pets, but soon I was able to help her vaccinate her animals and observe surgeries. Soon, I was bringing many animals home to take care of. I had mice with splints on their legs that the cat had gotten to, a partially run over garter snake that I was treating with antibiotics, under Dr. Miller’s direction, a bird with a broken wing, and many more small creatures. Knowing Dr. Miller not only gave me my first opportunity to work with animals, but also allowed me see a veterinarian in their work environment, a veterinarian at home, and the dedication and sacrifices necessary to succeed in my chosen career.
During my senior year of high school, I worked 30 to 40 hours a week at Wikiup Veterinary Hospital with Dr. Glenn Benjamin. On my first day of work, a puppy died a horrible death from parvo in my arms. While the experience was sad, it helped me to understand that death is a part of life and a part of any veterinarian's career. Instead of deterring me from my goals, this experience allowed me to more fully accept what becoming a veterinarian would entail.
