As a student at DeBakey High School for Health Professions, I have to complete a preceptorship class in which I get to choose any health field to study. I chose to study veterinary medicine because I hope to become a veterinarian. Thus, every other day, for three hours, I get to go to the Sunset Boulevard Animal Clinic and observe common procedures and surgeries. This has been a great program because I have a head start on my education and future career.
Since I have started going to the vet's office, I have seen and learned about so many new procedures in the veterinary field. Among the common procedures I have learned, I know the steps in a basic check up of domestic animals, how to clean the ears, how to take the temperature, how to take a sample of stool, and how to restrain animals of all sizes. These may seem like simple procedures, but most high school students that enter a pre-veterinary program in college are not aware of the tactics. I have also sat in on more interesting procedures such as the excision of lipomas, which are non-cancerous tumors, and spaying and neutering surgeries. I not only sit in on these surgeries, but I also report back to my instructor at school to present the research I have done on these cases. I know that for a lot of non-medical personnel everything that I have seen may seem overwhelming, but after being in the vets office for a little over two months, I know now more than ever that I want to be a veterinarian.
When I receive my doctorate in veterinary medicine, I hope to complete research that will allow for breakthroughs in medicine and new surgeries. I also hope that as a veterinarian I will make the public aware of the importance of giving care to their animals. I know that one day, hopefully soon, the standard of care in domestic animals will increase.
My experience has definitely set me apart from most students my age. I have hands-on training that puts me in a position ready to enter the highly rated vet program at Texas A&M University.