How Veterinary Medicine Found Me
By Kathryn W. ’26, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Student
For many people in the veterinary field, becoming a vet has been their dream since early childhood and their sights have been set on having “DVM” — Doctor of Veterinary Medicine — after their name ever since. However, my path to becoming a veterinarian was a little more unexpected.
I started my undergraduate degree here at Texas A&M University in the Fall of 2017 with the plan to become a physical therapist. I knew I loved science, medicine, and health, so physical therapy seemed like a great fit. With that in mind, I began working toward my biomedical sciences degree. After completing my freshman year of college, I found myself looking for a summer job to keep me busy and make some money for the upcoming school year, so I took a position as a kennel technician at a veterinary clinic because of my soft spot for animals.
That summer at the clinic was filled with learning and experiences that I never expected to have, like scrubbing in on surgeries, filling medications, and learning what information can be obtained through diagnostics like bloodwork or a simple ear swab. As the weeks went by, I found myself drawn more and more into the hustle and bustle of the treatment area and getting involved in as much as I could. Before I knew it, I was hooked.
I had the realization that this field of medicine was fascinating to me, and I felt like I had found a career that really suited me well. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t rushing into things though, so I did my research, talked with veterinarians, and joined the PreVet Society at the university upon my return for my sophomore year. The more I learned about veterinary medicine, the more I was drawn in. I decided my love for veterinary medicine wasn’t just puppy love (see what I did there?) and I dove into all things pre-vet. Fast forward a few years and two degrees, and I’m now wrapping up my second year of veterinary school! My advice for anyone reading this is to say yes to new experiences and opportunities and don’t be afraid to chase your passions, regardless of when you discover them!