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Gearing Up For The Fourth Year Of Veterinary School

By Elizabeth G. ’25, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Student

Five young women wearing white physician lab coats standing in a line with their thumbs up.

In less than two months, the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ Doctor of Veterinary Medicine class of 2025 will begin their clinical rotations at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital! This is a very exciting time for third-year veterinary students as we get closer and closer to finishing the classroom portion of the curriculum and start applying our knowledge to real-world situations.

Last fall, in November of the third year of our DVM studies, we selected which clinical track we wanted to participate in for fourth year, which decides the types of two-week rotations we take during our final year. We were able to choose between small animal, mixed animal, equine, production animal, as well as alternative. I chose the small animal track. 

Throughout our fourth year we are also allowed time off-campus for externships. Externships are a great way to visit prospective clinics where we may want to apply after graduation or gain unique clinical experiences. For example, I have an interest in small exotics and have decided to visit small animal and exotic animal veterinary clinics for my upcoming externships.

At the beginning of the spring semester, we received our fourth-year clinical schedules.  It’s an exciting time to find out which rotation will be your first, as well as comparing with friends to see whom you will be working with throughout fourth year. As a part of the spring semester leading up to clinics, we are also enrolled in a course called Clinical Experience. This class allows us to get familiar with the many moving parts of our clinical year so that we’re better prepared when we hit the clinic floor!

Most recently, on Saturday March 23, the class of 2025 received their white coats, signifying our transition into our clinical year. The ceremony was such a wonderful and happy time as everyone’s loved ones came to cheer us on.

I’m excited to see what the future holds!

Studying Abroad In South Africa

By Priya A. ’24, B.S. in Biomedical Sciences student

A young woman smiling and kneeling behind a nyala, a type of South African antelope, that is sedated.
While visiting Dinokeng Game Reserve, we transported five nyala (a type of antelope) from one side of the property to another about 30 minutes away. This is the animal I watched and monitored. The nyala is sedated.

In June 2023, I studied abroad in South Africa for two-and-a-half weeks through the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences with Dr. James Derr, a professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology. The name of the course was African Wildlife Medicine, and we partnered with South African veterinarians each day to serve their clients. The purpose of the trip was to gain experience working with African wildlife and knowledge in topics that arise with these animals, such as poaching. This course is unique because it includes both undergraduate and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) students.

In South Africa, lions, rhinos, cape buffalo, elephants, and leopards are some of the most ecologically and economically important animals. We saw and worked with some of these species, as well as others. There were two days in particular that were my favorite — the days we worked with white rhinos and giraffes.

On our first day, we worked with 11 white rhinos. Some of us rode in a helicopter with a local veterinarian while others took DNA samples, gave sedatives, and microchipped the rhinos, which helps keep track of rhinos since poaching is a major concern in South Africa. We learned how to be a team, which carried us all the way through our two weeks.

A woman sitting on a large metal trailer that is holding two giraffes wearing anti-stress blindfolds.
These are the first two giraffes we captured and transported. They are fully awake, but blindfolded and have earplugs to reduce any stress. I’m standing on the trailer that pulled the giraffes.

Later in the trip, we captured and transported three giraffes in order to help relocate them safely. This was the most physically exhausting day of the entire trip! Each of us had a particular role to ensure that both the giraffes and our team were safe.

Over the course of our trip, we worked directly with five South African veterinarians and their clients. They challenged us in our critical thinking, clinical, and communication skills. Personally, one of the coolest parts about networking with them was the possibility of getting to return for an externship with them during my fourth year of veterinary school.

As an undergraduate student, I found this experience beneficial and eye-opening as I applied to veterinary school and thought about what type of veterinary medicine I want to pursue. Those of us who were undergrads had opportunities to ask the current DVM students questions and get advice for the application process. If anyone is wanting to get more diverse veterinary experience for their vet school application, I highly recommend applying for this study abroad experience. You never know what new passions might arise!

Reading To Avoid Burnout From College

By Agnes R. ’26, B.S. in Biomedical Sciences student

Whether you are an undergraduate student on a pre-veterinary track or are already a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) student, you probably have a huge amount of coursework that must also be balanced with other involvements. This may make you feel very overwhelmed and stressed. However, I find that reading is an excellent way to clear your mind, avoid burnout, and allow yourself to breath for more than five minutes. Below are the three latest books I read, which I highly recommend reading!

The Jungle cover

The Jungle By Upton Sinclair

This novel was originally published in 1905 and tells the story of Yurgis, a Lithuanian immigrant, and his family as they arrive in the meatpacking industry of Chicago around the 1920s. At the beginning, you can feel the excitement of the characters. The family later faces hardships, but Yurgis keeps working as hard as he can to give his family the “American Dream.”

I really enjoyed this book because of how full of emotion it is. The readers were actually so appalled in the early 1900s by the descriptions of the meat packing industry in this book that it led to the creation of the FDA and many of the food safety laws we now have in the United States. I could hardly put this book down, and I hope neither will you, as it immerses you in the difficult world that was the 1920s.

A Little Life cover

A Little Life By Hanya Yanagihara

This 2015 novel follows the story of a group of four friends through college and their professional lives, but especially Jude’s, the quieter and shyer friend. We slowly get insight into his absolutely devastating past as he tries to adjust to both his life in college and his life at work. There is no romanticizing this book; whenever you think Jude and his friends have gotten a break, the other shoe drops.

This book really makes you think about your own life, and slowly breaks your heart. Out of the three recommendations, I believe this one to be the hardest book to read, but that does not make it any less worth it. This book captivated me and to this day, I still love all the characters I got to know through this novel.

Everything I Know About Love cover

Everything I Know About Love By Dolly Alderton

This memoir published in 2018 follows the author’s life as she went through different relationships in her 20s. We get insights into all her love interests as well as her love for her best friend, Farly. As the book goes on, Dolly’s knowledge about love and about herself changes. Between chapters of personal change, you can also find mac and cheese recipes and sayings that Dolly hates!

This book truly is a rollercoaster but is also such an easy and quick read. It makes you think while still giving your mind a much-needed break. I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone going through new experiences.

I couldn’t recommend these books more. While they sound very different, each one immerses you into the life of a group of remarkable people. Between my class work, volunteering, job shadowing, and other activities, reading has felt like an oasis in the middle of such a stressful life. I hope these recommendations make you want to start reading and create a break in your very full schedule. Avoid burnout by finding peace in reading!

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!

Using Exercise To Avoid Burnout

By Freya M. ’26, M.S. in Biomedical Engineering

Exercise equipment including sneakers, weights, and a jump rope against a blue background.

As a future veterinary student who has already faced burnout during undergrad, I’ve learned that it’s never too early to understand your limits and find time to step away from your academics.

Throughout undergrad, I always made time in my schedule to go to the gym and relieve stress from studying. After learning that I had a passion for fitness, I was inspired to become a fitness instructor to encourage others to do the same.

The Student Rec Center at Texas A&M offers group classes in multiple formats to all undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Those of us who are fitness instructors often gauge how many participants should be in each class, choose the best location, and consider any feedback participants may provide that would help us improve our classes.

Every semester, there is a Fitness Instructor Training to recruit new fitness instructors and teach them how to lead a class in the multiple formats we provide. I was fortunate enough to do my training in Fall 2023 and am now teaching kickboxing and dance in Spring 2024.

When I decided to stay at Texas A&M for my master’s degree, I knew I had more time to pursue my passions and step out of my comfort zone. I started out as a very shy person who wasn’t very vocal when speaking to large groups. When I learned that our classes can have up to 50 participants, I had to work on my public speaking skills to get better at leading classes. Through teaching high-intensity class formats, I have learned how to engage the participants by having high energy and encouraging them to be as enthusiastic about the class as I am.

Becoming a fitness instructor has taught me to use my voice to help others. I was able to overcome my discomfort with public speaking and now I enjoy teaching others to become comfortable in a group setting as well. Using exercise as a personal outlet to avoid academic burnout has been the best thing I could have done for my physical and mental health. I cannot recommend enough using the campus rec center’s fitness classes or just going with a friend when you need a study break.

Maintaining a Seasonal Job While in Veterinary School

By Sarina M. ’26, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Student

A nighttime photo of a woman driving a horse-drawn wagon at a Christmas theme park.

Two years before getting admitted to veterinary school, I became interested in a rather unconventional job opportunity: being a horse carriage driver at Santa’s Wonderland. Santa’s Wonderland is a Texas-themed Christmas amusement park that brings hundreds of thousands of people from all over the state to College Station to experience good food and millions of Christmas lights. Within the park, they have a mile-and-a-half-long “Trail of Lights” that visitors can see either with a tractor-pulled hayride or a private horse and carriage.

Before hearing about this opportunity, I had no experience with draft horses, much less any knowledge of how to drive a team of them. I devoted hours to learning how to properly harness and hook up a pair of horses to a carriage or wagon and how to drive them safely. I had only ever ridden horses before, but I soon fell in love with this new experience.

Thanks to working at Santa’s Wonderland, I was able to handle many different breeds of draft horses, including Percherons, Clydesdales, Belgians, and Haflingers. This was my first hands-on exposure to any of these breeds and it opened my eyes to how different these huge horses can be from standard riding horse breeds, like quarter horses. Handling and controlling two horses at one time were also brand new experiences that I found challenging in the beginning.

This past winter marked my fourth season driving horse carriages and showing visitors the “Trail of Lights” at Santa’s Wonderland. Now, two years into veterinary school, it is harder to carve out the time to work around classes and studying; however my biggest motivation is the excitement I have developed for the job that now truly feels like a passion.

A young woman practicing how to drive a team of white horses.

Learning to drive a draft horse team also opened the door for other opportunities I would have never thought I’d have. For the past three years, I have been able to drive a horse and wagon in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Parade in downtown Houston. In 2023, I was even the driver for that year’s Grand Marshal, leading the parade and being able to meet Leon Coffee, a rodeo clown and bullfighter who is famous for his contributions to the rodeo industry.

Many people think that veterinary students aren’t able to maintain the hobbies and interests they had as undergrads, but striving for a healthy school-life balance has afforded me many unique opportunities, a means of income, and has even allowed me to develop new passions that I will take with me even after I leave Texas A&M.

Getting Involved With Swine Vets

A cute piglet in a field of green grass.

By Marco R. ’25, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine student

With over 25 organizations specifically available for veterinary students, there is a place for you thanks to the Student American Veterinary Medical Association (SAVMA) at Texas A&M University.

SAVMA is an umbrella organization that supports smaller student organizations related to all aspects of the veterinary profession, ranging from radiology to equine medicine to business and more, making it easy to get involved with all kinds of veterinary specialties. SAVMA also offers financial resources to students through awards and scholarships.

Growing up, I showed pigs through FFA. This activity ignited a passion for caring for pigs and other animals.

During my undergrad program here at Texas A&M, I continued to develop that passion through my Animal Science major and time spent working at veterinary clinics. So, when I was accepted to the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, I knew I wanted to work with pigs and other food animal species as a mixed animal veterinarian.

During my first year of vet school, I joined Swine Vets, a student chapter of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, and have held a member position and two officer positions, including secretary and vice president.

During my time in Swine Vets, I have helped organize lunch meetings on topics ranging from “Pet Pig Medicine” to “Being a Swine Veterinarian in Industry.” Additionally, Swine Vets is part of the Food Animal Wetlab in the Spring, providing students with hands-on opportunities to work with pigs.

Getting involved in student veterinary organizations provides opportunities for leadership and learning more about aspects of veterinary medicine that specifically interest you!

Studying Abroad As A Veterinary Student

By Mary C. ’25, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Student

Image of a canal in Burano, Italy, showing the colorful house colors.

One thing that I truly enjoy is traveling. I have had the opportunity to travel to many countries and it is something that I am very passionate about. Traveling to different places allows you to understand different cultures, different people, and different ways of doing things compared to your everyday life. There is so much to learn from people of different backgrounds, which is why when I learned that there are study abroad opportunities for veterinary students, I knew I had to go on one.

During the summer after my first year of vet school, I had the opportunity to go on a study abroad trip to Italy. Every year, Dr. Christine Budke, one of the public health and epidemiology veterinary professors, coordinates a study abroad trip with the veterinary school in Padova, Italy, during the summer — typically in June.

During this trip, I had the opportunity to stay with Italian veterinary students for a week and attend lectures at their school. The first week was online through Zoom and the second week was in-person learning in Italy.

While we were in Italy, we attended lectures in both the morning and afternoon with the Italian veterinary students and also did various labs with them. For example, we had one lab where we tested mozzarella cheese to see if it is, in fact, made from 100% buffalo milk, as some companies mix in other milks because it is cheaper. We also got to do a chicken necropsy in their anatomy lab. In addition, we went on field trips, touring a chicken farm and a seafood packaging plant in Venice; on the last day, we were even able to tour a zoo in Italy.

A large group of students gathered under an Italian pavillion for a photo.

This trip allowed me to learn not only about veterinary topics such as public health and food safety, but it also allowed me to learn how other veterinary schools work and it helped me learn about an entirely new culture. I was able to make lifelong friendships with people halfway around the world whom I still talk to today.

The VMBS also offers other study abroad trips for veterinary students. For example, every summer there are two different trips to South Africa that veterinary students are invited to attend, and I have heard great things about those from other vet students. Studying abroad is truly a life-changing experience. If the cost is a deterrent for you, there are scholarships available to help offset the expense of travel. For example, everyone who went on the Italy study abroad trip received a scholarship specifically to go on the trip. If you ever have the opportunity to go on a study abroad trip while in veterinary school, I highly encourage you to do it.

Starting Veterinary School As A Non-Traditional Student

By Amanda M. ’27, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Student

A young woman with a cute gold-furred puppy.

Unlike most veterinary students, before applying to veterinary school, I served as a veterinary practice manager at Tabor Road Veterinary Hospital here in Bryan, Texas, working alongside an Aggie veterinarian for a total of nine years.

Each day consisted of surgical procedures, vaccinations, and caring for sick animals. On top of that, I handled day to-day-operations that included managing other employees, ordering supplies, and ensuring top-notch patient care and customer service. This meant working long days and sometimes having few breaks.

I loved many parts of being a veterinary practice manager. I enjoyed working with owners and their pets, mentoring my coworkers, and seeing veterinary medicine through a business perspective. I also enjoyed communicating with the Spanish-speaking community and bridging the language barrier that many of these clients face. The biggest challenges I faced were client financial constraints and staff shortages. I think those were my least favorite parts of the job.

I know many undergraduate students are worried about not being accepted into veterinary school right away. However, I waited 10 years, got married, and had kids and a career before deciding to re-apply, and I would not change a thing.

I am so thankful for the time I had to be able to gain clinical and business experience while working in a veterinary hospital. Now, as a veterinary student, I use a lot of the time management, organization, and communication skills that I acquired during my time as a practice manager. Once I graduate, I can continue using those skills along with what I’ve learned in the veterinary program to hopefully open my own clinic one day.

How To Navigate An Unexpected Injury In Veterinary School

By Marisa M. ’25, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine student

Five individuals, one in a wheelchair, pose for a photo with Reveille, a dog who is the Texas A&M Mascot.

In the middle of the fall 2023 semester, I had a very unexpected injury. I broke my hip and was out of class for a month. When I was finally able to join my classmates again, I was in a wheelchair for the remainder of the semester.

As a third-year veterinary student, this sort of unexpected disability threw me for a loop. I didn’t even know where to start in order to continue on in my veterinary school curriculum. Thankfully, Texas A&M made it possible for me to 1) finish my semester without delay and 2) gain the same education as my veterinary classmates!

In light of my experience, here are a few tips to help you if you run into anything unexpected, including a disability, while going through veterinary school.

Tip No. 1: Communication Is Key

The first step in adapting to vet school in my wheelchair was communication, which also happens to be one of the most important skills in veterinary medicine! Whether you are communicating with an owner or with colleagues, making sure everyone is on the same page is critical to ensuring animals receive the best care.

This injury allowed me to practice communicating with colleagues on a massive scale, and fortunately, Texas A&M professors and staff are extremely receptive to open communication.

At first, I was worried the school would tell me I would just have to postpone my education until I had recovered. This was never the case. Every single professor, associate dean, and staff member I talked to was open to making things work for me.

As long as everyone was in the loop, we were able to work as a team to get me caught up on exams and the material that I missed while in the hospital.

Tip No. 2: Be Flexible

Veterinary school is often a practice of being flexible! Regardless of disability, unexpected schedule changes and the multitude of different teaching styles one encounters in veterinary school ensures you are ready to take on whatever walks into your practice.

My injury reinforced the lesson that there is always a way to continue on, as long as you are willing to adapt!

For example, one clinical skill we learned this semester was how to “pull a calf.” This means to help a mama cow deliver her baby if problems arise during labor. This is typically something done standing in order to manipulate the calf how you need to. Working with my professors, we were able to modify how the teaching model was set up to ensure I could learn the same skill while sitting in my wheelchair. This minor adjustment and flexibility by all involved meant I didn’t have to wait to learn an important skill!

Another way we were able to adapt my learning was via Lecture Capture. This is a system that records all veterinary school lectures and makes them available to the class afterward. Many vet students use it as a study aide to go back to portions of lectures that they didn’t quite understand. This was very favorable for my situation because the school allowed me to watch lectures through Lecture Capture while I was in the hospital. This ensured I kept up with material and got the exact same education as my cohort, rather than falling way behind.

Tip No. 3: Lean On Your Support System

It is often said that your veterinary school friends will be friends for life. We go through a lot together. Between stressful exams, tough labs, and spending all day together, we become extremely close. Of course, we also do a lot of fun activities together too outside of class.

I always believed that having this support system while in school was important, but now I have proof that it is more than that. It is 100% necessary. While I was out of class, they visited me in the hospital to keep my spirits up, planned a coming home party, and brought teaching models for me to practice skills I had missed! One friend even made mini videos of how she learned a specific knot tie to make sure I was able to master it.

Once I returned to school, they pushed my wheelchair through the halls to give my arms a break and helped me at every turn when things got challenging. Texas A&M students are some of the most caring and genuine people I’ve met, and their support was invaluable during this unpredictable semester.

So, if you are going to take one thing from this blog, remember this: when you get to veterinary school, build that support system, or better yet, become a part of someone else’s, because you never know when you (or they) might need it. 

Tip No. 4: Accessing Disabled Parking

Lastly, one very practical aspect of returning to the school was where I was going to park. All students get an assigned parking lot with their parking permit. My lot was about a five- to seven-minute walk from the school.

I usually enjoyed this time to be outside and get a little exercise. After my injury, that far of a walk (or roll, which would be more accurate for my wheelchair) was going to be a challenge.

Fun fact: If you have a valid Texas A&M parking pass and a disabled parking placard, you can park in any disabled parking space across campus!

Unfortunately, it took me a while to get my temporary disabled parking placard form the DMV, but once I was able to return to school, our Dean’s Office helped me get access to a much closer parking lot until I received my placard. This enabled me to be much closer to the building and not have to worry about getting to class on time, since rolling takes a heck of a lot longer than walking!

While I know, in general, most people going through veterinary school won’t become temporarily disabled, a lot of my classmates have dealt with uncontrollable life hardships that had the potential to derail their schooling. I am proud to say that, using the skills I formed in my first few years here (such as communication and adaptability), Texas A&M was able to help me through my tough time without impacting or delaying my veterinary degree.