Cultivating A Passion For Veterinary Care: Fourth-Year DVM Student Prepares To Grow After Aggieland

A photograph of Cash, a 3-year-old Labrador Retriever, beaming at the camera hangs from the living room wall of Blake Williams, a fourth-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) student at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS).

It was a gift Williams received this past August after caring for the dog during his clinical rotations at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH).  

More than an image of a recovered patient full of life and energy, the picture represents the paw prints left on the heart of veterinarians who pour themselves into caring for animals in need; for Williams, it also reflects his nearly decade-long journey in pursuit of a veterinary degree in Aggieland.

Cultivating A Passion For Veterinary Care

Like many veterinary students, Williams grew up with border collies in his hometown of Plano, Texas

“Everyone in my family except me was allergic to cats, so there were no cats in my house, but dogs were always around,” Williams said.

His early years in the Frisco school district provided Williams with a strong educational foundation and a launching pad for his interest in veterinary medicine.

“I took classes through my school district’s career and technical education center during my senior year of high school, which allowed me to start shadowing in a veterinary clinic and really get an idea of what life in a vet clinic was like,” Williams said.

The experience proved to be enlightening as Williams watched classmates change course in response to the realities of a life in veterinary medicine.

“They just couldn’t emotionally handle it — but I loved it all,” Williams said. “I loved talking to the clients, seeing the relationships that were being formed, and being with the patients all day. I was never bored, which is always what I feared would happen if I went into a different career.”

With that realization, Williams committed to pursuing his DVM degree in college.

Arriving In Aggieland

Williams found a new home in College Station as an undergraduate biomedical sciences major at Texas A&M University, where he hoped his courses would prepare him for veterinary school.

Here, he immersed himself into campus culture — joining a men’s organization, participating in Fish Camp, and attending every football game.

“As I was preparing for graduation and vet school applications were opening, there was no longer any doubt; I was very certain I wanted to do this,” he said.

Understanding the competitive nature of veterinary school, Williams was hopeful, yet realistic, about attending his vet school of choice — the VMBS.  

“If I was not accepted I was planning to take a year to work in a vet clinic,” Williams said. “But, ultimately, I ended up getting into A&M on the first go round, which I consider a blessing. I know not a lot of people have that opportunity, so I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Finding His Place In Veterinary School

While Williams’ dedication to the profession remained constant, veterinary school reshaped his priorities, where with smaller class sizes, faculty relationships became more personal.

“In undergrad, I was more involved with the traditions, but the culture didn’t change at all,” Williams said. “Everyone was still very open and accepting in professional school — especially professors who I found were much more available for one-on-one time. I could go up to Dr. (Karen) Cornell’s (associate dean for the DVM program) office and simply talk about life; she would always find the time.

“Because by the end of this experience, we’re going to be colleagues, and the faculty treated us as such,” Williams said.

Despite being somewhat removed from the main campus, Williams felt the Texas A&M culture remained strong within the veterinary program.

“We went to Silver Taps a few times together,” Williams said. “Even if they didn’t attend A&M for undergrad, all of the students still want to be a part of that tradition.”

That balance — maintaining his ties to Texas A&M’s culture and prioritizing his personal life while still keeping up with the rigorous academic demands of the DVM program — became really important to Williams, who found time to take walks, spend time with friends, or just close his laptop to avoid burning out.

“If I have a difficult exam, I simply remember to just give myself some grace,” Williams said. “With veterinary school, if you have a failure, you cannot get stuck on it. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s just life; we’re human, but having the ability to move forward is where success is found.”

A Veterinarian’s Impact

Now a fourth-year student preparing to graduate in May, Williams’ perspective has been shaped by his professional and clinical experiences at Texas A&M, which also emphasize the importance of the “human side” of veterinary medicine.

“It’s not only about giving gold-standard care and being advocates for patients — the other priority is client care: communicating effectively, showing empathy, and sometimes being a shoulder to cry on,” he said.

Williams credits Texas A&M’s focus on critical thinking and professional training with helping him explain complex conditions to pet owners.

“Being able to communicate diseases effectively is just as important as being a good doctor,” Williams said.

This skill was especially integral when Williams first encountered Cash, whose owner turned to the VMTH when the dog began battling an unusual fungal disease.

“I was pretty much the first line of communication with this owner, and she had no idea what was going on with her dog,” Williams said.

That case required Williams to research similar cases with the resident overseeing Cash’s care and to support both the patient and owner. His four weeks of working on the case solidified his interest in internal medicine as a specialty.

“I loved the ability to see the case through to the end,” Williams said. “His owner gave us all a gift basket because she was so incredibly appreciative. She gave us all pictures of him; one of them is hanging up in my house now.”

During his fourth year, Williams also had the opportunity to see first-hand the vital role veterinarians can play in the midst of tragedy.

“Following the Kerrville disaster, I was on the Veterinary Emergency Team (VET) rotation, led by Dr. Deb Zoran,” Williams said. “I was out there providing veterinary care to the federal search and rescue dogs on the scene. I didn’t truly understand what went into an emergency response and how integral veterinarians can be in those situations until that experience.

“It made me realize just how many different paths you can take in veterinary medicine,” he said.

Beyond Graduation

As graduation approaches, Williams is preparing for a new adventure outside of the Lone Star State.

“For at least my first year post-graduation, I am looking to leave Texas for a general specialty rotating internship that provides a diversity of experience, clinicians, and caseload,” Williams said.

He hopes to find a program with strong mentorship, excellent clinical culture, and access to nature, where he enjoys spending time with his dog, Malibu.

“She’s a Border Collie-Aussie mix and has been with me all throughout vet school — she’s amazing,” he said. “Being around mountains and having that ability to go hiking is also really important for me.”

As Williams prepares for this next chapter, he encourages veterinary students to make time in their busy schedules for what brings them joy outside of their future career.

“More than anything, you need to find the time to do things that make you happy,” Williams said. “If this is truly your passion, view the challenges as an opportunity for growth — it’ll make you a better person and a better clinician as well.”