The sun reflected off the water by the pools, the smell of salt water and fish heavy in the air, as I, along with two other interns, gathered around a trainer kneeling beside Cindy the dolphin. Questions flowed forth from the students seeking pearls of wisdom from this fount of knowledge concerning the awesome animal they beheld in front of them. How does one train a dolphin to do this trick or that? In the sea of questions, my mind deviated from the mean. I interjected, “How do you condition the dolphins to do a fluke present for blood drawls? Or remain calm for gastric tube insertion?” While the other interns were enthusiastic about becoming trainers and learning to command the dolphins to perform behaviors for guests, I found myself more excited by the anatomical make-up of the dolphins and animals with which we were working at Discovery Cove, and by the vascular structure of the dolphins and sting rays, as well as, where one might draw a cysto urine collection or perform an ultrasound during pregnancy. It was at this point that I realized that while I enjoyed working with the animals in training and husbandry positions, only the technical and intellectual aspects of the veterinary field would satiate my hunger for knowledge and the passion that I have for medicine.
Throughout life, I have always known that I would pursue a career working with animals. Until I was nine I was convinced that that career would be a jockey, but with consistent reminders that I would grow too large achieve that goal, those dreams took a new form, that of a veterinarian. Throughout adolescence I spent much of my time going to the aid of injured animals. Whether it be kittens left on the driveway by ill-prepared mother cats, or baby bunnies left for dead by predators in the yard, I was always the veterinary mind in the family that nursed life back into the sick and gave hope to the apparently hopeless cases that stumbled across our path. My mother, being a nurse herself, consistently took up the challenges I brought home with me, reminding me that all life had value and that while I may not always be successful in saving that life, my hand can be the healing and changing force that makes a difference in the outcome.
As my future came into being, so to speak, I found myself on the traditional path toward a profession in veterinary medicine, enrolling in a university with good veterinary school acceptance rates and studying the core pre-veterinary curriculum. I was academically and professionally determined, participating in the highly selective Kentucky Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network Program, as well as an internship with the Cincinnati Zoo in which I acted as an animal care intern, giving me a particular interest in zoological/wildlife medicine. I held a veterinary assistant position at an Animal Hospital for a year and a half, which allowed me to gain experience and knowledge of the domestic veterinary field in practice. Working at Silver Creek Animal Hospital afforded me with a background in a mixed (small/large) practice that specialized with cats, dogs and horses. This setting presented a variety of challenges– the typical routine visits, but also surgeries, and emergency medicine. On one occasion, I helped treat a lab with three gunshot wounds, one thru the skull and two others that hit the thoracic and abdominal regions. When he made it through our efforts, I knew he truly earned his name, Zeus. While the experiences at Silver Creek exposed me to only a small portion of veterinary medicine, it was a greatly enlightening and affirming experience toward my professional aspirations in veterinary medicine.
Along the way, however, family tragedies and personal issues posed as substantial stumbling blocks toward achieving my goals. During the periods in which my family struggled with the extended hospitalization and eventual passing of two of my grandparents, as well as my sister fighting to beat breast cancer, my life became so burdened with external anxieties that my grades suffered accordingly and my occupational resolve was shaken for a time. Discouragement by what I thought would be unsatisfactory marks for acceptance into veterinary school resulted in the consideration of simply embarking into a career in the zoological field, rather than pursing my dreams of veterinary medicine.
After graduation, I accepted an internship position with Discovery Cove Seaworld in Orlando, FL as an animal training intern. While I loved working in the zoological field, I didn’t feel satisfied by the position because although I was working with animals, my passions were firmly rooted in medicine. Something was missing. I found myself asking “What is keeping you from realizing your dreams?” When I discussed this with a supervisor, he asked me the same question, offering encouraging stories of dolphin trainers within the company who, while facing similar adversities as myself, less than perfect grades or academic records, were accepted into veterinary school based on their passion and their experience. At that point I knew the only thing holding me back from my dreams of becoming a veterinarian was fear of rejection. With the encouragement of family, friends, coworkers, and past employers, I have found the courage to truly pursue my career goals.
In the end, I feel that the moments of uncertainty on my path have reinforced my purpose and, ultimately, provided me with affirmation that the veterinary field is where I am meant to be. Through the somewhat circuitous path taken, I have gained a much broader understanding of veterinary medicine and the veterinary field, as well as confidence in my own abilities and in my career choices. The path less followed is often the most rewarding, and while I have come across my fair share of toils and snares, I feel I am finally on the path to fulfilling my passions in medicine and becoming a veterinarian.
