Whatley '23 Reflects on Summer Veterinary Experience

In addition to working at a local veterinary clinic in Rocky Mount and my continued work with the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center, I had the opportunity to attend a summer veterinary program at St. Andrews University. 

This was a six-day, extremely hands-on veterinary program. Over the course of the week, I found myself assisting in many aspects of animal care from injections and drawing blood to castration and suturing, and even rehabilitation. We dissected many organs including hearts and eyes, and focused on in-depth studies of anatomy. For example, after studying the anatomy of horses we spent the afternoon painting on actual horses to demonstrate our knowledge of their anatomy. We also traveled to a local farm and assisted in vaccinating goats and horses, and spent one afternoon learning ultrasound techniques on horses' legs.

It was a close knit group and it was fun meeting new friends with common interests. I was able to earn 40 practical hours in veterinary medicine as I apply to colleges next school year.  

My favorite part of the experience was my time spent with a local wildlife rehabilitation specialist. It was so interesting to hear the stories of injured and sick wildlife, their care towards wellness, and their reintroduction back into the wild. I'm really looking forward to pairing this experience with some of the science classes that I am taking next year at Chatham Hall.