My Journey to Becoming a Vet Student

Hello Kids 4 Critters Friends. My name is Allison. I am a first year veterinary student NC State! I am very excited to share with you a little bit about myself and what veterinary school is all about.

So when and why did I decide to become a veterinarian?

I didn’t know that I wanted to be a veterinarian until my second year at college. Not very long ago! I did not have any pets growing up and was very scared of dogs until I was about twelve years old. I started riding horses when I was ten years old, and that is when I started to love animals – all animals.

My horse, Mia, and I at a horse show

In high school, I knew that I liked science and biology and I also knew that I loved animals. However, even in high school I was very scared of going to the doctor, so I never thought I could be a doctor for animals. The best thing to do if you’re not sure you like something is to give it a try. So I did. I followed my horse’s vet a few times during high school and I liked it. Then in college I got a job working for a veterinarian and I loved it! That is when I decided veterinary school was for me.

What did I have to do to get into veterinary school?

1. Work hard and study harder!

2. Go to college: A 4 year degree is required in order to apply for veterinary school. I got a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from NC State. I graduated in 2018.

3. Veterinary experience: I had to have a certain number of veterinary experience hours before I could apply to vet school. I had many jobs during my time in college. I shadowed a horse vet, I worked at the museum of science, I worked in a research laboratory, and I had a job at a dog and cat clinic. For all of these jobs I had to learn how to properly handle all different kinds of animals and help the doctor run tests on sick animals. I will share more about the different veterinary jobs that exist next time.

My dog, Frankie. He is a big NC State fan too!

Thanks for reading a little bit about my story! I will be writing you from time to time about the ins and outs of being a veterinary student. I hope some of you will be inspired to pursue a career involving animals or even veterinary medicine!