This was said to our class during orientation week by a DVM who graduated from MSU VMC many years before I even thought about the profession. I wrote it down. I hadn’t looked at it since that day because life as a veterinary student is pretty hectic.
When I thought about writing my first vet school post, I felt some pressure. What was the one thing I wanted to ensure my readers knew about me? But as I pondered that, I realized it wasn’t my readers I wanted to impress. I didn’t want to impress anyone at all, if I was being honest. I started thinking, why do I want to be a veterinarian?
I sat there, looking around my tiny apartment living room, wondering if I wanted to be a vet simply because I had always wanted to be a vet. Back when I was studying for my Bachelor of Science degree, I had nearly gone through an existential crisis thinking about it. Was it something I wanted to do or something everyone else told me I wanted to do? But when I pictured myself doing anything else, it felt like I put my pants on backward.
Why do I want to be a veterinarian?
Finally, my gaze rested on our doorknob of a Golden Retriever. He’ll be turning two on January 10th, and he’s as sharp as a whip and cute as a bunny. We’re teaching him how to associate words with actions by using programmable buttons. He picked it up quickly. I thought about all the times I felt like he was torturing me, taking twenty minutes to find the perfect poop spot in the yard, yowling for hours as a puppy because we were crate training him during the night, refusing to stop jumping on guests even though he’s a whopping 70 pounds.
Then I thought about how he had somehow wrapped both my fiancé and I around his not-so-little paw. The way he politely asks to cuddle on the couch as a lap dog and squishing 90% of the air out of our lungs while doing it. How he gets so excited in the morning when we’re both home with him that he grabs his favorite Toy of the Day and growls (his version of talking) at us to play.
And I recalled all the days he’d been sick. He’s had digestive issues since he was a puppy and every time it happens, my heart hurts. The best I can do when it happens is feed him a prescription gastrointestinal health diet, and if it gets really bad, take him to the vet.
Why do I want to be a veterinarian?
Not everyone is as diligent of a pet parent as I am. Not everyone takes their dog to the vet for routine vaccines and bloodwork. Not everyone knows that heartworm medication can be a lifesaver and that it needs to be given year-round in this part of the country.
I want to be a veterinarian to advocate for the patient.
I want to push for that one treatment or that one medication or that one test that can make a difference in that animal’s life. Things will get in the way of course, the most important of them being cost. But if that medication or treatment could save your pet’s life, wouldn’t you want to do it? Wouldn’t you want a veterinarian who cares for and loves your pet just as much as they do for their own?
In a few years, I will be able to medically help our furry friends. I can’t believe I’m this close to my goal!
Whether you’re reading this as a prospective veterinary student or a curious guest, I think it’s important to stand for something. Stand up for what you believe in, even if the world is against you.
If you don’t stand up for something, you’ll fall for anything, you know.
Thanks for reading.
Peggy
