Posted on: Tuesday, October 31, 2006

EXPERT ADVICE

By Leianne Lee Loy, D.V.M.

I am so excited to be involved in Pet Project because it provides me an opportunity to share all the many interesting and fascinating experiences I have had and continue to have as a veterinarian.

My parents surrounded my brother and me with pets as we were growing up. We had dogs, cats, birds, rabbits and fishes ever since I can remember. When I was about 10 years old, my aunt gave me a 5-year-old poodle named Li'i. It was a great friendship that changed my life, for it was he who introduced me to veterinary medicine. Li'i had a medical condition that allowed me to see, at a very young age, the importance of a veterinarian in providing health care to my friend. What further prompted my interest in being a veterinarian were the books I read by James Herriot such as "All Creatures Great and Small." Dr. Herriot's experiences were so inspirational!

For my first column, I would like to introduce you to a career that has allowed me to live a dream that I have had since I was a child. When asked to speak about veterinary medicine at schools, I am amazed at the number of youngsters who come up to me saying they want to be a veterinarian "when they grow up." By sharing my own experiences, I will focus on the wonderful profession of veterinary medicine.

Veterinary medicine is a complex career filled with many opportunities and rewarding experiences. Although veterinarians care for the health of animals, we also play an important role in the healthcare of humans by ensuring public health concerns are met. Recent natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina have shown us the need for our involvement in public health as well as in the food safety industry and in the protection of the environment.

Are you sure you want to be a veterinarian?

This question can be easily answered by getting experience in this field. For me, besides regular visits to the veterinary clinics with my pets, I also did volunteer work at animal-related organizations. You should volunteer at local animal shelters, veterinary clinics, and the local zoo, just to name a few. Expose yourself to the everyday activities of animal health and what it takes to not only save the life of an animal but also to provide preventative medicine so that you can protect them from a health crisis.

What traits are needed in the veterinary profession?

Besides caring for animals, it is important that you enjoy working with people. Animals no longer live only outdoors, but instead they are living indoors and are considered household family members. With this strong human-animal bond it is important that you are a caring and compassionate human being. You are going to be responsible for the health of "family members." Although clinical medicine is what you are interested in pursuing, good communication skills are also important in all areas of veterinary medicine.

As a student (i.e. middle/intermediate, high school, college) who is interested in having a successful veterinary career, you need to be well rounded in a variety of classes such as the sciences (biology, chemistry, physics), math, English/language, and communication. You will be using the knowledge from these classes on a regular basis. As an example, I use my knowledge in math to calculate dosages of medication; I use my communication/English/language to talk to owners and write summaries of visits in the medical records (which is a legal document); and I use my knowledge in the sciences to provide quality care to my patients.

So, I still want to be a veterinarian; what do I do next?

So, you have completed your pre-Veterinary program (average 3-4 years) in college with solid grades (B average or better) and your experiences in your job at the zoo or working at your neighborhood veterinary clinic have made you realize that a career in veterinary medicine is what you want to pursue, apply for admission to veterinary school. Remember, in taking pre-veterinary courses, these credits must be accepted at the veterinary school for which you are applying. I decided to complete my courses at the University of Hawaii-Manoa.

Currently, there are 28 accredited veterinary schools in the United States and admission into these schools are highly competitive due to the number of well-qualified individuals who apply each year. A recent acceptance rate to veterinary school was reported at 43%, but this number varies nationwide every year.

In addition to your pre-veterinary courses, you will be required to take a standardized test: The Veterinary Aptitude Test, Medical College Admission Test, or the Graduate Record Examination.

Applications to veterinary schools are now done through the Veterinary Medical College Application services (VMCAS). This information can be obtained by visiting the VMCAS Web site: www.aavmc.org.

My road applying to veterinary school was challenging. However, upon receiving the acceptance letter to the University of Missouri-Columbia Veterinary School, all the long nights of studying and the hours of volunteer work became all worth the efforts.

If you are seriously interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine, make sure you prepare yourself by getting to know the profession and studying hard.

Dr. Leianne Lee Loy has been a veterinarian since 1995 and practices at VCA University Animal Hospital in Manoa. Her speciality is small animal medicine, focusing on dogs and cats.