Planting The Seed: Getting Kids Interested in VETMED

I had the chance to talk to a group of about fifty 7th graders about becoming a veterinarian. I received an email from the campus Veterinary Student Outreach program asking for a volunteer to go to Smythe Academy Middle School in Sacramento. After I received a second email pleading for someone to go and talk to these kids, I gave in. I couldn't let these kids go without a presentation on what role veterinarians have and how they can go to college someday and maybe become one! Even though I missed a little bit of class, I think it was greatly worth communicating the word "college" with these kids. These were not just any ordinary 7th graders, these kids are part of the AVID program at their school designed for kids interested in pursuing a college education. It is only my hope that I may have inspired some kids out there to pursue not only college but possibly a career in science or veterinary medicine. It feels good to be spreading the word about such a wonderful profession. It is sometimes difficult to not include my current feelings of stress and pressure in veterinary school, besides the fact I even managed to get myself here in vet school in the first place! 

The kids were great and asked lots of interesting questions. They wanted to know if vets got to work with Tigers, How much they made, if vet school was hard and they had a lot of ethical questions, like what do you think about euthanasia, and spaying/neutering animals. I left them with a plug for spaying/neutering their animals, but I left the euthanasia discussion for later since my whole purpose was educating them on what it takes to become a veterinarian. They were all so interested in what the profession had to offer and how to get there.