Benefits Of Being A Rural Veterinarian

After obtaining my DVM I hope to apply my skills towards areas of public need within the United States by joining the Army Veterinary Corp or by working in a rural livestock area in need of veterinary services through the USDA. In the Army I can make a major impact through small actions that benefit the entire country. There are a variety of tasks such as base veterinary service, food safety, and public health jobs to do. As a rural veterinarian I can have close relationships with the producers and have a massive impact on their lives and successes. After three years I would be well established in either path and also nearly finished with the programs. After completion, I would like to further my education, perhaps by specializing in equine lameness and rehabilitation or in food animal product safety. This would allow me to join a focused equine practice or continue working for the government in the FDA, USDA, APHIS, or even in Congress as an industry representative. Nevertheless, if none of this were to ever happen I would get involved in agriculture education and extension. I would prefer to work in an area with public exposure or legislature in order to ensure that the animal industry is not misrepresented by various animal rights groups.

North Carolina is a booming equestrian state which has been made apparent by the number of facilities and educational institutions. The equine industry is a massive part of the North Carolina economy and the 4-H program is also one of the largest in the nation. Over the years there has been a massive influx of horsemen to the state from all over the country and the number of shows has been expanding. In addition, the North Carolina State Fair Horse Show is one of the largest all-breed shows ...

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...ildren who I helped each week in their lessons. I vividly remember the first girl I worked with, Ginny. She was about 6-years-old with curly blond hair, bright blue eyes, and a stunning smile. Ginny had autism and needed a lot of hand-over-hand work but seemed to truly love coming every week. After my first ten week session I asked to be placed with her again, but she stopped coming for three years. I finally got to work with her again my senior year and I cried when I saw how much better her motor and social skills had gotten. I worked with nearly a dozen children with a variety of disorders and disabilities during my four years volunteering at Reins of Life, all of whom taught me a great deal about compassion, patience, and hard work. Honestly, working with horses was in the background. Instead I worked on my own flaws while getting to see the beauty in every human.