The Life of a Vet Student
What Is It Like Being A Veterinary Student?
How is the life of a veterinary student? There are so many thoughts that flow through my head when being asked this question; it is exciting, nerve racking, stressful, fulfilling, time consuming, and fun. There is a saying we have been told many times “Being in vet school is like trying to drink water from a fire hose.” There is so much information being presented to you on a daily basis from so many different topics on all of the species, and I have thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. Living the life of a veterinary student means we are one step closer to becoming doctors.
The Currency Of A Veterinary Student
The most important currency in the vet student’s life, apart from actual currency, is time. We struggle with fulfilling our days with class time, study time, taking care of ourselves, keeping in touch with our friends and family, entertainment, taking care of our pets and looking for extracurricular opportunities to gain more practical experience in the veterinary field. I continuously wonder what the best use of my time is. Should I study now, go grocery shopping, finish homework, invest my time in starting a new series, read a book, get in contact with local veterinarians to go shadow, maybe go hiking?
There is no definitive answer on how a veterinary student should manage their time, the only certainty we have is lack of time. There is no guideline on how to successfully complete vet school. Every student is different, everyone has different personal requirements and that is what makes our profession so diverse. There are so many paths we can take, and every student’s path is vastly different. I have tried to do my best by mainly focusing on studying, attending classes, taking care of my pets, learning from local veterinarians, and attempting to have the vet student’s version of social life. I have had the privilege of gaining mentorship from veterinarians at Jackpot, and forging meaningful friendships with several of my veterinary classmates while being able to combine several of my priorities like social life by hanging out with my friends outside of class while taking care of my pets by socializing my dogs with my friends’ pets and getting together to study.
Preparing To Become A Veterinarian
Exploring this new experience of veterinary school while continuing to plan for the rapidly approaching role as a practicing veterinarian has been a myriad of emotions and I am sure more will continue to accumulate, so far I have been blessed with a great support system consisting of family, friends, mentors, and pets. Working at Jackpot Veterinary Center has been a dream come true. I am thankful for the opportunity to get this experience, and I am happily anticipating what these next few years will bring.
Susana Urias
University of Arizona
College of Veterinary Medicine Class of 2023
University of Arizona
College of Veterinary Medicine Class of 2023
