Properly Vetted
Davidson during her 2009 Field Period at Midstate Veterinary Services.
One of the reasons Janelle Davidson was attracted to Keuka College was Field Period, the required internship program. The Cortland native experienced the benefits of an internship while in high school.
“I was in an internship program in high school at the vet clinic where we took our pets,” she explained. “It worked out well, and within two months, I was involved with preparing syringes with medicine, and animals for surgery.”
What Davidson learned in her high school internship prepared her for her summer 2009 Field Period at Midstate Veterinary Services in Cortland.
“I was responsible for checking in animals, both for surgeries and daily appointments,” she said. “I was able to observe appointments, and learn how a vet approaches both the animal and the person. I asked questions, helped prepare animals for surgeries, filled prescriptions, stocked supplies, and cleaned. I was even able to ride with a large animal vet, which was something new for me.”
Davidson also credits her Keuka classes for preparing her for her Field Period.
“My anatomy and biology classes helped me with indentifying body parts of different animals,” she said, “and I am learning more about viruses and bacteria. It is nice to have these courses now because they are something I will have to know before vet school.”
By the same token, the knowledge she gained out-of-the-classroom has helped her in the classroom, especially in her animal diversity class.
“I believe I am more able to contribute to class discussions and ask more intelligent questions,” she said. “A perk of Keuka College is that it has small class sizes, and the teachers actually know me and what I have done.”
Though comfortable working at the vet’s office, Davidson faced a new experience at her Field Period site.
“My biggest challenge was getting scrubbed and prepared to watch a surgery,” Davidson said. “I had never been in the operating room with the vet before. I was not used to having to wear the surgical mask and was unable to make it through the entire surgery.”
While disappointed, Davidson said the veterinarians were supportive.
“They told me it was something they had to get used to as well,” she said. “It was a good opportunity for me to see how hard performing surgeries are before I enter vet school.”
Though Davidson has two years before she enters vet school, she is already considering Cornell and Perdue, two of the top veterinary schools in the country.
