This is my personal statement. I'm trying to get as many people as possible to read it before I turn it in. Please let me know what you think and don't be afraid to be brutally honest. I want to know exactly what sounds good a what doesn't so I turn in a good essay. Thanks!
I thought it was going to be another regular day at Sportsvet Animal Medical Center as I checked the daily appointments, but as I scrolled down the list one appointment in particular stuck out. It was highlighted in pink, which signifies euthanasia. I always dreaded these appointments. I knew what it was like to lose a pet, and I hated seeing other people lose their companions. When the time rolled around for the appointment to come in I noticed my coworker was caring for another patient in the back of the clinic. A small knot formed in my stomach as I realized that I had to take the euthanasia appointment. I had always allowed more experienced coworkers to take them as they knew exactly what to say and do. I panicked as I thought about what I would say, how I would react, and how the family would react to me.
When I first started working at the Sportsvet I had no idea how much of the job consisted of interacting with people. My impression was that vets spend most of their time with the animals, and that other people deal with their owners. Everything changed my first week on the job. I realized that veterinarians spend more time interacting with pet parents than the pets themselves. This added an extra weight to a job that was already heavy. I wasn't sure if I was ready to take on the whole job, not just the part with the animals. The experience of working at a clinic was supposed to stoke my enthusiasm for being a veterinarian, not discourage me. Now here I was finally working for one, and I was questioning whether or not I was cut out for vet school. I began to doubt my ability to learn, but I was determined to make it through the week. I was not about to let one week at a job change something that I had worked so hard for. I promised myself that I would work for at least 6 months before making the rash decision of not going to vet school. After all, I have wanted to be a veterinarian for most of my life.
Growing up I didn't just love animals, I obsessed over them. There were always animals in my house, from dogs to parrots to horses. Most of my time at home was spent either playing with my dog or with my horse. My favorite day of the year was when Dr. Koehler, our vet, would come to check up on our horses and do the yearly routine of vaccines and dentistry. I would sit and watch him for hours as he explained to me what he was doing and why. I couldn't imagine a better job. I would get to spend my entire day with animals, and I would get paid for it. At eight years old, I knew what I wanted to do. At the time, I had no idea how much determination and work would be required to get in to vet school, but I knew that I wouldn't be happy if I wasn't around animals all day.
Years later as I awaited the euthanasia, I wasn't sure about vet school anymore, but I was sure of myself. I had gained valuable experience, and I knew I was capable of doing this job. As I ushered the young Newfoundland and her family into the exam room, I remembered what it was like to lose my dog years before, and I knew exactly how they felt. I knew there was nothing I could say to make the family feel better, I could only let them know that their beloved dog would not go in pain.
As Dr. Jacobs entered the room, I noticed that he also had a look of genuine sorrow on his face. I had assisted in many appointments, and most of them ended in happy handshakes after Dr. Jacobs had healed a family's pet. Now I was seeing another side of the profession that I had never experienced. Dr. Jacobs dreaded the euthanasias as much if not more than everyone else at the clinic, and even though he had done many of them, they never got easier. The drug was administered and soon the dog's pulse was gone. The family was devastated, but to my surprise, Dr. Jacobs still got a handshake. Even though the ending was not ideal in this situation, Dr. Jacobs was still the hero. He did something that many people would never be able to do. At that moment, I knew that I had to go to vet school. I was prepared for the job that followed, for both the good days and the bad days. I had to be a veterinarian so that I could be the hero that families counted on when they're companions were in trouble.
I thought it was going to be another regular day at Sportsvet Animal Medical Center as I checked the daily appointments, but as I scrolled down the list one appointment in particular stuck out. It was highlighted in pink, which signifies euthanasia. I always dreaded these appointments. I knew what it was like to lose a pet, and I hated seeing other people lose their companions. When the time rolled around for the appointment to come in I noticed my coworker was caring for another patient in the back of the clinic. A small knot formed in my stomach as I realized that I had to take the euthanasia appointment. I had always allowed more experienced coworkers to take them as they knew exactly what to say and do. I panicked as I thought about what I would say, how I would react, and how the family would react to me.
When I first started working at the Sportsvet I had no idea how much of the job consisted of interacting with people. My impression was that vets spend most of their time with the animals, and that other people deal with their owners. Everything changed my first week on the job. I realized that veterinarians spend more time interacting with pet parents than the pets themselves. This added an extra weight to a job that was already heavy. I wasn't sure if I was ready to take on the whole job, not just the part with the animals. The experience of working at a clinic was supposed to stoke my enthusiasm for being a veterinarian, not discourage me. Now here I was finally working for one, and I was questioning whether or not I was cut out for vet school. I began to doubt my ability to learn, but I was determined to make it through the week. I was not about to let one week at a job change something that I had worked so hard for. I promised myself that I would work for at least 6 months before making the rash decision of not going to vet school. After all, I have wanted to be a veterinarian for most of my life.
Growing up I didn't just love animals, I obsessed over them. There were always animals in my house, from dogs to parrots to horses. Most of my time at home was spent either playing with my dog or with my horse. My favorite day of the year was when Dr. Koehler, our vet, would come to check up on our horses and do the yearly routine of vaccines and dentistry. I would sit and watch him for hours as he explained to me what he was doing and why. I couldn't imagine a better job. I would get to spend my entire day with animals, and I would get paid for it. At eight years old, I knew what I wanted to do. At the time, I had no idea how much determination and work would be required to get in to vet school, but I knew that I wouldn't be happy if I wasn't around animals all day.
Years later as I awaited the euthanasia, I wasn't sure about vet school anymore, but I was sure of myself. I had gained valuable experience, and I knew I was capable of doing this job. As I ushered the young Newfoundland and her family into the exam room, I remembered what it was like to lose my dog years before, and I knew exactly how they felt. I knew there was nothing I could say to make the family feel better, I could only let them know that their beloved dog would not go in pain.
As Dr. Jacobs entered the room, I noticed that he also had a look of genuine sorrow on his face. I had assisted in many appointments, and most of them ended in happy handshakes after Dr. Jacobs had healed a family's pet. Now I was seeing another side of the profession that I had never experienced. Dr. Jacobs dreaded the euthanasias as much if not more than everyone else at the clinic, and even though he had done many of them, they never got easier. The drug was administered and soon the dog's pulse was gone. The family was devastated, but to my surprise, Dr. Jacobs still got a handshake. Even though the ending was not ideal in this situation, Dr. Jacobs was still the hero. He did something that many people would never be able to do. At that moment, I knew that I had to go to vet school. I was prepared for the job that followed, for both the good days and the bad days. I had to be a veterinarian so that I could be the hero that families counted on when they're companions were in trouble.
