A Day in the Life: Animal Health

Hello everyone! While many of the readers of The (amazing) Cyclone Chronicle belong to humanitarian or social science fields of study, I wanted to shed some light on the day of an animal health major with a double minor in chemistry and environmental science!

What is the field of animal health?

Contrary to popular belief, being an animal health major does not solely consist of playing with puppies and kittens, nor does it constitute the same curriculum as animal science majors. Animal science refers to the study, management, and production of livestock and companion animals. On the other hand, the field of animal health focuses on the physical, psychological, and reproductive health of livestock, companion animals, and wildlife. Many of the elements of this field emphasize on bettering the co-existence between people and the wonderful animals they occupy a space with. Many animal health students, including myself, dream of attending veterinary school and becoming a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM). So with that being said, let's talk about a day in my life! 

Animal Health at Centenary!

The animal health major at Centenary University is an amazing program paired with the equine department designed for students to complete all of their prerequisites before applying to their desired DVM program. A lot of students are surprised that some of these prerequisites include social sciences and humanities. For instance, I’ve taken American literature, advanced composition, and a business class about starting a non-profit, but why would a veterinarian need these courses? 

Being a veterinarian encompasses a large amount of time communicating with clients from many different backgrounds, even those who give not so constructive criticism! You wouldn’t believe the things said to me when I’m working at my animal hospital! Regardless of how kind or difficult a client is, it is important to prioritize the patient’s needs unbiasedly.

The animal health program while being sought out and popular is relatively small numbered. This undergraduate program is an extensive weeding out process where my freshman Nature of Work class started with 10-15 people and quickly dropped to a mere four students. The key to preserving through this major is to make friends who do not view you as competition. As with most hyper-competitive fields, it is easy to view your peers as someone lying in wait to take your spot, once that convoluted mindset is resolved and you form a group of people who strive to uplift each other the program becomes much easier. Unfortunately, many students do not find or form this group. 

How does my day start?

My days usually start before I can even go to bed, staying awake late hours into the night and early morning and fueling myself on caffeine to study comparative anatomy, analytical chemistry, equine medicine, and animalian nutrition. I recently had an exam on the skeletal, integumentary, and muscular systems of many different organisms, as well as a quiz on the cardiovascular system of horses, so studying is a must. I aim to study at least four hours a day during the week and at least six hours during the weekend, though I must admit I don’t always follow through with this commitment. 

I have a history of drowning myself in academic and professional pressures until I cannot breathe, which is an infliction of many students. This major is known to be exhausting with many students and professionals experiencing occupational burnout, losing the passion and drive for a field they once held so close. After a long day of studying and taking notes in lecture halls, it's important to do something that makes you feel like yourself. After pushing through my academic responsibilities, I like to tend to my vast collection of plants and my menagerie of animals including:

• Australian ringneck parrot

• Schanuzer

• Bearded dragon

• 2 leopard geckos

• Tokay gecko

• 15 snakes

• 8 tarantulas

• 3 scorpions

• 300+ insects

• 25 exotic houseplants

Though this major and career path is very difficult and not quite the right fit for many students, I am very happy that I chose this path. Seeing a patient make a recovery after being inflicted by an illness makes up for all the time studying, stressing over grades, and waking up at 8 a.m. for lectures. Thank you for reading about my day, now I’m going to find a puppy to play with!