Protecting the Underdog: Animal Rescue at Dog Tales, Through the Eyes of Their Lead Kennel Manager10/9/2024
Hey future vets! Emily here. I’ve got a really exciting piece lined up for you this month; Cassandra is amazing, and her story is so inspiring. I cannot wait for you to read it, but first, I wanted to talk about something really important to me. I hope you’ll read my little note: When I read all of the interviews with veterinarians on the Omnis Animalis in my first year, I was in a very different place. Yes, I wanted to pursue veterinary medicine - but I was also super scared for the future. If you’ve ever felt that way - excited because you get to follow your passion, but scared that things may take other paths that you haven’t prepared for - know that you are NOT alone. Many of your fellow undergrads have felt exactly what you’re feeling right now (I’m in my fourth year, and I still feel it from time to time!) and we are all behind you. I remember wanting to think about other possible careers for myself, outside of vet med. For a while, I felt like I was betraying myself or my dream of becoming a veterinarian by doing so - I thought that coming up with backup plans meant that I subconsciously believed I would never become a vet. If you are thinking that right now, stop, and breathe. You aren’t doing anything horrifyingly blasphemous by thinking about other job pathways - in fact, it’s very smart and responsible of you to map out all of your options for your future! I’d like to encourage you to open your mind and explore ALL of the possibilities for your work life ahead. I know, it’s a little odd for a blog focused on veterinary news to be telling you that, but please remember this: no matter where you find yourself after your education (whether it’s in vet school or starting an exciting new path!), you will still be an extremely smart, well-educated, great person who wants to help animals - and absolutely will. That said, congratulations from all of us here at the FVC: you are already the amazing person you want to become. Until now, it has been a bit uncommon for the Omnis to publish interviews with anyone who isn’t in the field of veterinary medicine. I think it’s time to turn a new leaf. There are tons of wonderful experiences for future vets to consider for themselves and their futures; I am so excited for you to read about this one. Enjoy :) Hey Future Vets!
We’re officially back for the Fall 2024 semester - if you’re a returning student, we’ve missed you so much! If it’s your first year at the University of Guelph, we are SO excited to have you here. We can’t wait to meet you, so we’ve got some really fun events lined up for O-Week that we hope you’ll attend! If you don’t know what O-Week is, it is essentially your first week back to school - this takes place from Friday August 30th to Sunday September 8th. During this week, hundreds of clubs, organizations, and departments across campus will hold events to help with your transition, introduce you to your new classmates and fellow Gryphons, and get you excited for the first day of classes! All newbies are welcome to check out these events and partake in all of the fun activities - and we at the Future Vets Club hope that some of our events are on your to-see list! If this is the first you’re hearing of the Future Vets Club: welcome! The FVC is a non-profit CSA approved club run on campus. Our club’s goal is to provide support to undergraduate students intending to apply to veterinary colleges, both within Ontario and internationally. We aim to provide as much information as possible to our club members by organizing and hosting informative seminars and exciting events all year long! Our events centre around animal-related fields, work/volunteer opportunities, and schools offering a degree in veterinary medicine. If this sounds interesting to you, read on!  Above: The reception area at Mac Animal Clinic, Dr. Chung Yeen Mac's fear-free certified practice in Oakville, Ontario Tell us about any experience with animals that inspired you to become a vet.
I can’t remember ever wanting to be anything other than a vet. Once I started volunteering in general practice, it just confirmed that it was what I wanted to do. People might find that going into consults is quite hard, particularly with confidentiality, but I just remember being in practice and thinking: yes, this is what I want to do. I just couldn’t wait to have the experience and knowledge to be able to do that! That was what drove me; I would see people helping animals, or I would see animals that needed help, and not knowing how to help them motivated me to become a veterinarian, so I could be able to help those animals in the correct manner. I remember speaking with one of the vets I volunteered with, and they told me that during the interview there is going to be one question they always ask, and that is, “why do you want to be a vet?” They don’t want to hear, “I like animals and I want to help them,” they want to know if you’re passionate about the ways you’re going to do that! As a veterinarian, you are going to diagnose, give treatment, and understand the hows and whys. That's what I wanted to do; I didn’t want to just be a part of it, I wanted to be the one understanding everything and setting the treatment plans. Once you become a vet you realize it’s not possible to understand everything, though! Fostering Dreams of Wildlife Medicine: Sammi Luk's Journey to Vet School through Wild Ontario11/13/2023
Walking into freshman year orientation, every student is immediately bombarded with a seemingly endless stream of clubs, opportunities, and events. Whether you commit to just one or a dozen, there's always the sense of not knowing if you're missing out or preparing yourself "correctly" for vet school.
My name is Sammi, and as a Phase 1 student at OVC this year, I'm here to tell you that there's no linear path to becoming a veterinarian, and how one of my commitments at the University of Guelph ultimately shaped my journey to vet school. What is Wild Ontario? Since the start of my undergraduate degree in Animal Biology fall of 2019, I have been volunteering at Wild Ontario. Located in the Arboretum, Wild Ontario is made up of just 2 staff and many student volunteers that care and train for non-releasable raptors as well as educate a variety of audiences about wildlife and conservation across Ontario. The opportunity to work with these normally wild raptors is not only an incredible privilege, but has also been such an asset as a pre- veterinary student. Now at this point you may be wondering- what are raptors? And do they have anything to do with Jurassic Park? Raptors are birds that hunt using their powerful feet and talons, and are also known for their keen eyesight and sharp beaks. At Wild Ontario, we have owls, falcons, hawks, and a Turkey Vulture (our honorary raptor). |
Welcome to the FVC's official blog, the Omnis Animalis! Tune in monthly for helpful and fun posts written by students and industry professionals alike. Our vision for this blog is to best serve future vets with inspiring feature pieces, helpful tips, and updates on exciting events throughout the year!
the authorsMeet the editors of the Omnis Animalis! 
Emily Camarda, Senior Editor
2023-2025
Sophia Di Adamo, Junior Editor
2024-2025
|