My Aim in Life to Be a Veterinary

From the age of three when I got my first pet, I have always held a strong passion for animals and their wellbeing. Whether I was helping to take care of my cats or visiting the local stables, I have been surrounded by animals from birth. However, it wasn’t until a hamster of mine became extremely ill, that I realised the effect that vets can have on the lives of both animals and people. I too wanted the chance to be able to help the lives of not only animals, but the people who love them.

My childhood ambition to practice veterinary medicine was fuelled further at around the age of eight when a veterinary nurse from our local veterinary practice visited my brownies group. Instantly enthralled by her descriptions of what life was like working in a veterinary practice, I can remember thinking that I wanted nothing more than to become a vet. At the age of ten, I started riding lessons and spent much of my time learning how to look after and care for the horses stabled there.

This helped to increase my knowledge of animals and inspired me further to become a vet. At the age of fifteen, I was lucky enough to be bought my own horse and my experience and knowledge grew from there. I have been regularly competing my horse at local competitions in various disciplines, but in particular show jumping. I have also been working at a DIY livery yard on weekends for several months to gain more experience working with a variety of different horses and their owners.

I have also gained some experience with small animals through puppy sitting on several occasions. Last year I spent two weeks gaining work experience at a local equine veterinary practice, from which I gained an invaluable insight into the day-to-day running of a veterinary practice and life as a veterinary surgeon. Whilst there, I witnessed two operations in the form of a rig operation and an operation to fix a club foot in a colt. Witnessing these operations fascinated and intrigued me and only heightened my desire to one day carry out similar operations myself.

I also watched and helped with various other procedures whilst at the veterinary practice, such as nerve blocking, gastroscopy and the treatment of a mare with an infected uterus. Academically, I have always thoroughly enjoyed science, and in particular biology and chemistry. I recently attended a symposium on neurology which I found to be extremely interesting and insightful. I have also assisted in physics with primary school children in a girls in engineering day run by my school, helped teach a science lesson once a fortnight for a year and demonstrated dissections during the open evening for my school.

As well as this, I have held several different roles of responsibility whilst at school and sixth form. These include being elected as a prefect in year eleven, being a member of the school’s student voice for the past three years, and a sixth form leader in the student voice for the past two. Alongside this I have taken part in fundraising events, such as carwashes in aid of Farleigh hospice. My interests outside of animals and science include history, running, writing, reading and music.

I am currently studying to take my grade 5 in piano this winter and also enjoy playing the guitar and bass guitar on a regular basis. I also run regularly and am currently training for the 2012 London marathon. I believe that studying veterinary medicine at university can only increase my passion for animals and will allow me to fulfil my ambition to become a veterinary surgeon, as well as enabling me to become a more responsible and well-rounded person.