We believe that work experience is a very important part of student’s learning. We also believe that working in summer can help reduce veterinary students mounting debt load!
Summer Work Experience Program (SWEP) is a collaboration of the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) and second and third-year veterinary students at UC Davis and Western University of Health Sciences. We have joined forces with them to offer students the opportunity to come and work with us for a one or two-week rotation, or even the whole summer! We feel that providing students with real life, in-hospital, hands-on experience they will gain invaluable skills and exposure to their chosen industry!
Name: Stephanie Kuo
Age: 24
Hometown: Fremont
College: UC Berkeley
Studying at: St. George's University
Why did you decide to become a vet?
I have always had a love for animals, and I want to advocate for these creatures that can not advocate for themselves. I grew up borrowing every animal book out there and was convinced that I wanted to be a zookeeper. But, the more I learned about animals, the more I was made aware of the difficulties that they faced. I want to be in a position where I can make the most difference for them. I don't ever want to feel like there's a limit to what I can do.
What are you looking forward to most about being a vet?
I want to be able to diagnose challenging cases, perform surgery, and educate people about the importance of animal welfare. I want to be able to approach each and every case critically and be able to draw on my knowledge to reach the best possible solution for the animal. I want to be in position where I can make the most difference in terms of animal health and welfare, and not have to feel like I am limited in what I can do.
What is the most interesting thing you have done/learned at Vet school?
I was able to go to the northern part of Grenada where we could sea leatherback sea turtles laying eggs.
Stephanie has been working with our team since the summer of 2017!
