Can I Make This Happen?
The end of semester 5 of my life as a veterinary student was coming. No more lecture halls; time for clinics. But before donning the white coat, I had to plan the next year and a half of my life in 3-week increments—getting requirements in the correct sequence, prioritizing electives, figuring out what to do about that 6-page list of externships I wanted to do when I only had 2 free rotations remaining—all without upsetting the electronic scheduler. Sacrifices had to be made. It was looking less and less likely that I would be able to pull together externships at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and wedge them into my schedule while following all the rules. Maybe I could do one of them. Maybe I could just arrange a visit over a vacation. Maybe a trip right after graduation.
I had just settled into the second week of my first clinical rotation (Pathology) when I received an email from Kate Hanson, the phenomenal DVM/MPH Program Coordinator. Kate was sending along a message from Dr. Will Hueston describing a program on international animal health and food safety policy with site visits to the OIE in Paris, the WHO and World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) in Rome all over the course of one-week. Incredible. This was exactly what I was seeking—a way to spend time at each of these organizations, gain a better understanding of the work they do and how my professional interests and skills may fit, and perhaps most importantly, make contacts. And it would actually fit within the constraints of a veterinary clinical clerkship schedule. Sign me up. Then I saw the catch. The trip was less than a month away. I knew even if I could find away to finance the trip quickly, the drop/add period was long gone and I would never be able to rearrange my clinical schedule to attend. I wished I had saved myself the disappointment and never read the email. Maybe next year, if it’s offered. I decided to investigate the program anyway, thinking that perhaps I would be able to contact the coordinating personnel at each of the organizations and try to approximate the experience myself in some way. I also contacted the moderator of the conflicting clerkship describing the program and asking if there was any way I could make arrangements to reschedule my clinical duties for that week—a long-shot, but it shouldn’t hurt to ask. I was absolutely floored by the support I received from the clerkship moderator, who not only approved my request but also went to the administration to make the rescheduling arrangements on my behalf. I madly went about applying for international study scholarships and booking reservations. The stars had aligned and I was going on this once in a lifetime trip.
Annora Sheehan
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