Are you considering WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine? Our student ambassadors are available to provide insight into our Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program.
Out of state and thinking about #WSUVetMed? Second-year veterinary student Samantha Amey-Gonzalez is more than happy to chat. Sam is a Washington native but lived on the East Coast for seven years before traveling to Pullman for veterinary school.
Sam works for WSU’s Blood Bank and Transfusion Medicine service inside the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
“Helping run the blood bank has been the best for me, as I came from a research background with not as much clinical experience as my peers. I have become very familiar with local practice and got a head start on reading bloodwork and communicating with clients who are interested in their pets being donors for the program.
Sam is President of the Veterinary Business Management Association and is active in the WSU Student American Veterinary Medical Association and Aquatics clubs. Sam’s other veterinary interests include cardiology and research.
She said the emphasis on communication and surgical skills is likely the crown jewel of WSU’s veterinary program.
“Not every school begins to teach surgical skills on day one and having the Open Clinical Skills Lab available through all 4 years means that I can put in the extra time to become more confident in my skills before my first spay.”
Sam said WSU’s collaborative environment and emphasis on the learning process were other selling points.
“A pass/fail system for grades is a game changer for me,” Sam said. “I feel that my classmates are more likely to help each other, and I can focus on understanding concepts while also realizing I can take breaks and pursue other extracurriculars without impacting a GPA.”
FUN FACT: “I adopted a cat named Milk Dud this year! He’s not very happy that I try to practice palpation on him.”