Once she earns her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Janelle Thomas is considering going right back to school again.
Janelle’s primary interest is small animal general practice, but she is dabbling in the idea of continuing her education and pursuing a master’s degree in animal welfare, law and ethics, or law school with an animal law focus.
“This is a field that is slowly growing but is proving to be immensely valuable for our profession to have veterinarians who have a concurrent understanding of the laws, ethics, and morals that dictate everyday practice,” she said.
Whether you’re a new undergraduate or a first-year veterinary student, Janelle could give you the scoop on what WSU Pullman and #WSUVetMed are all about.
Janelle earned a Bachelor of Science in animal science from the WSU College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences before being accepted to veterinary school. During much of that time, she also served as a patient service coordinator in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, organizing appointments and helping with animal intake.
“WSU has prepared me to be an evidence-based, empathetic veterinarian. We have outstanding faculty and staff that are dedicated to providing an excellent education and are passionate about teaching,” Janelle said. “I’ve been exposed to an abundance of opportunities through the relationships I’ve made in the tight-knit WSU community in my almost 10 years of living in Pullman and have been able to craft a legacy driven by leadership and service.”
She’s also a fan of the WSU culture.
“Cougar football Saturdays — there’s just nothing like it. Gives me the same excitement as going to Disneyland combined with my love of sports — my die hard Coug spirit can’t be tamed,” she said. “Seeing all the alumni come back to this little town in the middle of the wheat fields is one of the truest, unexplained forms of human connection unrivaled by other schools.”