Early on, Gwyn Potter wanted to be a paleontologist, but a love for science and medicine led them to veterinary medicine.
“I love medicine, and I love science. My whole life I’ve loved animals, and my time with horses in 4-H was critical to pointing me toward veterinary medicine as a great option to combine all those things,” Gwyn said.
After earning a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Gwyn plans to practice primarily small animal general medicine in Western Washington, with an interest in limited equine and exotic cases.
“I really enjoy surgery and want to expand my skillset in that area too,” they said.
Gwyn said WSU has set them up for success with its structured four-year program.
“It’s a stepwise approach: learn the normal, understand what can go wrong, learn how to fix it, and then apply that knowledge during the fourth year,” Gwyn said.
A military kid, Gwyn grew up across the country but spent the most time in Spokane. They completed their undergraduate degree in Biology at Seattle University.
Outside of the classroom, Gwyn spends much of their time at the barn with their two horses, Roadie “Silver Rhodes,” a 14-year-old off-track thoroughbred gelding that was once part of WSU professor Dr. Warwick Bayly’s research, and Argo Painted Black, a 25-year-old retired mustang.
A significant part of Gwyn’s personal journey has been their experience transitioning and being diagnosed with autism during vet school.
“It’s an important part of who I am,” they said.
At home, Gwyn has a menagerie of pets: Snippy “Ahsoka,” a 3-year-old tripod brown tabby cat adopted from a shelter; and Obi “Kenobi,” an approximately 3-year-old orange tabby that is now a happily neutered indoor cat.