Microbiology major Mikayla McClintock is a member of the Honors Pre-Admit Program in Veterinary Medicine in which students can gain early admission to the College of Veterinary Medicine’s DVM professional program and become a veterinarian in only seven years. Mikayla is from Billings, Montana, and she hopes to return to her home state once she wraps up veterinary school in 2028.
How has WSU prepared you for your future?
WSU has prepared me to begin vet school through amazing experiences and excellent professors. I have an internship at the VTH that gives me a lot of first-hand experience. I also had the opportunity to study and do research abroad in Kenya. That trip prepared me for the rest of my life in that it taught me how to adapt quickly to rapidly changing situations.
What’s your favorite thing about WSU?
My favorite thing about WSU is the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. They get a lot of unique cases since they are a referral hospital, and it has given me the opportunity to see some neat things. The staff there is also amazing and always eager to answer any questions I might have. I also really enjoy the Rec Center on campus because there is so much to do there.
What’s your favorite course you’ve taken at WSU?
I have two favorite classes. My first was Honors 290 with Professor Schultz. We read two books, “The Girl with all the Gifts” and “The Boy on the Bridge.” These books are about a dystopian world in which a fungal pathogen takes over the human race. I love to read so this was very enjoyable. We then talked about how the scientific method could be applied to these novels, since they were science based. My other favorite was Organic Chemistry 1 (CHEM 345) with Dr. Berkman. Dr. Berkman made an intimidating class very fun and interesting with his stories. He also was patient with us and made sure we were actually learning.
What do you hope to do when you graduate?
My end goal is to become a veterinarian. I am leaning toward working at a mixed practice because I think I want to go back to Montana where I can have the option to work with large or small animals.
Do you work on campus?
Currently I work at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in central services. This is where they clean and sterilize instruments for surgery. I do general cleaning both in the sterile and non-sterile sides of central services. I also put together the trays and wrap them before they are autoclaved. This is a fairly straightforward job, but necessary for the hospital to keep their patients healthy and clean.
What are some of your favorite hobbies?
Some of my favorite things to do are reading and rock climbing. I read a lot of fiction, especially books with a lot of action. While I don’t have a favorite book, I like Jane Austin’s novels a lot, along with exciting series like the “Hunger Games.” In terms of rock climbing, I boulder frequently at the Rec Center.
What’s a unique fun fact about you?
This may not be a super unique fun fact, but I have a cat and his name is Beans on Toast. He is 5 months old and incredibly crazy. Here’s another random fact, my favorite show is “Survivor” and my family watches every season.