Stepping Into Veterinary Medicine

At 7:45 every morning, the veterinary clinic is already moving. Before patients arrive, there are instruments to prepare, animals to check on, and a long list of tasks that need to be completed before the day really begins. When patients arrive, there is the chaos of weighing 80-pound dogs and scared kitties while trying not to get scratched. Hands full with two 10-pound feral cat traps and using your elbow to open doors while staying balanced always proves to be a challenge. Once all 25-50 patients have been accounted for, the doctor arrives, and surgery is underway. As a student interested in becoming a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, working hands-on with a surgery team at the Blue Mountain Humane Society is the perfect opportunity to both learn skills necessary to my future and make an impact in the Walla Walla community. Surgery takes place from around 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. on a typical day, with some days reaching 4 p.m. before surgery is complete.

As a veterinary intern, I am constantly bringing animals into the surgery clinic, assisting with preparations for surgery, and moving them onto the table for the doctor. The surgeries are typically spays and neuters for community pets and shelter animals from as far as the Tri-Cities area. Once a surgery is complete, I help remove patients from the table and diligently watch their recovery off the table, which includes monitoring their temperature, pulse, and respiration. This also involves wrapping them in comfy blankets and sometimes even socks if they are too cold. I watch to remove endotracheal (breathing) tubes and put cones on the animals. All the while, I am bouncing back and forth to clean tables after a surgery, put drapes in the laundry, clean instruments, bring animals into surgery, clean surfaces and cat squeezes, label feral cats, and clean up a variety of animal excrement. 

I chose the Blue Mountain Humane Society as I had spent many hours throughout the school year volunteering there, and I was aware of the hard work the veterinary team did. I wanted an experience that would let me get as hands-on as possible, and I was able to achieve that through the humane society while also helping support an organization that aligns with my values and morals in animal welfare. Beyond that, I have a specific interest in surgery and have seen several different types of surgeries other than what I typically assist with, such as enucleations, amputations, dental extractions, and several other unique emergencies. When surgery is done for the day, the entire clinic looks like a disaster zone of hair and less lovely articles. Without fail, every day I wipe down the entire clinic’s surfaces, vacuum and mop, wash instruments, finish laundry and wrap surgical packs and other instruments, prepare beds for animals, refill or remake surgical scrub or solutions, restock the clinic’s needles, gloves, bandage wraps, and eye lubrication. Then I prepare for the next day by creating the washes and solutions for instruments and drapes. The whole cleaning process usually takes 4 hours. Within this time, I check in on recovering patients, help check out animals from surgery, and clean both the cat holding room and dog holding room.

From barely being able to walk after work the first couple of weeks of my internship to now, I wouldn’t change a thing. My internship has allowed me to dually support the health and happiness of animals in the greater Walla Walla community while also preparing me for a future in veterinary medicine. From the saddest days when animals are lost or put down to an especially cute day of just 2-3 pound kittens, every day has developed my passion and skill for a career in veterinary medicine. The Whitman Internship Grant allowed me to work full time Monday-Thursday 7:45 a.m to 5 p.m with little other outside support. I would encourage students interested in a specific career to attend a Whitman Internship Grant information session and reach out to professionals in the career they are interested in to find an internship that fulfills their passion. I hope that any future Internship Grant participants feel as accomplished and well-rounded in the career of their interest as I now do. 

Anneliese McCullum ’29 (she/her) is interested in studying biology and environmental science and is from Evansville, Indiana, where her interest in veterinary medicine began. Outside of her internship, she enjoys rock climbing and hopes to pursue a career in veterinary medicine.