Purr-fect internship: OHIO pre-vet junior spends summer at animal clinic

bet8九州登录入口 junior Jess Mitchell had a tail-wagging good time this summer interning at an animal shelter clinic in 潘sylvania. 

The experience in the shelter was an ample opportunity for Mitchell, a 生物科学兽医预科专业 in the 文理学院 with a minor in bet8九州登录入口营养 和一个 糖尿病的证书 from 卫生科学与职业学院, who wants to eventually work in shelter medicine. 

Mitchell spent 12 weeks working and living on-site at Animal Care Sanctuary (ACS) in East Smithfield, 潘., one of the biggest and oldest no-kill shelters in the United States. In 2022, ACS reported having 831 adoptions, 6,873 clinic visits and 4,065 spay and neuter surgeries. 

“在ACS没有典型的一天. Not a day has gone by where I haven’t learned something new and unexpected,米切尔说. “As someone who wants to one day become a shelter veterinarian, this internship is one of the most valuable experiences I can have. Shelter medicine is an incredibly versatile form of veterinary medicine because we do it all.” 

看她生命中的一天 

Her internship was divided up into three different focus areas of the sanctuary – spending six weeks in the vet clinic, three weeks in the kennel and three weeks in the cattery. 

在兽医诊所的时候, Mitchell helped prep pets for surgery and was able to observe surgeries, 包括截肢, 熵(眼睛周围), enucleations (eye removal) and foreign body removals. Within four weeks of her internship, Mitchell had already been a part of 300 surgeries.  

“在诊所里, I learned exactly what goes into high quality high volume spay neuter operations,”她说。. “我学会了如何为动物做手术准备, 把管子插进他们, 放置静脉导管, 抽血, 接种疫苗, 微芯片, 还有跳蚤治疗, 在许多其他事情中. On select days, the clinic also hosts community clinics where I assisted in wellness and sick visits.”

In the cattery, she helped take care of over 160 cats that ACS houses. From administering medications and vaccines to cleaning up the space, 米切尔确保这些猫得到了很好的照顾.

“I learned a lot about herd health and disease management. There are a lot of precautions and protocols that need to be upheld when dealing with the constant in and out flow of 160 cats,”她说。. 

在狗窝工作的时候, Mitchell gained experience cleaning out the indoor and outdoor runs for the dogs, 喂它们吃饭, 给他们服药, 遛狗等等. 

“Getting these different experiences has helped me to gain a full perspective on what it takes to run a shelter. I also learned about the nonprofit responsibility to serve one’s community, and I saw this reflected throughout every rotation I was in,米切尔说. “无论是接受一个社区的投降, helping a hoarder or providing low-cost veterinary care, Animal Care Sanctuary works to provide for the community daily.” 
 

因为米切尔住在ACS, 她也随时待命应对紧急情况, assisting the full-time veterinary technician who also lives on-site. While Mitchell did not have to assist on every emergency call, she tried to tag along and soak in as much experience at the clinic that she could. 

在她休息的时候, she was still learning important skills in training and care with her foster dog, 狂风暴雨的. 

While Mitchell learned many lessons throughout her internship, one moment solidified further for her that this was the type of work she wanted to do. 

我刚开始实习的时候, I helped unload a transport of puppies from Best 朋友 Animal Society in Georgia. The puppy who I happened to grab, Grinch, was severely infected with mange. He needed immediate treatment, as he was more skin than fur. I carried this poor, shaking puppy into his new home,” she recalled. 一个月后, 在我的狗窝轮班期间, I was lucky enough to be the one to bring Grinch to his new adopter. I will never forget carrying him out the same doors I carried him in a month prior. Except this time, he was full of life – and fur – and was more than ready for his journey ahead. Watching a dog go from scared, emaciated and sick, to happy, cured 和一个dopted, is unforgettable.” 

Mitchell aims to go on to veterinary school after she graduates in 2025. 与此同时, she is ensuring she gains as much experience as possible with campus activities and organizations that align with her career goals.

She is a part of several animal-focused organizations, including bet8九州登录入口收容所的狗、兽医预科俱乐部及 《bet8九州登录入口》. She is also president of the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honors Society, president of 给朋友打电话, a 学习型社区领袖, a lab assistant in two research labs 和一个 peer led tutoring lessons leader for BIOS 1700. 

Mitchell credits her varied experiential learning and campus experiences at OHIO in preparing her to be ready and well qualified for the internship at ACS. 

“OHIO gave me the opportunity and platform to become a competitive candidate for this internship. There was a 3 percent acceptance rate for this position, 我很幸运地获得了一个名额,”她说。. “I had a diverse resume with the experience to back it up, all which I gained at OU through the support of my wonderful professors, 顾问和同行.”