When I was deciding on where to go to college, I knew that I wanted a small school that was close to home. I wanted to be able to feel like I could walk around campus and see ten people I knew and ten people I did not. I toured and loved The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), and had an amazing four years there. When I graduated, I knew that I had left my mark, if only slightly on the campus, and that made me feel as though I had an impact.
Choosing a veterinary school proved to be similar. I knew, again, that I wanted a small class size. Relatively speaking, that is pretty ubiquitous throughout all vet schools. I wanted to stay within the states, and I did not want to be far away from my family. That pretty much left me with only a few schools to decide between – and this entire elimination process occurred before I even applied to school, much less post-acceptance!
After I was accepted to the University of Pennsylvania, I was ecstatic to know that I would be attending such a prestigious university in the beautiful city of Philadelphia. However, after going through orientation I was not so sure I belonged. I felt like an impostor.
During my first year, it seemed as though everyone had worked thousands upon thousands of hours in veterinary clinics all over the world. My peers’ experiences somehow dwarfed mine in a way I had not and could not have expected.
Oh, you’ve done 300 spays at a shelter in Taiwan? I worked for an ambulatory vet by my house for a summer…
In my mind, these two things did not even seem comparable.
It was not until a few months into first year that I began to really feel like my own unique experiences actually augmented others’ experiences. Just as through talking with classmates who were completing veterinary school to achieve a second-career changed my perspective on veterinary medicine, I realized that my own ideas and personal journey changed theirs. People were interested in my own career goals and aspirations, and I, theirs.
Veterinary school is a learning experience, both inside and outside of the classroom. Sometimes I feel as though what I have learned from my peers’ experiences have made veterinary school that much more challenging and exciting than the medicine itself. And while at times I still may have that moment of feeling like an imposter, I have to bring myself back to reality and remember that I really do belong here.
