This past week, the veterinary community lost two of our peers. Whitney Engler, a fourth-year student at UC Davis, and Kelly Smith, a fourth-year at Michigan State University, were both taken from this world far too soon and will be sorely missed. I did not know them personally, but the veterinary community is such a tight knit and unified profession, any loss has a huge impact. In the face of tragedy, it was wonderful to see veterinary schools all around unite.
At the AVC, we had a moment of silence to reflect and show our respects for the ones we lost. We also passed around cards to sign for the families of the young women. Veterinary students were encouraged to share thoughts and feelings via social media using the hashtag #vetstudentsunited. This way, we could also share our support with each other and the world.
It makes me really appreciate the profession I’m going to. Even though most of us veterinary students don’t know each other, we still came together to help one another out. It’s important to realize that no matter what we’re going through, we will always have our colleagues to look out for us. Whether our interactions be at conferences, through VIN, or phone calls with our long-distance colleagues, veterinarians look out for one another and offer support, advice, and a listening ear. In addition, we’re there for our clients, our families, and friends, and one of the best things that makes veterinarians great is we can be there for both the animals and their people.
Information on contributions in memory of those we lost can be found on these websites:
