Great prep for vet school
Raised on a farrow-to-finish hog farm in northwestern Illinois, Claire Kepner ¡¯17 felt at home in the agricultural community before attending Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø.
¡°I loved animals, I loved science, and I shadowed veterinarians through high school,¡± she said. ¡°I just knew I wanted to work in the field when I ¡®grew up.¡¯¡±
Kepner volunteered around the Quad Cities during her years at Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø. ¡°I was constantly put into situations that challenged me. Academically, I strived to become a more well-rounded, knowledgeable future veterinarian.¡±
And that paid off. In fact, in 2017 Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø reported 100-percent acceptance of its biology/pre-vet majors to veterinary school.
Now Kepner is one of 10 students in a collaborative program at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks with Colorado State University. She will spend two years at UAF, followed by two at CSU. The program instills an ¡°ecosystems approach¡± to veterinary medicine, looking at the human, animal and environmental health of different issues.
¡°Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø prepared me extremely well¡ªin my major subjects and in less tangible areas like critical thinking and problem solving,¡± she noted. ¡°Vet school is certainly a challenge, but I consistently find myself reaching for knowledge that I gained at Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø, and applying it to my program in Fairbanks.¡±
Her days consist of class from 8-5, then ¡°studying for the rest of the night to keep up with the utterly insane amount of material,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s really hard, to be quite frank. But my classmates and the people I have met here are the best. I¡¯m excited to make more connections as I progress!¡±
At Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø, pre-veterinary students can take advantage of a 3:4 coordinated-degree program with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, through which they may graduate after three years and begin their graduate studies early, or stay for a fourth year on campus. Applicants are accepted in the beginning of their sophomore year, and must maintain a 3.5 GPA to qualify for vet school at the university.
¡°Only two other undergraduate institutions in Illinois maintain 3:4 agreements with the veterinary school at U of I, but Augie sends the most students each year,¡± said Dr. Tim Muir, assistant professor of biology and a faculty advisor to the program.
Like Kepner, some students choose a different track for their professional studies. But no matter the program or school, she encourages all students in pre-veterinary science to focus on their clinical training.
¡°Volunteer at shelters, shadow veterinarians, and don¡¯t ignore things that you aren¡¯t familiar with,¡± she explained. ¡°Use your summers wisely¡ªand take comparative physiology at Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø when it¡¯s offered. It rocks your socks!¡±
For Kepner, veterinary medicine combines a love of service to both people and animals in the agricultural world while fueling her passion for biology. She plans to specialize in large animal care during her third- and fourth-year clinical rotations.
During her limited spare time, Kepner enjoys hiking, white-water rafting and exploring nature. Every night, she takes a study break to watch the northern lights from her backyard.
By Rachel Reiter ¡¯18, Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Writers Bureau
