Tracking in Vet School (another viewpoint)

By: Stephanie Silberstang

Cornell University

Tracking vs. non-tracking in veterinary school was an important part of my decision to apply to the schools that I did. I ended up choosing a school that did not include tracking because I was unsure of my specific career goals and path. I have worked with a large animal veterinarian, bovine embryo transfer veterinarian, small animal veterinarian and in the Reptile House at the Bronx Zoo. Trying to take all of these experiences and making a decision that I would have to see through 4 years of my time in veterinary school did not appeal or make sense to me. In addition, I enjoyed most of my experiences and consider taking a mixed animal path as a veterinarian. In contrast, there are students who know the specific type of veterinarian they want to be from the start (e.g. equine veterinarian on the racetrack, small animal veterinarian to take over the family practice) and those students should have the opportunity to concentrate on that aspect of the medicine in order to be get more out of their 4 years in veterinary school. As a student that attends a non-tracking school, I can truly say that the opportunities to pursue your specific career goals are endless without having to lock you into a specific 4 year curriculum. For example, for a student who wanted to be an equine veterinarian on the racetrack they could take equine anatomy, work as a technician in the large animal hospital, and enroll in Advanced Equine Lameness and Equine Soft Tissue Surgery all without tracking their curriculum.

Whether or not a student is sure of their desired career path, interested in many species, or undecided on the direction their career will take, all students should gain experience with all types of animals throughout their 4 years in veterinary school. As a famous farrier once told me, you will always have a friend who needs help with an animal. If you happen to be a small animal veterinarian and your friend has a horse, your experience in veterinary school will fully prepare you assuming you did not track. In addition, many clients own more than one species (e.g. a barn cat at a horse stable, or a dog on the dairy farm) and veterinarians should be prepared to help their clients with any aspect of medicine that they can, for both the convenience to the client and for the health of the animals. Although tracking may be preferred by those students who are confident in their career path, the chance to learn many different aspects of the medicine involved in many different species can only be beneficial in ones career because it does not limit the students main interest and it gives veterinarians an advantage over those that chose to track in their veterinary curriculum.