Submitted by Tori Van Wart from Texas A&M University
Eleven countries, four continents, and over a month of traveling later, and I think it’s safe to say I truly had the trip of a lifetime this past summer. As someone who was not exposed to traveling (especially across international waters) very much growing up, I decided never to let an opportunity to explore pass me by. When I first heard about the opportunity to study abroad in veterinary school in South Africa, I knew I HAD to go. The incentive was made even greater by the opportunity to sightsee in Europe due to the fact that our program was to meet in London before making our way to South Africa. I was lucky enough to find a friend willing to make the journey with me, and pretty much as soon as spring final exams were finished, we left on our month-long adventure.
Although we only spent a few days in each country, it wasn’t difficult to make incredible memories and have experiences that I will truly cherish for the rest of my life. From visiting the Balto statue in Central Park, to exploring the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, to eating paella in Barcelona, to seeing the Mona Lisa in Paris, and stopping by the windmills just outside of Amsterdam, the first leg of our journey was already a whirlwind cultural adventure. I couldn’t believe our travels, and we hadn’t even made it to South Africa yet! After our behind-the-scenes veterinary tour of the London Zoo, we were well on our way to South Africa, the place I had heard so much about and was ready to fall even more in love with.
Upon our arrival to Amakhala Game Reserve in South Africa, we were greeted with a plethora of animals, including the tuskless wonder himself: Norman the elephant! We were instantly mesmerized by the beautiful country surrounding us and the opportunities that were planned, but for now, we could only imagine the possibilities of what was to come. Before we could get our hands on the animals that needed our assistance, we were tasked with listening to a few days’ worth of lectures. The lectures were incredibly interesting, as we got to learn from an unbelievably knowledgeable South African veterinarian, Dr. Peter Brothers, as well as the current veterinarian at Kruger National Park, Dr. Peter Buss. Our excitement built throughout the first couple days as we looked forward to our first immobilization experience, which happened to be with a black wildebeest. Although I hadn’t worked extensively with most of my colleagues on the trip, we were able to operate like a well-oiled machine and took equal responsibility for all of the tasks that we were assigned, including vaccinations, dart wound treatment, deworming, and ectoparasite treatment. With this experience under our belts, we were ready to move on to Mattanu Game Reserve, where we were able to immobilize several other antelope species, including red hartebeest, kudu, roan, eland, sable, gemsbok, and impala, as well as Cape buffalo and, most excitingly, a giraffe!
Out of every experience we had with animal immobilizations, the most memorable experience we had (in my opinion) was when we assisted in blesbok immobilization. We were essentially in control of one animal per group of three veterinary students, which was a huge responsibility in and of itself. I was absolutely awestruck when I saw Dr. Brothers, our program director, dart animals out of the “chopper” like some kind of South African combination of Steve Irwin and GI Joe. This sight was incredibly eye-opening for me; who knew a veterinarian could have a job as awesome as this?! I realized in this moment not to sell myself short of whatever crazy or outlandish dreams I may have for my career because the possibilities are truly endless for our potential as veterinarians.
Overall, I am incredibly thankful to have had the opportunity to explore and learn from the many different cultures I interacted with throughout my time abroad this summer, and I know that I would not have had the chance to garner such a meaningful experience without the help of the IVEC International Veterinary Experience Scholarship. I gained more than just experiences with exotic animals during my trip – I obtained a greater passion and understanding of veterinary medicine as a whole, as well as gained a cultural perspective that I never could have gotten domestically. This experience was imperative to my future career as a veterinarian so that I may better understand my future colleagues and clients, so I am incredibly appreciative of the financial assistance that the IVEC International Veterinary Experience Scholarship provided me. This opportunity was truly formative, and I know it will continue to impact me for years to come.
Friday, December 14, 2018 at 02:00PM 
