So, I decided against vet school. What now?

Written by Alesia Rummel

Growing up, I was always so sure I wanted to be a vet. I knew I would get my undergraduate degree in animal science, then get my DVM, then open my own practice. I thought that was just how my life was supposed to go. Then, I went on a week-long study abroad in Ireland during my sophomore year. Everything changed after that. I felt a tug in my soul that I was supposed to go back, that I was supposed to take an interest in international agriculture. No more vet school, no more DVM, and no more practice. I panicked; it was like my whole worldview tilted on its side. If I didn’t go to vet school, what were my options?

Luckily, I was blessed with a wonderful advisor and even better friends. Together, they helped me realize this was not a world-ending event and that it was more than okay for me to change my mind. I had plenty of options that I hadn’t thought about, because I had never felt the need to think about them. I changed my concentration from pre-vet to production and industry. This allowed me to still get many of the credits I would need if I changed my mind later and did want to get my DVM, while also expanding my opportunities in other areas.

I had two main options: I could pursue another post-secondary degree, such as a master’s or PhD, or I could go straight into industry. Obtaining a different type of degree gave me the choice to come back into academia as a professor, to enter the research field in a topic that interested me, or to become a more specialized professional. Entering straight into the industry would allow me to jump right into the world with both feet, letting me get more hands-on experience.

While both options sounded enticing, I ultimately decided that I do, in fact, want to go back to Ireland to pursue a master’s degree. International agriculture is a field I feel I could thrive in, whether as a researcher, policy maker, or advocate for animal welfare. There are vast differences between the U.S and our European counterparts that are just begging to be studied. I want to figure out how and why we are such opposites, and who is more ‘right’ in the way they run things.

While realizing I did not want to be a vet rocked my world, it wasn’t as catastrophic as I originally thought. It simply proved that I am human, that my wants and needs change, and that my mind changing was nothing but a course correction back to where I needed to be.



Alesia Rummel

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Purdue Junior in Animal Science