Internship Spotlight - Leah Larson

	From:	Victor, Idaho
	Major:	Animal Science
	Company:	Driggs Veterinary Clinic
	Location:	Driggs, ID

"I knew everyone where I grew up," Leah said, including the three veterinarians at the local clinic in Driggs. Growing up, Leah was always around animals. Her father raised cattle, and she would help feed and take care of them.

"I used to drive the tractor at feeding time while my dad stood on the trailer tossing out hay," she remembers, "and I also helped with calving complications."

Leah's association and experience with animals led to her participation in a service learning program in high school. For one hour each day, she went to the Driggs Veterinary Clinic to observe the vets in practice. "I didn't do anything other than watch," she said.

Being familiar with the vet clinic and animals in general, Leah was an ideal intern for the clinic. This time around, she was able to do more than just watch. "After seeing one example of a dental examination for dogs, I was doing them myself," she said.

Leah also gave animals tetanus shots, performed x-rays, and prepared the operating tables and instruments for surgeries. "I put together surgery packs, sterilized the equipment, and cleaned and shaved the animal's hair for the area to be operated on," she explained.

Among all of her responsibilities, Leah's favorite duty was accompanying the vets on ranch calls. "They're basically the equivalent of doctors' house calls, but we'd do horse breeding, bandage broken legs on horses, minister vaccinations for heifers, and many other things," she said.

Ranch calls gave Leah an opportunity to talk to the vets about their experiences while they drove to and from the locations. "They told me about their challenges, how they entered vet school, and some of their most memorable experiences," Leah said.

Speaking of challenges, Leah sometimes had to take her work home with her. "A very sick and dehydrated kitten was brought into the clinic, and needed to be fed every two hours for it to recover properly," she explained. Leah was given the responsibility to take the kitten home with her, and any other place she might go for more than two hours.

Blood work was something Leah learned to appreciate, because it taught her the importance of precision in carrying out the procedures. Leah said that the surgeries she was able to observe helped her understand concepts from her anatomy and physiology classes. "It's better to be in there doing hands-on work," she said.

When she graduates, Leah hopes to be accepted at a vet school. One of the vets she worked with named John told her that it wasn't until his third attempt that he made it into vet school. "Never give up. Just keep trying," he told her. It's really no wonder John has that kind of determination, because as Leah said, "In a job where some degree of failure or disappointment is inevitable, one really needs that sort of character to keep going.