blog

april 2 2026

Now that I've been accepted to my dream vet school, this path finally feels real. It's still a conditional offer, and I need to put my all into getting above Cs in all my remaining science courses, but I should be moving to the UK in the fall if I try my best in my last quarter of undergrad.

Before, I would downplay my interest in becoming a veterinarian because I didn't want people to see me as a threat. Imposter syndrome was and is a huge obstacle for me, especially during my clinical summer placement. I worried I wasn't empathetic enough, or I couldn't remember and apply clinical information. Implementing a tangible plan to maintain my mental health has been a huge help in making me feel like I deserve to be a vet. I realize now that burnout made it harder for me to function. I can finally express my love of animals and put words to why this profession feels like where I'm meant to be.

I went out to dim sum with my grandparents a few weeks ago and I began to think about how many other grandparents' closest companions are their pets. When I was younger, I used to jokingly say I wanted to be a vet because I didn't like people. As I've gotten better at social interaction, though, I realize it's the opposite. As a young probably neurodivergent person, I held so much love for my human community in my heart, but I felt like someone watching them from outside the house. I so loved the world, but I didn't know how to show that I did. Animals became the conduit for connection to other people. I want to try my best to make sure the grandparents (and everyone) in my community can enjoy long, happy lives with their pets. Maybe vet schools should add mental health to the One Health framework, too.

Hopefully, I can start using my website for vet school blog posts. During the application period, I enjoyed watching other students' YouTube vlogs at vet school, so I'm planning to do something similar! Many students say vet school is the hardest thing they've ever done, but I'm going to try to make the most out of this! I've put in a lot of work to get here, so I want to appreciate every day.