Loop Abroad - College Veterinary Service Program

This program has extensive hands-on experience and in-depth lessons that teach you everything you need to know for the activities you will be doing. They make sure that both you and the animals you are working with are safe at all times. You also receive a cultural education about the beautiful country you are learning in.

The week in the city at the Dog Rescue Clinic is filled with treating dogs, temple visits, and Thai culture at a faster pace. While the week at Elephant Nature Park is a more relaxed learning and memorable volunteer experience. Some of the most memorable experiences at Elephant Nature Park were watching the sunset while hearing the trumpeting of elephants, feeding the elephants, watching the water buffalo roam, and the amazing vegan food. In the city and at Dog Rescue Clinic the most memorable experiences were, working with the cats and dogs beside vets, shopping in the markets, spending time in the gorgeous temples and of course the frequent 7-Eleven stops.

Thailand has so much to offer and with Loop Abroad I was able to thoroughly enjoy my time in Chiang Mai without having to worry about a single thing.

The trip was a great experience to encounter elephants and help out with animal clinics! Had a great time with my group and the staff was excellent. Only downside would be: don't expect for it to just be you and your 12 member group that you were assigned in. If you're doing college pre-vet; you'll be crammed with high schoolers as well. Which I wish was made clear to us. My whole group was bothered at this but all in all, the experience was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I had a great time meeting people and embracing the culture but it did not feel like a pre-vet trip. So, I advise people to maybe look into something more serious if they want to learn about medicine and treating animals. I cannot say I learned on this trip; but I can say I had a good time.

The trip with Loop to Thailand was my first time abroad, and it was amazing. All my nerves about traveling alone and being in a foreign country went out the window and I didn't have to worry about it. The girls in my group were nice and the vet staff were AMAZING! I didn't know anyone, and I made friends while I was there. The culture shock isn't as bad as you think either. The Thai people everywhere we went were welcoming and inclusive.

The actual veterinary experience is something that I will never get elsewhere. The week spent at Elephant Nature Park gave me opportunities to be up close and personal with Asian elephants in their natural habitat. Coming from the US, I would not get that chance stateside. I really believe it will help me when I apply to Vet School in 2020.

The Thailand College Veterinary Service program was the best experience of my life. This program was everything that I wanted and more. This trip was my first time leaving the country, so I was very nervous. Loop Abroad made me feel very safe and comfortable the entire time, and they were very good at making sure we felt independent while also having people to guide us if we needed. The program was very hands-on with the animals, more so than I even expected. At the vet clinic we got to physically help out with spays and neuters of animals. At the Elephant Nature Park there were hundreds of dogs and cats running all over the place that you were able to interact with. Further, I saw the elephants every day and one day we were even paired with a specific elephant and followed it around all day. The elephants were beautiful and it was amazing to be able to be so close to them. Also, on this trip I ate some of the best food I have ever had because I love Thai food. I also met so many wonderful and amazing girls, I am so happy to be able to call hem my good friends. Overall, this trip was amazing in every aspect. They did a great job at balancing the veterinary service and the exploration of Thailand itself and I wish I could do the program again.

The Thailand College Veterinary Service program was everything I'd hoped it would be- and more. It was my first experience studying abroad- and my first time leaving the continent in general. Although my parents and I had our concerns initially, they soon evaporated. The Loop staff was wonderful at answering our questions and giving us the information we needed to know. They were very thorough, and made me feel cared for before and during the trip.
As for the trip itself, I don't know what other pre-veterinary study abroad programs give you so much hands-on experience! I feel very grateful that as a first-year college undergraduate, I was able to perform a spay and neuter (alongside vets), help an anesthesia team with other spays and neuters, learn how to insert a catheter, feed elephants (and study their diets and waste), and more. We were also given a lot of exposure to Thai culture- visiting night markets and temples, meditating with a monk, visiting children at a local school, and taking part in local ceremonies- which showed me just how beautiful this country is. Overall, I've made memories on this trip that I hope will last a lifetime, and I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in becoming a vet and learning about a beautiful country.

It was so cool to spend 2 weeks living life in Thai culture, eating their food and living like they do. At the elephant sanctuary, Elephant Nature Park (ENP), we got to do so many amazing things. We got to feed the elephants, help care for them, and work with one of the elephant vets on their rounds for a day. Every morning we ate breakfast on the platform and you could look out and watch the elephants walking around while eating your Thai style breakfast! On top of that being awesome, all the people were so nice and welcoming. All of the Loop staff were really helpful and always doing everything they could to make our stay great. In the city, they took us out to a different restaurant every night to let us get some food other than Thai and many other little things like that just show they really care and want us to have the best time!

My loop abroad experience was amazing!!! I did the college veterinary 2 week program in Thailand and learned so much! The entire staff that worked with us were so welcoming and sweet, I miss them already! The tour guides that work with loop abroad honestly made the experience worth while. They taught us so much about the culture. The activities we did were so fun and I learned a lot about vet med. if you are on the fence about going, I recommend going!!! Worry about the money later! The money can be daunting at first but traveling oversees is worth it especially for what you receive on this trip! It’ll be a great thing to add to a resume or vet school application plus they have great resources for you as an alumni once you finish their program!

I loved the program a lot. I learned more about the veterinary field, and how I should prepare myself for vet school applications at the end of my undergraduate studies. Also, the hands on experience both at ENP and the Dog Cat Clinic was incredible and I feel more prepared to work in a practice and continue my veterinary studies! Also, the traveling to new places everyday for activities was a blast as I was both able to learn a lot in Thailand, and also adventure around a lot and truly understand the Thai culture better. For anyone who loves to travel, try new food, loves the veterinary health field, or even just wants to see the world a little better, I highly recommend this program as it changed my life and my veterinary skills that I will use in the future!