12 Best Days of Summer

Going into this trip, I had known that I wanted to study veterinary medicine in my future. I was unsure though of what branch of vet medicine I wanted to focus on. I remember before leaving for Puerto Rico, I thought, "Hey maybe this this trip will be able to help me decide," and it did just that and so much more. When we arrived in Puerto Rico, we dove into the world of manatee rehabilitation. While we were there, we got to shadow a veterinarian and learn all about manatees and marine medicine. During a routine exam, I was able to monitor a baby manatees vitals and keep record for later professional evaluation. I remember watching the baby's breath and being totally in the moment. Looking back on that exam later that night, I remember thinking to myself that this was something I never expected myself to do. I had never even realized that there is so many different ways I can be a part of veterinary medicine, and that exam opened the door for me. There is so much the world the offer and there is so much that I can learn from it, and I am so happy I was able to realize this through helping an animal.