Meet Some Ross Students

Why Ross?

Teresa found out about Ross from her former boss, Dr. Hannis L. Stoddard III, a well-known avian medicine specialist in Norco, CA.

"I'd been thinking about becoming a veterinarian for a long time and he told me to apply to Ross. He said don't even bother with U.S. schools. I thought that would be a great adventure-moving to the Caribbean and renting an apartment sight unseen. It was a huge change," she explained.

Although Teresa did apply to a few state-side schools she kept being "drawn back" to Ross.

"I kind of regret submitting my application anywhere else," she said. "It was very clear that Ross read my entire application and not just my academic scores. U.S. schools have a standard they go by and if you're a student who has gaps in their educational history it can be nearly impossible to get in, no matter how much professional experience you may have."

The Experience of a Lifetime

Teresa noted that her experience at Ross thus far has been wonderful.

"I think it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I liked being in the U.S., but I love being in St. Kitts. I think it's a great environment for learning and experiencing new things and becoming a veterinarian."

She continued, "My professors are all very pro-teaching. You can tell they love what they do. They are all very personable and like to interact with students. It's so different from when I was at undergrad where there could be 250 people in a classroom. At Ross, the professors are very accessible. You're not just a number here."

Having already had experience working in a veterinary practice, Teresa noted that the hands-on experience she has received at Ross has been exceptional. She especially enjoys the small animal palpation labs, noting, "I like to really see what we're learning about in gross anatomy by going up to the barn and being able to touch and feel the animals and say okay, this is this bone under here and this is this nerve under here. It's such an amazing experience that I don't feel I would have gotten in the States."

Future Plans

Teresa plans on graduating in 2010 and she already has a job waiting for her.

"I will be working with Dr. Stoddard again. He said, 'If you go to Ross, when you're done I want you to come back and work for me." He's building a new hospital and he wants me to come and help run it for him. I'm very excited about it."

During semester breaks, Dan worked as a veterinary technician at the Fine Animal Hospital in Bedford Hills, NY. Ross alum Dr. Damian Battersby '03, a veterinarian at the practice, told Dan about the University and encouraged him to apply.

"I've always wanted to help animals. Working at the hospital further showed me that becoming a veterinarian was what I wanted to do because I loved going to work every day," he said. "I really wanted to go to veterinary school and after hearing how great Ross was I decided to apply."

The Ross Experience

When asked to describe his experience at Ross, Dan replied, "Academically it's very challenging. I feel that I've learned more in the past two semesters here than I did during all of my years at undergrad. You learn a lot while you're here, but it keeps you on your toes."

According to Dan, the professors at Ross really "go the extra mile" to ensure that each and every student has a thorough understanding of the curriculum. "The professors here want to help you and teach you in whatever form it takes, even if that means offering extra sessions or bringing in outside material," he said. "I had a lot of good professors at undergrad, but the best professors I've ever had have been here at Ross. They have definitely helped my confidence in becoming a veterinarian since I've been here."

Community Outreach

Dan has also fallen in love with St. Kitts, and noted that two of his best friends at Ross are Kittitian. As a way of giving back to the community, Dan and fellow-student Jaclyn Francin recently started a dog outreach clinic in the community.

"We do a lot of stuff with kids because people are very afraid of dogs here," he explained. "We'd go for walks with our dogs and the local kids would be screaming in fright. So we started going to local churches and schools to teach them about dogs and help them get over their fear."

According to Dan, Jacyln's Pit Bull/Labrador Retriever mix and his two Pit Bulls can be a bit intimidating at first, so they start their lessons by introducing the children to their much smaller and very friendly Chihuahua. Then they bring in the larger dogs.

"The kids get over their fear really quickly when they can actually interact with these kinds of dogs and realize how friendly they are," Dan said.

Dan is also avidly interested in photography and has become the unofficial Ross photographer at events such as the White Coat Ceremony, a ceremony that welcomes first-semester students into the veterinary profession and the University.

"I started getting involved in photography when I used to car race back in the States," he said. "The company I used to race for got me a camera so I could take pictures of the different events. Here at Ross I do it for personal enjoyment. Being in such a beautiful environment is inspiriting. I also photograph all of the Ross events on campus."

Graduation and Beyond

Scheduled to graduate in 2010, Dan's plans for the future include working in an emergency animal hospital or staying in school and specializing in a particular area. Ultimately, however, Dan wants to start his own veterinary hospital franchise.

"I come from a very business-oriented family so I want to own lots of hospitals across the States and elsewhere," he said.

“Becoming a veterinarian has always been my dream,” he said. “I knew I wanted to go to Ross. Although I did apply to a few other schools, when I spoke to them I found out that many of them didn’t offer a lot of hands-on experience, which is something I was definitely looking for. A lot of the curriculum at Ross is hands-on, so that was very attractive to me.”

Vet Prep Program
Marc began his veterinary training at Ross as a member of the Vet Prep Program, which was designed to prepare students to meet the rigorous demands of the veterinary medicine curriculum.

“It’s amazing. You get a lot of one-on-one instruction,” he said. “It was a little difficult for me in the beginning getting used to being in such as small group—there was only 16 people—but by the end of our fall semester we were like a family. And we all still spend a lot of time together. Begin a part of the Vet Prep Program was one of the best things that could have happened to me.”   

Marc noted that he really enjoys the fact that he has had the opportunity to meet people from a vast array of backgrounds at Ross.

“Ross brings people from all over the country together. I’ve learned so much from my peers and professors. Because we’re such a small community you can really integrate with your professors on a personal level. You see them at restaurants and out with their families. It’s so natural to just go up to them and have a conversation. They’re always open to talking with you, about school, and also about your personal life.”

He continued, “I’ve made a great group of friends here as well. They’re not only my friends; they’ve also become my family. Being comfortable with people no matter what their culture is going to be very helpful to me when I am out in practice.”

Limitless Opportunities
Marc is focused on small animal medicine, but he also has an interest in surgery and is open to all avenues of veterinary medicine.

“I’m mostly interested in small animal medicine right now. I have minimal large animal experience but that will progress over the next five semesters and my clinical year in the States. So I’ll be exposed to a lot more along the way and will get the chance to really decide where I want to go,” he said.

As part of the Vet Prep Program, Marc attended a weekly clinical applications class which gives students a glimpse of what they will be learning in subsequent semesters.

“It really instills in you that you will be in a clinical position one day. You get a little bit of hands-on basics and learn how to listen to the breathing and heart rates of different animals. You also learn the basics of a physical exam—basically you get a taste of what’s down the road,” he said.

Marc has also found the Anatomy Lab particularly valuable.

“The fact that right off the bat you’re working with real cadavers and not models is really important and something that helps me learn,” he said. “Being able to touch exactly what the professors are lecturing about and being able to see how things connect and work is a really great aspect of my education here at Ross.”

Upon graduating from Ross in 2011, Marc would like to continue his education and work his way into an internship and residency.

“Right now I’m aiming to go back to the Northeast. There are hundreds of opportunities I’ve heard of already, not only in teaching hospitals but also in some larger hospitals. There’s a real need for veterinarians right now.”