Hello everyone!
'I' is here (hee hee!) with my maiden post on this blog. Like Vivacious V said in her post, I am currently pursuing my bachelors degree in Veterinary Science. Yes, as unusual as it sounds, in this day and age where people are only slotted into two categories- "DOCTOR" and "ENGINEER", I have ventured forth to do something different.
I am not in this field because I lack the skill or the intelligence to clear the medical entrance exams and have hence settled for something that is easier. In fact, so many of my relatives and family friends have bemoaned that "someone of my caliber" is being wasted in a field such as this.
The pure and simple truth is that this field has been the only thing that has managed to keep me hooked, ever since I was little. I was only 3 years old when I decided that I would be an "animal doctor" one day. The only thing that changed over the years is that "animal doctor" got replaced by "veterinary surgeon", at about age 10, when I first learnt the appropriate word.
I have noticed that in the Marathi and Bengali languages, being called an animal's doctor is actually a derogatory term. Telling someone that you are pursuing veterinary science gets you nothing but raised eyebrows. You can almost see them wondering if you lack something intellectually. Why, I ask? In fact, being a veterinarian is far harder than being a doctor for humans. This is a very old and oft repeated argument but it does not change the fact that doctors study only two different kinds of patients; men and women. And except for genitalia, nothing else differs anatomically or morphologically. A veterinarian is expected to know the structure and function of the organs, their various diseases and treatments of any possible animal, starting from common livestock (cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat, swine) to companion animals (dogs and cats), to laboratory animals (rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, mice, hamsters), to poultry (chicken, duck, geese, turkey, quails, emu, ostrich) to a plethora of wild animals, both herbivorous and carnivorous. Each and every one of these species has a separate anatomy and physiology and a veterinarian is expected to have preliminary knowledge of all of them. Now who's job looks more difficult?
But, I did not get into this field to prove that I was better than the rest. My underlying drive was pure and simple. I love animals. Some people say that they are only "dog persons" and cannot stand cats. Some say that only birds appeal to them. However, I am an all-animal person. Dogs, cats, birds, cows, even PIGS for that matter... I love 'em all! In fact, there was this one phase that I went through when I thought that humans should be shown no mercy and that animals must be supreme rulers of the planet. Of course, that was all in childish pique so it was soon replaced by a more sensible goal of doing my utmost personal best to help animals.
What the world, and India, needs today are more emphatic vets. Most practicing veterinarians are people who wished to enroll for MBBS but could not clear the entrance exams. They have no particular love for the field itself not for their patients. This results in lazy, non sympathetic negligent vets which endangers our mute four legged friends. In fact, even in my college, a majority of students are just studying so that they can qualify for the civil services exam after graduation. This is the stark reality and it's pitiful, really.
I think that I am extremely fortunate to have parents who have never pressurized me to take up a career of their choice. This may be partly due the fact that they themselves never did what was expected of them. My father was a rebel who got tired of studies and ran off to join the Merchant Navy when such a thing was almost unheard of. He and my mother let me flounder around and allowed me to do whatever I felt most comfortable with.
There was a time, between 9th and 10th standard when I toyed with the idea of journalism when I realized that I tremendously enjoyed writing. It was my aunt who set me back on track with her inspirational words "You can do both veterinary and writing you know. Some day, you can be India's answer to James Herriot". After that, no one could shake off my mania for the field of veterinary science.
Then, at last, a year ago, I finally took the first step toward making my dream a reality when I got into KNP College of Veterinary Science, Shirwal. It was a heady feeling. My only dream was on it's way to coming true. The first few months in college, I would literally rub my hands in glee when a new lecture started and think to myself 'Ooh! New things!' I could impress friends and family with tales of calf castration, buffalo de-horning, goat vaccines, cat rescues and what not.
I'm in my second year now and as happy as ever. As for my family, my grandmother is bemoaning that had I gone into Hotel Management, I'd at least know how to properly make my own bed in the morning, but never fails to ask if I did anything interesting during my week. My mother always welcomes all the little, random tidbits that I tell her from my textbooks. My friends always good naturedly rib me about my future job, and wading in dung to deliver calves and such. My father, tells friends and acquaintances proudly 'Children often declare as toddlers that they will be pilots or engine drivers. Which one of them has ever accomplished that? But my daughter said that she will be an animal doctor and it's an animal doctor that she's training to be now!'
~ Insqusitive 'I'
'I' is here (hee hee!) with my maiden post on this blog. Like Vivacious V said in her post, I am currently pursuing my bachelors degree in Veterinary Science. Yes, as unusual as it sounds, in this day and age where people are only slotted into two categories- "DOCTOR" and "ENGINEER", I have ventured forth to do something different.
I am not in this field because I lack the skill or the intelligence to clear the medical entrance exams and have hence settled for something that is easier. In fact, so many of my relatives and family friends have bemoaned that "someone of my caliber" is being wasted in a field such as this.
The pure and simple truth is that this field has been the only thing that has managed to keep me hooked, ever since I was little. I was only 3 years old when I decided that I would be an "animal doctor" one day. The only thing that changed over the years is that "animal doctor" got replaced by "veterinary surgeon", at about age 10, when I first learnt the appropriate word.
What the world, and India, needs today are more emphatic vets. Most practicing veterinarians are people who wished to enroll for MBBS but could not clear the entrance exams. They have no particular love for the field itself not for their patients. This results in lazy, non sympathetic negligent vets which endangers our mute four legged friends. In fact, even in my college, a majority of students are just studying so that they can qualify for the civil services exam after graduation. This is the stark reality and it's pitiful, really.
I think that I am extremely fortunate to have parents who have never pressurized me to take up a career of their choice. This may be partly due the fact that they themselves never did what was expected of them. My father was a rebel who got tired of studies and ran off to join the Merchant Navy when such a thing was almost unheard of. He and my mother let me flounder around and allowed me to do whatever I felt most comfortable with.
There was a time, between 9th and 10th standard when I toyed with the idea of journalism when I realized that I tremendously enjoyed writing. It was my aunt who set me back on track with her inspirational words "You can do both veterinary and writing you know. Some day, you can be India's answer to James Herriot". After that, no one could shake off my mania for the field of veterinary science.
I'm in my second year now and as happy as ever. As for my family, my grandmother is bemoaning that had I gone into Hotel Management, I'd at least know how to properly make my own bed in the morning, but never fails to ask if I did anything interesting during my week. My mother always welcomes all the little, random tidbits that I tell her from my textbooks. My friends always good naturedly rib me about my future job, and wading in dung to deliver calves and such. My father, tells friends and acquaintances proudly 'Children often declare as toddlers that they will be pilots or engine drivers. Which one of them has ever accomplished that? But my daughter said that she will be an animal doctor and it's an animal doctor that she's training to be now!'
~ Insqusitive 'I'
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