Introduction

I am about to embark on an exciting life-altering journey. Yes, this does sound as though I am a hopeless romantics, although that is not the case. True, I do live in my own world most of the time, but my travels will take me to the exotic island of St. Kitts nestled between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. There I will begin a rigorous veterinary program, thereby calling Ross University my home for the next two years and four months. I only hope that it is less exciting than living in Texas.

I leave behind my two dogs, Rudder and Padeaux (pronounced similar to Purdue), two cats, Sage and Morris, six horses, sheep, cow, goat, fish, and dozens of ducks. (See picts at http://groups.msn.com/SabreStables/shoebox.msnw ). My friends have nicknamed me Dr. Dolittle and I’m not sure if it is a joke or not because I really could charge admission into my back yard. My veterinary focus is poultry medicine. If you ask why, think about what you ate for lunch.

I earned my undergraduate degree in Poultry Science because I believed that I could make the most difference in this specialized field, which needs highly qualified people. Even though the poultry industry is second to pork in producing the world’s meat, there are not enough veterinarians interested in the field, probably because of the requisite additional two years of specialization in avian diseases. Eventually I would like to work in a developing country assisting in implementing a poultry production system patterned after the U.S. production industry. By dedicating my professional career to this type of work, I believe I can contribute to feeding a rapidly exploding world population while assuring animals are treated humanly.

For the past three years, I have had the opportunity to work in the field of veterinary research. Specifically, I have worked with Avian Influenza Virus, Marek’s Disease Virus, Mycobacterium avium, and probiotic bacteria. Clinicians rely on research, yet there is clearly a dearth of veterinarians that either have an interest in or are willing to devote their lives to research. I have not only realized my natural aptitude for this type of work, but also its critical importance in veterinary medicine as well as human medicine.