The Wildlife Medical Clinic is incredibly grateful to all of our volunteers. We would like to take this opportunity to highlight two of our amazing undergraduate students. Here is a sneak peek into what the WMC means to two of our pre-veterinary senior students.
My name is Jacob Dalen and I am a senior undergraduate volunteer. Over the past few years, the Wildlife Medical Clinic has given me so many unique experiences, from triaging raptors to feeding orphaned rabbits. To me, the Clinic represents a great way for both undergraduate and veterinary students to collaborate and learn about wildlife medicine and how to handle a variety of situations. The Clinic has always been a welcoming community and I feel that it has given me much knowledge about handling wildlife and even helps me to understand medical procedures and terminology before becoming a veterinary student. One of my favorite memories was when a large Virginia opossum came into the clinic and my team had to work together to sedate the patient and remove it from a trap. This taught me a lot about how to handle adult mammals and how a team of people can collaborate to ensure the patient undergoes as little stress as possible. Aside from this patient, one of my favorite patients was a ring-necked duck that came into the clinic during my first year as a volunteer! It was my first time seeing this species in the clinic and it was one of the most successful cases my team had that year. The patient came in with lead poisoning and was given a blood transfusion in addition to other treatments to save its life. It was so exciting to see the patient recover fully and be able to be released back into the wild! Overall, the WMC has allowed me to work with amazing species as well as a great group of people that are always ready to learn and teach!
– Jacob Dalen
My name is Becky Latham, and I am currently an undergraduate volunteer in the Wildlife Medical Clinic. I am in my senior year, majoring in Animal Sciences. The Clinic has been integral in shaping my medical knowledge and skills. I have learned so much from being involved at the WMC, and I am so grateful for these experiences. Ever since my first day as a volunteer, I have felt so welcomed and I know that I can go to anyone for help. I love working with the veterinary students and learning about their lives in veterinary school, since I hope to attend once I am finished with my undergraduate degree. My favorite memory in the Clinic is also one of my first experiences there – it was the first time that I tube fed an orphaned cottontail! My favorite patient has to be the Eastern box turtle that is currently in the clinic. She has been in the clinic for a long time now, so I have been able to gain a lot of experience with treating her and I find it very educational! I try to focus on her care in particularly during my team’s treatment shifts and I have learned a lot through doing so. Overall, the WMC has made my senior year so enjoyable, and I have met such amazing people through it!
– Becky Latham
