Here at PUC, biology students have countless opportunities to get involved with research, oftentimes working alongside professors on projects. Programs are specially curated to not only prepare students academically but also to equip them with real-world experience for success in future endeavors.

Here’s one student’s experience and how they feel PUC helped prepare them.

Who are you?

I am Emily Castellanos, and I am a senior biology, pre-vet major. I plan to go to graduate school for a masters in biomedical sciences: animal anatomy and physiology, then go to professional school to become a veterinarian.

What did you do?

I interned this summer as a veterinarian assistant at an animal hospital. I performed simple tasks such as cleaning cages, taking dogs out for short walks, and administering vaccines to cats and dogs to more complicated tasks such as monitoring anesthesia, performing blood draws, taking notes for the doctors, and interacting with as well as explaining treatment plans to clients.

When and where did you do this work?

My initial internship was for two and a half months (summer 2018), but now has been extended to a part-time job until I graduate in 2019. The animal hospital is the California Pet Hospital in Napa.

What did you learn?

I’ve learned so many things during my time at Cal Pet. I’ve learned about the basic anatomy of cats and dogs, the physiology of and calculations for the dosing of medications. I have had the amazing opportunity to learn how to interact with clients, basic animal behavior cues, surgery equipment identification, how to make estimates for treatments, basic radiography, cytology, and many other valuable skills.

How did your experience at PUC help prepare you for this experience?

There are several classes PUC offers which have helped prepare me for this experience. While many of the classes related to medicine are focused on human anatomy and physiology, there are countless comparative similarities between animals and humans. Thus, Human Anatomy, Developmental Biology, and Systems Physiology have been the most helpful in giving me background knowledge for treatments as well as allowing me to be more useful to the veterinarians because I have knowledge on what they talk about. But even the foundational sequences in biology and chemistry have also proven to be very helpful as well.