Internships remain a very popular mechanism for young students to dip their toes in to test the water of a potential field of study or a future employer. Summer internships have become increasingly popular over the last couple of decades – especially in the field of agriculture. Students have the opportunity to receive invaluable “real-world” experiences, while still in the safety net of their educational careers, and oftentimes get financially compensated. What’s not to like?
Personally, I am a veteran of several internships spread across my undergraduate studies in animal sciences and also into my veterinary school education. While in school, I took on the attitude of completing as many internships as I possibly could in order to not only narrow down my career choice but also my future employer. By participating in these programs, I was able to mold my interests into the fields of swine medicine and production which greatly accelerated my vision of where I chose to start my career in veterinary medicine at Carthage Veterinary Service.
Exposure Makes An Impact
In the summer of 2009, while at Illinois State University, I completed a swine production internship with the Carthage System and Professional Swine Management. This internship was advertised for students looking for experiences in swine production and/or pre-veterinary medicine. Over 12 weeks, I was exposed to a wide variety of swine production centered at a 5,600-head breed-to wean sow farm.
During this time, I was mentored by the manager of the sow farm and exposed to each department of the farm: farrowing, breeding and gestation, and gilt development. I was able to gain a unique skillset over the summer which I would not have been able to experience at the university level. While on this internship, I visited with and shadowed members of the Carthage team as they made visits to the farm, including the veterinarians, nutritionists and production managers. Being able to interact with this team and learn more about the Carthage System sparked a very high interest in the company which stuck with me as I continued through my undergraduate studies and into veterinary school.
Following graduation from ISU, I continued onto veterinary school at the University of Illinois. Midwest veterinary schools do a really nice job of promoting and recommending summer internships to their students – especially students with interests in production animal medicine. During the summer of 2012, I completed the Swine Veterinary Internship Program (SVIP) which is put on yearly by Iowa State University and sponsored by various pharmaceutical companies, in which veterinary students complete a summer research project at swine predominant veterinary practices across the country.
I was able to return to Carthage to complete this research project. Throughout the summer internship, the main focus is the research project, however as time allows, interns are welcome to spend time with the veterinarians and other members of the team. I was able to schedule several days and visits with the members of the veterinary team which was the highlight of my summer. During this time, I developed key relationships with these veterinarians that continued past the summer and throughout my veterinary school career. As time passed, I kept in touch with the Carthage team and came up with a lot of excuses to spend time with the veterinarians on school breaks and holidays. These relationships I was able to develop are the reason I began my veterinary career at Carthage Veterinary Service, and where I have continued to work for the past seven years.
A Full-Circle Experience
As I think of my past internship experiences, it has really come full circle for me personally. Once just a summer intern working on a sow farm, I have been able to progress to an associate veterinarian and now to a partner/shareholder in the business. To me, this shows the importance of completing internships and gaining both practical experiences and personal relationships with employers. Without these experiences, I know I would not be where I am today.
As I look from the other side as a practicing veterinarian, I understand the importance of dedicating time and energy to developing young students into future veterinarians – these students are the future of the industry. In all professions, it is crucial to “find and develop your replacement.” These summer internships are the first exposure for students to the real world, and we should do our best to make each student’s experience a positive one.
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