Author: Christina Lim | Major: Animal Science
I was not expecting to take a 25-hour flight across the world to arrive in the beautiful country of Thailand during my spring 2022 semester. Originally, my heart was set on studying abroad in Korea until I learned about the highly specific programs designed for veterinary students through Loop Abroad. Due to the uncertainty of covid and the strict regulations about studying abroad across college campuses, I spent the whole semester traveling across Thailand with three other girls. My flight landed on the island of Phuket on January 5th to begin my one-week quarantine to enter Thailand. During that time, we had the Thai language and culture class with our program instructor Ajaan Kay. The word Ajaan means teacher in Thai and was a word we commonly used in and outside the classroom. We would continue to have language classes scattered throughout the semester to help us learn more conversational phrases. Alongside our language class, we started our companion animal management course online.
After the quarantine period was over, we flew to Chiang Mai to begin our in-person version of the companion animal course with Dr. Eve and Dr. Kristina. During this time, we attended lectures and labs covering common veterinary medical procedures. We went to a local temple to preform physical exams and vaccinate the temple dogs, and a few days later did the same at a cat rescue in the city. The next week was spent at a rural province where we set up a free spay and neuter clinic for the local people who did not have access to a veterinary clinic. The four of us rotated through different stations and each got experience in dog surgery prep, cat surgery prep, anesthesiology, and surgical recovery. Next, we began our elephant management and medicine course with Dr. Erica Ward at Ran Tong. She is a very skilled veterinarian who has years of experience with elephant medicine. The two weeks spent at the elephant rescue consisted of watching lectures about elephant care and medicine with labs to follow the course material.
After returning to Chiang Mai and finally getting a chance to explore the city, we were on another plane to Koh Tao Island for the marine course with Dr. Max Polyak. We preformed marine animal dissections and participated in a research study analyzing reef health. Finally, after three hot and humid weeks without an AC, we returned to the mainland to finished up the wildlife and practicum courses. During the wildlife course we were able to work with many different species. Each day was dedicated to studying and examining reptiles, birds, and mammals. I had the pleasure of meeting an adorable pet meerkat who had been abandoned by his mother, and a falcon who was in the middle of her recall training. The last few weeks in Thailand were spent at Elephant Nature Park near Chiang Mai. I was able to work with more elephants, water buffalo, hundreds of dogs and cats, and livestock animals. The veterinarians at Elephant Nature Park were so dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of their patients that it inspired me to become more diligent and attentive in all aspects of my life.
When we weren’t in the classroom, our trio was off exploring the streets of Thailand. We visited temples, malls, and night markets. The roads were filled with street vendors selling food, clothes, and various little gadgets. My bag was 20 pounds heavier after just three months. After returning to the US, I realized that my favorite part of traveling was roaming the area we were visiting with no destination in mind. You can find hidden gems within the city by pure chance. We would stumble into small stores or restaurants expecting to be disappointed but instead be pleasantly surprised when the food is delicious and the clothes aesthetic. Attempting to order food or buy something with my limited and broken Thai was an experience. However, during my time in Thailand I had never had a bad experience with a local Thai person. The Thai people were extremely friendly and understanding and willing to help me with my Thai. They were always so excited to be able to share part of their culture, food, and music with me.
I highly recommend this program to future and current pre-vet students. You are able to work with many animals you would not normally work with or even see in the US, and take classes not commonly offered in most undergraduate pre-vet programs. This study abroad program also provides you with volunteer hours and veterinary supervised hours. Not only did I learn more abut the veterinary field, but I became more independent, responsible, and curious about other cultures and customs.