Clients often ask about our students and their plans to become veterinarians. Michael was kind enough to share his journey. We wish him the very best and know he’ll become a wonderful, kind, and caring veterinarian!

by Michael Micheal      Growing up in Egypt, I was encouraged to follow in the footsteps of other family members and become a physician. Culturally, veterinary school is not prestigious and animal health isn’t an area which society focuses. I lived most of my childhood around animals and livestock, believing I would pursue medical school. When I moved to America in 2009, I was able to recognize that while medicine is my passion, animals and advocating for their health was my calling. Beginning my senior year of high school I began working with various veterinary hospitals and animal shelters developing my craft and going the process of truly examining my future. I attended Long Beach City College, transferring to Cal Poly SLO. I knew in my heart that I would be a veterinarian and applied to veterinary school in the summer of 2017. I looked for schools that are working towards educating societies to control their environments and end epidemics around the world. My goal is to one day change how my homeland views animals and to become an advocate for animals in Egypt and throughout the Middle East.

I was invited to interview at five schools which required me to do a lot of travel in a short period of time. I would fly to a school, spending 3-4 days to interview and get a feel for the community, then fly back to SLO to work for 3-4 days, then leave for another school interview. It was a very stressful, exciting, and adventurous process. Most interviews were the traditional panel style. The most memorable, and my favorite, was the MMI, Multi Mini Interviews. While I can’t discuss the specific questions, it’s like having 7 interviews each lasting 7 minutes as you rotate between rooms. My experience working at ACC and other clinics helped me to be able to transition from one question to the next as we’re always prepared to handle the unexpected which comes our way. At ACC it’s our rally cry, BRING IT ON!

Of the five interviews, Washington State, Ohio State, Michigan State, Western of Health Sciences, and St. George’s, I received offers from them all. I felt blessed to have a wide range of opportunities. Through process of elimination, I narrowed it down between Washington State and Ohio State. I went through a lot of prayers, talking to mentors, research, and discussions with people from both schools. Still unsure where my path would lead, Ohio stood out due to the offer of a generous $70,000 scholarship. The deadline to decide, April 16th, arrived and I needed to commit. I had to follow my gut which pointed to Washington State Veterinary School. I was working that day and I took a few minutes between appointments and called to accept their offer. Just like that, I’ll be attending WSU VetMed in August 2018.

ACC has provided me with valuable experiences which have helped prepare me to start the next step to my career and the fulfillment of my dreams. I feel I have a blueprint of the kind of veterinarian I want to become. I’ve learned how to really care for pets and the people who love them. I’ve also learned the value of continuous education as part of being an excellent veterinarian. My family expanded the moment I was hired at ACC. I will miss each and everyone I’ve worked with and learned so much from. Most importantly I will miss the bond I’ve developed with all the furry friends and their families. I look forward to what comes next and seeing everyone again soon!