Kathrine

Thank you for joining me today. To start, would you mind introducing yourself, your field of study, and how you would explain it to someone who has never heard of it before?

Esther

My name is Esther Jeong. I'm currently studying in animal science in the pre-veterinary concentration and it's essentially really similar to pre-med majors, except that we're just learning about animal biology instead of human biology. You know, it's really similar in terms of classes, you start with your introduction biology classes, you go into all the systems, like the circulatory system, respiratory system, you learn about the immune system as well.

It's just that you're learning about the animal's biology instead.

Kathrine

So what career paths can animal science lead to besides becoming a veterinarian?

Esther

Um, there's a lot of, I know people who go into research, like they work on research mostly, and then a lot of professors who were in animal science before, they do like research on the side while also teaching. You can also be, I know a lot of people who go into wild animals like rehabilitation, working at sanctuaries, and there's also a lot of cases where nutrition interests them more, so they become like an animal nutritionist. They go into that field instead of becoming a veterinarian.

Kathrine

Yeah, so thinking back, was there a specific class, teacher project, or other experience that first sparked your interest in STEM?

Esther

For me, honestly, I feel like STEM was always kind of the first choice for me because it was pretty like pushed onto me a lot when I was younger. So I know a lot of people are like, you should be a doctor, or you should do this. So at first, I wasn't as interested, but I think in high school, I started shadowing at an animal hospital because I was thinking like, I'm more interested in animals than humans.

So maybe if I try shadowing at an animal hospital, I might grow more interested in it. And I feel like that actually kind of helped sparked my first interest into STEM, like where actually I was more interested instead of like people telling me I should be interested. It was just a lot more like different than what I expected.

And I was actually able to see what that kind of animal hospital environment was like. And I think that was kind of my first introduction and like first real interest.

Kathrine

So what is something that you remember most clearly about your experience at the animal hospital?

Esther

I would say it's kind of a generic answer. I know. It was kind of my first time shadowing my first time at like a hospital environment.

So I would say like the first case of euthanasia that I saw, or at least where what I heard about because I was still shadowing, so I wasn't really allowed to like actually be in the room. But kind of hearing how the vet like went through the steps of like, making sure the owner was okay while still saying staying professional, like trying to see if they could, if there was any other way to help the animal patient get better. Kind of seeing how the vet went through that like thought process and how they just were able to keep their head clear.

It was kind of like pretty memorable for me, I would say.

Kathrine

Next, can you walk me through how your interests developed from high school or college to your current field?

Esther

Oh yeah. Well, like I said earlier, kind of STEM was like my main, I guess when I first thought like, oh, what should I be when I grow up? My first thought was kind of STEM, but I wasn't sure like what field I should go into.

And I know like when kids are young, a lot of people are like, oh, I really like animals. But usually once they kind of grow older, they kind of like step away from animals and they kind of go to other fields. But I was thinking like, since I'm still interested in animals, maybe I should try out like shadowing at an animal clinic, like I mentioned earlier at the hospital.

And then once I kind of started there, I thought maybe I could go into this field and actually study it more seriously in college. And I feel like once I entered college, that was when I could actually like develop my interest even more. Because I feel like it's a lot more like major related classes.

It's a lot more specific compared to high school where it's just general biology, like general chemistry. But in college, you can go really deep into like, oh, you're specifically studying production animals, or you're specifically studying like wild animals. So I feel like that kind of helped me kind of open up my perspective to the field.

I'm still kind of, even though I'm still pre-vet, I'm still thinking about like, there's so much to do in this field. I'm still kind of seeing where my pathway goes, to be honest.

Kathrine

Mm hmm. So like, can you describe what your current interests in animal science are?

Esther

Currently, it's still pre-veterinary, I think, because I'm thinking of applying to vet school. But I was always like, unsure if I should become like, just a veterinarian, like, just go to vet school, just do your residency and then become a vet. Or if like other fields might interest me, because there's also like specializations, like similar to medicine.

So I thought like, maybe there will be a specific field that I want to specialize in instead of just becoming a general vet. Yeah, honestly, it's still very much just like, it's not very set yet, I would say.

Kathrine

Mm hmm. Could you describe the most memorable major related project or problem that you worked on or are working on?

Esther

I think for me, it was during sophomore year, I had domestic animal biology, and I actually transferred in my sophomore year. So because of that, this was like my first introduction to my animal science major, because at my previous university, it was just general biology. So it was not animal related, very general, more human, like medical related.

So for this domestic animal biology, we had to do this website project where we had to compare the different systems of a cow and a bird, specifically the chicken. So we had to do dissections to kind of see what the differences were. Like, for example, looking at the muscles, what muscles were same and different between the cow and the bird, maybe like the bones, like, we kind of had to dissect and find those bones, find those muscles and take pictures of them.

And I feel like that was very memorable, just because that was my first actual animal science class.

Kathrine

Yeah.

Esther

And it was just very, kind of like eye opening, like, I was actually like, doing the dissection myself, I was actually, like, visually seeing it very hands on. I think that was kind of the most memorable experience.

Kathrine

What tools and techniques were you using for the dissection?

Esther

It was very like, we had this kind of like knife, I know, there's probably a technical term for it. But our professor was there along with us. And we basically had to like, you know, like when you kind of butcher animal, I know this sounds funny.

Yeah. So it's kind of very similar to that where you like cut along the bone, and you want to be make sure like the knife is sharp so that you're not like, butchering the animal like in a very messy way. So it was just a knife, essentially.

And then I think there was also like bone cutters just to help. But yeah, it wasn't very, like, I also expected it would be like super medical tools and stuff like that. But it was just very, like, just a regular knife, a regular, like, kind of scalpel type thing, I guess.

Kathrine

So it's like more of what you would see in a kitchen, I guess.

Esther

Yeah, it was very similar to that.

Kathrine

So could you tell me about what you do in your favorite major related class?

Esther

Um, I think, for the, oh, I would say I had an immunology class that I took last semester. And it was really interesting, because even though like, immunology is pretty similar between human and animals. What I liked about this class is we specifically had like case studies where the professor would give us like, oh, this animal is showing these certain signs.

And we kind of have to dive deep, like apply what we learned in class to figure out the root problem and like, why that leads to these certain symptoms. I think that was my favorite part about that class, because just learning about the system, like the immune system, or how the immune system works, like the different antibodies, antigens, like, I feel like just learning it and memorizing the concept. Although it's like, interesting, you don't really know how that will apply in the real world.

Yeah, having that case study, as part of the class, you kind of see like, oh, that's why the animal will show this sign, like, oh, why they're showing these redness in their skin, or like, why you see these certain bumps, or why they're losing hair. So I feel like that was kind of my favorite part about that class.

Kathrine

Um, thinking back, can you recall, like, a specific case study that you guys did?

Esther

Oh, I think there was one where, um, let me see. Oh, I think there was one where the professor was saying, there was this newly born calf, and the calf is having trouble, like eating, drinking water, there's like diarrhea. He's just very, like, lethargic in general, like, what could be the underlying issue.

And this was kind of like, in the later half of our class. So this was when we were learning about like, passive immunity between like, other and the offspring. Yeah, we were kind of learning about how passive immunity, like, making sure the calf colostrum, I think, making sure that the calf drinks that first milk from the mother, and gains that passive immunity, that's really important to build up its initial immune system while it's still like growing, since it's just been born.

So I think that was interesting to see how you would see that in action, like, and it was just interesting, and like, in general to learn, I think, yeah, because you can also kind of apply that to humans as well. So I think that was pretty nice to learn.

Kathrine

Um, so what is something that you learned in that class that surprised you?

Esther

I think, oh, we learned about allergies. I haven't really thought much about it. But we learned about how allergies originated.

And I might not be able to explain it really well. But I believe it was because of it basically, like the allergen response, the response to those allergen, allergenic proteins that originated from helminths, which are like roundworms, essentially. And there's this immunoglobulin, I believe it's immunoglobulin E.

And usually, sorry, I'm not really saying this well. But those immunoglobulins, they, they are the ones that like our mast cells, essentially, they kind of coat the mast cell, and respond to the helminth, those roundworm antigens. But in places where like, the incidence of parasitic infections are really low, like I think here in the US, like you don't really have high rates of like parasitic infections that happen.

Yeah, because you don't see a lot of like, the body won't really see a lot of like parasites or like roundworms like that. So because of that, there's kind of nothing for that immunoglobulin to respond to. Because of that, it kind of started responding to those allergenic proteins.

And that's kind of how that immune response occurs. So that's kind of why you see like a lot of higher rates of allergies in places where there's lower rates of like parasitic infections. Places like I think tropical regions where there's like higher rates of parasites and parasitic infections, you have a lot lower rates of allergies.

If that makes sense.

Kathrine

Yeah. Sorry, I think yeah, I totally agree with your confusion over like the immunoglobulins as well. Because there's like so many of them.

Esther

No, yeah, it was definitely like confusing to learn. It was interesting, but it was definitely still confusing.

Kathrine

I think like one of the popular tricks out there is like, to remember IgE corresponds with allergy because they both end in that E sound. So yeah, that was interesting to me. So after entering your field, what has surprised you most about it?

Esther

Um, I think, I think before I entered the field, because when people think of like veterinarians, a lot of people just think like cat and dog. That's like the extent of it. But then once you actually enter the field of like animal science in general, you realize like, even within the veterinary field, there's so many different directions you can go in.

Like I mentioned, you can become more specialized in nutrition. You can even specialize like not even be like a general veterinarian, but you could maybe specialize in like ultrasounds or like radiographs. You could even go like into just research instead of being a vet.

Like I mentioned, like, focus on exotic animals and wildlife instead of normal like companion animals. I think that was definitely interesting to see just how like diverse and widespread the field was.

Kathrine

Yeah. Um, so how much of the field involves direct interaction with animals versus like research, writing or analysis?

Esther

Um, I would say majority like 70% is, um, oh, I guess I do mean in class, like once you're taking the class, how much is it that you're interacting with animals or just the general field?

Kathrine

Like, could you describe both of them?

Esther

Oh, okay. I think in classes, you actually don't get that much interaction with animals unless you're doing like dissections or you're visiting the farm. Like we have like a, like kind of like a barn, I would say in my city where we do have like pigs, cows, goats, sheep, where we use those, where we use those barns for like the domestic animal biology classes.

So you can actually see the animals. But, um, in general classes, you don't really actually get into contact with real life animals unless, like I said, you're dissecting or if there's like a picture of like a certain case, a lot of it is a lot more like studying, doing like memorizing concepts, kind of very similar to like general biology, I would say.

Kathrine

Yeah. So what's something that you wish high school students knew before choosing this kind of major?

Esther

Um, I would say definitely knowing how diverse it can be. I know it's kind of similar to my other answer, but just know that even if you're not super interested in being only like cat and dog, just know that there's so many different options when you go into the veterinary field. You don't have to limit yourself by saying like, oh, I'm not really interested in cat and dogs or like, or I don't really want to be a vet.

So I don't see why I have to go into the field. Just know that like you have like so many different options that you can explore.

Kathrine

Yeah. Um, so if you could go back, what advice would you give your ninth grade self?

Esther

Uh, definitely kind of don't worry too much, I would say, because I think when I was starting ninth grade, because even though you usually worry about like college applications in junior year and like senior year, like a lot later, I feel like because everyone's asking you like, oh, what major do you want to be? Like, what are you interested in? Like, what do you think you'll study?

Kind of like everyone wants to know, like what you're going to have as your major. I feel like because of that, I was always worried, like, oh, I don't feel like I'm super interested in this or like, I feel like I'm not as knowledgeable about this field. I feel like I won't fit in when I actually go to college and study it.

I feel like just remember that you're just starting out and still have like so many years in your future where you can change your mind. And I would also say like, once you go to college, even you kind of like change your mind about a lot of things too. Like, I honestly feel like I wasn't as I wasn't as interested in studying or like, I wasn't very strongly interested in STEM at first, I would say when I was in high school, I just thought it was something I had to do.

But then when I went into college, I actually found myself like liking the classes, kind of wanting to learn more, even if it was confusing. Because you're in a place where you have like different classes, you can take a lot of more options of what you want to learn, you can make the learning really fun for yourself, I would say. So just don't worry too much about, oh, I need to know what I want to do right now.

And I need to have everything like, ready. And I need to make sure I'm set in it so that I can like, grow up and do what I want to do. It's kind of like you can give yourself a little time.

If that makes sense.

Kathrine

Yeah. So what would you tell a student who loves animals, but doesn't know whether or not they want to do animal science?

Esther

I would say a lot of, I feel like volunteering is a good start. Because there's a lot of like animal shelters, like a lot of animal sanctuaries that are really open to volunteering. Like a lot of them have volunteer applications right on their website, like a lot of emails you can contact.

And they're very much like, oh, yeah, like, please volunteer. Like, like, it's very, you don't have to have experience in anything, you just have to kind of be open about like, oh, I'm just wanting to know more about the animal science field. So then I feel like once you take that first step, you can kind of get a better idea of like, am I still interested in it?

Or is it like right for me still? I feel like that's a good way to start.

Kathrine

So aside from volunteering, what is one small step a student can take right now to explore your field?

Esther

I think I would say aside from volunteering, maybe kind of, this isn't as like hands on, but maybe kind of taking the time to find like institutions that are that do offer like an animal science major, because a lot of them have more information about like, what those programs offer, like what classes they would offer, what majors they would offer. And maybe kind of taking the time to research that and seeing if it still sounds interesting to you. I think knowing what you have to like study what you have to do, kind of knowing that might help you like, get a better understanding of the field.

Kathrine

So for someone who's interested in animal science, is there like a book, website, video, or a course that you would recommend?

Esther

I think there's, I know there's, I think in high school, I took Coursera, I think it's just a website that offers like free courses, offered by like universities, because I think I took one in animal welfare by the University of Edinburgh, I think. So I think kind of looking through that website, finding animal science classes that are free for you to take that you might be interested in, that you can like also paste yourself through. I think you can like plan it out in a month or something, like which assignments are due when, kind of like that.

Yeah, I think you could try those and see if the topics that they cover are interesting to you, maybe. Yeah.

Kathrine

Okay. So that's all my questions. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences.

And I really appreciate it. 

Esther

Oh, no problem. Thank you.