Intro Post

Hello world!

My name is Jennifer Hay and this is my first ever blog! So you must bear with me while I explore this newfound world of blogging. But I will try my very best to update it often and share any interesting links and stories I stumble across on the internet. After all, being a university student seems to come hand-in-hand with using the internet to procrastinate, so I discover all kinds of interesting news articles the night before a midterm. And if you really start to miss my amazing wit, you can follow my twitter account (@JenHay13), which I promise to update daily!

I am currently a third year student in the animal health program, with a major in companion and performance animals. After obtaining my bachelor’s degree, I hope to attend the University of Calgary or the University of Saskatchewan for veterinary school. I am really enjoying third year so far, it is nice to be finally done with all the introductory level courses and I’m finding all of my animal science courses fascinating.

Communication plays a huge role in both my journey to attending vet school and the veterinary profession I hope to one day join. Volunteering is a phenomenal way to gain experience with a wide variety of animals. The internet is an indispensable resource to communicate with various volunteer organizations, as the majority have websites and use social media to attract volunteers. The internet allows me to search for volunteering opportunities within a specific sub-genre (ie. helping train service dogs) and easily find multiple organizations, saving me tons of time! I have also found social media sites, specifically Facebook, a superb tool for corresponding with other volunteers. I volunteer as a dog walker at The Edmonton Humane Society, however I am one of hundreds of dog walkers. To facilitate communication the EHS created a Facebook page exclusively for their volunteers. Here, we can post which dogs are high energy and need to be walked often, or which dogs are shy and need some extra one-on-one attention. Without Facebook, communication among this many part-time volunteers would be a nightmare! In my field, communication is also essential for dissemination of current information. Animal health is a very broad field and there are thousands of organizations ranging from the Chicken Farmers of Canada  to the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. These organizations have two roles: educating the public and listening to the concerns and ideas of the public. Open and effective lines of communication are essential for that relationship to be successful.

As a veterinarian, communication between researchers and vets is critical, as new discoveries are being made everyday. The internet plays an amazing role is this distribution of information, as it would be impossible for one vet to attend every scientific conference relating to their field. Thanks to the world wide web, they can now read the latest research and discuss the newest techniques with other vets from the comfort of their home. In addition, I feel it is important for me to learn to be the most effective communicator possible because behind every sick animal is a frantic owner. Being able to reassure people, as well as educating your clients on how to be the best pet owners possible, is routine in the veterinary profession. So if I want to survive and succeed for the next forty or fifty years of my life, I must become a clear and successful communicator. I hope this blog will be a start in that journey!

Until next time,

Jen