HOSA PROVIDES VETERINARY EXPERIENCE

Through the HOE/HOSA program at the Cheshire Center of Applied Science and Technology in Keene, NH, I was provided with a hands-on experience in Veterinary Science. I started in my first year of the program observing at Court St. Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Righter and his wife, Shirley, have been providing Health Occupations students with on-the-job training as veterinary assistants for approximately ten years and have hired some of the students that they have trained.

I've been interested in Veterinary medicine since I was ten years old. In 1994, I started working for a dog grooming salon, which further confirmed my desire to work with animals. Through my freshman health class, I started volunteering at Court St. Veterinary, cleaning cages and walking dogs. By going through my Health Occupations class, however, I had the opportunity to do a lot more.

In the beginning, I continued to clean cages and walk dogs, but as their confidence in my abilities grew, they allowed me to do more. I prepped animals for surgery as well as monitoring the machines used during the surgery, assisted in treatments by holding the animal and getting supplies. They showed me how to use different machines to run different lab tests, such as blood glucose. I learned how to prepare shots and eventually was able to give them. Some of my favorite experiences were; an autopsy performed on a Great Dane, a cat that was decapitated for rabies testing and watching ultrasounds.

Thanks to Dr. Righter and Shirley, I was able to obtain a first rate clinical experience in veterinary science and confirm that this is the career I would like to pursue. And thanks to my Health Occupations class, I was able to fit in the time for this experience and I found out that I wanted to pursue veterinary medicine in college. In the fall of '97, I will be attending Keene State College, majoring in biology/pre-vet. My goal is to continue after that in a vet program.

Theresa Brousseau
Cheshire Center of Applied
Science & Technology
Keene, NH