Pfizer Animal Health and the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) Foundation provided financial support to 29 veterinary medical students this year through a scholarship program. A past recipient, Sarah Krall, recently shared her thoughts with Progressive Dairyman on the program and her path to becoming a veterinarian.

Sarah started her journey on her father’s rented dairy farm in small town Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Although her father discontinued the operation when Krall was 11, her uncle had a farm not far from where she lived.

While in high school, Krall would help on her uncle’s farm by milking cows and helping with feedings.

She was active in showing and enjoyed fitting her cows, prepping them for shows. Her love for cattle has stayed with her, even now.

“My childhood made me want to stay connected to the dairy industry,” Krall says.

While in college, one of Krall’s connections to the industry was through the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP). When she made it into veterinary school, she applied for the AABP Foundation-Pfizer Animal Health Scholarship. The scholarship was valued at $5,000 and went toward her continuing education in veterinary school.

The AABP Foundation/Pfizer Animal Health Veterinary Scholarship is part of Pfizer Animal Health’s Commitment to Veterinarians, an initiative supporting veterinarians through training and education, research and development, and investment in the future of the veterinary profession.

The scholarship is funded through a unique partnership with veterinarians, animal health suppliers and dealers, and is awarded to beef and dairy veterinary students to help offset the cost of veterinary school.

To apply for this scholarship, Sarah had to have an interest in bovine medicine and involvement with bovine-related extracurriculars. She also had to fill out the online application, which consisted of essay questions and personal information. Two months after she applied, Krall received news of her being a winner of the $5,000 scholarship.

“I was very surprised and happy when I got it,” Krall says, “I honestly didn’t expect to get it.”

Because of this scholarship, Krall was able to continue her fourth year of vet school and travel to many different animal clinics for externships in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland and New Mexico.

“I learned a lot, and I am so grateful for those valuable experiences,” Krall says. “The veterinarians were very willing to work with us students and let us try things.”

Now, after receiving the scholarship and graduating from Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Krall is on her way to becoming a successful veterinarian. She has just started her first job at the Applebrook Veterinary Clinic in Oxford, Pennsylvania.

“It is exciting and scary all at the same time,” Krall says about being out in the real world. “It’s a lot to take in right now.”

Krall attributes her success and love for agriculture to her father, who she says has led her desire to want to stay involved in the industry.

“He was always there growing up and helped me while I was in 4-H and FFA,” Krall says. “He’s always been really encouraging and really excited that I wanted to go back and stay involved in the dairy industry.”

Although Krall is working with both small and large animals at the clinic, large animal patients are the ones she prefers, and they are the reason she was awarded the scholarship in the first place.

“Large animals are what I focused on throughout school, and they are the ones that I have experienced the most from my background,” Krall says.

The AABP Foundation and Pzfizer Animal Health decided to team up again in order to give veterinary students a chance to help pay for schooling this year. Last year, 11 students were awarded the scholarship valued at $5,000, just as Krall did.

This year, 29 students from across the nation were presented with a $5,000 scholarship at the AABP Annual Meeting, held August 18 to 21 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Recipients’ costs of traveling to and staying at the meeting also were included in the scholarship.

“We’re excited to partner with Pfizer Animal Health again this year to make this scholarship available,” says M. Gatz Riddell Jr., DVM, executive vice president, AABP. “The first year of veterinary practice can be very difficult for many graduating students, and having financial help through this scholarship can make things a bit easier.”

Funding for the scholarships is provided by the Pfizer Animal Health FFA/AABP support program. The program, which provides funding for local FFA chapters in addition to the AABP Foundation/Pfizer Animal Health Veterinary Student scholarships, offered a 1 percent rebate on Pfizer Animal Health cattle products from Jan. 1 through March 31, 2010. Participating partners were able to direct funds to any local FFA chapter(s) or the AABP Foundation/Pfizer Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarship Program.

“We recognize the need to encourage and support students in pursuing large-animal veterinary medicine,” says Julian Garcia, marketing group director, Pfizer Animal Health. “We know how important large-animal veterinarians are to providing a safe and healthy food supply, and we are honored to partner with AABP to support these and other veterinary students interested in pursuing a career in large-animal veterinary medicine.”

And although Krall has completed the schooling chapter of her life, she says she still has a long way to go. In addition to her plans for a wedding next summer, she would like to eventually own a herd and start showing cattle again.

“My fiancé and I would like to get back into farming at some level,” Krall says. “We want to be in an area where we are both happy and we can have a farm and raise our children to be involved in agriculture.” PD

Written by PD Staff Writer Kelsey Holter, with excerpts from Pfizer Animal Health news release

PHOTOS:
TOP RIGHT: Pfizer Animal Health and AABP scholarship recipients. Photo courtesy of Pfizer Animal Health.

TOP LEFT: Sarah Krall was a 2009 scholarship recipient. Photo courtesy of Sarah Krall.