Veterinary student Viviana Sanchez, finishing her 2nd year at Oklahoma State University, visited in Arkansas Department of Agriculture Veterinary Laboratory for 2 weeks in May, 2022. This is her report. We are always looking for more lab sites to host veterinary students with an interest in pathology. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Britt, jobritt@sbcglobal.net.
I would like to thank you for coming in to work with me during my externship and helping me find housing. Littlerock, Arkansas was a beautiful place to visit and I enjoyed the abundance of trees and scenery. I am grateful for having the opportunity to work with Drs. Denise Apperson, Troy Mulder and Jin Xie. They are a great team and I loved how passionate they are about the role they play as veterinary pathologists. I had the opportunity to watch a variety of species being necropsied, perform a chicken necropsy myself, worked on creating a case report, and practiced identifying different growths, and diseased cells and tissue on histopathology slides. I never realized how extensive the histopathology slide making process was until the pathology lab techs guided me through it. Beyond the pathology department, I was also allowed to work with the aquaculture department and collected spleen and kidney samples from different fish species. I visited the serology department where they walked me through their testing process and I practiced micropipetting. I met a variety of friendly individuals that were willing to answer any questions I had and I truly appreciate how welcoming everyone was at the Livestock and Poultry Laboratory in Little Rock Arkansas. My experience was unforgettable and I found a new passion for pathology. Thank you for setting this opportunity up and I hope other students enjoy it just as much as I did.
Kind Regards,
Viviana Sanchez
