Courtesy photo from Pre- Vet Society.
The UTRGV Pre-Vet Society, founded in 2019, now has 61 members and provides guidance to students pursuing a career in veterinary medicine.
President of the Pre-Vet Society Bethany Garza said being part of the club gives students experience and knowledge in the field.
“Because I’ve met a lot of people that, you know, ‘Oh I wanna become a vet, but, you know, I saw the workload and prerequisites required to apply to vet school,’” Garza said. “They immediately felt discouraged and I was like, ‘No, don’t. We can work on it together and we can help guide you.’”
Member of the Pre-Vet Society Kross Salinas said the organization provides informational sessions to prepare members for veterinary school.
“All of our members really get informed [by] everyone just to be prepared once the application process … is approaching,” Salinas said. “Because I know with our information sessions, it’s gonna really help a lot, just helping them [get] ready.”
Members may also work on their volunteer hours in vet clinics, such as the Palm Valley Animal Society. Garza said there will be many volunteer opportunities throughout the semester.
“There will be a lot of different opportunities that will be sent in the group chat, like, ‘Hey, Palm Valley Animal Society is having this event, they need this many volunteers, like, go ahead and sign yourself up if you wanna do it,’” she said.
Member of the Pre-Vet Society Alyssa Flores shared what inspired her to join the group.
“I want to be the voice for animals,” Flores said. “I think we all should find them a home and they all deserve care and love.”
The Pre-Vet Society is hosting fundraisers to raise money for its summer trip to Texas A&M or Texas Tech for veterinary medicine.
Students who are interested may visit the organization’s Instagram @utrgvprevet.
This is Celeste Cruz for Vaquero Radio.
