Elizabeth Green
Elizabeth Green
Elizabeth Green, a first-year veterinary student, is a recipient of the 2019 Gentle Doctor Benefit scholarship. Green, a native of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, enjoys working with and learning about animals in class, but it doesn’t stop there. “Most of my hobbies involve animals,” Green said. “I really enjoy horseback riding, I don’t do it competitively, but it’s sort of a casual hobby. I like walking my dogs, spending time with my pets and aquarium keeping. I also like art, but my main subjects are animals too, so I’m drawing and painting animals all the time.”
With her love of animals and an interest in medicine, the path to veterinary school was an obvious choice for Green. As an undergraduate at Mizzou, she got to see what the MU CVM was like up close. That made choosing her future school much easier. “I came here for undergrad and I was very impressed with the program, so I decided to apply to the vet school,” Green said. “I toured other schools and looked at all their websites, but Mizzou just kept drawing me back. I really like the 2-and-2 program. You get to the clinics faster and you get more of that hands-on experience versus just sitting in a classroom all the time.”
Green has recently found herself busy with a few different clubs and jobs. She works in the clinical pathology lab, where she serves as a student technician, performing diagnostic tests during after-hours emergencies. Green is also involved with the Veterinary Business Management Association, where she recently secured an officer position. Another interesting task that Green has taken on is working for a researcher who is studying wild bats. “I’m helping her with basic animal care throughout the semester, then over the summer and longer breaks I get to help her more with research projects,” she said.
When she was named a GDB scholarship recipient, Green was pleasantly surprised. “I had no idea about this scholarship,” said Green. “It was a really big surprise. I was just like, wow, I can’t believe they gave this to me because I don’t feel like I deserve it. I’m just doing what I can.”
Green expressed her gratitude for receiving the GDB scholarship. “I guess to me it is an honor to receive it. It’s just really nice,” she said. “It’s going to help me a lot with my education expenses and if I do decide to specialize it will cut down on the amount of loans that are gaining interest. It’s a big financial support to start off with. It’s really great and really generous, I’m just very thankful for it.”
Carly Swirsding
Carly Swirsding
Carly Swirsding is a recipient of the 2019 Gentle Doctor Benefit scholarship. A first-year veterinary student from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Swirsding began working with animals when she was in high school and continued into her undergraduate studies. “In high school I raised seeing-eye dogs and raised chickens,” she said. “In college I worked at a small animal hospital, so that is where I developed my interest in veterinary medicine.”
When the time came to decide which veterinary school she would choose, Mizzou stood out. “I really liked the family atmosphere when I came for my interview,” said Swirsding. “When I first was going to interview there was a huge snowstorm and I couldn’t make it to my interview because my flight was canceled. I was just freaking out in the airport. They calmed me down, said we could reschedule, and that this happens to other people too. That was really nice.”
Swirsding is involved in the Student Chapter of the Emergency and Critical Care Society, where she gains further knowledge out of class. She is also a member of the Student Chapter for the Society of Theriogenology, a club that has provided her with some interesting experiences. “We went to a lab and did ultrasounds on sheep to see how late in gestation they were. That was really cool,” Swirsding said.
With Swirsding’s studies and extracurricular activities keeping her so busy, she likes to relax in her free time. “I don’t really have time for anything. I just enjoy watching TV and hanging out with my friends.”
When she was named a recipient of the GDB scholarship, Swirsding was initially caught off guard, but appreciative of the assistance it provides her. “I did not know about this whole benefit that they do. I appreciate it so much,” she said. “The amount of debt that everyone is in is terrifying and anything helps. This is a big scholarship and it makes a huge difference.”
Bios by Nick Childress