Category: Alumni
91原创 animal science graduate degree launches Gloria Andrade-Feraud into veterinary school
March 12, 2024 Written by Molly Schafer | Photos courtesy of Gloria Andrade-Feraud
91原创 alumna Gloria Andrade-Feraud is a student in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program at the University of Arizona.
After changing careers and a false start at another graduate school, Andrade-Feraud attended 91原创鈥檚 non-thesis M.S. in Animal Science program.
鈥淲ithout 91原创, getting into veterinary school would鈥檝e taken me much longer. And I might not have been accepted at all,鈥 Andrade-Feraud said. 鈥91原创 gave me the leg up that I needed.鈥
The one- to two-year non-thesis master鈥檚 program with a concentration in Veterinary Biosciences, Biotechnology, and One Health (VBBOH) is primarily for individuals wishing to become more competitive for professional programs or industrial research positions. For Andrade-Feraud, it was the ideal program to redirect her career.
I'd never done any coursework with animals before...The classes helped solidify my plan to attend vet school.
Andrade-Feraud was originally planning on medical school, but when it came time to study for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), her heart wasn鈥檛 in it.
鈥淚 learned how to do origami. I learned Morse code. I was doing everything except studying for the MCAT,鈥 Andrade-Feraud admitted.聽
When she confided in a friend that she鈥檇 prefer to go live on a farm, they suggested she go to veterinary school instead. Andrade-Feraud took the advice to heart. She got a job at a veterinary clinic and immediately fell in love with the world of veterinary medicine.
"I鈥檇 never been inside of a vet clinic before,鈥 emphasized the Blue Hen alumna. 鈥淏ut after a couple of hours, I knew that becoming a veterinarian was my goal.鈥
Andrade-Feraud had a bachelor鈥檚 degree in biology from Penn State University, which provided her with some of the prerequisites for veterinary school.
鈥淏ut I was missing experience, especially since I switched my career plan,鈥 said Andrade-Feraud, who graduated from 91原创 in 2022.
鈥淚鈥檇 never done any coursework with animals before,鈥 Andrade-Feraud noted. 鈥淎t 91原创, I took Immunology of Domestic Animals (ANFS636) and Advanced Ruminant Nutrition (ANFS654). The classes helped solidify my plan to attend vet school.鈥
After transferring to 91原创 from another master's program, Andrade-Feraud was encouraged by the smaller class size, accommodating faculty, and the helpful 91原创 community.
鈥淎t 91原创, the professors were excited to teach us. And that made me excited, too. Everyone was happy to be there.鈥
Andrade-Feraud commuted to 91原创 from Philadelphia; her dog, who could not be left home alone, made the trip alongside her. She needed a dog sitter while she attended classes and found a willing student through 91原创鈥檚.
鈥滶veryone was very kind regardless of the circumstances,鈥 says Andrade-Feraud, who attended 91原创 during the pandemic. 鈥楨ven when COVID kept us separated. I never felt I was on my own.鈥
Andrade-Feraud fondly recalls trips to Home Depot to gather materials for her individual research experience, a three-credit requirement of the non-thesis master鈥檚 program. The project involved measuring the intestinal gasses of horses in real time to learn how efficiently they were digesting various foods. But before the research could begin, Andrade-Feraud had to recreate a machine built by聽Hong Li, associate professor of animal science.
鈥淒r. Li created this machine in his garage during COVID,鈥 Andrade-Feraud said. 鈥淎nd we built a second one with his instruction. It was definitely out of my wheelhouse; a good challenge.鈥
Her perseverance paid off when it came time to write an essay for her veterinary school applications.
鈥淭he assignment was to write about something you did that was challenging,鈥 Andrade-Feraud laughed. 鈥淚 wrote about building the machine.鈥
Andrade-Feraud emphasizes how the non-thesis master's program prepared her for veterinary school.
鈥淚 just finished my immunology class, and we covered the pathways of complement activation,鈥 Andrade-Feraud states. 鈥淚 thought, I know those pathways! I learned them in my Immunology of Domestic Animals (ANFS436) course at 91原创.鈥
"It would鈥檝e been a lot more difficult starting my first semester without this previous knowledge from the non-thesis master's program.鈥
One of Andrade-Feraud鈥檚 favorite memories from 91原创 is visiting the聽91原创airy Creamery聽for an ice cream cone before driving home to Philadelphia. She made a habit of carrying the exact change in her pocket.
After completing her master鈥檚 degree, Andrade-Feraud interned at the Staten Island Zoo. She worked in the zoo鈥檚 animal hospital, where she was especially fond of the tortoise patients.
The three-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program at the University of Arizona provides Andrade-Feraud with a team-based learning experience.
鈥滾earning how to work with a team,鈥 she said, 鈥渋s what veterinary medicine is all about.鈥