Dentistry
Name: Amy Lin ’21
Hometown: Beijing, China and Vancouver, Canada
Major: Biology
Why did you decide to on this pre-professional track?
My mom is a dentist and I have always enjoyed watching her work growing up. I had always wanted to work in the medical field and eventually decided on dentistry because of the very hands-on nature of the job, the ability to help others, and the artistic side of dental work.
What is it like to be pre-dental? How is it different from pre-med?
For the most part academically it is quite similar except instead of preparing for the MCAT you prepare for the DAT. For pre-dental students, shadowing is quite important, so I am always looking for opportunities to shadow dentists with different specialties during my breaks.
Any relevant internships/activities you have done or are planning on doing?
Last summer I went on a dental mission trip to Cambodia where I volunteered as a dental assistant and I am planning on returning to Cambodia on the same trip this summer. I also try to do some shadowing every time I am on break.
Any extracurriculars you are/were involved in?
I was a part of the Carleton team for the Mayo Innovation Scholars Program in 2018-2019 and am also a part of FOCUS. Additionally, I am a Project Friendship mentor.
What do you plan on doing in your field?
I plan on specializing after dental school perhaps in orthodontics, prosthodontics, or oral and maxillofacial surgery and starting my own practice at some point.
What advice would you give for someone younger than you interested in this track?
Go shadow and talk to dentists to learn more about the profession and see if it is really something you would like to pursue. Do research about the track by going online and/or talking to advisors, other pre-dental students, current dental students, and dentists.
Veterinary Medicine
Name: Caroline Kern-Allely ’20
Hometown: Denver, CO
Major: Biology
Why did you decide on this pre-professional track?
I have wanted to be a veterinarian ever since I was little, and as I grew up I began to understand more of the interconnected nature of animal medicine with humans. While I am primarily interested in animal physiology, the world of veterinary medicine has opened up many different areas of biology that also interest me, from microbiology to behavioral ecology. Veterinary medicine allows me to explore a broad range of biology and allows me to apply my interests in a myriad of ways.
What is it like to be pre-vet? How is it different from pre-med?
It’s definitely challenging! I wouldn’t say it’s that different from being pre-med; we have a lot of the same required and recommended courses. There is also an aspect of being responsible for keeping yourself on the right track that I think everyone needs to incorporate into their lives, not just pre-health students. One of the best parts of being pre-vet is taking courses that interest me and that will be useful in vet school and the future, and then being able to go out on an internship or through shadowing and apply what I’ve been learning. I will say that one significant difference is that I don’t have to take the MCAT, instead I took the GRE, and that gives me a little bit more flexibility in terms of when I need to take courses or when I can start applying.
Any relevant internships/activities you have done or are planning on doing?
I have shadowed at multiple vet clinics and with veterinarians who focus on different things. I’m also interested in vet medicine on a more global scale, so I had an internship at the Saint Louis Zoo’s Endangered Species Center the summer after my sophomore year working on behavior research. I am planning to continue shadowing veterinarians in order to get more hands-on experience with veterinary medicine, and I am also looking for internships in the field of wildlife conservation and conservation research globally.
Any extracurriculars you are/were involved in?
I play IM and club sports here at Carleton, and I am also a guest English teacher (via Skype) for middle school students in Chongqing, China.
What do you plan on doing in your field?
I plan on working as a wildlife veterinarian, specifically working with endangered species worldwide.
What advice would you give for someone younger than you interested in this track?
It can sometimes be easy to view the field of veterinary medicine as narrow, but there are so many different paths to explore. Don’t let yourself be constrained by the traditional view of vet medicine, and explore all the different ways veterinary medicine can be used. Once you begin to see all the ways different fields of study are connected, you’ll find a path that suits you and your interests. Don’t be afraid, you will do great!