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Rachel Pera

1x

Finalist

1x

Winner

General information

Hobbies & Interests

  • Tennis
  • Knitting
  • Animals

Reading

  • Drama
  • Fantasy
  • Adult Fiction
  • Action
  • Academic

I read books daily.

Bio

I’m a veterinary student working through school and life while maintaining a mentally and physically healthy lifestyle. I graduated from Alfred University with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and chemistry, as well as a minor in pre-health sciences in 2019. At AU, I played varsity tennis for four years and was captain for three years. I worked as a Student Ambassador, Chemistry Teaching Assistant and Supplemental Instructor as well as a General Science Tutor. Now, at Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, I love working with greyhounds as President of a club called Buckeyes 4 Greyhounds and K9s. We work to transport injured racing greyhound to OSU to receive medical attention, then place them with a veterinary student foster during their recovery. I also work in the Blood Bank within the small animal hospital. My goals are to become a small animal veterinarian. I hope to work in a low cost clinic to advocate for those with greater financial need to make veterinary care more affordable and accessible for all.

Education

Ohio State University-Main Campus

Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)

2019 – 2023

Alfred University

Bachelor's degree program

2015 – 2019

Majors:
  • Biology, General

Alfred University

Bachelor's degree program

2015 – 2019

Majors:
  • Chemistry

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Medical school interest:
No

Career

  • Chemistry Supplemental Instructor

    Chemicals · Alfred University

    Jan 2016 – Jan 2019

  • Chemistry Teaching Assistant

    Chemicals · Alfred University

    Jan 2016 – Jan 2019

  • Veterinary Assistant

    Veterinary · Animal hospital

    Jan 2017 – Present

  • Blood Bank Student Worker

    Veterinary · The Ohio State University

    Jan 2019 – Present

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Veterinary
Dream career goals:
Veterinarian
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Advocacy
  • Volunteering
Scholarship Institute Future Leaders Scholarship
As president of the club, Buckeye 4 Greyhounds & k9’s at Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, my goal was to create more awareness for what we do. We facilitate the transportation, medical care and fostering/adoptions of racing greyhounds who suffered career ending injuries. Recently there has been a decrease in student involvement and donations, which directly benefit the greyhounds. In response, I started a “Case Rounds” series, which showcases three greyhounds’ stories each month. These are an interactive, educational opportunity for students, which involve reviewing radiographs and orthopedic procedures. Strong leaders must be able to effectively communicate information to a variety of audiences. Therefore, I extend these sessions to members of the community, so that they may be able to see how their donations benefit the greyhounds. Strong leaders should also be able to set good examples and encourage the education of others. These skills are exemplified through my creation of a committee for first-year students to help with the transportation of dogs and their care at the Ohio State University. I help these students get experience with common veterinary skills such as venipuncture, running fecal analyses, and placing microchips. Lastly, I recently have delegated various activities to other Executive Board members to bring back Advocacy Week, to spread awareness about the racing environment and herd health of canines. This is an example of how being an effective leader can bring people together to accomplish goals they didn’t think were possible. Strong leaders are important in their community, school, and family to advocate for things they are passionate about and inspire others to learn and work together to create positive change.
Elevate Mental Health Awareness Scholarship
When I was first accepted into vet school, I was ecstatic, but as time passed, I began to notice a change in myself. I lost interest in wanting to learn and was just trying to submit assignments and make it through the next exam. My anxiety grew as mt academic workload and stress in my personal life escalated. I no longer felt like myself, and something needed to change. I reached out to our school counselors to discuss my current struggles with my mental health, who taught me that it is never too late to ask for help, and more importantly, when to realize I need it. There will be times in my career when I will need to reach out for help from colleagues or seek guidance when managing a patient. It’s important to recognize when this occurs to achieve the best possible outcome. With respect to my mental health, I feel like myself again. Other similar situations will occur throughout life, and I’m glad I had this experience to teach me how to overcome a situation such as this.
Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship
When I was first accepted into vet school, I was ecstatic, but as time passed, I began to notice a change in myself. I lost interest in wanting to learn and was just trying to submit assignments and make it through the next exam. My anxiety grew as mt academic workload and stress in my personal life escalated. I no longer felt like myself, and something needed to change. I reached out to our school counselors to discuss my current struggles with my mental health, who taught me that it is never too late to ask for help, and more importantly, when to realize I need it. There will be times in my career when I will need to reach out for help from colleagues or seek guidance when managing a patient. It’s important to recognize when this occurs to achieve the best possible outcome. With respect to my mental health, I feel like myself again. Other similar situations will occur throughout life, and I’m glad I had this experience to teach me how to overcome a situation such as this.
Bold Success Scholarship
I am currently a third-year veterinary student working towards becoming the best doctor I can be. When I graduate, my goal is to work with small animals in general practice. As we delve deeper into learning and practicing surgery in school, I have found that I thoroughly enjoy it! I am very interested in orthopedics, specifically, and have a goal to learn and practice as much as I can now so I can perform orthopedic procedures as a general practitioner. Since this is not a common feat, I am doing many things to work towards this goal. The first being shadowing in the orthopedics department in my free time so I get more exposure to the general principles, logistics and complications of orthopedics. Additionally, I am currently president of a club called Buckeyes 4 Greyhounds & K9’s that advocates for the welfare of racing greyhounds. Through this club, I oversee many cases of injured greyhounds, which are usually orthopedic cases. As president, I run monthly “rounds” presentations to spread awareness for what our club does, as well as review radiographs and orthopedic procedures with younger veterinary students. These presentations solidify my knowledge within these subjects since one must have a deep understanding of something to be able to teach it to others. In the future, I hope to find a clinic that offers mentorship, particularly in more advanced surgeries such as orthopedic procedures, so I can continue to work towards my goal indefinitely. I have already established resources for finding continued education classes, so I can further advance by studies even after I graduate. Medicine is always advancing and changing, and I hope to be the best doctor I can be by continuing to perfect my skills and offering my patients the best possible standard of care.
Pettable Pet Lovers Scholarship
This is my 5-year-old greyhound Roo! She used to be a racing greyhound until she had a career ending injury. She was brought to the Ohio State University’s small animal hospital to receive surgery for her broken leg. I decided to foster her during her recovery and fell in love with her. I adopted her and she has been my best friend and study buddy ever since. Roo is now enjoying her retired life and is a blood donor as well as mascot for the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Buckeyes 4 Greyhounds & K9s club!
Rachel Pera Student Profile | Bold.org