Pandemic Perseverance

Category: Foot in Mouth Disease

Submission by: Priya Allen

This summer, I participated in research through the VSP program at NC State. I was super thankful for the opportunity to continue research despite COVID-19! We had to turn away from our original research project and instead do a totally virtual project- a prevalence study on lymphatic issues of horses. It was very fun! I learned a lot about study design, customer outreach/survey participant marketing, and data analysis. We made a video for horse owner education and as a shareable way to advertise the survey and solicit more participation. Making the video combined research skills of survey design with creativity of producing a video and veterinary skills of client education. It was a lot of fun! The other really awesome part about my experience is that it led to a business internship with a veterinary start up company called Vetletics. My classmate and fellow researcher started the company to produce a novel compression device that helps with lymphatic drainage issues in horses. I am getting invaluable experience in the ins and outs of start up company business skills, customer discovery, client education, and get to participant in leading edge, new veterinary medical technology! I'm extremely thankful that there are still valuable opportunities in the midst of COVID. I am also so impressed with the resiliency, versatility, and diverse career potential that is found in veterinary medicine. It makes me so excited to be studying veterinary medicine, whether I go into private practice, research, or business!