Zoe Feehan ’22 changes career course toward veterinary medicine

Zoe Feehan ’22

Zoe Feehan ’22 plans to head to Atlantic Veterinary College at University of Prince Edward Island in Canada after graduating this spring even though initially she planned to pursue human medicine.

After talking about veterinary work with a friend during her first year at Saint Michael’s College, however, Feehan, a biology major from Lisbon Falls, Maine, with a chemistry minor felt motivated to look more into it, and now she is on a pre-veterinary track.

“I just thought about my love for animals and my love for biology and instantly started gravitating toward that field more than human medicine,” Feehan said. When she had decided to switch to a pre-veterinary track, Feehan said that one of her mother’s coworkers had a connection to a vet and put the two in contact. This connection offered Feehan a glimpse into the life of a veterinarian.

“I was able to go spend a summer in Kansas raising white tail deer fawn which I did for two and a half months,” she said. “I also worked in her clinic when I wasn’t working with the deer and I just realized that it was something I really loved. It really affirmed my passion for it.”

After her summer in Kansas, Feehan had the chance to work locally at Burlington Emergency and Veterinary Specialists in Williston for 18 eighteen hours per weekend. Such a demanding schedule means she must budget her homework time with the job – but she would not have it any other way.

Atlantic Veterinary College at University of Prince Edward Island in Canada is Zoe Feehan’s vet school destination

As a technician’s assistant at Veterinary Specialists, Feehan helps with everything from keeping the hospital clean, restraining the animals during blood draws and catheter placements, helping out with ultrasounds, husbandry, walking and feeding the animals, and much more. “I basically do anything that the technicians need help with,” she said. Since she is CPR certified, Feehan is also readily available to help in the hospital when “codes” occur – that is, emergencies when an animal faces imminent death or serious complications.

At Saint Michael’s, Feehan is the vice president of the Pre-Veterinary Blub and a part of Tri-Beta, the college’s Biology Honors Society. Both of these extracurricular activities offer Feehan encouragement and support in her career goals. “It’s been really good to meet other people who are interested in biology-related careers,” she said.

As a first generation college student, Feehan often had to reach out to her professors and faculty at the school for support in the graduate school application process. “No one in my family has gone to graduate school before — I’ll be the first one,” Feehan said. “The whole application process has been just a lot of asking for help and slowly figuring things out.”

Professor Paul Constantino ’92

During the process, Feehan especially appreciated the help of her academic adviser, Professor Paul Constantino. “When I told him I wanted to switch to a pre-vet track he told me exactly what I needed to do. He wrote me a letter of recommendation and helped me with the application process. He recommended classes that would help me be more successful on this track. He’s been so helpful,” she said.

Professor Ruth Fabian-Fine

Feehan also appreciates her Saint Michael’s classes that helped to prepare her eventual advanced veterinary studies. “Classes like Biological Communications with Professor Ruth Fabian-Fine have been really great,” Feehan said. “She taught me how to conduct myself in an interview and specifically what would work well for veterinary school interviews.”

Feehan advises any other students looking toward graduate studies in any field to reach out to the faculty at Saint Michael’s. “[Professor Constantino] has offered me invaluable advice and he’s definitely been someone I’ve consistently turned to,” she said. “Find someone that you’re comfortable with and talk to them. Our professors are amazing and they’re here to help you if you need it.”