Mt. San Jacinto College student Harleigh Hinks spent part of her summer thousands of miles from home, gaining hands-on veterinary experience during a month-long internship in Italy.
Hinks, a Nuevo resident and biology major entering her third year at MSJC, said her interest in veterinary medicine started at a young age.
“I’ve always been around horses, and I started riding when I was five. I grew up with a lot of animals,” she said. “So that kind of piqued my interest in wanting to help out and do what I can to help animals.”
Hinks had also always wanted to study abroad, so she started looking for opportunities on her own and came across the Doctors in Italy Fellowship Program. She applied, interviewed and was accepted.
The trip took her to Florence and Milan, marking her first time traveling outside of the country. Hinks said she hoped to learn as much as she could while meeting veterinarians and other students with similar interests.
During the internship, Hinks worked with several types of animals, including horses, goats and donkeys. She learned how to draw blood, administer some vaccines and work with ultrasounds and X-rays.
“Everything was hands on, thankfully, because we sit in a classroom every day here at home,” Hinks said. “I wanted to choose a program that I can actually learn by doing and watching.”
Hinks went to Italy knowing she wanted to pursue veterinary medicine, but she wasn’t quite sure what she wanted that career to look like.
Her time working with horses and veterinarians helped her figure it out.
“I know that I love horses,” Hinks said. “But after Florence and the vets that we worked with there, it made me fall in love with equine vet med.”
One veterinarian Hinks worked with stood out to her for her knowledge, patience and willingness to answer questions. Hinks also grew close to the other students in her group and said they were able to learn from each other. She keeps in touch with them.
The program also included cultural activities, giving Hinks a chance to visit places including the Leaning Tower of Pisa and Michelangelo’s David. She also traveled to Switzerland.
Traveling abroad for the first time also pushed Hinks outside of her comfort zone.
“I’m such a homebody, but I’ve always wanted to travel,” Hinks said. “But it was so cool to see another part of the world.”
After spending the summer abroad, Hinks said she wants to travel more in the future. For now, she’s focused on the next step toward becoming an equine veterinarian.
Hinks expects to finish at MSJC this school year and is applying to Cal Poly Pomona’s pre-veterinary program this semester. From there, she hopes to eventually attend UC Davis, which she described as her dream school.
