As of last year, 5.91 million households in Korea raised 8.56 companion animals, according to a survey result released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on April 28. With the increasing number of people living with pets or animals, their needs related to animals such as health care and food have been growing. The Chonnam Tribune interviewed veterinary students that enhance their competencies and do volunteer work through major-related club activities. They are members of a club called “Artery” at CNU’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Let us listen to their stories about the club and their personal experiences.

What kind of activities does your club ‘Artery’ mainly do?
Kim Wan-gyu: Our club aims to build competencies and skills required for veterinarians through a variety of clinical experiences, academic discussions, and seminars. The main activities of the club are learning theories and practices that cannot be learned in school classes and volunteer work. Under the guidance of professors and veterinarian seniors, we take field-related lectures and do practical training such as inoculation against rabies. The club also helps us determine the direction of future courses by conducting seminars and learning clinical studies and the reality and prospects of actual fields.

What is the most impressive activity that you have done at the club?
Park Chae-yeoun: It was volunteering with animals to provide veterinary care that was the most impressive activity. Veterinary students must complete two years of pre-veterinary medicine courses and four years of veterinary medicine courses. They can make simulation-based medical treatment and meet animal owners after their third year when they learn clinical courses needed for medical treatment. Because of our club’s volunteering activities I was offered the opportunity to gain hands-on experience as a pre-veterinarian earlier than other students.

What is the most difficult experience that you have had?
Lee Geoun-young: The most difficult experience was when we did volunteer work for four days in Naju last year. This volunteer work was to inject dogs with an anti-rabies serum, the dogs were living in rural areas around the city. It was really uncomfortable to stay in rural areas for many days doing vaccination work. However, I can recall it now as an unforgettable memory since I was able to gain valuable experiences by having a practical inoculation exercise. It gave me a sense of accomplishment that my activities can protect dogs from the danger of rabies.

What are your personal achievements as a member of the club?
Park Ye-sin: I learned the basic parts of anatomical practice from club seminars and found the right career path through these meetings with my college alumni. The club’s various gatherings have made me become closer to seniors and juniors with the same major. By joining the club, I could gain hands-on experience and valuable personal connections. Many of the club’s activities will be a great help for me to become a veterinarian in the future.

Do you have any advice for students who want to join Artery?
Lee Geoun-young: Since Artery is a clinical academic club, students who do not know much about clinical practice hesitate to join the club. However, our club activities are not only limited to the clinical field. We also invite seniors from other fields of veterinary medicine and do various activities. So, students might find interesting activities that they did not even think about doing before by experiencing diverse parts of their major. In addition, being our club member can be a good chance to socialize and study together with people who have the same interests. Therefore, I recommend visiting our club ‘Artery’ where students can broaden their major-related knowledge and communicate with many people.

* Artery was founded as a clinical academic club in 1980. It is a veterinary club that has been established for about 40 years, and it can give its members the necessary experience to become a veterinarian, such as anatomy practice, veterinary activities, and animal shelter activities and so on. The club name ‘Artery’ reflects veterinarians who move vigorously into society just like arterial blood vigorously stretching from the heart.

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Lee Geoun-young (Second Year, Department of Veterinary Medicine)
Park Ye-sin (Second Year, Department of Veterinary Medicine)
Park Chae-yeoun (Second Year, Department of Veterinary Medicine)
Kim Wan-gyu (Second Year, Department of Veterinary Medicine)
 

By Kim Eun-jin, Student Editor