First Post of 2024- Im Falling off haha. BUT imma DOCTA

June 14, 2024

First Post of 2024- Im Falling off haha. BUT imma DOCTA

Hello everyone,

(This first paragraph is from past Marq ((in April 2024 before graduating veterinary school)) who never finished the blog,,, but enjoy lol). Guess where I am? Texas baby (Please do not say howdy; I hate this word, lol). I am completing a Food Animal Medicine and Surgery rotation at Texas A+M University of College of Veterinary Medicine. This rotation has been busy, but I would like to stay busy. But anyway, I have a job lined up after (well, internship); I will complete a rotating large animal internship at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. I am super excited to start. I have already met the rest of the cohort, starting with me. They all seem pretty cool so far. Oh yea, and graduation is in almost a month (34days, 13hours, 47minutes, 50..49..48..47 seconds, I am not counting or anything). I still haven't started working on my speech for graduation. I promise I'll start on April 10th. (Present Marq: lol. This was very ambitious, but I didn’t start then. On the DRIVE 18 hours from VA to TX and Vice versa, I voice recorded my thoughts and turned them into a speech).

(Present Marq)

My apologies for time jumping, but y'all, it’s been kind of crazy. So I graduated from Veterinary School, Dr. Marquis Harper, MSc, DVM to you, in May 2024. I gave a great speech (I finished it the night before graduation; I was also sick asl but I pulled through). So it’s been about a month. Honestly, this month has been the best. I’ve moved to Knoxville, TN, and was accepted into an internship at the University of Tennessee, where I will rotate through the large animal services. There are four interns (large animal) in total, and they have been cool (we met for the first time last night). When I wasn’t preparing to move to a different state, I traveled the north (NC, VA, Maryland, DC, Delaware, Maryland again, lol), celebrated my ~~28th~~ and 29th birthday, and slept a lot. When I tell you that a month or two or three before starting your job after vet school gives me time to relax (thinking how this will probably be my last time until retirement having that much time off, was it really a lot of time? Anyways, chileeee). I am still figuring out my future. This internship is only a year to gain skills in the large animal side of veterinary medicine. My goal is to become more proficient with horse skills. I am comfortable practicing solo as a day-one food animal veterinarian, but I truly enjoy equine medicine. This will offset the production animal lifestyle of food animal medicine, and I found this passion 3rd year of Veterinary school, so ideally, this internship will give me more skills in my journey of becoming a large animal (food and equine medicine) veterinarian. I’ve been told that doing both is very taxing on the body and splitting the focus will make you good or great at both areas, but it’ll be hard to be an “Expert” in one or the other. At first, that scared me, but I see the need for both, and I will make it work.

As for the future, I have a lot of offers. My alma mater would love me to return and complete a residency in large animal medicine and surgery; the university where my husband is currently working wants to start a veterinary technician program/ be in charge of a small animal unit (wellness/spay/neuter/mobile clinic) while having my own vehicle for large animal medicine. Yeah, it's a lot. However, one place that I believe my heart is set on is an ambulatory clinic that I worked with in SC. This clinic's work aligns with 90% of my goals, and I believe it is the place for me. Some of me maybe scared to get an actual job, but it is my time, and I have to. I will be calling her soon...

Lastly, how am I? I am doing okay. I am all moved in. My family is happy. I am doing what needs to be done. I am about 7 hours away from my husband, which is a new definition of long distance from us, but it's only for a year. We are still growing up and figuring out this new life together. We (I) have already discussed once we get land, I want a senior horse, beef cattle, goats, and chicken. I believe he's on board. We will see. We definitely want kids in the future, and we are figuring that out. He wants to get his PhD., which I am in full support of, but we will wait until I finish this internship. After my goal is to become the bread winner for a bit while he does that. He has held me down for years, so it's my turn. Then, once we get all that in order, the idea of little kids running around sounds like the best plan.

Alright, this post has been long. I have had a lot to catch up on since the last posting (not too much), but I love you. Thanks to everyone who has been supporting me all these years. There is much more to come, so stay tuneddddddd =) !!!!.