By Becky St. Clair on October 2, 2019
Amanda Schaff, 2014 biology graduate, has been fascinated by science for as long as she can remember. She has also always known she wanted to be a veterinarian. So, when the time came to head to college, she chose PUC, and enrolled as a biology major.“I love cats and dogs, but I’ve always wanted something a little different than regular veterinary medicine,” she says. While a student at PUC, Schaff took a trip to South Africa, working with wildlife veterinarians treating African wildlife.“That was one of the coolest experiences of my life,” she says. “That trip was what cemented my future as a wildlife or zoo veterinarian.”Following graduation, Schaff was accepted into a fellowship at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) on Sanibel Island off the southwestern coast of Florida. It was a rare paid fellowship at one of the few wildlife hospitals in the U.S.“There are many wildlife rehabilitation clinics, but they don’t always have vets; usually they operate with certified wildlife rehab specialists,” Schaff explains. “At CROW, they have several veterinarians on staff.”During her six-month fellowship, Schaff assisted with surgeries, treatment of rehabilitating animals, neonatal care, feeding, medicating, and exams. It wasn’t as glamorous as it...
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