An Externship to Remember
When many people think of veterinarians, they often think of the caring individuals who treat sick pets in community animal care clinics. One Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine student is taking a different approach in her studies and future career plans thanks to a unique summer experience.
A chance meeting led to an incredible opportunity for second-year student Christianna Hoshko – one that would lead her to become the first extern for the Mississippi Board of Animal Health (MBAH). It all started when she joined the CVM’s Alumni Mentorship program, which connects current students with college alumni to build professional relationships.
“I joined because I was looking to get connections and network within the field of public health or mixed animal practice, and I got paired with Dr. Diana Care,” Hoshko explained. “She’s amazing. She’s been working for the Board of Animal Health for a few years now, and she has a lot of USDA experience.”
The Greenville, South Carolina, native quickly formed a close connection with Dr. Care, but she would soon be surprised by what was going on behind the scenes. Dr. Care and Dr. Carla Huston of the CVM were working to put together a new student externship program within the MBAH (an often shorter, observational experience compared to a standard internship), and it quickly became apparent that Hoshko would be a great candidate for the new position. Hoshko was more than willing to tackle the experience.
During her two weeks with the MBAH, the opportunities seemed endless, she said.
“I did everything,” Hoshko said. “I was with a different person every day, and gosh, I was helping inspect meat in grocery stores. I was going to poultry commercial plants and swine commercial plants. We went to a safari park and inspected exotic deer.”
One of Hoshko’s favorite experiences from the two-week program came at the Mississippi Veterinary Research and Diagnostic Laboratory in Pearl. During that time, the first case of New World screwworm had been detected in Texas, and Hoshko watched as deputy state veterinarian Dr. Hope Martin provided quick and clear communication about the parasite.
“I actually got to sit on calls with her with the USDA and some of the vets that were handling this on a national level, and then also a press conference with the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins,” Hoshko explained. “To be able to witness that and hear how they were talking through it was cool.”
The return of New World screwworm even took the Clemson University graduate across state lines, as Hoshko joined in on a tabletop exercise with Alabama State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Frazier.
“That was cool because it was Dr. Frazier and Dr. Jim Watson, the state vet of Mississippi, along with the state vet of Tennessee and the state vet of Georgia and all of their people in one room, just talking about how they were going to handle cases if they eventually came all the way over here,” Hoshko said.
No matter where she went or what each day brought, it was the people she interacted with that stood out to Hoshko the most. Through her experience, she gained invaluable experience in public health among some of the state’s leaders in the field.
“They want you to learn from them,” Hoshko said. “They want to be able to teach you and they want to help you better yourself in your career and your education. Everyone there was motivated and excited that I was there.”
Now, Hoshko is even more prepared for a future in both clinical practice and public health, citing a new appreciation for clear understanding between veterinarians and clients.
“The things that you don’t think about, like inspecting facilities and compost, play an overall role in not only herd or animal health, but also the health of people,” Hoshko explained. “I can guide clients that may be confused or wanting additional help on maintaining those state regulations.”