VMCVM Student Spotlight: Esther Vergel
Esther Vergel
Degree: DVM, 2027, Equine
Hometown: Paramus, New Jersey
My undergraduate was in…
Animal Sciences at the University of Maryland.
Best part of being a VMCVM student…
It’s the wonderful community here. All of the students are super nice and involved while all of the faculty go above and beyond to support the students. Being in such a positive, welcoming environment has made my vet school experience that much better.
The moment I knew I wanted to be a veterinarian/public health professional was…
I think I’ve wanted to be a vet my whole life. My parents love to tell a story about me when I was a toddler. They brought me to a farm and I wanted to pull grass out of the ground and feed a bull through the fence. From then on, they knew I was going to work with animals in the future. In terms of wanting to be an equine veterinarian, I realized I wanted to do that when I was a freshman in high school. I was leasing a horse named Sully. He was having a lot of issues with lameness where he would be on and off lame. I would go up to the barn to hand walk him, cold hose him, wrap him. There wasn’t much I could do medically but I wished I could understand what was going on and help more. From that point forward, I knew I wanted to be an equine veterinarian.
My hidden talent...
I’m not sure I have a hidden talent. If I had to pick something that I don’t do often anymore, it would be that I can sing. I was in musicals throughout all of middle school and was in choir throughout all of high school. I loved to perform and sing especially. Since high school, I have not been involved in any productions or singing groups so since then I guess it has become kind of a hidden talent of mine.
A person who has inspired me...
My father has been a really big inspiration for me. He is an immigrant from Colombia who came to this country by himself. He worked in a factory making very little money before he was able to make connections to start working at a real estate company. From there, he worked very hard, became a broker, and has owned his own real estate company for over 30 years now. While running his own business, he was still able to come to all of my shows, be home for dinner every day, and support me and my sister in everything. He embodies strength and perseverance. For everything he’s done and everything he is, he is my inspiration and my hero.
Biggest misconception about being a veterinarian/public health student…
I think the biggest misconception about being a veterinary student is that we get to play with animals every day. While being a veterinary student does involve a good amount of hands-on experience, a lot of our day involves lectures, anatomy lab, microscope labs, and studying. Veterinary medicine has a lot to it and, while I love playing with animals, I also love all the other aspects of my future career.
If I had a superpower, it would be...
My superpower would either be teleportation or the ability to manipulate time. I think both superpowers would be useful in veterinary medicine and in everyday life.
My no-fail, go-for-it motivational song...
Big Love Ahead — Mon Rovîa
Nina Cried Power — Hozier
AOK — Tai Verdes
The course project/study you're most excited about...
We don’t have many projects in our first two years of vet school but I guess our spays that are happening in the spring could be considered a project. I am very excited to perform my first surgery in a few months!
What excites me the most about the future of my industry...
The thing that excites me the most about the future of my industry would be the large strides that are being made to support veterinarians. This is coming both in aspects of mental health and, in the equine world, better work-life balance. I think we are just at the beginning of the great changes that are in the works and I am very excited to see what the field looks like in the future.
Favorite way to end the day...
My favorite way to end the day is laying on my couch with my dog. She’s a big snuggle bug and loves to cuddle before going to bed.
Top of my bucket list...
The top of my bucket list is to travel to Greece. I think it is such a beautiful country and I would love to visit it someday.
How many pets/animals live at home? Can you tell us about them?
I have one dog with me at school. Her name is Amaya and she is about 3 years old. I rescued her my senior year of undergrad. She was a little bit of an impulse move since I had only decided I would get a dog about a week earlier. She is originally from Alabama where she was rescued from someone’s backyard where she was living tied up. She is the sweetest girl who loves to play tug-of-war, get pets, and eat string cheese.
I also have my childhood dog back in New Jersey. His name is Buddy (but we call him Niño) and he just turned 17. He is a Pomeranian who has been with me throughout all of my milestones in life. He saw me through elementary, middle school, high school. He was there when I moved into my dorm in undergrad and when I graduated. He was here when I moved in for my first year of vet school. He still lives with my parents and is doing very well. He is a happy boy who still runs around and barks for food. He’s got a big personality and even bigger hair.
Anything else to add?
I am so happy and blessed to be able to pursue my dream here at VMCVM. To all of my fellow classmates and faculty/staff, thank you for becoming my support while I’m here and in the future. To my family, thank you for supporting me all of these years and being there throughout all the ups and downs in my veterinary journey. And to everyone else who has helped me along the way, thank you. I can’t wait to be out in the world as a veterinarian but until that day…Go Hokies!
