Not many people can say they actually spent St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland, but Erinn Williams can.
She didn’t spend her days chugging down beer at the local pubs, though.
Williams, a 1998 graduate of Oxford High School, spent her time learning more about equines at the Grey Abbey Veterinary Hospital in Kildare, Ireland, southwest of Dublin.
The 25-year-old resident of Lansing graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in zoology in 2002 and decided to take the educational trip to Ireland after visiting the Irish National Stud Farm on a previous trip.
A stud farm keeps stallions on-site so owners can bring their mares to breed there.
‘I e-mailed the head veterinarian at the (farm) and was told that if I could make time in March, she’d be more than willing to let me shadow her for three weeks,? Williams said.
Williams left for Ireland from March 5-25, which is peak breeding season for horses.
She spent her mornings at the stud farm, examining newborn foals, treating sick foals and scanning mares to determine a breeding date.
‘In the afternoon, I either went back to the stud farm or out on the road with one of the vets at the practice,? she said. ‘We did everything from vaccinating to stitching cuts.?
Williams said she learned how to determine which horses should breed and when, quarantine and foaling procedures and about lameness in thoroughbred racers.
She admitted differences in European and American veterinary medicine made it challenging.
‘Drug names are completely different, which makes it confusing for someone used to certain trade names,? she explained. ‘There are also several drugs that are used overseas which are unavailable in the US at this time.?
Another difference Williams noticed was how European veterinarians handle their cases.
‘For the most part, I felt that they were much less aggressive in managing their cases unless it was a particularly valuable horse,? she said.
When Williams wasn’t working at the stud farm, she spent the weekends traveling the beautiful Emerald Isle and visited the famous Waterford Crystal factory.
The local residents were very friendly, particularly the owner of the bed and breakfast where she stayed.
‘She made sure there was a fire blazing every night for me and really had great stories to share,? she said.
She even admits driving on the wrong side of the road ‘isn’t as tricky as everyone says.?
‘The hardest part for me was actually getting in the car on the correct side,? she joked. ‘Then you just had to watch out for road signs pointing in the wrong direction.?
Because Williams said she learned so much from her study abroad, she urges other veterinary students to do the same.
‘It’s an amazing opportunity that allows you to see an entirely different perspective on the field of veterinary medicine,? she said. ‘I also think it’s nice to see a bit more of the world before you graduate and start working long hours, when you’ll no longer have time for something like this.?
Williams will graduate with her D.V.M. (doctor of veterinary medicine) May 5 from the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
She will attend a 1-year internship at Willamette Valley Equine Hospital in Aurora, Oregon, where she will focus primarily on surgery.
After that, she’s considering pursuing a residency in equine surgery or reproduction.