Karen Alroy Student Profile

Karen Alroy

Choosing the Cummings School

I was impressed by the caliber of students and faculty at Tufts. The faculty who focus in the fields of wildlife and international veterinary medicine make Tufts one of the leading veterinary schools in conservation medicine. The DVM/MPH combined program was also a big draw, as I highly value interdisciplinary education.

Education

  • BS in Biology and Environmental Studies, Tufts University, 2005

Tufts Student Organizations

  • Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association
  • Wildlife, Aquatics, Zoo and Exotics Medicine (WAZE)
  • Veterinarians for Global Solutions

The Campus

The camaraderie that you will develop with your vet school classmates is bar none. The other ninety or so students in my class feel like family, and I am truly honored and excited that they are my future colleagues.

Research Opportunities

As a leading institution in international veterinary medicine and veterinary public health, the administration was very encouraging when I chose to apply for a Fogarty International Clinical Research Scholarship. This highly competitive training program is a year-long international fellowship that offers an intensive learning experience in global health research. While it primarily trains human medical students, several of the program's first veterinary participants have been from Tufts.

What do you hope to do with your DVM degree?

I hope to pursue a career in conservation medicine, bridging issues of animal, environmental and human public health. While I imagine that my primary work will be in research and policy, I also truly enjoy clinical medicine, and I plan to do relief and volunteer work in small animal and wildlife medicine.

What are you most looking forward to this academic year?

Working in the hospital while on my senior year rotations has been excellent so far, and I am looking forward to new rotations in the coming months. By learning the material in a clinical context, I am gaining a deeper understanding of physiology and medicine. The hours are long, but it is fun and I am never bored!

What has been your favorite vet school experience so far?

My favorite vet school moments have been the times when I could use the knowledge and skills that I have learned so far and apply them in a community setting. There are great opportunities to volunteer at feral cat spay labs on campus, in remote communities with RAVS (Rural Area Veterinary Services), or even small animal vaccination clinics here in Worcester. It makes all the hard work feel so worthwhile.