Prestigious Scholarship Recipient

Hannah McCarthy (she/her), a third-year veterinary student at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University has been selected to receive the prestigious Steve Marton Veterinary Student Scholarship from PetSmart Charities.

The $50,000 scholarship is awarded to three influential veterinary students on the forefront of providing accessible veterinary care in under-resourced communities. Recipients were selected from applications submitted by second- or third-year veterinary students nationwide.

A St. Louis native, McCarthy earned a B.A. in animal rights, welfare, and medicine [a self-created major] from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, then worked for two years as a technician in shelter and community clinics in the New Orleans area.

“Tufts [Cummings School] has always been my dream school because they’ve led the movement in animal welfare-focused programs, such as the animal donation program. It was important to me that I felt comfortable learning from them,” she says.

On campus, McCarthy feels fortunate to have learned from highly-experienced mentors, such as Dr. Emily McCobb, V00, VG02 (she/her), associate clinical professor, Department of Clinical Sciences, and director of the School’s Shelter Medicine Program; and Dr. Jenni Grady, V12 (she/her), assistant clinical professor, Department of Clinical Sciences and Tufts at Tech Community Veterinary Clinic.

“Dr. McCobb is the primary ‘go-to’ for shelter and community medicine,” McCarthy explains. “She’s always willing to answer questions and provide networking opportunities when I’ve reached out. And Dr. Grady has been wonderful. I talk to her so much. I helped at Tufts at Tech for eight months before I was in clinics [fourth-year clinical rotations, which she began in April] just to be in the community clinic environment and working with her, which was awesome.”

McCarthy applied for the PetSmart Charities Scholarship, writing an essay, and gathering and submitting recommendations, and was shocked, at first, to learn she was a recipient.

“It’s wonderful because I feel like community medicine doesn’t get a lot of attention, and it’s nice to feel that it is being thought of in such a positive light.”

And she’s happy to be at Cummings School. “I’ve learned so much,” she says. “I think it’s important to find the kind of people who either practice the medicine or embody the career that you want. They’ve shown me how to be a community medicine doctor.”

McCarthy shares that her outgoing nature as an extrovert has helped to gain several learning opportunities during her time on campus. “I’ve sought out advisors in different areas and asked them for opportunities, then consistently showed up and demonstrated my interest, which has helped me to land externships and surgery experiences,” she says.

After graduation, McCarthy plans to work for an organization that allows her to practice community and shelter medicine. “I’ve been working for nonprofits and shelters since I was 14, so I’ll continue to do that.”

A shelter medicine enthusiast, she is the proud owner of seven rescued pets—five cats and two dogs. “I’ve fostered more than 200 animals from various rescues where I’ve either worked or volunteered since I was 18.” 

And that is a commitment to one’s craft.