Student Volunteers Jump in to Fill the Summer Gap at Tufts at Tech

Dedication is the engine behind Tufts at Tech Community Veterinary Clinic—the dedication of the leadership team and staff, high school and veterinary students in training, and an impressive number of volunteers showing up at the clinic every day to help provide affordable veterinary care for pets in need. During the summer, when the students at Worcester Technical High School are on break, Tufts at Tech relies heavily on volunteers to fill the gap. 

Twenty students from Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University stepped up this summer to donate their time to help keep the clinic running smoothly, and in turn, gained valuable experience in community medicine and a glimpse into clinics.

“Summer volunteers are absolutely essential to our programming,” says Dr. Kayla Sample, VI19, VR24 (she/her), assistant clinical professor of community medicine in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at Cummings School, who oversees the student volunteers with Pamela Houde, veterinary technician and clinic supervisor at Tufts at Tech. “Volunteers are coming in multiple days a week, working for free, and working hard. We are grateful for everything they’ve done and for having so many students to rely on to make sure our mission happens—that our community receives care.”

Tufts at Tech volunteers span from across Cummings School and the local community. Every summer, an influx of Cummings School students fills the ranks of volunteers at Tufts at Tech, ready to help and to learn. Student volunteers are often the first faces clients see when they arrive at the clinic. Students gather patient histories, assist students on rotation with such responsibilities as preparing vaccines and diagnostic materials, and checking on lab results. They learn to manage different diseases, talk with pet owners, and observe procedures such as ultrasounds, blood draws, and surgeries.

“The clinic is full of learners at different levels—high school, interns, residents, fourth-years—the entire clinic is set up for learning,” says Sample. “If you have a question, it will be answered. The students get exposure, technical skills, and the excitement of what fourth year is going to look like.”

For many volunteers, Tufts at Tech is their first exposure to community medicine. “The students start to understand that regardless of someone’s financial resources, everyone loves their pets. There’s a lot we can do as veterinarians to listen and work with clients and start to understand what that spectrum of care looks like,” says Sample.

Dr. Gregory Wolfus, V98 (he/him), is the founding director of Tufts at Tech and associate clinical professor in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at Cummings School. “Spending time in our community care clinic gives the students the opportunity to practice while helping to overcome barriers to care; these are critical foundational experiences to become a veterinarian. It plants the seed to help them grow into the future community veterinarians they hope to be.” 

Kaleigh Simmons, V28 
What will you take away from your experiences at Tufts at Tech?
“I’m taking away a newfound passion for community medicine and firsthand experience with how important the spectrum of care is in veterinary medicine. Since the very beginning of my veterinary education here at Tufts, we’ve been encouraged to understand that pet owners of all different backgrounds, circumstances, and finances will come to us for help, and it’s our job to work with what we have to support the human-animal bond in front of us. This summer, I’ve been able to develop my understanding of what it means to provide accessible veterinary care and help contribute to Tufts at Tech’s mission of helping people and their pets when they need it most. It has been invaluable to understand the role of a student doctor and see just how much hands-on experience they get here at Tufts at Tech. I’m so grateful to have been a part of this community this summer.”

Sara Paucar, V28
Many Tufts at Tech clients speak Spanish as their primary language. Fluent in Spanish, Paucar often translated for pet owners to eliminate that barrier to care. 
“Being an immigrant myself and coming from a low-income background, this experience has been especially meaningful to me on a personal level. Growing up, my mom and I often found ourselves in situations where we did not have access to translation or someone who could help us understand what was being said in various difficult moments of our lives. I remember how confusing and, at times, frightening it could feel to navigate important situations without fully understanding the language or knowing where to turn for help. Because of those experiences, being able to provide that sense of understanding and reassurance to Spanish-speaking clients at the clinic has been incredibly rewarding. In many ways, being able to do this feels like turning an experience that was once overwhelming and isolating for my family into an opportunity to make a difference for others. It is a way of giving back that I never imagined I would have the chance to do, and I truly value being able to provide that sense of understanding and reassurance because I know firsthand how meaningful it can be to have someone take the time to explain things, listen to your concerns, and make you feel less alone.”

Sarah Williams, V28 (she/her)
What are your most memorable experiences volunteering at Tufts at Tech?
“The moments that have stuck with me most are the ones behind the scenes. The quieter moments in the treatment room when appointments have ended, pets are filtering out, and we gather to talk about the day. At the end of each shift, the veterinarians on staff offer a question to the students to reflect on. One day that question was, ‘What kind of veterinarian do you want to be?’ Not meaning our interests or specializations, but who we personally and emotionally aspire to be as human beings. Some answered with, ‘I want to be compassionate.’ Others said, ‘I want to lift up those around me,’ or even, ‘I want to take better care of myself so I can take better care of others.’ Even the established veterinarians joined in, expressing their continuing desire to grow as people. It hit me how this, right here, is how we raise the next generation of doctors to be the best versions of themselves. It is so encouraging to see our mentors, some of whom have been in the profession for years, still aspiring to be people who do the most good that they possibly can. That tells us as students that it is never too late to grow, and it is never too late to make a difference in the world.”

Ethan Sicher, V28 
What will you take away from your experiences at Tufts at Tech?
“I'm taking away a better understanding of how to provide quality veterinary care on a budget. To me, that's what this field is all about—you will always be on your client's budget when you're out in the real world. These are things that you don't learn from a textbook, but rather from veterinarians who are really good at it. I'm lucky to go to a school that has several working at this clinic, eager to teach us.”

Jacqueline Koo, V28
What have you enjoyed most about volunteering at Tufts at Tech? 
“What I have really enjoyed seeing at Tufts at Tech is the students gaining confidence every day, whether they are high school students or clinical rotation students. I love watching the rotation students grow in their comfort talking to clients and advocating for their patients. Along the same lines, I enjoy seeing clients feeling empowered to do what they can for their pets with the affordable pricing that Tufts at Tech offers. Overall, it is an incredible experience because you can see how much everyone—from students to doctors to clients—cares about the animals and their bonds to their owners.”