FGCU’s pre-professional track prepares SW Florida veterinarians
6 – minute read
Humorist Will Rogers famously observed that veterinarians are the best doctors in the world because they can’t ask their patients what is wrong. Instead, they just have to know.
Florida Gulf Coast University is helping train some of those “best doctors in the world” through a pre-health professional track for future veterinarians. Part of FGCU’s OneHealth Pre-Professional Programs, the pre-vet path is designed to prepare graduates to earn doctoral degrees in veterinary medicine after completing their bachelor’s degrees at FGCU.
In addition to helping prepare students for further study in veterinary medicine, OneHealth offers tracts toward careers in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, anesthesiology, optometry, audiology and other specialties.
For veterinarians, Southwest Florida’s high level of biodiversity — including terrestrial and aquatic wildlife — provides a diverse, fertile training ground beyond typical house pets, said Steven Fiester. He coordinates the OneHealth program and is an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences.
“FGCU is a particularly beneficial location for students with interests in animal medicine due to the unique environment here. There are many areas where prospective vet students could gain experience with sea turtles, birds and animal parasitology, to name a few at FGCU specifically,” Fiester said.
“Additional institutions such as the Wonder Gardens, Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, and Charlotte Harbor Field Lab also offer our students unique experiences.”
The pre-vet track produces about 30 graduates each year, with most of them fanning out across the nation to continue their studies.
“This is not surprising, as there are only about 31 veterinarian schools in the United States,” Fiester said. “The only accredited vet school in Florida currently is at the University of Florida. We have students who attend UF, but considering the number of vet school applicants and the finite number of seats at UF, it makes sense that many would go out of state.”
FGCU grads caring for Southwest Florida’s pets
After completing veterinary school, some of those FGCU alumni return to Southwest Florida to pursue their careers.
Among them is Meghan Schuman, who received her bachelor’s degree in biology in 2009 before heading to Southern California to earn her doctoral degree in veterinary medicine from Western University of Health Sciences in 2017.
Schuman, who also received training in veterinary acupuncture and rehabilitation at schools in Colorado and Tennessee, now works as associate veterinarian at Viscaya Prado Veterinary Hospital in her childhood hometown of Cape Coral.
In addition, she owns a veterinary acupuncture and rehab practice called Paws on Point, and she works with the Cape Coral Animal Shelter, where she performs surgeries as part of its feral cat trap-neuter-vaccinate-and-release program.
“I was one of your typical ‘wanted to be a vet since you were a kid’ stories,” she said. “I enjoyed science classes from a young age and thought medicine was interesting. I started working at a clinic in high school, and I found every aspect of the job exciting, even reading fecal samples to look for parasites.”
Schuman said she selected FGCU to begin her career journey because of its proximity to home and its size — not too big and not too small.
“It felt like home but was far enough away to make me feel like I was still getting a full college experience,” she said. “My classes were small enough that I felt like my professors could actually get to know me and understand what my long-term goals were. I utilized office hours often, which gave me confidence to reach out for help and verbalize if I was struggling.”
Exceptional mentors at FGCU
FGCU graduate Meghan Finley Dennis, owner of Hancock Animal Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in North Fort Myers, shares with Schuman more than a first name and an appreciation for her alma mater; she also shares a profession rooted in a youthful love of animals.
“While I initially had doubts about whether becoming a veterinarian was the right path for me, seeing it as just a childhood dream, I was drawn to FGCU because my family and I had been visiting Southwest Florida for years. It felt like the right environment to pursue my education and future aspirations,” said Dennis. She hails from Medinah, Illinois, and moved to Bonita Springs with her parents after completing high school.
Dennis graduated from FGCU in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, with minors in biology, music and interdisciplinary studies. She completed a clinical year at Texas A&M University before finishing her doctorate at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in St. Kitts and Nevis in 2017.
“During my time at FGCU, I was fortunate to have exceptional mentors in the College of Arts & Sciences who played pivotal roles in shaping my educational journey and fostering my passion for learning,” said Dennis, who later earned certifications in acupuncture, rehabilitation and chiropractic care for animals.
“My time at FGCU was really diverse, and I feel lucky to have been able to study chemistry while also being involved in the music department and cheerleading. I think being well-rounded has really helped me find a good work-life balance as an adult — juggling kids, practicing medicine and starting my own successful business,” she said.