Looking back on my university life, I think that in addition to daily study and laboratory activities, I spent my free time in club activities, circles, and part-time jobs. As for the laboratory, I chose the anatomy laboratory because I admired the seniors in the laboratory who taught me difficult topics in an easy-to-understand manner during anatomy practice in my second year of university. After joining the laboratory, I spent every day in practical training and research. In practical training, I was conscious of how to communicate in an easy-to-understand manner to each junior student, and made efforts to become closer to the image of the seniors I had admired. As for employment, I wanted to become a veterinarian who can contribute widely to my hometown, where my family supported me until graduation, so I decided to work in Miyagi Prefecture as a civil servant veterinarian.

I am currently a member of the Northern Miyagi Prefecture Livestock Health Center (hereafter referred to as "Ieho"). The main duties of the IES are to prevent outbreaks and the spread of infectious diseases in livestock. Specifically, these include inspections for yaws disease, avian influenza, and other diseases based on the law, prophylactic vaccination against swine fever, and hygiene guidance to farmers. In addition, in the event of an outbreak of avian influenza or swine fever, it is also the job of the IES to be on the front lines of quarantine operations such as killing and disinfection. In the area under my jurisdiction, the number of livestock farmers is very large, so I inspect cattle, pigs, chickens, and sometimes bees and sheep on a daily basis. I have a lot of relationships with livestock farmers and related organizations, and I feel that I have a great many opportunities to learn about things other than quarantine work for livestock insurance. What I feel is important about being a public veterinarian is the importance of the ability to communicate things to others. When explaining sanitary inspections and guidance to livestock farmers in veterinary or civil service language that they do not use in their daily lives, it is difficult to gain their understanding. By being conscious of how to put specialized information into easy-to-understand terms, I feel that I am able to gain the understanding of the farmers and gain their cooperation. The ability to communicate, which I developed through practical training when I was in the laboratory, is very useful at my current workplace.

You never know what your college experience will bring you. I hope that all of you juniors will enjoy your life in Towada, take on various challenges, and have a fruitful student life.
Also, if you are interested, let's work together as public service veterinarians.