Student Spotlight: Natasha Welch

Natasha Welch

DVM Class of 2025, Small Animal

Hometown: Virginia Beach, Virginia

My undergraduate was in…

Animal & Poultry Sciences with Emphasis on Companion and Lab Animals

Best part of being a VMCVM student…

The best part of being a VMCVM student is being proud to represent a school that views students holistically. I did not have the best undergraduate GPA but I do possess a sincere love for this profession and the people we serve. VMCVM saw something in me to be called be to the greatest profession in the world. I am forever grateful!

The moment I knew I wanted to be a veterinarian/public health professional was…

Growing up there was never an “aha” moment for me. I would constantly see how sacred the human-animal bond is and knew that one day I would be a vessel to preserve this bond by way of treating animals!

A person who has inspired me...

My best friend and future college: Dr. Ariana Rahman, DVM ‘23. We met in 2017 during VMCVM’s VetTRAC program and quickly discovered that we are birthday twins and have very similar personalities. After two applications cycles, she reminded about what resiliency looks like and to continue pushing towards my dream of becoming a veterinarian. Through her selfless actions and support, she continuously inspires me to change my perspective for the positive regardless of any circumstance.

Biggest misconception about being a veterinarian/public health student…

The biggest misconception is that we’re all in competition to reach the top. My class has proven that to be so far from the truth. For the past year and a half, we have been maintaining a class “study central” where classmates can share study materials and resources specific to each course we take. The commitment my classmates have towards academic achievement for everyone in the class has made me so proud.

If I had a superpower it would be...

The ability to provide unlimited resources of any kind to people and pets in need! I do plan to work on developing this superpower as matriculate in the program and become a veterinarian!

What excites me the most about the future of my industry....

I want to become a small animal soft tissue surgeon, so what excites me the most about the industry is future innovations that will allow for extensive and effective treatment of tough diseases and conditions in small animals.

Favorite way to end the day...

My favorite way to end the day is actually a bubble bath - with extra bubbles! I give myself time to unwind and debrief the day in my mind so that I can get a restful sleep for the next day.

How many pets do you have? Types?

I have my family dog, Bentley, who was treated by Dr. Fowler and the Neurology team at VMCVM. They brought him back to great health after he came down with a very scary condition - thank you all again!! I also adopted my fur baby Jenny from VMCVM after I got to socialize her during first year! Bentley and Jenny are the best of friends now.

Anything else to add?

I just wanted to give a quick piece of encouragement to all the pre-veterinary students out there waiting for that acceptance: when it is your time, everything will fall into place. If you’ve been given this dream, it will happen!