Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amanda Gimenez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Amanda, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was your school or training experience like? Share an anecdote or two that you feel illustrate important aspects or the overall nature of your schooling/training experience.

I entered veterinary medical school with a disability. While I had been experiencing the difficulties of my health decline throughout undergrad, the changes and rigor of becoming a doctor were entirely new. I had to work with faculty and staff to ensure accommodations were in place to create a learning environment that would work for me. I found friends who supported me and made vet school worthwhile. I had an amazing time, but I would be lying if I didn’t speak to how much I struggled navigating a dynamic disability and the demands of medical school.

Seemingly simple things like learning in anatomy lab by standing over a canine cadaver for three hours at a time, was incredibly difficult for me and often left me with debilitating pain. After the first day, I sobbed and wondered if I could actually get through four years of it. This was the first of many “what if’s” in veterinary school, but with every upset I was able to show up the next day (in this case, with a lab chair in hand) and try again. My most comforting advice is that, everyone in vet school has these moments, disabled or not. I have become creative in finding solutions for myself and that inspired me to create change and accessibility by speaking on social media about being a disabled veterinary student.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am @thedisabledvetstudent on tiktok and instagram. I use these platforms to speak about my lived experiences in veterinary school as well as how to make veterinary medicine a more inclusive space. By sharing my own experiences I have been able to connect with others and in the veterinary community beyond just school. This has led me to speak with fellow disabled students, doctors, technicians, and staff as well as educating able-bodied counterparts the opportunity to better support the community.

I am most proud of the fact that I have received messages from fellow vet students or pre-vet students who have shared with me that they applied to veterinary school because I inspired them to pursue their dream despite the doubts. I always said that I would share my very personal life on the internet as long as it helped at least one person feel less alone. I am not the most consistent post-maker on social media (I am first and foremost a busy veterinary student) but I am so grateful that this internet footprint will continue to help others and the community I care so much about.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Previously, I constantly pushed myself past my physical and mental limits in an attempt to succeed in my career path. I was a “good” pre-vet student; I worked two jobs, while attending full-time undergraduate classes, to gain research experience and in-hospital work experience. I had to maintain a good GPA and studied often until 1AM in the library most nights. I volunteered and held leadership positions in clubs and strained my capacity to handle it all until my health declined rapidly. My anxiety and depression became profound and my joints were in constant pain and strain. My body was exhausted and my health impacted every aspect of my life.

With this change, I needed support and help constantly. I was physically forced to slow down. I had to reduce my dedication to clubs and work. I stopped studying as long and as hard as I had previously been. The world then experienced a pandemic, but things moved forward anyway at this new pace and I realized that I was finding success even at this new, reduced, speed. I had to be kinder to myself and value my rest and understanding of my limits. I had to unlearn that the constant hustle and suffering is the only way to gain results. I still strive to succeed in my field, but I manage my time so that I have time to rest, I’m more honest about my abilities and availability, and I only take on projects that I am most passionate about and have time for.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

I think that I would never go back in time and choose something other than veterinary medicine. There was a time I thought about getting a PhD, but when I was deciding on my future I realized I would always regret not trying to be a vet. At some point in kindergarten, I had decided that taking care of animals and being their doctor was the best thing I could ever do and that is something that stayed constant throughout my life.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @thedisabledvetstudent
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-gimenez
• Other: TikTok: @thedisabledvetstudent