Road to Graduation: Gamen Huang
How perseverance and persistence shaped this first-generation veterinarian.
When Gamen Huang set out on her journey toward veterinary medicine, pathology had already claimed her heart. Now, as she prepares to graduate, the first stop in her career is an unexpected detour from the trajectory she expected toward pathology.
After graduation, Huang will begin working in small animal general practice in Utah, a step she didn't originally have mapped out. "My path had an unexpected turn, but I will be working in small animal GP in Utah for a couple years before pursuing a residency in anatomic pathology!" she said.
That detour, however, hasn't shaken her sense of purpose; if anything, it's sharpened it. Reflecting on how her time in vet school shaped her direction, Huang credits her clinical year, and especially her time at the diagnostic lab, with confirming what she already knew. "I already knew my heart belonged to pathology coming into vet school. As appreciative as I am for the variety of experiences during my clinical year, spending time at the diagnostic lab has definitely solidified my pathology passion," she said. "I want to get down and dirty, not only to help provide insights for clinicians and their patients, but to make a meaningful impact on conservation and global health through research and surveillance efforts."
Looking ahead, Huang says it's the uncertainty itself that excites her most. "Everything! I'm not following my original plan with residency, but my academic path [wasn't a direct path] either. I'm excited to experience everything that can happen before I go into residency, and I'm sure it'll be an adventure just like my journey to where I am now."
A First-Generation Journey
Huang's path to pursuing her DVM was shaped by more than academics. As a first-generation college student, Gamen has carried the weight of forging a path ahead with little in the way of a familial roadmap, and persevered in the face of adversity and doubt. "Getting a DVM degree is already hard in and of itself. Getting a DVM degree as a first-generation college student is hard. And getting a DVM degree as a first-generation student with almost no familial support is even harder," she said. "Veterinary medicine is something unconventional. [It's] highly looked down upon in traditional Chinese culture. I was told for years that 'sometimes a dream should just stay a dream' by my immigrant parents and made fun of behind my back by relatives that said I was wasting my life pursuing something so worthless."
For Huang, graduation carries a meaning that goes well beyond the diploma itself. "Graduating and entering into this profession is meaningful to me on multiple levels. My family gets to see me finally achieve something I've poured so much of myself into, and it's proof to myself that with enough determination and grit, I can make anything happen, regardless of what others want to say or believe."
Her advice to future applicants walking a similar road is simple, and hard-won: "For anyone who is in a similar situation, believe in yourself. If becoming a veterinarian is what you truly want, go after it. It might not happen in the exact timing or way that you want it to, but you still have to go at it with every last thing you've got."
Congratulations, Dr. Huang. The VetCat community is cheering you on every step of the way!