JACKSONVILLE — Four Jacksonville students have spent their summer cleaning kennels, feeding animals and assisting in small animal surgery.

These students are enrolled in veterinary science, or small animal management, offered at Jacksonville ISD and are logging 500 hours with Animal Medical Clinic under the supervision of Dr. Ira Stephens and his staff.

“The school has offered small animal management as a class in previous years, but this is the first veterinary medical application to be offered, “ said Katy Sheffield, agriculture science instructor. “After the students log 500 hours and complete the check list they have required to perform the skills, they can apply to take the exam. Once they take the exam and pass with a 70 percent or higher, they become a certified assistant veterinarian.”

Sheffield said the program is a three level certification. The students are currently working toward their level one and once they pass their exam, they can pursue level two.

“After level one, they have to be in a clinic for six months before they can apply and take the next level test,” she said.

Sheffield said the program is classified as an elective and something students can pursue at a post secondary institution or have as an option later on in life.

“The reason I pursued getting this class offered is because at the beginning of last year, I passed out an information card and ask they students, 'what do you want to do after high school?'” she said. “A lot of the kids said they wanted to be veterinarians. So I thought what better way to get first hand experience than at a veterinary clinic.”

More than they imagined, junior Crystal Leon and senior Ciana Rains are close to their log hour completion and have seen and done more than they bargained for.

“It is one of those careers that never get boring,” Rains said. “The first day I came in, Doc was doing an autopsy. A dog got hit by a car and the owners wanted to find out what exactly killed him. Doc said, 'I want you to find the kidney.' I think I pulled out the pancreas. Since the first day it's been crazy and it hasn't calmed down any since.”

Leon said as gruesome as the job can get, eye enucleation is her favorite part of the job.

“Eye enucleation is when they remove the eyeball from a cat or a dog because it is damaged or there's an infection,” she said. “It's gross, but you have to put up with it because it's part of the job and you learn from it.”

The girls said they didn't join the program just to pass time, but a passion deep within called to the aid of animals.

“I've always been interested in several ag classes,” Rains said. “I've taken almost every ag class offered . When (Sheffield) told me they were offering this class, I've always been interested in the veterinary aspect of it. It's different than I expected, but I plan on pursuing it.”

Leon said she had a veterinary calling at a young age.

“I grew up wanting to be a vet, so by doing this, I'm trying to accomplish my dream,” she said.

Rains said working with the animals hands on, the experience has changed her mind on medical procedure of animals.

“Before I started working here, I was really against the euthanization of any animals,” she said. “But then you get here, see what they animals are going through and you start understanding that anything a human goes through, a dog can go through. So it's definitely has changed my aspect on everything.”

They student's work day consists of arriving at 7 a.m., cleaning the kennels, feeding the animals, cleaning the office and procedure rooms and preparing for surgeries in the morning.

Stephens said several years ago he had some nursing students come to the clinic to observe. He said when he asked them to retrieve blood, they did not know what to do because they did not have hands-on experience.

“Here it is hands-on so they are actually learning,” he said. “I think they like that rather than just standing back and watching.”

Sheffield said when the students go to college, with their certification, they could work at a veterinary clinic simultaneously.

“I don't know if they knew this much about the profession before they began working at the clinic, but they're already savy on so many things happening in the clinic,” She said. “I'm really proud of them and it's inspiring to see kids at such a young age getting in the clinic and working to achieve their goals.”