Disney World is rightly considered one of the most magical places in the world. For second year veterinary student Christian Capobianco, this enchanted place sparked his passion for zoological medicine.
In this episode of the Vet Blast Podcast, Capobianco shares more about his magical path to zoology and wildlife medicine and offers wisdom words to pre-veterinary students.
A dream came true
“I remember the first time I knew I wanted to be a vet, and it actually happened in Disney’s animal kingdom,” he tells Adam Christman, DVM, MBA.
Years ago, while on a family trip to Disney World, Copbianco watched veterinarians at Rafiki’s Planet Watch in Animal Kingdom perform an operation on a lion. Then the light bulb went out for him. “From then on, I thought I was going to be a vet and I was going to work with these wild and strange creatures that no one else would want to work with,” he says.
When Capobianco, a native of Long Island, New York, was a junior high school, he chose to attend the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University because of his accredited exotic program. His family moved to North Carolina in support of his persecution.
After completing his bachelor’s degree in animal sciences, Capobianco had a 6 month window of opportunity before entering veterinary school and decided to apply for Disney’s internship in veterinary and conservation education. He was convinced that he would be selected for the Veterinary Fellowship, but was instead selected for the Conservation Fellowship. At first he was disappointed, but soon realized that it was the best thing that could ever happen to him. Learned the lesson? Not everything goes as planned, but in the end, your dreams may still come true.
Tips for pre-veterinary students
Capobianco’s advice to stressed vet students who are unsure of their future is to make yourself comfortable and trust that things are going the way they should. In terms of applications, he recommends highlighting what sets you apart.
“I was one of those pre-veterinary students who, like many in the veterinary field, were Type A. I needed all of my applications to be perfect and to document all of my experiences, ”he says. “You need to remember that when you apply to school you will see a lot of applications. So you have to find what makes you special and different and make sure that you take this into account in your application. “
Hear more about Capobianco’s magical path to zoological medicine, and a fun fact about him, below.