Scott Davis, Class of 2002
On the other side of the globe from Helena, Scott Davis has no regrets about his choice to go abroad to begin his career in medicine. After graduating with a biology degree from Carroll in 2002, Scott attended veterinary school at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Pullman, Wash., where he finished in the top third of his class. He then made the bold move of accepting an academic internship in companion animal surgery at Massey University, located in Palmerston North, New Zealand.
"I had applied for multiple internships throughout the U.S., and it was more or less a fluke that I applied for the New Zealand school. The advertisement for the Massey position was forwarded to me by one of my surgery professors at WSU. I figured it wouldn't hurt to apply, though I'd never thought about taking my training overseas before. Long story short, I was offered and accepted the New Zealand position," Scott says, noting that Massey University is New Zealand's only veterinary school and, like U.S. schools, is approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
When he moved to New Zealand and started the internship in July 2006, he knew no one in country but soon made friends and dove into the internship's long hours and late nights. For 18 months, he focused on surgical treatment, including teaching spay and neuter techniques to final-year veterinary students, assisting the primary surgeons in the operating theatre, and managing cases in the pre- and post-operative phases. He also submitted case studies for publication, including one studying the long-term outcomes of surgically treating femur fractures in working dogs. "Working dogs are a unique aspect of veterinary medicine here in New Zealand because so much of the country is agricultural," Scott notes.
While he enjoyed small animal surgery, Scott developed keen interests in epidemiology and zoonotic diseases (diseases transmittable from animals to humans) and aims to pursue them. For now, following his hunger to see Australia, he has accepted a small animal practice Broome, in a small town in the northwest corner of Australia. He plans to spend the next year working throughout Australia, but ultimately, his goal is to return to Montana.
"The experience of living abroad and meeting new people was exhilarating," Scott says. "I am blessed in the many ways my life has spread out before me and can honestly say that my experiences at Carroll are probably in large part responsible for my successes in graduate school and now these travels abroad. In particular, I still maintain friendships with many in the Carroll academic community and remember my years at Carroll as some of the best of my life.
"I would encourage people to think outside the States when considering post-graduate training. Carroll is a great stepping stone to the world stage, and I have found that the education Carroll provided is far above average and has prepared me admirably for my adventures."
In addition to working to improve the lives of his animal patients, Scott enjoys some fishing, backpacking and diving during his leisure time in Montana-esque summer weather Down Under.
