First Generation, Far From Home: Navigating Veterinary Medicine Without a Map

I was up until late last night navigating the multiple tabs in my browser, trying to find a definition for a “first-generation student (FGS) in veterinary medicine.” As I read the diverse sources, I dove deep into the weeds of the etymological descriptions, the social constructs, the expert definitions, and the published research. The Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges define an FGS as “one whose parent or legal guardian has not completed a bachelor’s degree.” This indicator, while useful in admissions, is not meant to stand alone, and it helps identify applicants from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and has enabled researchers to explore disparities in veterinary education.

This article is brought to you in partnership with Pawsibilities Vet Med.

The Many Definitions of First Generation

One recent study from Germany defined FGS as “individuals whose parents do not possess an academic educational background” (referred to in German as Arbeiterkinder, or “working-class children” or “children of workers”).¹ As I sifted through papers and notes, I paused. A thought crept in: Am I truly a first-generation student in veterinary medicine? I reread the email inviting me to write this piece, and it mentioned “first-generation in terms of pursuing higher education internationally.” That phrasing clicked. The itch to write returned.

Definitions are helpful, but in my career as a veterinary pathologist, I have learned that standards and borders often fail to capture the full picture. There are always outliers, variables, and nuances. This is more philosophical than scientific: How do you measure experience? Standardize emotion? Capture overlapping, multilayered data? While tools exist, this article is not about them. It is about my perspective, my journey, and the insights I have gathered.

Veterinary students and early-career veterinarians face many challenges. From choosing the profession to landing their first job, background plays a significant role. If your social circle does not understand your choices or the path you are on, the journey becomes even harder. That is why this topic matters; many in our field are unaware of the knowledge gap affecting first-generation students in veterinary medicine.

A Different Kind of First-Generation Student

I have always embraced being an outlier. It shaped who I am. I may not fit the traditional definition of a first-generation veterinary student, but I have reinvented myself multiple times, navigating unfamiliar systems with optimism, or perhaps naïveté.

I was born in Chile, in the southern end of the world. I had privileges: a stable household, educated parents (a chemistry professor and a social worker/psychologist), an older sister who is also a veterinarian, and access to quality education. On paper, I do not fit the FGS mold. But beneath that, there was always a yearning, an unceasing desire to get to know the world and explore new opportunities, like the German term “wanderlust” but for professional growth. Together with my partner, we embarked on a postgraduate journey that took us from Chile to the U.S. and Germany, becoming the “first generation” in our circles to pursue specialized veterinary education internationally.

The experience was exhilarating and daunting. We did not know where to start, what documents to submit, how to translate them, or who to ask. Few Chilean students had studied abroad, and only a handful of professors could guide us. Financial stress loomed large. Securing scholarships for our master of preventive veterinary medicine (MPVM) at the University of California, Davis, felt nearly impossible. We worked to support ourselves, and our funding only covered 1 year.

We built a network from scratch, from professors to peers and fellow international students. No one talked about the challenges: navigating campus, registering as international students, getting social security numbers and driver’s licenses, or waiting weeks for scholarship funds to arrive while the rent was due. Our MPVM cohort, diverse and global, became our anchor. We shared struggles, missed our families, and exchanged tips on hidden scholarships and resources. That network of trust still exists today.

Once we completed the first year of the master’s program, the uncertain question of whether we could secure the scholarship for another year pushed us to reopen our wings and start a new adventure. After briefly defending our MPVM projects, I was selected for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship, which led me to pursue a PhD and advanced pathology training at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover in Germany. It was a fresh start: a new country, culture, language, and academic system. We were all in for this one, and it was even more challenging, not just for the simple fact that I could not speak the language, but also because there were so many new factors, and the challenges were different but just as intense.

The language was a big barrier for me, and it was daunting because I really appreciate good conversations and interactions. For months, I could not connect with my German peers because they just were not willing to speak in English, so it was very isolating. However, I was lucky to have 9 other classmates from the fellowship that were going through the same with me! The fellowship program included German language classes twice a week for 4 years, and I really wanted to learn, so I was there throughout the whole 4 years. After a few months I was able to understand colloquial German, and after probably 6 months I overcame my own fear of failure and shame for not having a perfect vocabulary or accent and I started speaking with my peers and professors in German. The program was in English, so that facilitated the learning process, but socially, to be able to speak German was a great advance and a wise move. I wanted to keep my own identity, as I knew I was not going to become a German, but my persistence and willingness to communicate in their own language really facilitated things around my daily routines and with the people at the institute. Now, I was able to share my views and my culture and spread the word about being the first one that looked like me in their environment.

For me, having the support from my family and friends really helped. I started writing my experiences in a blog (yes, that was a long time ago!) in Nature Blogs, and I started participating in a group of Chilean postgraduate students, a student diaspora called Encuentros, that organized meetings all over the world to spread the word about the research that we were doing but also to create amazing collaborations. All those experiences really encouraged me to continue searching for unexpected places to find a network of support and information.

Other challenges were as trivial as understanding the transport system, the registration in the city, going to the embassy, getting a driver’s license, and to continue to be away from my loved ones. My family and friends were on a different continent, on a different time schedule, and still 13 thousand kilometers away. Overall, 5 years passed during this journey abroad, and I do not regret a second—the tears and laughs, the growth, and the pain. I would do it all over again.

Common Challenges for First-Generation Veterinary Medical Students

If you see some commonalities in these 2 experiences, it is because you have been able to see through my eyes and peek into my world for just a few minutes, and these experiences are not unique to me. These lived experiences are shared between many of us in veterinary medicine, at various levels and in many different versions as evidenced by multiple first-hand accounts.^2-4 The recurring challenges that I can identify are:

1. Admissions and documentation – Navigating school certificates, translations, and application processes (BOX 1)

2. Educational training – Adapting to new academic expectations and systems (BOX 2) 

3. Financial stress – Securing scholarships, employment, and planning for the future (BOX 3) 

4. Mentorship and community – Finding support, guidance, and a sense of belonging (BOXES 4 AND 5)

These factors are well-documented.^5,6 Now, as a profession, we must act. Structured mentoring programs can offer the support FGSs need, such as guidance, encouragement, and connection.⁷ Organizations such as Pawsibilities Vet Med (pawsibilitiesvetmed.com) and blendVET (blend.vet) are already making a difference, offering toolkits, resources, and opportunities for kids and teenagers, undergraduate students, current veterinary students, and veterinary professionals.⁸ Support from universities (e.g., funds, scholarships, training, services) to care for these students is important and should be encouraged.^9,10

Creating awareness of students’ social backgrounds, within universities and across the veterinary industry, is essential. When traditional support systems fall short, institutions must step in. The first step is fostering empathy and understanding among faculty, professionals, and students. The second step is yours to take.