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How Veterinary School is the real world equivalent of Hogwarts.

For many veterinary students this profession has been a dream from when they were in kindergarten, much like a young witch or wizard hoping that they get their very own acceptance letter to Hogwarts when they turn 11. Most of them are fairly confident that they are getting it, because they are purebloods (or in muggle terms a legacy student). While others, like myself, are hoping that there magical ability (academic accomplishment and extracurricular activities) were enough to earn them a spot. No matter the background every young witch or wizard is ecstatic when they finally get that letter.

Once accepted, there is a whirlwind of things that need to be accomplished prior to getting on the Hogwart’s express. First you have to go to Diagon Alley (Amazon) to purchase their many school supplies: books, robes (spirit gear/ scrubs), wands (dissection kit), and trunks (backpacks). Getting off the train and arriving to Hogwarts (Veterinary school) you are greeted by the larger than life groundskeeper, Hagrid, who shuttles you across the Black lake to the castle. The whole time all the first years students are getting acquainted and more excited to actually enter the school.

At our college we have a whole week of orientation, you are greeted by the larger than life dean of student’s and many other higher ups in the college. You are given a tour of the hospital by some of the upper classmen. During this orientation process, much like Hogwarts, our school has houses that you are sorted into. These houses compete throughout the year in various activities to build up the students morale and build bonds that will last a life time.

There are so many classes that you go through in veterinary school that honestly have a Hogwarts counterpart:

Potions= Pharmacology

Care of Magical Creatures= Medicine Courses

Charms= Emergency Medicine/ Pain management

Astronomy= Radiology

Defence Against the Dark Arts= Bacteriology/ Mycology/ Parasitology/ Virology

History of Magic= History of Veterinary Medicine

Herbology= Toxicology

Devination= Clinical Pathology and Veterinary Neuroscience

Transfiguration=Surgery

And with each of those courses comes the many professors and the personalities they bring with them.

The Professor Snape: A professor/ clinician that instills fear in every student they come across. They may have a few students that they tolerate more than others but for the most part they hate students. They would really prefer tinkering by themselves and work on different research projects but because this is a teaching hospital they are forced to interact with people. But in their own words “I am tenured so what are they going to do?”

The Professor Kettleburn: A professor/ clinician that loves all animals, no matter how dangerous they are or how often said animal has tried to kill them. They have some of the coolest war stories around but they also have the associated battle scars. You wish you were as brave as they were but you also question their sanity.

The Professor Binns: A professor/ clinician that drones on and on and doesn’t even notice that half of the class is not paying attention, while the other half of the class has fallen asleep. Sometimes they even bore themselves while they are lecturing on the subject.

The Professor Flitwick: A professor/ clinician that is very eccentric and likable. They always seem to be in a happy mood and will do anything in their power to brighten your day. Often times they are exceptional in their specialty making them a force to be reckoned with.

The Professor McGonagall: The professor/ clinician that seems very serious when you first meet them but as the years go on you realize that they are one of the students biggest supporters. They are hard on you when they need to be, but they are understanding and helpful when it is most needed. They are astounding in their field and are respected by all that know them.

The Professor Sprout: The professor/ clinician that is very earthy and was likely your toxicology professor. They don’t really deal with animals a whole lot but they deal with the plants that could kill said animals. They are the leader of the misfits but they are very likable people.

The Professor Trelawney: A professor/ clinician that seems to live on their own planet. Most of the time you think they are making things up as they are going but every once in a blue moon they get something right. And the things they do get right are world changing so that’s why they are still around.

The Professor Lupin: A professor that was only with your class for a short period of time. They always look disheveled and like they had a hard night. They are very nice and often very good at working with students but misunderstood by most of the faculty.

The Professor Dumbledore: A professor/ clinician that leads a complex life, but also has a taste for some of the simpler things. They are brilliant, eccentric, loving, and strict. You go through school thinking you have them pegged and then you get to clinics and realize that this person is far deeper than you ever imagined.

The Hagrid: A technician or hospital staff member that would do anything to help the students. They often give tips and tricks that the clinician probably wish they wouldn’t divulge but they really don’t care because they like the students more than the clinicians anyway. They love all the animals as if they were their own, and often times they pour their heart and soul into the treatment of those animals. Treat these people nicely, they will be your best friends during the clinical year.

The last comparison to be made is between the main characters of the story (including the villains) and all of your classmates.

Harry: The chosen one. They seem to have all the clinicians and professors on their side. They can do no wrong and very few people truly dislike them. While from the outside looking in it appears that everything in their life is so easy, often times that is quiet the opposite. Rarely do they actually know what they are doing, they just get lucky and have a lot of help.

Ron: The funny best friend to the chosen one. They may be just as smart or be the reason that the chosen one accomplished as much as the did, but because they are the sidekick they don’t get nearly as much credit as they deserve. But they are okay with that, because they are good people.

Hermione: The brainy student that you hear everyday in class. When a teacher asks a question, they raise their hand first. They are overachievers, so much so that you wonder how they have time for it all (time-turners must be real right?) They have tidbits of knowledge tucked away and they are ready to apply at the drop of a hat. The more you get to know them, the more likable they are but damn were you annoyed before that (this is me...).

The Weasley Twins: The jokesters. The professors know that they are pranksters, and sometimes they help pull off grand schemes. Other professors hate them because “this is a professional program so you need to act like grown-ups.” They may even drop out in there clinical year because this really wasn’t for them in the first place.

Luna: That one classmate that always seems to have their head in the clouds, and when they actually talk you never really know what might come out of their mouths. They are brilliant in their own right but they are extremely eccentric and have some beliefs that are not widely accepted by the veterinary community.

Neville: The student that you constantly find yourself asking how they got here in the first place, since they are all but a squib anyways. They always seem to be struggling and never really seem to have a full grasp of what is going on. But then you see them in the clinics, and watch them finally gain some traction and see their education come full circle. It’s like something finally clicked and they found their element.

Ginny: The students from the classes beneath you that are associated with your class for one reason or another. They may be a roommate, a girlfriend/ boyfriend, a classmate that failed a class, or your first year buddy. Either way you see them so much that sometimes you forget they are not part of your graduating class.

Peeves: They speak mainly in riddles, and they are constantly trying to start some kind of drama. They get along pretty well with the Weasley twin’s because they are all up to no good. They will not rest until mischief is managed. And they show up when they are least wanted, because all they do is make your life harder.

Moaning Myrtle: That one student that you always see crying in the hallways. You wonder what in the world makes their life so hard that they are always on the verge of tears, but who knows maybe that’s just how they handle stress. Everyone is afraid to be left alone with this person because you never know when the waterworks might be coming.

Malfoy: The one classmate that everyone loves to hate. Not only did they chose to act like a total ass-hat within the first year of school, but they continued to make decisions that put them at odds with most of the class. They may have wanted to be a good person, but their inherently bad heart lead them to make all the wrong choices.

Crabb and Goyle: They are associated with the aforementioned villainous classmate, so everyone still hates them. When in all reality they probably are not that bad but they are associated with the wrong people and have forever been grouped with that hatred.

Filch: This is the student that absolutely hates anything fun, despises the Weasley twins, and HATES PEEVES! They walk around with a scowl on their face, their scary sidekick in toe, ready to turn in anyone that even thinks about breaking a rule. Sometimes you wonder how they got past the interview process to begin with, but maybe they just scared the interviewers so much that they had to let them in.

Voldemort: This is the NAVLE in my mind. You can’t reach your full potential if you don’t defeat that damn test. Every year you are in school the weight of that test grows heavier and heavier. You know the final battle is going to test everything you have learned throughout your years of school and training. You know that it is going to be an epic battle of wits and you are going to leave that testing center feeling a lot worse for the ware but it can be done. IT MUST BE DONE FOR YOU TO LIVE YOUR LIFE LIKE THE PROPHECY PREDICTED!

Dolores Umbridge: This person isn’t necessarily a classmate, but it could be. They are despised beyond all others. They are hated more than the NAVLE, maybe not feared as much, but definitely hated more. They have inserted themselves into your veterinary school experience and every minute with them made it worse.

Bellatrix Lestrange: This person is sadistic and enjoys torturing people just because they like to watch them fall apart. They are intelligent but mentally unbalanced and easily lose focus but they are devoted to making the life of their victims worse through the teachings of Voldemort. Often twists reality to suit their view and purpose. Everyone is below them in status, at least that’s how they see things. Evil incarnated.

Lucius Malfoy: This person often considers themselves better than those around them because of where they come from. Often acting as though other classmates are beneath them because those classmates took a different route to get here. At times they may even attempt to sabotage their classmates because of their belief that they are superior. This person often hides in the shadows, making it hard to detect their true feelings but if you watch their repeated actions their beliefs become very clear.

Sirius Black: A person that you originally thought was evil due to rumors that had gone around the class. Then you take the time to get to know them and hey become family. People wonder why you like them, but you tell them that this person is good people.

Molly Weasley: This person is a mother figure in your school. It may be a classmate, a faculty member, or supporting staff. They often bring baked goods to class and try to make sure that everyone is happy and taken care of. They check-in often and are always there for you when you are down in the dumps.

Arthur Weasley: This person is a father figure to all. Often fascinated with things that have nothing to do with veterinary medicine. The job that they have often contradicts those outside interests but they don’t mind. They are goofy and light hearted most of the time but will kick ass and take names if need be.

Madeye Moody: This person knows everything, so much so that you are pretty sure they can see in all directions. They look crazy and dangerous but in all reality they are very smart and somebody you want on your team. At times they seem paranoid until their suspicions come to fruition.

Dobby: This is your family and friends that always seem to be there when you need them most. They put up with being treated like garbage because you are their family. Because let’s be honest, these people take the brunt of your piss poor mood when you are stressed. They are the closest too you so they see the absolute worst of you, but yet they still love you. So give Dobby something nicer than a used sock... Say thank you for the years that they put up with you.

Hedwig: Don’t forget about the veterinary student’s pets. They are the real heroes to this story. Not only do they keep us sane but they put up with our constant poking and prodding. They also get voluntold to be the dummy for sooooo many wetlabs. All the while they greet you at the door with a wagging tail or a rub of the leg and would sacrifice their life for your at the drop of a hat.

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