Episode 3: An unconventional journey to vet school

In this episode of The Vet Blast Podcast, Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, talks with second-year veterinary student Chris Hollingsworth about his unique path to veterinary medicine and his passion for promoting diversity and inclusion in the profession.

Unlike many of his peers, Hollingsworth says he didn’t always dream of becoming a veterinarian. In fact, his passion for animals was ignited only when he rescued his first pet, a dog named King, from the Atlanta (Georgia) Humane Society while he was a senior in college.

“King served as the inspiration for me to get into animals more,” he tells Dr. Christman.

After he graduated from Morehouse College, a historically black college in Atlanta, Hollingsworth was unsure about what he wanted to do with his biology degree, especially since he didn’t feel especially connected to human medicine or research.

He ended up working at PetSmart, admittedly just to get discounts on dog food, but then he became fascinated with the human-animal bond. Soon after, he became a veterinary assistant at Banfield Pet Hospital, working his way up to becoming a surgery technician.

“It was through those experiences that I really learned that veterinary medicine is what I really want to do,” he says.

Hear more about Hollingsworth’s journey in the podcast below, and stay tuned for more to come! If you’re interested in being featured on this podcast, contact us here.