Josh Saldana is a veterinary student at Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine who checked a major item off his bucket list by taking a life-changing trip to Uganda to study abroad last summer. When asked what made him choose this destination out of any other place he could have traveled around the world, Saldana shared that it has been his lifetime dream to go to Africa.
“It was like an ideal bucket-list trip,” he said, describing how his passion for veterinary medicine and the desire to explore the continent came together into this unique opportunity. Initially unfamiliar with Uganda, Saldana found himself being drawn to the country’s agricultural systems and its veterinary school, which piqued his interest in learning how veterinary medicine is practiced in this part of the world.
For Saldana, the highlight of the trip was the opportunity to work up close and personal with the wildlife. “We darted a buffalo, a waterbuck, and even some tigers at their zoo,” he said. It was a chance to work with African wildlife, often not available even in zoos in the U.S.
Being able to touch, interact with, and learn about these animals in a situation so close to their natural or semi-natural habitat left a mark on Saldana. “It was amazing to compare the wildlife there with what we have here at home,” he said. “The fish work was interesting, but it was the wildlife that really intrigued me.”
While the wildlife experiences were exciting, Saldana also valued the fact that Ugandan veterinary medicine is far different from what he is accustomed to in the United States.
Far from the U.S., with presumed access to every advanced tool and treatment pan, Ugandan veterinarians often have to rely on creativity and resourcefulness. “They make things work with what they have,” Saldana noted. “Sometimes the methods and treatments are based on whether they worked before, even if just once.”
The experience brought clarity to the number of resources and technologies available to veterinary professionals stateside. “In small animal surgery at home, we have all these gadgets and tools,” he explained. “In Uganda, they often don’t have those options, but they still manage to care for the animals. It’s a different way of thinking about medicine.”
The time in Uganda gave Saldana a new appreciation for the U.S. veterinary resources and a broader view of the profession. “I’m definitely more thankful for what we have here in terms of access to care,” Saldana said. The trip also affirmed his desire to practice small animal surgery, but with a new understanding and appreciation for alternative approaches to care in resource-limited settings and situations.
“The trip was definitely a bit of a culture shock. The poverty there is very different from what we know here, but it teaches you to appreciate and respect how they handle things with so much less,” Saldana said, emphasizing the importance of taking every experience—good or bad—as an opportunity to learn. “I know I’ll be a better veterinarian because of this trip.”
