Later this year Hannah Brodlie will be entering her second year at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, one of the top veterinarian schools in the country. She is also one of the students featured on the new Nat Geo Wild television show, Vet School.
How did you decide to become a veterinarian?
When I was little, I was one of those people who wanted to be a veterinarian, because I loved animals. I had a salamander and a turtle and a dog and a cat and a hamster and a bunny. But then I thought I wasn’t very good at math or science, and I was better at other things, so I thought well, I shouldn’t do that.
ITHACA, N.Y. - First year student Hannah Brodlie checks the teeth of an in-house canine patient. (photo credit: National Geographic Channels/Lisa Tanzer)
You tried something else first?
I went to college, where I studied political science and was a Spanish minor. I really liked studying that, and after I graduated I moved to D.C. and worked for a think tank. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. I moved home and had a quarter-life crisis, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do.
Since you said you thought you weren’t good at two of the things you needed to master – math and science – how did you end up here?
I sat on my couch and I watched a lot of animal shows, and I was like, you know what? I love animals so much! And I interviewed for a job as a receptionist at a small animal practice, and they said, we’re interested in hiring technicians to train who don’t know anything, I said absolutely, and I loved working there. I went back to school and I started with general bio and general chemistry. I took all the pre-reqs for four year students, and I applied to vet school. It’s a long story!
What advice would you give kids who’d like to become veterinarians?
It’s never too late to change direction. Even if you’ve put a lot of work into one path, if you decide you don’t love it, figure out what you do love and go after it.
Since you love animals, do you have any of your own?
I’m a crazy cat lady in my heart. I have two cats, and that’s my cutoff.
Is family important to you?
I have a very unique family in that my moms separated when I was ten and my stepmom lives in California and my other mom remarried to a guy.
ITHACA, N.Y. - Dr. McDanie, left, walks first year students Hannah Brodlie and Daniel Cimino through how to examine an in-house cat. (photo credit: National Geographic Channels/Lisa Tanzer)
What was it like growing up with so many parents? Were your friends confused?
I think growing up now it’s a little bit better for kids, which is awesome. It was a little weird for me to figure out what to tell people, especially after my moms split up. When I had two moms, I’d just tell people I had two moms. But when my family got a little bit more complicated, I’d be like, they split up and now I have this other person. I wrote one of my Cornell essays about what I’d tell my younger self about my family situation.
What did it say?
You know what? It doesn’t really matter what people think, and most of the time they’re going to be cool with it.
Vet School premieres Sat. Sept. 19 at 10:00 p.m. on NatGeo WILD.
