Dr. Allen Cannedy is currently the Director of Diversity at North Carolina State University School of Veterinary Medicine and runs the Small Ruminant and Camelid Mobile Veterinary Service which specializes in treating sheep, goats and llamas. Click to read more about Dr. Allen Cannedy.
Q: What factors influenced your decision to pursue veterinary medicine as a career?
A: I grew up on a dairy farm so working with the dairy cows got me interested in their health issues and veterinary medicine.
Q: What did you like about attending Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine?
A: Attending Tuskegee provided me the support and encouragement that I needed to be successful. They have the most diverse and supportive environment of any veterinary college in the United States. The students in my class were from all around the country as well as from several foreign countries. There are no other DVM programs with that type of diversity within them. The biggest thing for me was that I wasn’t the only black and I also was not the only black male in my class. There are very few veterinary schools today that have more than one African American male in their DVM class.
A: I grew up on a dairy farm so working with the dairy cows got me interested in their health issues and veterinary medicine.
Q: What did you like about attending Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine?
A: Attending Tuskegee provided me the support and encouragement that I needed to be successful. They have the most diverse and supportive environment of any veterinary college in the United States. The students in my class were from all around the country as well as from several foreign countries. There are no other DVM programs with that type of diversity within them. The biggest thing for me was that I wasn’t the only black and I also was not the only black male in my class. There are very few veterinary schools today that have more than one African American male in their DVM class.
"The school was supportive from the standpoint that there were faculty, staff and classmates who were sensitive and aware of the differences that individuals from diverse backgrounds had."
There was also a tight knit support program for students struggling with different courses as well as counselors on site helping students with life issues and the challenges of learning the trade. I truly felt part of a family at Tuskegee compared to a lot of veterinary schools that have a competitive atmosphere and can be very cutthroat.
Q: What would be an interview question you would ask an applicant applying to veterinary school?
A: Why should we admit you into our DVM training program instead of one of our other equally qualified applicants?
Q: How did you make yourself stand out as an applicant to veterinary school?
A: I stated that "I wanted to become a food animal veterinarian because I like to eat them. I believe that healthy happy animals taste better." Also, applicants need to be showing they are conscious of world issues and needs. There are a lot of things going on around the world and within our country. If we’re all going to be leaders in some way in our different communities and in society, applicants need to be showing social awareness. They also need to be showing they are active and are going to be engaged with taking the leadership that veterinarians have not just by taking care of animals but also by steering people down the right pathways in society.
Q: What are you passionate about in terms of your specialty?
A: I am passionate about providing good education to my clients and students about animal health care needs. One of my specialties is involved with leading diversity at North Caroline State. From that perspective, diversity is on the top of our list as a profession and the college of veterinary medicine. Diversity carries a high priority in trying to prepare the future in our profession. My other specialty is as a small ruminant and camelid private practitioner. Camelids are an exotic animal that needs to have someone focus on their species needs. Every creature needs to have someone to be educated enough to prepare the needs of that animal.
Q: What do you want the attendees to leave with after your presentation at the conference this October?
A: I want attendees to realize that veterinary medicine has so many career opportunities that have yet to be explored. I want them to know that they can have a great quality of life as a veterinarian and that their life and career options are only limited by their imaginations.
You can learn more about Dr. Allen Cannedy and his mobile veterinary service by following this link. Don't miss the opportunity to meet Dr. Cannedy in person at the conference for his presentation on Saturday and Sunday, October 10-11. To register for the conference, please click here.
Q: What would be an interview question you would ask an applicant applying to veterinary school?
A: Why should we admit you into our DVM training program instead of one of our other equally qualified applicants?
Q: How did you make yourself stand out as an applicant to veterinary school?
A: I stated that "I wanted to become a food animal veterinarian because I like to eat them. I believe that healthy happy animals taste better." Also, applicants need to be showing they are conscious of world issues and needs. There are a lot of things going on around the world and within our country. If we’re all going to be leaders in some way in our different communities and in society, applicants need to be showing social awareness. They also need to be showing they are active and are going to be engaged with taking the leadership that veterinarians have not just by taking care of animals but also by steering people down the right pathways in society.
Q: What are you passionate about in terms of your specialty?
A: I am passionate about providing good education to my clients and students about animal health care needs. One of my specialties is involved with leading diversity at North Caroline State. From that perspective, diversity is on the top of our list as a profession and the college of veterinary medicine. Diversity carries a high priority in trying to prepare the future in our profession. My other specialty is as a small ruminant and camelid private practitioner. Camelids are an exotic animal that needs to have someone focus on their species needs. Every creature needs to have someone to be educated enough to prepare the needs of that animal.
Q: What do you want the attendees to leave with after your presentation at the conference this October?
A: I want attendees to realize that veterinary medicine has so many career opportunities that have yet to be explored. I want them to know that they can have a great quality of life as a veterinarian and that their life and career options are only limited by their imaginations.
You can learn more about Dr. Allen Cannedy and his mobile veterinary service by following this link. Don't miss the opportunity to meet Dr. Cannedy in person at the conference for his presentation on Saturday and Sunday, October 10-11. To register for the conference, please click here.