Dr. Ingrid Lorenz is the Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs at the School of Veterinary Medicine at University College Dublin (UCD) in Ireland. She graduated from the Veterinary School of the University of Munich and obtained her doctoral thesis in the area of calf diseases at the Clinic for Ruminants. Dr. Lorenz has vast experience in internal medicine and in the investigation of calf-related herd health problems. With a passion for maintaining the health of cattle, Dr. Lorenz enjoys working out in the field by providing advice to farmers on how to keep their cattle healthy and happy. Click to read more about Dr. Lorenz.
Q: What factors influenced your decision to pursue veterinary medicine as a career?
A: I grew up on a farm. Back then we had all sorts of animals but I always liked the dairy cows and their calves best. When I was a child I would watch our vet mainly when he was assisting in calvings. Sometimes there was a negative outcome, which I know now was certainly not his fault. But as a child I was convinced that I could do better, if I were to become a vet. So I decided to become the best cattle vet ever… Obviously, as I grew older I got a more realistic view as to what is involved in becoming a vet, but I never thought of doing anything else.
Q: What did you like about attending the Veterinary School from the University of Munich?
A: Honestly, what I liked most about the Vet School in Munich is that it enabled me to become a vet. That may sound strange, but again the situation is somewhat different in Germany. Back then there were four Vet Schools in Germany. You can opt for one in your application, but there is no certainty that you get to go to the one you chose. Also all Vet Schools are very similar, since veterinary medicine is a state regulated course in Germany. I opted for Munich just because it was closest to home. It was only late in my course when I realised that the big advantage from my point of view was the high caseload in the cattle clinic, and the fact that an unusual percentage of the patients were calves. That’s why I did everything I could to stay on there after I graduated.
Q: What would be an interview question you would ask an applicant applying to veterinary school?
A: In Dublin the emphasis of the course is equally distributed between all species. Since many applicants have most of their animal experience in small animals or horses, I always ask about their attitude towards working with farm animals.
Q: How did you make yourself stand out as an applicant to veterinary school?
A: I went to vet school in Germany, where the admission system is completely different to North America. We enter Vet School right after we finished school, and the only requirement is to have really good grades. There is nothing else I could have done to increase my chances to get a place.
Q: What are you passionate about in terms of your specialty?
A: I’m passionate about cattle. Since cattle are farm animals obviously the work is very different to that with companion animals or horses. The farmer is a business man and always has to keep in mind that he has to make a living of his animals. What I’m passionate about is to help farmers to understand the management factors that help to keep their cattle healthy and happy, and that they most likely make the most profit from healthy and happy animals. Since I’m not a vegan I cannot demand that animals are not kept for food production, so I try to help to make the lives of those animals as pleasant as possible.
Q: What do you want the attendees to leave with after your panel presentation for Veterinary School Abroad at the conference this October?
A: I would like them to have a clear idea of the difficulties, but also of the great opportunities that come with studying in Europe, and especially in Dublin. I guess that many students will be somewhat nervous about taking that big step, and I would like them to know that there is a very good support system specifically tailored to our international students. University College Dublin has about 5000 international students, which makes it a great place to find friends and make connections all over the world.
Don't miss the opportunity to meet Dr. Lorenz in person at the conference for her Veterinary School Abroad panel presentation on Sunday, October 11 and at the Pre-Health Fair representing the University College Dublin. To register for the conference, please click here.
A: I grew up on a farm. Back then we had all sorts of animals but I always liked the dairy cows and their calves best. When I was a child I would watch our vet mainly when he was assisting in calvings. Sometimes there was a negative outcome, which I know now was certainly not his fault. But as a child I was convinced that I could do better, if I were to become a vet. So I decided to become the best cattle vet ever… Obviously, as I grew older I got a more realistic view as to what is involved in becoming a vet, but I never thought of doing anything else.
Q: What did you like about attending the Veterinary School from the University of Munich?
A: Honestly, what I liked most about the Vet School in Munich is that it enabled me to become a vet. That may sound strange, but again the situation is somewhat different in Germany. Back then there were four Vet Schools in Germany. You can opt for one in your application, but there is no certainty that you get to go to the one you chose. Also all Vet Schools are very similar, since veterinary medicine is a state regulated course in Germany. I opted for Munich just because it was closest to home. It was only late in my course when I realised that the big advantage from my point of view was the high caseload in the cattle clinic, and the fact that an unusual percentage of the patients were calves. That’s why I did everything I could to stay on there after I graduated.
Q: What would be an interview question you would ask an applicant applying to veterinary school?
A: In Dublin the emphasis of the course is equally distributed between all species. Since many applicants have most of their animal experience in small animals or horses, I always ask about their attitude towards working with farm animals.
Q: How did you make yourself stand out as an applicant to veterinary school?
A: I went to vet school in Germany, where the admission system is completely different to North America. We enter Vet School right after we finished school, and the only requirement is to have really good grades. There is nothing else I could have done to increase my chances to get a place.
Q: What are you passionate about in terms of your specialty?
A: I’m passionate about cattle. Since cattle are farm animals obviously the work is very different to that with companion animals or horses. The farmer is a business man and always has to keep in mind that he has to make a living of his animals. What I’m passionate about is to help farmers to understand the management factors that help to keep their cattle healthy and happy, and that they most likely make the most profit from healthy and happy animals. Since I’m not a vegan I cannot demand that animals are not kept for food production, so I try to help to make the lives of those animals as pleasant as possible.
Q: What do you want the attendees to leave with after your panel presentation for Veterinary School Abroad at the conference this October?
A: I would like them to have a clear idea of the difficulties, but also of the great opportunities that come with studying in Europe, and especially in Dublin. I guess that many students will be somewhat nervous about taking that big step, and I would like them to know that there is a very good support system specifically tailored to our international students. University College Dublin has about 5000 international students, which makes it a great place to find friends and make connections all over the world.
Don't miss the opportunity to meet Dr. Lorenz in person at the conference for her Veterinary School Abroad panel presentation on Sunday, October 11 and at the Pre-Health Fair representing the University College Dublin. To register for the conference, please click here.