– Life as a Zoo Veterinarian –
Any idea about what a career and life as a zoo veterinarian looks like? What might it be like to do this in a foreign country? What other career possibilities exist to those with veterinary science degrees?
These are but a few questions you’ll soon get answers to on this episode of LIFE AS A..
Guest Intro
Miaka Ogawa is an Associate Veterinarian at Kobe Animal Kingdom, a zoo in Japan focused on the conservation of endangered species and showcasing animals’ diverse behavioral repertoires in up-close, naturalistic habitats.
She was born in Las Vegas and raised between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. After graduating with a degree in Integrative Biology from UC Berkeley, she moved to Osaka, Japan where she worked as a cook and interpreter until being accepted into veterinary school at Osaka Prefecture University.
Background and Specialties
As a vet student, she completed her graduation thesis in the Laboratory of Veterinary Surgery, researching novel biomaterials for transplantation.
After graduating in 2023, she was thrilled to accept her current role at Kobe Animal Kingdom. She is currently studying to obtain her certification in animal hospice and palliative care, and she has special interests in comparative oncology and animal welfare.
Future Aspirations
In the future, she hopes to pursue residency training in zoo medicine and eventually become a board-certified specialist in the American College of Zoological Medicine.
Her ultimate goal is to bring this knowledge back to Japan and help educate other veterinarians in order to improve the health and well-being of zoo animals worldwide.
Reasons to Listen
This will be a talk worth listening to for:
- those interested in finding out more about actual work options as a veterinarian
- those interested it learning more about working as a zoo veterinarian
- those who are looking for direct advice towards pursuing this line of work
Listeners will come away with insights on:
- debunking some myths about being a zoo veterinarian
- the various professional options available to those with a veterinary science degree
- a day in the life as a vet at Kobe Animal Kingdom
- cross cultural looks at the work performed by vets in America versus Japan
- some of the challenges and rewards of being a zoo veterinarian
- some of the soft skills a vet most definitely needs to possess
- hidden aspects of the work
- a story illustrating the type of unique challenges associated with being a zoo veterinarian
- the degree to which the work follows a vet home after working shifts end
- how AI and other forms of tech influence Miaka’s workflow
- words of wisdom to those interested in veterinary medicine
- much more!
A Memorable Quote from the Episode:
“It’s such a huge privilege but also responsibility to be in charge of helping these animals remain healthy, especially when you’re dealing with endangered species or something of that nature.”
–Miaka Ogawa DVM
Direct Career Advice:
Discover More
For those interested in learning more about Miaka Ogawa and her work, you can find and follow her on the following platforms:
Keep Listening!
I hope you enjoyed the episode. For more, check out additional episodes here!
