MY JOURNEY AS A LADY VETERINARIAN IN INDIA
Dr. Smruti Smita Mohapatra
Ph.D. Final year
Department of Veterinary Physiology,
Faculty of Veterinary & Animal Sciences,
WBUAFS, Kolkata, West Bengal- 700037, India
Email: simplysmruti@gmail.com
My experience as a veterinarian has been fulfilling altogether as a practitioner, academician and researcher. I joined Veterinary Sciences in the first chance after my intermediates in 2009. I graduated in Bachelors in Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry with Honours from Orissa University of Agriculture & Technology, Bhubaneswar in 2014. Literary champion of our college and personally representing our university at various national literary forums, I have fond memories of these five years with our wonderful teachers and lively batchmates through amubulatory clinics, attending clinical cases, veterinary camps, cultural fests, conferences and study tours. My keen interest in research began while working on the ECG of Ganjam sheep of Odisha during my internship days under the guidance of department of Veterinary Physiology. Since then there is no looking back. After completing my internship training immediately in 2014, I went on to join Masters in Veterinary Science with specialisation in Veterinary Physiology to the country’s top most Veterinary University, Asia’s first Veterinary and Animal Sciences University and one of the oldest veterinary schools in India established in Madras in 1903 through ICAR all India post graduate counselling . Chennai offered me a great professional exposure and volunteering opportunities. I completed my Masters research on avian nutritional physiology there in 2016 which is duly recognised in Krishikosh (E-granth), an institutional repository of NARES, India by ICAR-IARI, New Delhi.
Without any further break, I began my career the same year as a small animal clinician in a multispeciality hospital in the city of Ahmedabad under the guidance of a senior lady veterinarian. One alpha female, she was my guide, the first colleague and the mentor of my first job with whom I connected well. My duty as a novice veterinary practitioner included clinical, diagnostic, routine and supportive services for dogs, cats, exotic animals and birds. My stay in Ahmedabad was comfortable as a paying guest with a cat parent. My weekends revolved around tripping to Gandhinagar and exploring the old, safe and former state capital independently. All these taught me a lot. After working for four months in a hectic private set up, I moved to Madhya Karnataka the next year bagging my first government job opportunity as an academician under Karnataka Veterinary, Animal & Fishery Sciences University, Bidar. I joined as Assistant Professor in Animal Husbandry Polytechnic in the small municipal town of Shiggaon, also known as Shiggavi, in Haveri district of Karnataka.
I remember my first day in the polytechnic after joining. My father who had accompanied me to my new posting, peeped through the lecture hall doors from my chamber as I stood up on the classroom stage for my first lecture. It was a happy moment for him. Taking diploma classes of the young adults whose mother tongue was Kannada was a challenge. Though my classes were mostly prepared in Hindi and few in English for obvious reasons, the cooperation of the students, staffs and the Principal was encouraging. Animal husbandry polytechnic, Shiggaon, made its beginning on September 3, 2012 under KVAFSU, Bidar. The two year Diploma in Animal Husbandry was offered here for the students who had passed S.S.L.C (Class – X) and studied from 1st standard to 10th standard in rural areas of the state. Admission was done at the state level on the basis of merit of the candidates in their S.S.L.C. examination and subject to reservation policy of the state or university. The diploma course was offered in two years, each year of two semesters of 21 weeks each. During first year, students were taught on various aspects of Animal Husbandry, Veterinary first aid, veterinary hospital assistantship and basic techniques. Under animal husbandry, various farming like dairy farming, sheep farming, goat farming, pig rearing, poultry farming, rabbit rearing, management of pet animals and wild animals were taught. The second year was meant for work experience. The students having been trained at the polytechnic, were provided hands on experiences at various veterinary institutions, livestock farms and dairy plants. Besides undertaking teaching to the diploma students, the faculty of the institute had to provide diagnostic facilities to the field veterinarians for diagnosis of various diseases in the animals of that area. Two laboratories one each in Animal Science and Veterinary Science were established to conduct mastitis test, antibiotic sensitivity test, blood test, urine examination and faecal sample examination. The faculty of the polytechnic had to conduct and attend many extension activities. Training programmes, demonstrations, brainstorming group discussions and field visits were conducted for farmers. Many farmers come to the polytechnic for consultancy as well on problems related to their animals or seeking more information on animal husbandry. So far 135 students have passed out from this polytechnic. About 33% are continuing their education like PUC, B.Sc and B.A. About 33 % are self employed as AI and first aid workers in their native places. Rest are employed in various government institutions and projects like farms, Sujala Project and veterinary hospitals and in cities like Bengaluru.
My happiness knew no bound when my students graduated as Diploma holders in Animal Husbandry and ventured professionally. I am still in touch with my students. A new campus in an area of 25 acres of land has come up at Kunnur village of Shiggaon Taluk now. The Polytechnic has been sanctioned status of Centre of Excellence in Transfer of Animal Production Technologies under RKVY under which model farms and training facilities for students and farmers are done. Amongst all this, due to its proximity to Hubli, popularly ‘Chotta Mumbai’, I ensured to spend my Sundays visiting tourist places in and around Hubli and Dharwad all alone. With the polytechnic situated in the peaceful Moula Ali Nagar then, life in this semi-rural area as an educator was simple.
Subsequently with the suggestions of my seniors and well wishers, I decided to join as a teaching faculty in my specialisation in the Department of Veterinary Physiology in NTR College of Veterinary Science at Gannavaram in 2017. Closer to home, Gannavaram is a neighbourhood of Vijayawada in Krishna district of the coastal Andhra Pradesh and a part of Vijayawada metropolitan area. Working under the supervision of the father figure professors there was a great learning experience for me in the newly flourishing campus. Their basic guidance for a new comer ranged from how to conduct practical classes smoothly till correction of examination copies in large bundles as an objective evaluator and not a mere lenient student sympathiser and mark donor for the greater good of the students. Visiting Mangalagiri, the major suburb between the twin cities of Vijayawada and Guntur with my sister’s friend to hand pick the famous hand weaven cotton Mangalagiri sarees from local weavers for my mother and fabrics for my twin sister from my first salary will always be special in this journey. It gave an immense satisfaction in building career of the budding professionals in their formative years. Over the constant encouragement from family, friends and the senior professors of the department then to pursue higher studies along with their timely help made me qualify ICAR’s AIEEA-SRF (PGS)-2017 with AIR 3 in Animal Physiology making me choose the second oldest veterinary college of the country since 1893. Calcutta is where I always wanted to be and it happened. It has been three years now as a PhD research scholar in Bengal Veterinary College under West Bengal University of Animal & Fishery Sciences, Kolkata.
Overall there are numerous tiny tales in this self learning teaching process. I experienced the best of winter, summer and rain in Ahmedabad, Shiggaon and Gannavaram respectively, all in a short span of time. As I look back to my short professional veterinary stint between my Masters and Doctoral studies in various roles and capacities, it is a deep realisation that being on the other side of the table is never easy. It is always a responsibility for a a skilled veterinarian to excel in education, extension and research on a broader scale. I thank each one who I came across then for their tremendous support in this journey. Indeed they are the fantastic highlights of my career now. I imbibed the rich culture of each state wherever I lived. The welcoming environment for a budding veterinarian at each work place in three different places will be unforgettable. A veterinarian must be an epitome of compassion, kindness and affection. I am a strong advocate of animal welfare issues, agriculture policies, UN Sustainable Goals and climate change. With this knack for science, education and literary writing since my school days, my current responsibility as a veterinary researcher is to reach out to the masses on such ethical and global issues through research papers and articles.
