Meet the Veterinary Teaching Hospital team: Mikayla Perkins
Mikayla Perkins has been helping to care for the most critical of patients since May of 2022 at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital as a veterinary technician assistant in the Small Animal Intensive Care Unit.
Originally from Southern California, Mikayla came to Pullman in 2018 to attend WSU. She graduated in December 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in animal sciences.
Mikayla shares her home with her nearly 2-year-old female mixed-breed dog, Nyx, whom she and her boyfriend adopted from a shelter in February.
What is your typical day like at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital?
I work a swing shift in the Small Animal Intensive Care Unit, so my day depends on a lot. For the most part, I help take care of any inpatients in ICU from all departments throughout the night, keep ICU clean, help students intake any emergencies we receive overnight, and I do my best to show my love to all the patients in ICU as being in a hospital for any amount of time can be scary!
What made you want to work in veterinary medicine?
I never really wanted to work particularly in the vet med field because I never wanted to be a vet, and I never put much thought into it until I realized I didn’t have to be a vet to work in vet med and that I could kind of work “behind the scenes” as a vet assistant instead! Working in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and working with specific licensed veterinary technicians has inspired me to want to get my license as well!
What is your favorite thing about your job? What are the most rewarding aspects?
My favorite thing about my job is the ability to learn everything from basic observations to IV catheter placements. The dogs and cats (and sometimes exotic creatures) are just a bonus to working back in ICU!
I would probably say aside from learning new skills, the most rewarding aspect of this job is seeing the patients who came in sick start to get better and then even go home! It always makes my day knowing that I helped in some way.
What are your career goals? Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?
My long-term career goals are to get my vet tech license and to continue learning as much as I have been! Hopefully, in 5-10 years, I’ll have that license and maybe even have my master’s in animal nutrition, as that is another passion of mine.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Outside of work, I enjoy taking my crazy girl Nyx out on a walk or even to the dog park to let her run that energy out! I enjoy sewing, hanging out with friends, and sometimes a stay-in kinda night and watch movies or work on puzzles (my dog is my little movie buddy!).
What advice would you give to pet owners?
The biggest piece of advice I would give pet owners is to have a separate pet savings account for emergencies! Sadly, things happen, sometimes very suddenly, and having that “for emergencies only” savings account will help greatly. I also recommend pet insurance. It can also help save you money in times of those emergencies as well.