When she started veterinary school, Katie Anderson, ‘19 DVM, thought she would be an equine veterinarian. But a year into the program, she had an opportunity that shifted her path completely.

The donor-supported Veterinary Summer Scholars Program at the University of Minnesota (UMN) College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) offers first- and second-year veterinary students a paid opportunity to spend 12 weeks working alongside CVM faculty, gaining hands-on experience in animal and human health research. The 36-year-old Veterinary Summer Scholars program has grown to include every U.S. veterinary college.

During the first year of her DVM program, Anderson applied to a slot in the Summer Scholars program that would put her in a lab with Perlman Professor of Oncology and Comparative Medicine Jaime Modiano, working on cancer immunology research. Although at the time, Anderson did not see herself pursuing research, she knew this would be a great way to strengthen her clinical knowledge in other areas of her career.

The program “enriches veterinary education by deepening students' understanding of how research informs clinical practice,” Anderson says. “Not every veterinary student will pursue a research career, but all veterinarians rely on the scientific literature to understand new discoveries that are changing and improving our clinical practice.”

Anderson got the position in Modiano’s lab. The work was personal for her. Modiano’s lab was unraveling the role the immune system played in hemangiosarcoma, an aggressive cancer that affects the lining of blood vessels. Growing up, Anderson’s family had lost two Golden Retrievers to the disease.

“It wasn’t horses, but I thought, ‘I’ve been personally impacted by this disease, so it would be cool to work on research that seeks to better understand it,’” she says.

Anderson spent her summer not in horse stalls, but behind a laboratory bench. She grew cancer cell cultures and ran complex assays that brought researchers a step closer to understanding cancer immunology––which could one day inform better treatments for the disease. She was hooked.

“I realized I really loved research,” says Anderson, who switched into CVM’s dual DVM/PhD program as a result of her experience with Summer Scholars. She even completed her PhD work in Modiano’s lab.

Today, Anderson is an assistant professor of small animal internal medicine at University of Wisconsin, Madison, where she splits her time between clinical practice, teaching, and research.

“Research remains a driving force in my career, allowing me to transform clinical questions into discoveries that help patients,” she says. “The Summer Scholars Program was a pivotal experience, and I’m grateful it opened the door to opportunities that shaped my professional path.”

Anderson says she’s especially grateful to the donors who continue to make the program possible for current CVM students.

“The Summer Scholars Program was a pivotal experience in my education, opening doors to opportunities I hadn’t previously considered and shaping the trajectory of my career,” she says. “Their support not only provides students with valuable hands-on research experience but also helps develop critical thinking skills that benefit every future veterinarian, regardless of their career path. By supporting this program, donors are empowering students to become more thoughtful clinicians, curious problem-solvers, and, for some, the next generation of veterinary scientists.”

Read about what our Veterinary Summer Scholar students worked on this year.