In UNK pre-vet program, students learn to care for animals and their owners
KEARNEY – On a typical day at Beebout Veterinary Medical Center, Charlotte Hargreaves might be drawing up vaccines, assisting with surgery or calming an anxious animal before an exam.
The University of Nebraska at Kearney junior is gaining hands-on experience and confidence by working as a veterinary assistant at the local clinic. It’s both a part-time job and preparation for the career she’s dreamed about since fourth grade.
“I’ve always wanted to be a veterinarian,” Hargreaves said. “I think it’s a really rewarding career. Being able to diagnose a case, treat it and see the results – that’s what drives me toward veterinary medicine.”
Originally from Kimball, Hargreaves is one of a growing number of UNK students pursuing careers in animal health through a program designed to prepare them for the rigorous demands of veterinary school – and the realities of practice, especially in rural communities.
The pre-veterinary medicine program at UNK is structured to meet admission requirements for the Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine, a cooperative agreement between Nebraska and Iowa. Accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education and available to Nebraska residents, the program allows students to complete their pre-professional coursework at UNK before continuing their education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and finishing their clinical training at Iowa State University. Students pay Iowa State resident tuition for all four years of veterinary school.
UNK graduates also go on to veterinary schools across the country and abroad.
People-centered profession
While veterinary medicine is often associated with animals, UNK biology professor Letty Reichart emphasizes that the profession is just as much about people.
“The animal can’t talk, so you can’t be afraid of talking to people if you want to be a veterinarian,” said Reichart, a department co-chair and coordinator of the pre-veterinary program. “You’re not just caring for pets when you’re a veterinarian. You’re caring for people, too. Our pets are our family.”
Reichart said students who thrive in veterinary medicine are observant, empathetic and strong communicators, with solid foundations in chemistry, math and biology. Academic excellence matters, she said, but connection and communication are equally critical.
“You don’t have to be an A-plus student,” Reichart said. “You have to be able to communicate and solve problems.”
That philosophy shapes advising within the program. Students begin working with Reichart as freshmen to map out a four-year plan that includes required coursework, experiential learning and preparation for veterinary school applications. By the end of their junior year, students are already discussing applications and ensuring they meet the requirements for multiple veterinary programs.
“It’s a rigorous degree program,” Reichart said. “By the time they leave, they know what they need to have to get into veterinary school and what skills will help their applications be stronger.”
Learning beyond the classroom
Hands-on experience is a cornerstone of the program. Veterinary schools require extensive hours working with animals, and most UNK students far exceed the minimum.
“Students will never lack in opportunity to shadow or work with local veterinarians,” Reichart said. “One of our biggest benefits is the support of our local veterinarians and how excited they are to help students and provide opportunities.”
That support is most visible through partnerships with area veterinary clinics, where students gain early exposure to the profession through facility tours, job shadowing and part-time positions that build practical skills in real-world settings.
For Hargreaves, these experiences have been transformative.
“There are a lot of opportunities to work with vet clinics in the area, and the community really supports our development and growth,” she said. “Working in a clinic has been tremendous for my experience. Seeing patients and cases come in has helped build my knowledge and confidence. It gives you a realistic idea of what working in veterinary medicine actually looks like.”
Hargreaves also serves as president of the Pre-Vet Club, a campus organization that hosts fun social events and connects students with additional skill-building and professional development activities.
Alongside those professional experiences, UNK students develop close relationships with faculty. Students work closely with professors in small classes, receive individualized advising and often collaborate on undergraduate research projects involving animal science and biology.
Those projects, Reichart said, help students develop critical-thinking and communication skills while strengthening veterinary school applications. Faculty members who teach, advise and mentor students throughout their time at UNK are also well-positioned to write detailed letters of recommendation.
“I think students get a more personalized experience here,” Reichart said. “Because of that, we can really help them prepare for what comes next.”
Hargreaves agrees. The UNK Honors Program participant fell in love with the close-knit community the moment she stepped on campus.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time here,” she said. “The professors are so great. Whatever you need, they’re always there for you.”
From student to mentor
That sense of community was equally important to Dr. Brandon Beebout.
An Ainsworth native, he attended UNK as a second-generation Loper, earning a bachelor’s degree in biology in 2010. While his education and training would take him far from central Nebraska, the foundation he built at UNK shaped both his career and his decision to return to Kearney.
“The faculty at UNK, and Bruner Hall specifically, set the bar high,” Beebout said. “We knew we were getting a good education. They expected a lot of us and always pushed us to be the best we could be – and I appreciated that.”
Off campus, Beebout learned from the late Dr. Roger Neil at Hilltop Pet Clinic in Kearney, gaining clinical skills that further prepared him for veterinary school.
“Everybody is going to have a strong GPA when they get into vet school,” he said. “How many people have actually been in a clinic? Pairing that hands-on experience with your coursework makes a huge difference.”
Beebout earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. He met his wife Paola during veterinary school, and they both completed their clinical training at Louisiana State University.
After an internship in San Diego and a couple years practicing in Denver, Beebout came back to Kearney in 2017 to work at Hilltop Pet Clinic. He later purchased the clinic following Neil’s retirement and moved the business to a new location in 2023, allowing Beebout Veterinary Medical Center to offer expanded services such as advanced diagnostics and orthopedic surgery. The Beebouts also own and operate a second Beebout Veterinary Medical Center in nearby Holdrege, formerly North Park Animal Hospital.
Practicing veterinary medicine in central Nebraska offers something larger markets cannot.
“I’ve been in Baton Rouge, San Diego, Denver, and you just can’t develop the rapport you can here,” Beebout said. “We know our clients, and we know their families. We’re making an impact on those people, and that’s one of the most rewarding things.”
That connection is one reason Beebout remains engaged with UNK’s pre-vet program. In addition to employing UNK students and offering job shadowing opportunities, he involves Lopers in spay and neuter clinics through partnerships such as Paws Up Kearney County.
Now employing dozens of staff members and serving clients from across the region, Beebout views mentorship as a responsibility that comes with success.
“It’s just our opportunity to pay it forward,” said Beebout, who received UNK’s Distinguished Young Alumnus Award in 2024. “I know what it’s like to grow up in small-town Nebraska, and I know how much those experiences matter.”
Meeting a growing need
Reichart describes veterinary medicine as a rewarding profession offering long-term job security and stable career opportunities across a wide range of practice settings.
Demand for veterinarians – particularly those who work with large animals in rural areas – continues to grow across Nebraska and the region, according to the UNK professor.
“We need veterinarians, especially in rural communities,” she said. “There’s nobody for people to go to in some areas. If a person’s horse colics, there may not be a veterinarian who can get there in time.”
For students like Hargreaves, that need reinforces her decision to pursue the profession close to home. She plans to remain in Nebraska after veterinary school, potentially working with both large and small animals.
“I want to work harder to evolve medicine and find new ways to treat animals,” she said. “Advancing the way animals are cared for and advocated for is really important to me.”