Valley veterinarian got her career start at EVIT

Valley veterinarian got her career start at EVIT
Posted on 10/19/2021
Valley veterinarian got her career start at EVIT

A childhood dream is now a rewarding reality for Dr. Megan Farris, a Valley veterinarian who started her career training at the East Valley Institute of Technology 12 years ago.

 

“I knew from a very young age this was my career calling,” said Farris, 28, an emergency vet for BluePearl Pet Hospital who likes to refer to herself as a “Dogtor” of Veterinary Medicine. Farris completed the veterinary assistant program at EVIT in 2011. “EVIT helped lay the foundation for my future career.”

 

After EVIT and earning an associate degree at Mesa Community College, Farris went on to Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University, where she earned a bachelor of science in microbiology. From there, she traveled to Ross University in St. Kitts in the Caribbean and earned her doctor of veterinary medicine before completing her clinical rotation at Texas A&M University.

 

Like Farris, most EVIT students – over 66% -- go on to college or other post-secondary training. Over half of EVIT programs offer high school students the opportunity to earn college credit through partnerships with area colleges, and EVIT also offers 12 post-secondary career training programs of its own.

 

When Farris enrolled in EVIT’s veterinary program, it was offered as part of an “allied health careers” program that included several health career specialties. Today, the Veterinary Assistant program has about 260 students at EVIT’s Power Campus, where expansion is underway.

 

Students in the program are trained for entry-level work as a veterinary assistant, but many go on to college to become veterinary technicians. In fact, in partnership with Pima Medical Institute, EVIT vet students can earn 30 credits to apply toward enrollment in the PMI Veterinary Technician Associate Degree program.

 

And some EVIT vet students, like Farris did, plan to go even further, using their EVIT training as a starting point toward becoming a veterinarian.

 

During her senior year at EVIT, Farris got her first job at a veterinary clinic. “EVIT set my baseline knowledge of this profession,” she said, “and gave me my first hands-on experience.”

 

While attending ASU, Farris worked her way through school as a veterinary technician at East Mesa Animal Hospital. She is an example of the many EVIT students who use their training to land jobs to help pay for college.

 

For Farris, all the training, education and work has paid off: She is loving her work as an emergency veterinarian.

 

“My job as an ER vet is amazing. I love going in to work every day,” she said. “What I like most is seeing my very sick patients go home to their families and seeing the joy on the pet parents’ faces when they are reunited.”

 

“Being a veterinarian has been my lifelong dream,” she said. “It has 100% lived up to every expectation I had about this career.”

 

EVIT offers over 40 career training programs for East Valley high school students and adults at two central campuses in Mesa and a branch campus at Apache Junction High School. High school students attend tuition-free; adults pay tuition, with financial aid available in some programs for those who qualify.

 

EVIT students have a 98% high school graduation rate, two out of three go on to college, and 94% are in jobs related to their training, college or the military within a year of completing their program. EVIT starts enrolling for the 2022-23 school year on Nov. 1. To apply, go to www.evit.com/enroll. More information: www.evit.com.

 

Megan’s Career Path:

  • Completed veterinary science training at EVIT in 2011
  • Earned associate degree from Mesa Community College
  • Earned bachelor of science degree from Arizona State University
  • Earned doctor of veterinary medicine from Ross University in St. Kitts
  • Completed clinical rotation at Texas A&M University
  • Worked at a mixed animal practice in Floresville, TX
  • Today:Emergency veterinarian for BluePearl Pet Hospital

 

Get started on a career while in high school:

 

How to enroll in high school programs at EVIT:

  • Complete and submit application online at www.evit.com/enroll
  • Parents/legal guardians of new students will need an active email account to access and use the online registration system
  • Upload attendance record, discipline record, current unofficial transcripts and proof of immunizations
  • Admissions office will inform students via email once application is approved or if more information is needed
  • EVIT is for all high school students – public, charter, private or home-schooled – who reside in one of 11 East Valley school districts: Apache Junction, Cave Creek, Chandler, Fountain Hills, Gilbert, Higley, J.O. Combs, Mesa, Queen Creek, Scottsdale, Tempe
  • More information: Call (480) 461-4108

 

How to enroll in adult programs at EVIT: