The right career choice
Monday, January 8, 2007 3:54 PM PST
Larry Meyer
Argus Observer
VALE
Dr. Jereld Rice started out in the educational field but left his elementary school level position to follow his heart to attend veterinary school.
Rice, 34, graduated last spring from veterinary school and joined the staff at the Vale Veterinary Clinic in July.
Rice grew up in a farming area of Michigan, but lived in town. However, his father managed the dairy owned by Andrews University so he was around farm animals quite a bit.
“Both my brother and I wanted to go West,” Rice said. Rice said he and his brother both liked the fact the West offered mountains and fewer people.
Rice said his brother now lives in Washington.
After graduating from high school, Rice attended Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Mich. and spent a year studying in Austria, and then came west to Washington where he finished his undergraduate work at Walla Walla College.
“My undergraduate work was in elementary education,” Rice said.
After teaching one year, he said he knew that is not where he wanted to be.
“Life was too short not to have entered a profession I feel really called to,” he said.
So Rice said he returned to college to take the classes he needed to get into veterinary school and began to train horses. He said he began to attend Washington State University veterinary school in 2002, obtaining his degree in the spring.
“A lot of my classmates were younger than I,” Rice said, since he started later. He said, though, that he has no regrets and would not do anything different regarding veterinary school.
“I learned a lot as a teacher,” he said. “I learned a lot training horses.”
Rice started making his connection to the Vale Veterinary Clinic as he was beginning a rotation at the University of Idaho Caine Veterinary Teaching & Research Center in Caldwell.
His wife, Alina, a soil scientist, had received a job offer in Malheur County, and they drove over to look around. Wanting to live in rural or small-town setting and finding the Vale clinic on their route, Rice decided to send his resume which he had just updated.
After returning to the veterinary center, however, Rice said he discovered a job notice advertising a position at the Vale clinic and immediately sent the resume over, and later interviewed.
Alina Rice works for the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
His interest in science and love of animals were part of the draw to becoming a veterinarian.
“I enjoy applied science, making use of the information,” he said.
Horses are his priority, Rice said, and his practice includes equine medicine, surgery, reproduction and dentistry.
“Dentistry is a growing part of our practice. Horse owners are recognizing the importance of dental care,” he said.
Besides helping animals, Rice also sees his work as helping people, although indirectly.
“A veterinarian has the ability to help people in many ways,” he said, whether it be as a producer, a 4-H club member or a person with a special pet.
“It's neat to be able to help people out,” he said.
