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Veterinary School
The owner of Bluebird Farm & Horse Ranch is also a veterinarian. Dr. Annie Bowes is pictured above at her graduation from Washington State University with her cousin, Julie Hall whom visits regularly from her home in California. Dr. Annie Bowes is Native American, and is the first person in her tribe to finish graduate school. It is hoped that her story will be an encouragement to others: with dedication there is no limit to the human ability.
When asked why she would want to enter the veterinary profession, Dr. Annie Bowes replied:
My Mother’s Uncle, the late Robert McCallister, had the most influence on my life, as is the Cahuilla and Shasta tradition (Indian families stay very closely knit).
Uncle Butch, as I called him, taught me how to ride and care for a horse. When I was a child he gave me my first pony, then my first horse, and my best horse when I was an adult. He taught me to “Be Brave.” To try things that seem impossible, so that at the very least I could walk away knowing I had put my best effort into it.
He taught me to work hard, knowing hard work is its own reward. He was sincere in all he did, and he taught me to love life and be happy – no matter what. He believed I would make a good veterinarian. And because he believed in me, I believe in myself. That is why I went to college to become a veterinarian. And that is why I still raise horses.
Robert Roy McCallister 5/14/40 – 1/26/01
Annie still keeps horses once affiliated with Uncle Butch. She is pictured below riding Morgan gelding "Little Guy Funquest," affectionately known as “Kiaik” which means “Dream” in the Shasta Indian language. Uncle Butch helped them to become a very special pair. To the right is Uncle Butch giving Annie one of her first riding lessons with her brother, Roy. Annie currently owns the gelding that had served as Uncle Butch’s favorite saddle horse, and his oldest and most cherished broodmare along with three of her offspring. They are an integral part of Bluebird Farm & Horse Ranch and will live out their days under her care.
Annie’s Cahuilla Indian family members are known as the “Healers” and are famous for their perception, gift of healing, and herbal knowledge. For Annie, becoming a veterinarian is really just following in the elders’ footsteps and doing what she is truly called to do – heal.
As such, the gift of
healing comes naturally and her passion to help is genuinely sincere. A
story of traditional medicine which involves one of Annie’s fillies can be
accessed at the web page:
Additional information about the Shasta Nation and Annie’s family can be read in a book written by Annie’s Grandmother Betty Lou Hall and Aunt Monica Jae Hall. This book can be purchased through Amazon.com, or by contacting Annie at annie@bluebirdfarm.net. The title of the book is Images of America, Shasta Nation and the ISBN is 0-7385-2957-5. It can be purchased for about $20 per copy.
Annie was home-schooled her entire life, and started college after a career in real estate and time as a veterinary technician. Science has always been her fascination and she was a member of Phi Sigma Honors Society which is a nationwide college student organization that includes only the top ten percent of all biological science majors.
Additionally, she was a multi-recipient of The National Dean’s List Award which is given to the top national 99.5 percentile of University-Nominated students; and a member of both the The National Society of Collegiate Scholars and The Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society, which are reserved for the top ten percent of nationwide scholars.
Some of these memberships also provided scholarships. Other affiliations include the American Association of Equine Practitioners and the Society for Theriogenology as a student member, the Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA) at Washington State University. Annie served as Finance Chair for the VBMA at Washington State University and helped found the Business Certification Program. This program provides an additional 30 credit hours of veterinary business management courses in conjunction with the standard curriculum. The VBMA recognizes that new graduates have all the skills to be great veterinarians but not great business people, thus the VBMA was implemented. Annie graduated with a degree in business as well as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. An article Annie wrote about her experiences with the VBMA was published online at Intervet and can be accessed through the VBMA home page:
Other science interests of Annie’s include research and vaccine development. During the summer of 2003 she worked in the Immunology Research Department of Washington State University under a grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Her work involved isolating surface proteins from Rickettsia type pathogens including Babesia bovis, Anaplasma marginale, and Babesia equi for Polymerase Chain Reaction, ELISA, and Elispot Immuno assays and immuno-stimulatory properties.
For the summer of 2004, Annie wrote a grant that was funded by the United States Department of Agriculture for an externship at an equine veterinary facility. Annie was able to job shadow an equine veterinarian and served as a surgical technician under a Board Certified Equine Internal Medicine Surgeon.
During the summer of
2005 Annie returned to the Immunology Research Department at Washington State University under a grant from the National Institute of
Health. This time, she isolated proteins from Coxiella burnettii
which is another Rickettsial organism identified as a possible bioterrorist
agent. Her work will be continued by other students, but preliminary
data was presented at the Student Research Symposium at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University and a copy of the poster can be
seen at this link:
Other scholarships Annie has been awarded during her veterinary college career include:
Multicultural Scholars in Agriculture USDA Scholarship $19,750 Jacob Monson Agricultural Engineering Scholarship $700 Most Proficient 4th year student in Theriogenology $250 Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society Scholarship $2,000 Animal Sciences Pre-Veterinary Scholarship $425 University of Idaho Presidential Scholarship $500 James E. Kraus Agricultural Scholarship $800 Dr. Carl Cozier Memorial Scholarship $1,700 Shantelle Scott Memorial Scholarship $100 Fred Reichert Agriculture Scholarship $325 Joseph F. Weghorn Scholarship $500 (A Filly's Story)
For a grand total of $27,050 which does not include the three successive summer externship grants funded by the National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute; the United States Department of Agriculture; and the National Institutes of Health for an additional $17,550. Annie worked very hard on writing her grants and essays, but for $44,600 it is deemed that her time was well worth the effort.
Out of state tuition at Washington State University was about $34,000 per year, and books were another $5,000. Fortunately, the State of Idaho sponsored Annie and payed 50% of her tuition and she completed her degree in seven years (instead of the traditional eight to ten years). Annie graduated from the University of Idaho in 2005 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Veterinary Science in addition to the Honors Core Award. She graduated from Washington State University in May of 2008 as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine with concurrent completion of the Veterinary Business Certification Program.
Thank you for taking the time to read the story of a minority woman that has worked really hard to obtain her dream career. It is hoped that this dedication will be an inspiration to others and help guide them on their life journey. Just as Uncle Butch had encouraged Annie to not give up, it is hoped that others will “Be Brave!” and follow their hearts.
To see how far Annie has come, please visit her veterinary webpage at:
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