Kacie Roman

Kacie Roman became curious about veterinary medicine while living with a vet school student after college. “I thought, wow, what my roommate’s learning is really cool, but it's too late for me to prepare for vet school,” she shares. Kacie had already launched her career as a CPA, and besides, she hadn’t taken enough sciences classes as an undergrad for a strong vet school application. “So, I kept working in accounting,” she says. Months later, however, the COVID-19 pandemic motivated her to reevaluate her priorities and reinvent her career path with the help of Penn’s Pre-Health Post-Baccalaureate Programs.

“When the pandemic hit, it really put my job into perspective. Being a CPA wasn't as fulfilling as it had been before,” Kacie says, noting the challenges of shifting to remote work. “I knew I wanted to do something more hands-on, and the idea of becoming a vet popped back into my head and started bubbling.”

In her free time, Kacie began exploring what a career in veterinary medicine might look like. First, she reached out to her old roommate to chat. “Then I started reading books by different veterinary specialists—zoological, general practice, exotic—just to get more information.”

For a practical glimpse into the field, Kacie volunteered with a Philadelphia-area cat rescue and shadowed her dog’s veterinarian in the city. The experience convinced her it was time to take a leap; she started researching academic programs where she could build her transcript.

Penn’s Pre-Health Programs stood out among other post-bacc programs in the region not just by reputation but for its Pre-Health Specialized Studies option. The track offers advanced coursework for students with science backgrounds who want to build more competitive professional school applications. “That was really important to me because I already had a minor in chemistry,” Kacie says. “At Penn, I could focus on prerequisite courses for vet school.”

Kacie quit her full-time job and enrolled in the program in January 2022.

From her first course, Introduction to Biology B, which had just five other students, Kacie felt a sense of camaraderie. “The six of us were an immediate study group. We were instant friends and really helped each other out in the class. And we stayed friends for the rest of my time in the program.”

The instructors, she says, were also supportive. “You get a lot of face time with the professors, and that made things so much easier. If I was struggling with anything, they were very approachable; I could talk to them and figure things out.”

While studying at Penn—and at the encouragement of the program team—Kacie also worked part time as a veterinary assistant, gaining the type of practical experience essential for a strong vet school application. The crossover between the clinic and the classroom, she found, was enriching. In her favorite class, microbiology, Kacie recalls, “We were using the microscope and learning how to stain slides in lab at the same time I was learning that in my job as a vet tech. It all flowed together.”

She also found that assigned research studies and scientific journal articles helped her see the coursework through a clinical lens. “I felt like everything I learned in class, I was able to apply on the job right away.”

The vet practice position also tested her readiness for a long-term career. “Every day at a practice is different,” she shares. “I got to see good and bad outcomes, which I felt was very important to experience before going into this field, especially since emotional fatigue is a big issue in veterinary medicine,” she says. “Having a lot of opportunities to see if I could actually handle the stress of this profession was really helpful.”

When the time came for Kacie to apply to vet school, the program team members were ready to guide her. “The advising was great. I got a lot of help with my application and my personal statement,” she says. Plus, two of her professors wrote letters of recommendation.

Kacie was accepted to several vet schools for fall 2023, including her first choice, Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine. She credits the Penn Pre-Health Programs for her success.

“When I was first planning to change careers, I considered just taking the classes that I needed at community college or outside of a formal program, but I am so glad that I didn't do that,” she says. “I don't think I would have gotten into vet school without the Penn Pre-Health Programs. The classes are specifically geared toward the health professions, and they’ve helped my transition into vet school so much.”

Envisioning her career future, Kacie shares, “Small animal general practice is my goal.” After graduation, she may work in private practice or as a relief doctor at multiple clinics to help vary her experience. Eventually, she hopes to put her old career to use with the new. “I would love to take my business knowledge and open up my own veterinary practice someday.”