Mix a little turquoise and a whole lot of passion for bovine medicine and you have our most recent FarmHer. Meet Bailey DeGroat, a veterinary medicine student, business owner, and woman in agriculture empowering others to discuss mental health. Born and raised on a feedlot operation in Ohio, her passion for large animals blossomed at a young age.
Having the opportunity to be a part of a large-scale beef operation was a driving point that sparked her involvement in food animal production. However, the need for food animal veterinarians was scarce in her hometown. And the demand continues to increase as each year passes.
It became clear to Bailey her calling was in the veterinary medicine field.
What is a Veterinary Medicine Student?
Currently, she is a second-year veterinary student at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. And she will be spending her summer in Alberta, Canada. There she is furthering her education with Feedlot Management Services by Telus Agriculture in feedlot and cow-calf medicine.
Once she achieves her DVM, she plans to directly serve as a food animal practitioner specializing in bovine medicine. Her mission is to enrich lives through animals by working diligently to integrate a more efficient, affordable, and sustainable way that allows producers to be more productive.
But as many college students know, purchasing necessities, saving, and paying off student loans is a huge mountain to climb.
In 2019, she started making jewelry to raise money and attend a veterinary medicine conference. Then through networking, she began designing for a large western company in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Fast Forward three years, and she has curated The Turquoise Vet. She uses her business to share her passion for southwestern-style jewelry and her journey in veterinary medicine.
The Turquoise Vet
A business with many hats, The Turquoise Vet offers even more than products. She also uses her business as a chance to work directly with students and veterinarians alike. She wants to help motivate, inspire, and build the future of veterinary medicine through mental health discussions.
However, advocating for mental health while she is in veterinary school is challenging.
In short, Bailey describes veterinary school as the epitome of a boot camp. It’s very mentally rigorous, and it often makes the students question if their career choice was the right decision. But that isn’t to take away from the fact that Veterinary Medicine is genuinely one of the most rewarding professions.
From day to day, Bailey utilizes her social media platform to share her journey in veterinary medicine, offer techniques to defeat imposter syndrome, and overcome mental health challenges. She made a personal pledge to always be authentic and transparent with her audience.
For Bailey, sharing the reality of veterinary school is vital to help others trying to keep their head above water. Creating a community is essential when facing mental health challenges and Bailey always has an open-door policy for her followers.
From her side hustle to her education, Bailey is a FarmHer inspiring women in agriculture to use their voice for good. Check out her social media platform for more details here.
