Katia Bastunskaya is a second year veterinary student at the University of Minnesota. She has been involved with SIRVS, the Student Initiative for Reservation Veterinary Services, for the past two years she has attended vet school, and was recently chosen to be president of the organization.
In this interview, Katia Bastunskaya discusses what inspired her to attend vet school and how she got involved with SIRVS. She talks about challenging moments and moments of pride during SIRVS trips. She discusses the importance of access to care and providing non-judgmental care to clients. She concludes the interview by sharing her hopes for the future of veterinary medicine, which is that veterinary care can be available for everyone.
Interviewed by Mari Kuennen, on January 28st, 2025.
Full oral interview and transcript available on request.
Katia Bastunskaya Oral Interview Clips:
Clip 1 (Her First Experience With Veterinary Medicine)
Clip 2 (A Moment That Led her to Pursue Veterinary Medicine)
Clip 3 (Learning About Community Medicine)
Clip 4 (How SIRVS has Changed her Outlook) (attached)
Clip 5 (A Learning Moment From SIRVS)
Clip 6 (A Challenging Moment From SIRVS)
Clip 7 (A Chance to Educate Others With SIRVS)
Clip 8 (Not Understanding Lack of Access to Care)
Clip 9 (Her Hopes of Providing Veterinary Care to Everyone)