The starting line

The first two months of the year are so eventful that they could be considered the condensed version of university life. This period is characterized by exams, a career convention for the applicants, a job fair for graduating students and an inauguration of new vets. To use a sports analogy, we started with the momentum of competitive swimmers: we jumped almost as far as the middle of the pool, as if we were eager for action after getting rid of the shackles of the last two years. At this time of the year, EDUCATIO International Education Expo is now more certain to come than snow. Our stand was visited by starry-eyed high school students this year, too. Beside their curiosity, their questions also revealed how they felt the responsibility involved in the veterinary profession. Planted five years ago, the tree of the Veterinary Job Fair yields more and more fruit. Exhibitors love coming here because they meet smart students. Thirty of them signed up for internships at Bonafarm. The students who visited the grand hall could listen to several offers. Unlike so many before, they didn't come for a signature. Instead, they came in their free time with specific ideas in mind. After all, it's easier to learn about all the latest employment trends in one place than going through time-consuming job interviews to draw the conclusions. On the other hand, job fairs often have a deeper meaning for students than just trying to find a job in a few hours. It's worth getting an insight into other people's careers and achievements, for example, how trained vets live through their pleasures and pains, since life is much more than just obtaining a degree and then working for 40-50 years. That's why it was so interesting to have a conversation with Dr. Balázs Baji, who studied in István Street and competed as a hurdle runner across the world. He liked studying and he chose the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest because if you come here, you have to study. Although he was interested in the care of all animals, he eventually chose small animals to avoid the risk of an injury caused by a cow stepping on his foot... He felt the practical work at the clinic was very important. It was a relief for him to be able to switch from Side A to Side B of his life. The surgical work required immersion while the track needed him to be fast, since you have no more than 13 seconds for your “opus” in 110m hurdles. When he failed to achieve something he felt capable of, he was utterly devastated. Sometimes just for a minute, other times for days. This could happen to any of us, and when it does, just remember what he said: you need to go back to the starting line and set your goals again. he starting line for vets is quite a safe place. As Zoltán Kovács, Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Relations of Hungary said at theT graduation ceremony, the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest “is the highest ranking Hungarian university in the international lists at the moment”. Gusztáv Balázs