Externship Experience

Submitted by Eleanor Kharasch, Tufts University

My externship at the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) combined my passion for large animal medicine and public health. PCC is an agricultural research institution whose mission is to serve and support local and commercial farmers in the Philippines. Many farmers livelihoods rely on the health and production of their water buffalo, and PCC’s cutting-edge research and community engagement in 13 locations around the Philippines. This externship allowed me to participate in pregnancy diagnosis of water buffalo, collecting data and analyzing samples for their climate-smart research initiative that focuses on heat tolerance genetics, and contributing to their disease surveillance laboratory that screens for diseases including brucellosis, blue tongue, tuberculosis, and others. It was incredible to learn so much with amazing people who have a sincere passion for research and science with the primary goal of supporting farmers.