Thailand Vet School Elephant Medicine

It was such a worthwhile experience. We got to help treat the elephants and even train them a bit. The vets were very knowledgeable and so was the behaviorist. I'll never forget my time here in Thailand!

This program allowed me to get hands-on experience with elephants and immerse myself in the Thai culture. The connections and experiences cannot be replicated. I truly loved the great people and community.

Both the elephant veterinarian and trainer who led our group were amazing and answered so many of our questions! They were both passionate about their fields and that made it even more exciting and enjoyable to learn from them. My favorite part was hiking in the forest with the elephants, which was so great to see the elephants in situ

My favorite part was the clinical activites at the elephant sanctuaries. Overall, it was AMAZING! Our veterinarian was a great teacher while also being fun and friendly and he made it an incredible experience.

Loop Abroad is an amazing program for veterinary students who wish to learn about the world and themselves. The people you will meet and the opportunities you will experience are 2nd to none. On this adventure, I have realized my true purpose to not only help animals but to help the people that surround them as well!

This trip opened my eyes to the secrets behind elephant tourism and I am so glad I know what I know now to hopefully create change. I loved the jungle hikes at Burm and Emily's Elephant Sanctuary and to see the elephants express normal behaviour in their natural environment.

This trip was AMAZING! It opened my eyes to a whole new aspect of veterinary medicine and animal behaviour. Dr Chrissy and Dr Gilang are wonderful, full of knowledge and such great teachers. I loved designing enrichments at Burm and Emily's Elephant Sanctuary.

This was my first ever trip abroad and it was a great experience (a once in a lifetime!) I learned so much and loved everything I learned. I loved the elephant walks at Burm and Emily's Elephant Sanctuary, the staff guiding us were fantastic.

I loved hiking at Burm and Emily's Elephant Sanctuary. It was amazing to see the elephants in their natural habitat and environment. This trip changed my perspective and helped me learn so much more than I ever could in the classroom!

I had never been out of the country when I decided I wanted to go to Thailand and experience this study abroad trip. I knew someone who also went on a trip through Loop Abroad so I felt comfortable moving forward. When I figured out how to pay for everything and received so much support from my family, I knew I couldn’t pass this up. I had never interacted with elephants before and I wanted to expand my knowledge and experience in another area of veterinary medicine. This experience was like no other. The staff was absolutely amazing. I still stay in touch with one of our amazing guides. I had to remind myself we were in another country at times because that is how safe the staff made us feel. If you are thinking about doing something like this, do not hesitate. Go with Loop, and be ready to learn. I think this was the most life-changing, educating experience I’ve ever had.

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I had a great time going over to Thailand. The experience was definitely stressful, but the staff was so helpful and approachable. The planned activities in the city and at ENP were incredible and I got to learn so much more about the Thai culture than I thought I was going to be able to.

Thailand has always been on my Travel Bucket List. That being said, I was not sure what my two weeks would look like. We lived on an elephant sanctuary for two weeks with over twenty elephants. It never got old waking up and walking to breakfast only to see Saiyok, the youngest elephant of only two months, frolicking around his mother in the mornings. We had the opportunity to learn how to properly care for the elephants. We learned a lot more than I could imagine in the two weeks we were there. We also made time for some fun of floating down the river, taking a mud bath with the elephants, and visiting the night markets. I had a great time on my adventure to Thailand and hope to go back and visit the elephants soon!

From the beginning I was super excited about this trip. Coming from someone who dreams of working with exotic animals this was exactly what I was looking for. Not only was I challenged and taken out of my comfort zone but also made friends. You get a plethora of hands on experience and great teachers. The food is also great and that’s coming from a picky eater. The program does a really good job at mixing things up and having something for everyone. Overall this experience was a once in a lifetime experience that I would do again in a heart beat. If anyone has the opportunity to do this program, especially students wanting to go into vet school.

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This program is amazing and overall very safe! I was a bit nervous about traveling abroad with people I had never met but Loop Abroad staff made me feel extremely comfortable. I felt like I was at home with them. Our group got to volunteer around The Elephant Nature Park for a week, which was amazing. The environment was beautiful and everyone was very helpful and caring. The second week we got to learn about the Thai culture and everything that makes up Thailand and it was such a good experience. The flight was long- of course, but the girls that guided us were also very helpful. I felt totally safe the whole time. I can not wait to do this again with Loop Abroad because I totally trust them.

This trip was the most amazing thing I've done my whole life! It was my first time ever out of the country, and my first time on a plane! Lots of big stuff happening on this trip! I was very nervous going on my own, but once I met up with the rest of the group my mind was at ease. It was so cool seeing a completely different country and their way of doing things! I ate Thai food, and learned some Thai words, and saw some Thai countryside. It was so easy to make friends here, everyone was so nice. Working with the dogs was cool enough but let me tell you the moment you step inside the elephant park, it is an incredible feeling. Being so up close and personal with these AMAZING creatures. People ask me all the time if I was scared of them, and honestly not even in the slightest! They are so magnificent and gentle it took my breath away. Every morning I woke up to the elephants trumpeting and I couldn't wait to get the day started! I would 100% do this trip again in a heartbeat, it holds a very big piece of my heart. I hope someday to work with elephants every day, as they are now a big passion of mine.

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