As a junior majoring in animal sciences, Kalyna Kulchytsky applied to Ohio State’s highly ranked veterinary school “on a whim,” not expecting much.  

Instead, she was accepted and will begin pursuing her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree this summer, skipping the traditional path of finishing a bachelor’s degree first. 

“I don’t know many people doing this and the requirements are still rigorous but because there’s a huge shortage of vets across America they’re allowing this path,” said Kulchytsky, who not only completed all the necessary undergrad requirements but boasts a wealth of research and volunteer experience in her time in at research facilities in Columbus and Wooster. 

The research aspect especially is what she’s gravitated toward since starting at Ohio State, and she is considering focusing more on the scientific wing of veterinary medicine. It’s an area of veterinary work that sparks from her experiences within assistant professor Cody Warren’s lab at Ohio State.   

“My senior year of high school, I was talking to my hometown vet and he told me, if you’re going to Ohio State you really want to take advantage of the research opportunities,” she said. “It was something I had never done before and it’s been amazing.” 

Her experience in Warren’s lab actually began before she even came to Ohio State from her hometown of Strongsville, near the Cleveland area.  

“I found him on LinkedIn my senior semester of high school,” Kulchytsky said. “I was emailing anybody and everybody.” 

That outreach paid off. Before she even began classes, she secured a volunteer position in Warren’s microbiology lab. Over time, her responsibilities grew, eventually leading to hands-on research studying avian influenza at Wooster and how viruses spread between animals and humans. 

Some of her most memorable work, in fact, took place in a high-security biosafety lab, where she helped collect samples from infected animals. 

“You put on a hazmat suit, like Monsters, Inc. with the gloves and everything, and go into a biosafety level three facility,” she said. “I had to wake up at 3:30 every morning to go in at 4 a.m. and take samples from cows to make sure they’re doing o.k. 

“It was actually very cool. I don’t know many people who get to do, that especially as an undergrad. Our lab had so much faith in me, it was an amazing experience.” 

Those experiences helped shape her long-term goals. Rather than working as a traditional veterinarian, she hopes to study infectious and zoonotic diseases, illnesses that move between animals and humans. 

Beyond research, she found opportunities to get involved across campus. She participated in the Pre-Veterinary Medical Association, mentored students in a peer mentor program and volunteered with Guiding Eyes for the Blind and Dreams on Horseback, two programs that use animals to directly help people.  

“The differences animals make in a person’s life can be incredible, they can actually physically alter a person’s body and mentality,” she said. “They change your overall well-being. Animals really do have an impact on a person’s life. Seeing that actually happen is really cool.” 

Memorable student experiences

“I love Taste of OSU. I’m the VP of the Ukrainian Society here and it’s the epitome of cultural appreciation, it seems like every year more people show up and the food is amazing. The dance portion is really cool also. It’s just an amazing experience and way to get involved, not only in a cultural organization but just to attend and see how broad Ohio State is and how beautifully everyone maintains their culture. It’s definitely a labor of love.”