Aug. 19, 2025
Ferris State grad Holly Wright applying her Pharmacy degree to the growing field of veterinary pharmacy
Holly Wright wasn’t sure what to do with her life. Then Google – and Ferris State University -- saved the day.
“It wasn’t until I Googled ‘veterinary pharmacist’ as an undergrad that I even realized it was an actual career. As soon as I saw it, I knew that’s what I wanted to study,” said Wright, who earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree in May from Ferris State’s College of Pharmacy.
Holly Wright
Now Wright is completing her academic journey at Purdue University’s Wasson Veterinary Pharmacy Residency program — the first program in the nation that houses both colleges of veterinary medicine and pharmacy on the same campus.
And she loves it.
“Veterinary pharmacy is a really niche field, but it’s definitely growing and where I want to be,” said Wright, a Grand Haven native.
Purdue’s one-year residency program allows participants to draw experiences and learning from both areas of study. Wright will also guest lecture and teach during her time in West Lafayette, Indiana.
“I’m really looking forward to teaching and helping veterinary and pharmacy students,” she said.
Wright said she sometimes struggled at Ferris State because the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum is focused on human medicine. Often after learning in class about human drugs, Wright would research potential animal applications in her spare time.
“It was just kind of a mental obstacle for me because I knew that wasn’t the kind of work I wanted to do; I wanted to work with animals. But I knew earning my Ferris degree would then allow me to specialize the way I wanted,” she said.
“I’d calculate the veterinary doses and side effects in dogs and that really helped me stay focused on what we were learning in school by connecting it to something I'm passionate about,” she said.
Ferris State accommodated Wright’s interest in veterinary pharmacy whenever possible. The Office of Experiential Education allowed her to complete her fourth-year clinical rotations at Ohio State University’s Veterinary Medical Center and Animal Medical Center of Wyoming in Michigan.
She also received several Ferris State scholarships.
“The alumni board scholarships also helped me financially to be able to attend veterinary pharmacy conferences, which in turn helped me network, set up my elective rotation, and get a residency,” she said.
Wright is enjoying her time at Purdue and looks forward to a career in veterinary pharmacy — perhaps someday working at a university.
“My goal is to be a clinical pharmacist at a veterinary teaching hospital,” she said. “I want to be a part of the patient care team and have teaching responsibilities. I love where I am right now.”