Classmates award Hahn the 2022 Gentle Doctor Award
Friday, February 24, 2023
Media Contact: Kaylie Wehr | Coordinator, Marketing and Public Relations | 405-744-6740 | kaylie.wehr@okstate.edu
Concern, affection, love and respect for the significance of life for all God’s creatures, great and small. These are the qualities of a Gentle Doctor.
Each year, the graduating class selects one member who exhibits all these to receive the Gentle Doctor Award. The class of 2022 selected Dr. Haley Hahn of Tulsa.
From a young age, Hahn knew her dream career would involve caring for animals. She was in high school when that dream began to take shape.
“I just really loved animals,” Hahn said. “I think I realized that it could be an actual profession for me when I was in high school. That’s when I started my first vet tech job and I just loved it.”
For Hahn, veterinary medicine was the perfect career; an environment where she could care for both animals and people.
“We’re people who are helping animals, but then also get to talk to people and I love talking to people,” Hahn said. “I thought that this is perfect, this is for me. Strengthening bonds between the owner and the animal and making them happier and healthier because of it, I just knew that this was for me.”
When the Gentle Doctor Award recipient was announced, Hahn was overwhelmed by the kindness of her classmates.
“I couldn’t believe it and I was truly so thankful,” Hahn said. “I think the world of my classmates and for them to nominate me as the Gentle Doctor — I was just blown away. Anyone in our class truly deserved this award and for them to give it to me was such a nice feeling and I am so honored.”
When considering the past four years of veterinary school, many good memories flood her mind, but there is one that stands out.
“The first day of clinics,” Hahn said. “I really liked it. I had a great group of people in my rotation and it’s just the day I realized that I was going to be a doctor. We were all nervous and scared, but we were working together.”
Through all the challenges a professional veterinary education brings, and all the additional ones COVID-19 brought, it was Hahn’s classmates that made all the difference.
“We grow up for four years together,” Hahn said. “We are just a small group of our class and we were always just ready to jump in and help each other with the different cases. When the pandemic hit and we had to go to online learning, it was tough. I really relied on my classmates during that time.
“I’m so, so thankful for all of my classmates. Everyone is so nice and compassionate and it’s such a big honor to win this award.”
In addition to the Gentle Doctor Award, Hahn also received the Butch and Luella Curtis Scholarship. Following graduation, Hahn began working at Animal Emergency Center in Tulsa.
Photo By: Phil Shockley, Story By: Kaylie Wehr | Vet Cetera