Prospective Students Welcomed for First DVM Class of 2023 Interview Day

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Today marks the beginning of the first of two interview days for prospective Purdue DVM students. Almost 300 students will be visiting the College of Veterinary Medicine in hopes of being accepted into the DVM Class of 2023. These prospective students are being warmly greeted by staff and volunteers involved in the interview days. The second round of interviews will be held next Friday (February 1).

The prospective DVM students will have the opportunity to get better acquainted with Purdue University and the College of Veterinary Medicine throughout the interview days. In addition to the interviews, there will be opportunities to tour Lynn Hall and the Purdue campus, participate in discussions with topics ranging from “Life as a DVM Student” to the different tracks of study. Each interview day will conclude with a banquet in the Purdue Memorial Union North Ballroom. The banquet program will include a student panel providing interview day guests insights into what it is really like to be a DVM student.

These potential students have traveled from across the U.S. to participate in the competitive interview portion of the admission process. Thank you for welcoming our guests on this exciting day. If you have any questions about the interview process, please feel free to stop by the Student Services Office (Lynn, Rm. 1185). Click here to view the Interview Day Itinerary.

Interview days also are planned for students applying to the Veterinary Nursing Program.  Prospective incoming freshman will participate in interviews on Friday, February 8, and transfer/change of degree objective (CODO) students will complete interviews with the Veterinary Nursing Program on Friday, March 8 and Saturday, March 9.

Writer(s): Amanda McCormick, PVM Communications Intern | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Dr. Iverson Bell, Jr. Gives Keynote Address During PVM’s Inclusive Excellence Week

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The 2019 VOICE (Veterinarians as One Inclusive Community for Empowerment) Inclusive Excellence Week was punctuated with a Martin Luther King, Jr. Keynote Address on Wednesday, January 23, by Dr. Iverson C. Bell, Jr., who is a teacher, training doctor, and psychiatrist at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.  Dr. Bell is one of four Black training directors out of 248 psychiatry residency programs and one of the 840 Black psychiatrists out of 28,000 in the U.S. He also is known in veterinary circles as the son of a small animal veterinarian who practiced in Terre Haute, Ind., and lectured at Purdue.  Dr. Iverson Bell, Sr. worked tirelessly to promote equal opportunity for all and to increase diversity in the veterinary profession, and his legacy is honored through both the national Iverson Bell Symposium hosted by the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC), and the Iverson Bell Midwest Regional Diversity Summit.

The address by Dr. Iverson Bell, Jr., titled “Wellness Challenges for Students and in the Real World”, introduced the idea of coping with burnout by making decisions for the intended outcome of holistic fulfillment. In particular, Dr. Bell encouraged individuals to make career decisions around their love and joy for the work and to also serve as peer support for individuals who may be experiencing burnout in school and/or in their career. He emphasized that self-care plays an integral part in reaching personal fulfillment. The event was co-sponsored with PVM’s Diversity Action Committee (DAC).

The keynote address was one of several special events during Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Inclusive Excellence Week, presented by VOICE.  “Initiated in the spring of 2018, Inclusive Excellence Week is designed to inspire, empower, and engage groups by sparking discussions around diversity and inclusion,” said VOICE president Edris Grate, of the DVM Class of 2021. He added, “It was an honor to host Dr. Iverson Bell, Jr., not only for his knowledge pertaining to wellness and psychology, but also for the legacy of his father, Dr. Iverson Bell, Sr.”

Writer(s): Latonia Craig and Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

PVM Hosts Successful Events at NAVC’s VMX Conference in Orlando

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The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine was in the spotlight at the North American Veterinary Community’s (NAVC) annual VMX Conference, which was held January 19-23 in Orlando, Fla.  On Sunday night, January 20, more than 75 Purdue Veterinary Medicine alumni turned out for the Purdue Alumni Reception held at the Hyatt Regency.  The alumni enjoyed the opportunity to catch-up with classmates and colleagues and hear an update on the College from Dean Willie Reed. 

Earlier in the day Sunday, Purdue Veterinary Medicine and Elanco Animal Health co-hosted the Elanco Human-Animal Bond Lecture at a luncheon in the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) South.  Dr. Evan MacLean, assistant professor in the School of Anthropology at the University of Arizona and director of the Arizona Canine Cognition Center, spoke on the topic “Oxytocin, Vasopressin, and Social Behavior in Dogs.”  More than 200 attended the presentation, which covered research done in the last decade investigating how these hormones play a role in dog behavior and dog interaction with humans. Dr. MacLean received his PhD in evolutionary anthropology from Duke University in 2012, where he was a James B. Duke Fellow. His research integrates methods from evolutionary biology and comparative psychology to address questions about the cognitive mechanisms through which animals solve complex problems, the processes through which cognition evolves, and how studies of animal behavior and cognition can improve the methods through which animals are selected, bred, and trained for roles in society.  In addition to his work on animal behavior and cognition, Dr. MacLean studies the biological mechanisms involved in human-animal interaction, with a focus on oxytocinergic and vasopressinergic pathways.

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

PVM Student Among Future Equine Practitioners Awarded Oakwood Scholarship at AAEP Convention

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Congratulations to fourth-year Purdue veterinary student Abbie Haffner, who is one of five equine veterinary students selected to receive a $5,000 Oakwood Scholarship, made possible by the generosity of Renee and John Grisham’s Oakwood Foundation Charitable Trust. The scholarships were presented last month at the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) annual convention in San Francisco, Calif.

In a story published in BloodHorse magazine, Abbie, a native of Pendleton, Ind., was quoted as saying, “I am very honored to receive the Oakwood Scholarship through the AAEP.”  She added, “While financial support is always greatly appreciated, I am forever grateful to the scholarship committee for realizing and having confidence in my future career goals and aspirations. As a girl who grew up in all facets of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing in Indiana, I am very proud and happy to be able to contribute in a new way next year.”

Second- and third-year veterinary students pursuing a career in equine medicine and active within any of the AAEP’s 39 student chapters at colleges of veterinary medicine in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean may apply for an Oakwood Scholarship.  The scholarships are awarded based on academic excellence, leadership, and a commitment to equine veterinary medicine. Students interested in applying must also have the support of AAEP members and their clinical instructors.

Mrs. Grisham, along with her husband, the famed novelist, owns and operates Oakwood Farm in Covesville, Va. She is an avid horseman and strong advocate for horse health. Among the Grishams’ many philanthropic interests is a dedication to education. “With the help of the AAEP Foundation, I am pleased to offer this opportunity to benefit future equine veterinarians,” Mrs. Grisham said.

The other four Oakwood Scholarship recipients hail from the University of California at Davis, Washington State University, the University of Tennessee, and the University of Calgary.  For more information about this program and other scholarships offered through the AAEP Foundation, visit www.aaepfoundation.org.

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

New NIH Grant Helps Dr. Mohamed Seleem Pursue Faster Method for Diagnosing Blood Infections

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Dr. Mohamed Seleem, professor of microbiology in the Purdue Veterinary Medicine Department of Comparative Pathobiology, and his collaborator at Boston University have received a $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for their research to develop a faster means of diagnosing often lethal bloodstream infections.  Their approach also addresses the problem of antimicrobial resistance.

Bloodstream infections are notoriously deadly – not because they’re untreatable, but because they work fast and are hard to diagnose. To figure out what medication to give patients, doctors need to culture the bacteria or fungi causing the infection, which takes several days. In an attempt to treat the infection before results of the culture come back, doctors often give patients a drug cocktail, hoping that one of the medications in the bunch will cure the patient. Often, it doesn’t, and the practice contributes to the increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance.

Mortality rates are high, as bloodstream infections kill more than 600 people each day in the United States. Dr. Seleem is trying to change that with a faster method for diagnosing these infections.  “We created a method that uses a blood sample from patients, and in 20 minutes identifies what kind of infection they have and what antibiotic or antifungal medication we should give them,” Dr. Seleem said. “Doing this without giving patients the wrong treatment or creating antimicrobial resistance is really novel.”

Antimicrobial resistance happens when a microorganism is able to stop a medication from working against it. As a result, standard treatments become ineffective, infections persist and continue to spread. Without effective antibiotics, major surgeries and chemotherapy become extremely high-risk.

Dr. Seleem’s new diagnostic tool images the infection and identifies it from the rest of the cells and bacteria in the blood. Once he finds the bacterium he’s looking for, he can go inside it and analyze it. The findings were published in the journal Analytical Chemistry.  “Like each person has an individual fingerprint, each bacterium has a single fingerprint that’s specific to that infection,” Dr. Seleem said. “We created a library with the fingerprint of each infection, that way, we can quickly identify what kind of infection the patient has.”

The original study considered only a single bacterium. Now, Dr. Seleem wants to make the technique more efficient and verify that it works on the six most common bloodstream infections. With help from his collaborator, Dr. Ji-Xin Cheng, professor of biomedical engineering at Boston University, and the new NIH grant, he’s working toward these goals.  “The mortality rate is very high because patients can die from this in a few hours,” Dr. Seleem said. “Finding a fast, efficient diagnostic tool is in high demand. We could save a lot of lives.”

Dr. Seleem’s research aligns with Purdue’s Giant Leaps celebration, which acknowledges the University’s global advancements in health, longevity and quality of life as part of Purdue’s 150th anniversary. This is one of the four themes of the yearlong celebration’s Ideas Festival, designed to showcase Purdue as an intellectual center solving real-world problems. Learn more about Dr. Seleem’s research.

The technology is patented through the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization. Click here for more information about the technology.

Writer(s): Kayla Zacharias | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Veterinary Practice Management Program Offers Open House

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Interested in honing your business management skills but don’t know where to start?  The Veterinary Practice Management Program (VPMP) at Purdue will host an Open House and Networking Lunch on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at the Krannert Center. 

The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine and the Krannert School of Management partner to offer VPMP, which is an intensive, management education program that provides in-depth courses in human resource management, financial management, marketing, and strategic thinking.  Designed specifically for veterinary professionals, the program helps participants to improve their business management skills, employee relations, and overall practice profitability.  The modules are taught on the Purdue campus during four separate weekend-long sessions that can be completed over a span of 18 months, or on an accelerated 8 month schedule.

During the Open House, guests will join current VPMP students in a session on strategic thinking where they will get a taste of business planning with Dr. Logan Jordan.  There will be ample time for participants to meet VPMP professors, interact with current VPMP students, and learn more about the program itself.  Click here to find a detailed schedule and RSVP by January 28.

Make 2019 the year that you invest in the human side of your veterinary practice!

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr and Andrea Brown | pvmnews@purdue.edu

New Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion Welcomed at Reception

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Purdue Veterinary Medicine faculty, staff, and students joined Dean Willie Reed in extending a warm welcome to Dr. Latonia Craig as the College’s new assistant dean for diversity and inclusion at a reception held in her honor Wednesday, January 9, in the Continuum Café.  Dr. Craig comes to Purdue from the University of Louisville, where she served as director of graduate recruitment and diversity retention.  She also has more than ten years of experience as an instructor in the University of Louisville’s Department of Pan-African Studies, teaching a course on cultural diversity.  Her first day on the job in Lynn Hall was Tuesday, January 2.

“What attracted me to Purdue’s College of Veterinary Medicine was the groundwork already established in the area of diversity and inclusion,” Dr. Craig explained.  “I was equally impressed with the vested interest of faculty, staff, and students.  The intentionality and programmatic efforts happening in the College speaks volumes about the direction, and with some continued momentum I think it can only go up from here.”

Dr. Craig received a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s in Pan-African studies from the University of Louisville, a master’s in educational leadership from the University of Cincinnati, and a doctor of education from Spalding University in Louisville. Dr. Craig then returned to the University of Louisville as associate director of graduate admissions and diversity recruitment before being promoted to her most recent position in July 2017. Additionally, Dr. Craig served as chair of both the Strategic Planning Committee and the Diversity Committee in the University of Louisville’s School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies and as the commissioner of the university’s Commission on Diversity and Racial Equality.

Dean Reed said in Dr. Craig’s new role at Purdue, she will be responsible for providing administrative leadership for diversity and inclusion in the College of Veterinary Medicine and implementing the College’s Diversity and Inclusion Plan.  “The PVM family has welcomed me with open arms and I am so grateful for the relationships already established.  I am looking forward to the work we produce together in the very near future,” Dr. Craig said.  Her office is located in Lynn 2133, or she can be reached at craig84@purdue.edu or by phone at extension 61908.  If you didn’t have a chance to do so at the reception, please help extend a warm PVM welcome to Dr. Craig!

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Alumni Reception and Behavior Talk Headline PVM Related Activities at VMX Conference

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VMX, the North American Veterinary Community’s (NAVC) Veterinary Meeting and Expo, starts today in Orlando Florida and Purdue Veterinary Medicine is coordinating two events at the conference, which runs through Wednesday.  As the yearly conference provides an opportunity to bring professionals together, there will be a chance for PVM friends and alumni to gather at the PVM Alumni and Friends Reception, which will be held Sunday, January 20, from 7:00 -9:00 p.m., at the Hyatt Regency Orlando, Celebration 5.

Additionally, Purdue Veterinary Medicine and Elanco Animal Health are hosting the Elanco Human-Animal Bond Lecture at a luncheon on Sunday.  Dr. Evan MacLean, assistant professor in the School of Anthropology at the University of Arizona and director of the Arizona Canine Cognition Center will speak on the topic “Oxytocin, Vasopressin, and Social Behavior in Dogs.”  The lecture will cover research done in the last decade investigating how these hormones play a role in dog behavior and dog interaction with humans.  The luncheon is scheduled from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m., in the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) South. Attendees must be registered for the VMX conference in order to attend. Click here for more information.

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

ADDL Welcomes New Quality and Safety Manager

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Debbie Morgan has joined the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine as the quality and safety manager in the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. She began her position on December 12.

Born and raised in England, Debbie has spent the last 25 years in the United States. Her career began as a chemist after she earned her master’s degree in analytical chemistry.  She then progressed to a lab manager and then to a quality manager. Debbie has 25 years of experience in the quality field. Prior to coming to Purdue, Debbie worked at Abbot Laboratories, 3M, and ADM/Tate & Lyle, gaining experience in the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries.

Debbie has been an avid dog lover her entire life. She currently has a two-year-old Lab mix named Denali, who she describes as an extremely active and mischievous dog.  Outside of work, Debbie enjoys spending her time hiking, visiting craft breweries, eating ethnic food, reading, and doing jigsaw puzzles.

“I’m really excited to join the ADDL team and hope I can make a difference and lead continuous improvement of our existing quality systems,” Debbie said.  Debbie can be reached by e-mail at morga241@purdue.edu or by phone at extension 47440. Please join us in welcoming Debbie to the PVM family!

Writer(s): Amanda McCormick, PVM Communications Intern | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Priority 4 Paws Mobile Surgery Unit Logs 100K Miles Serving Animal Shelters and Educating Students

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Dr. Lynetta Freeman checks the anesthesia for a dog named Jane before a spay operation. Priority 4 Paws, a Purdue Veterinary Medicine mobile spay and neuter unit, recently celebrated logging 100,000 miles. (Purdue University/ Mark Simons)

Dozens of Indiana animal shelters have limited resources when it comes to spaying and neutering the animals that come through their doors.  The Priority 4 Paws traveling surgery unit with veterinary medicine students brings much-needed relief to those shelters, helping them reduce the time animals spend waiting for adoption while, at the same time, providing valuable educational opportunities for students.

Priority 4 Paws (P4P) is the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s mobile shelter medicine and surgery program that has helped spay and neuter more than 14,000 shelter animals since it was started in 2012. Just last month, the unit rolled over 100,000 miles on the odometer. Reaching those kinds of numbers is a milestone for Dr. Lynetta Freeman, who spearheaded the program and just retired as professor of small animal surgery.  “I think making it to that many miles shows us that this is a program that is needed,” Dr. Freeman said.

P4P incorporates an elective course that allows fourth-year veterinary students to travel to Indiana animal shelters within driving distance and perform spay and neuter surgeries in the mobile unit. The clinic runs three days a week and two of those days are usually spent on the road, while one day is spent at Purdue. The students spend the remainder of their time doing assigned readings and online education.

Dr. Freeman believes the program has played a part in a movement to help address the issue of overcrowding and high euthanasia rates. She says shelter populations have decreased, and “save rates” – which is the percentage of animals adopted, reclaimed, or transferred – are around 90 percent.  “When the program was first started, animals would stay for a really long time in shelters,” Dr. Freeman said. “That led to behavior problems and other issues that made them harder to adopt. Today, we go to shelters and sometimes we are doing surgeries on animals that are going home the very next day.”

Veterinary medicine student Leslie Lundewall, of the DVM Class of 2019, helps Jake revive after his neuter surgery performed in the Priority 4 Paws mobile surgery unit. (Purdue University/ Mark Simons)

Dr. Freeman says being part of a solution has been eye-opening for students, too.  “I think we are part of a big picture,” Dr. Freeman commented. “The big picture is trying to reduce the time animals spend in shelters and the numbers of animals presented to shelters. Having students play a role in that makes it all the more meaningful.”

During the three-week, elective rotation, students perform an average of 35 surgeries. That number is significant, Dr. Freeman says, because it helps Purdue veterinary students stand out among their peers after graduation. “Being able to do that many surgeries is rare,” Dr. Freeman explained. “Students who complete this rotation feel much more comfortable after they’re done. If they walk into a clinic on their first day on the job and someone says ‘Here, go spay this cat,’ they feel confident and prepared to do it right away.”

For Dr. Freeman, P4P also has cultivated a love for shelter medicine. When the program was started, she said a goal of hers was for students to gain surgical experience and to create a mindset of service. Looking back, Dr. Freeman says she thinks that has been accomplished.  “It’s hard to measure, but I think our students walk away with a more philanthropic outlook,” Dr. Freeman said. “Being able to give back, and seeing the results, has been good for all of us.”

Click here to view a YouTube video about the program.

Writer(s): Abbey Nickel | pvmnews@purdue.edu