Purdue Students Among 2019 Zoetis Veterinary Student Scholars Award Recipients

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A total of eight Purdue veterinary students were honored at this year’s annual SAVMA Symposium as recipients of the 2019 Zoetis Veterinary Student Scholars Awards.  The awards are given to second- and third-year students at colleges of veterinary medicine in the U.S. and Caribbean on the basis of academic excellence, leadership, and financial need, as well as efforts to meet the ongoing needs of the veterinary profession in the areas of diversity, sustainability, and mixed/rural medicine practice.

Congratulations to the following Purdue recipients of the Zoetis Veterinary Student Scholars Award:

DVM Class of 2020

• Anne Marshall
• Casey Schuelke
• Jessica White
• Jesse Whitfield

DVM Class of 2021

• Zhané Brown
• Wyatt Krom
• Jonathan Richardson
• Sarah Wunderlich

This year over 1,400 applications from second- and third-year students were received for the scholarship program, which is conducted as a collaboration between Zoetis and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC).  From those applications, 315 recipients were selected to receive $630,000 cumulatively in scholarships.  In a joint statement released by Zoetis and the AAVMC, Dr. Christine Jenkins, Zoetis chief medical officer and vice president for veterinary medical services and outcomes research U.S., said Zoetis is very pleased to be able to financially reward dedicated veterinary students who are already making outstanding contributions to the veterinary profession and to the overall well-being and medical care of animals. This is the ninth year for this program and Zoetis has donated over $6.7 million toward scholarships.  The names of the 2019 Zoetis Veterinary Student Scholarship recipients were displayed at the Zoetis booth during the annual SAVMA Symposium, which was held March 9-11 at the University of Georgia. 

The 2020 Veterinary Student Scholar Award program is expected to launch in early October 2019.  The AAVMC said it is pleased to have the opportunity to support the Zoetis commitment to reward dedicated veterinary students who are making outstanding contributions to the future of the veterinary profession.  Click here for more information about the Zoetis Veterinary Student Scholarship program.

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

Spotlight on Students: Meet Veterinary Nursing Student Organization VP Lillian Arnold

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The Vet Gazette continues its “Spotlight on Students” feature this week by focusing on Lillian Arnold, a veterinary nursing student who serves as vice president of the Veterinary Nursing Student Organization (VNSO). Lillian grew-up showing animals in 4-H which taught her the responsibility of caring for animals and sparked her passion for looking after both large and small animals.

Lillian chose the Purdue University Veterinary Nursing Program because it’s ranked as the number one program in the nation. As a self-described hands-on learner, Lillian also knew she would gain the kinesthetic learning experiences she needed to be successful. She has appreciated the care and compassion that instructors and staff show towards students and their dedication to each student’s learning experience. Lillian has spent 1,200 hours in clinics over the course of four years and she said that is a unique and valuable aspect of the Purdue Veterinary Nursing Program.

By being actively involved in VNSO, Lillian has had opportunities to grow in her leadership, communication, and organizational skills. This year, she is in charge of the veterinary nursing exhibit at the upcoming College of Veterinary Medicine Open House.  She said she has enjoyed the exciting experience of planning for the event. She also said VNSO provides all members, including herself, many ways to learn more about all the career options available in veterinary nursing.

Lillian is specifically interested in the areas of emergency and critical care (ECC) and oncology. She loves the fast-paced environment and the significance of the work involved in those specialty fields. She also has a passion for working with children who have special needs.  Those experiences have taught her about the significance of the human-animal bond and inspired her to eventually become certified in Equine Animal Assisted Therapy.

Lillian will be completing her veterinary nursing externship at the IndyVet Emergency and Specialty Hospital in Indianapolis this summer. She hopes to begin her career as an ECC or oncology veterinary nurse as well as gain her certification in Equine Assisted Therapy. She looks forward to pursuing a career in anything that combines her love of helping animals and those with disabilities.

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

Veterinary Nursing Symposium Hosts Record Crowd

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The fifth annual Veterinary Nursing Symposium held at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine last weekend attracted over 165 attendees, who came from as far away as Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, and Wisconsin.  The one-day program on Sunday, March 24, covered a broad range of topics that were appealing to veterinary nurses working with both large and small animals.

The annual symposium is designed to provide veterinary assistants, veterinary nursing students, and veterinary nurses with practical information they can use in clinical practice.  Participants were eligible for up to 7.5 hours of continuing education (CE) units.

After a welcome and opening remarks by Dr. Bianca Zenor, Purdue Veterinary Nursing Program director, the program gave participants the chance to choose between large and small animal tracks.  Symposium speakers featured Purdue Veterinary Medicine faculty and staff, as well as veterinary nurses from outside practices.  Small animal presentations included hospice, dentistry, emergency and critical care, anesthesiology, and cardiology.  Large animal sessions covered theriogenology, anesthesiology, equine asthma, and internal medicine topics.  Purdue Veterinary Medicine alumna Alicea Howell, RVT, VTS (Behavior), KPA CTP, presented the keynote lecture for symposium attendees entitled, “Fear Free Handling – Veterinary Care for Every Patient.”  An afternoon communications workshop was also offered as an optional session for symposium attendees. 

In addition, the event gave participants the opportunity to develop their professional networks while interacting with one another and the vendors attending the symposium.  Special thanks go to symposium sponsors Vetamac, Elanco and Hill’s.

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

PVM Student Joins Dean Reed for Congressional Visits during AAVMC’s Advocacy Day

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In conjunction with the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) annual meeting in Washington, D.C., SAVMA Purdue President Kristi Crow, a member of the DVM Class of 2020, accompanied Purdue Veterinary Medicine Dean Willie Reed on a visit to Capitol Hill to talk with policy-makers.  Their visit on March 7 was part of the AAVMC’s annual Advocacy Day, when a total of 84 educators representing 27 states and all of the AAVMC’s U.S. based member institutions spent the day going to the offices of U.S. representatives and senators to discuss key issues in academic veterinary medicine.

“I had the amazing opportunity to meet with our representatives alongside Dean Reed to lobby for issues related to veterinary medicine,” Kristi said. “I was grateful to have this opportunity to be a voice for the veterinary students not only from Purdue, but from all veterinary schools and colleges across the nation.”

During their visits on Capitol Hill, Kristi and Dean Reed specifically provided information about key legislative issues related to the veterinary medical profession, including preservation of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which was created to ensure that talented professionals are available to serve as healthcare providers, first responders, and public safety professionals in localities across the country.  They also encouraged support for the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) and the Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP).  The VMLRP was authorized to encourage large animal veterinarians to practice in communities that the USDA designates as veterinary shortage areas.  The VSGP helps large animal veterinarians become established in those rural communities by addressing gaps in veterinarian recruitment, attracting and training technical support staff, and meeting the long-term costs of operating veterinary practices in such areas.  Additionally, Kristi and Dean Reed expressed the importance of federal investment in innovation, research, and development, noting that laboratories in the nation’s colleges of veterinary medicine provide critical support for the National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Agriculture, the National Science Foundation, and other agencies.

Altogether, participants in the AAVMC Advocacy Day visited 107 offices in the House of Representatives and 58 offices in the U.S. Senate.  They met with staffers and 33 different senators and congressmen.

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

Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Annual Open House Set for April 6

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Students in the College of Veterinary Medicine are working hard to complete preparations for the annual Open House, which will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on April 6 in Lynn Hall.  Designed to help educate the community on all of the different aspects of veterinary medicine through various interactive activities, the student-organized event is held in conjunction with Purdue’s Spring Fest weekend, but is Saturday only.

The theme this year is “The Human-Animal Bond: Better Together,” which focuses on the mutually influential relationship between animals and people. Several familiar events will return to the Open House, including the Teddy Bear Suture Clinic, where kids dress up like surgeons and treat “injured” teddy bears. Other events and activities include:

• Spay Surgery Demonstration: Visitors will be able to view a narrated live spay surgery performed on a pet that needs the procedure before being adopted.
• Walk Through the Heart: First-year veterinary students will guide people through the different chambers of the heart, talk about the importance of parasite preventatives, and help visitors use auscultation models to practice listening to heart sounds.
• Walk Through the GI Tract: Second-year veterinary students will take visitors on a journey though the four compartments of the GI tract of a horse. They will talk about horse nutrition and common parasites that can affect this part of the body.
• Veterinary Nursing Displays: Attendees will be able to view radiographs and guess what is in the patient, and children will be able to use stuffed animals to practice bandaging.
• Petting Zoo: Participants will get to interact with a variety of animals, including llamas, donkeys, goats, rabbits, ducklings, chicks, and a cow.

Other attractions will include a food tent, an opportunity to meet blood donor dogs and exotic pets, and a chance to mingle with therapy pets that are trained to interact with the public in schools, libraries, and assisted living facilities. A search dog, Dash, from Midwest Search Dogs will also be in attendance. Additionally, the Indianapolis Zoo and Columbian Park Zoo will have displays that include artifacts for the public to view. Multiple Purdue Veterinary Medicine student clubs will set up booths and displays at the event and will be offering crafts such as animal origami and animal bookmarks for children.  Click here for more information about the Open House.

Writer(s): Jaclyn Lawmaster | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Students Recognized for Certificate Program Completion

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Congratulations are in order for a dozen PVM students who were recognized for completion of the requirements for the Certificate for Diversity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine. Dean Willie Reed presented the certificates Tuesday morning, March 26, during VM 82500 in Lynn 1136, and expressed his appreciation for the students’ hard work in completing the program.

The recipients honored were:

• Zoe Albert (DVM Class of 2022)
• Natalia Amaral Marrero (DVM Class of 2022)
• Taylor Bolinger (DVM Class of 2022)
• Akila Bryant (DVM Class of 2022)
• Evan Carter-Taylor (DVM Class of 2021)
• Leah Douglas (DVM Class of 2022)
• Asia Fernandes (DVM Class of 2020)
• Blair Hooser (DVM Class of 2021)
• Gayatri Mazgaonkar (DVM Class of 2021)
• Karla Rodriguez Garcia (DVM Class of 2019)
• Teilor Ruff (DVM Class of 2022)
• Shirissa Thompson (DVM Class of 2022)

The certificate program, which is presented through Purdue University’s Center of Excellence for Diversity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine, is designed for people with demanding schedules and combines distance learning, life experiences, and written reflections. Nearly 300 individuals from 27 colleges of veterinary medicine have completed the certificate program, which is open to faculty, staff, students, and practicing veterinary professionals.

Click here to visit the Human-Centered Veterinary Medicine website for a program overview.  The certificate is available to all PVM faculty, staff, and students free of charge. For questions or help signing up, contact hcvm@purdue.edu.

Writer(s): Adrianne Fisch | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Spring Extravaganza Spotlights PVM’s Global Engagement Opportunities

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Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Office of Global Engagement and the Purdue Chapter of the International Veterinary Student Association (IVSA) hosted their annual Spring Extravaganza at the MatchBOX Coworking Studio in downtown Lafayette last Friday evening, March 22. The event attracted over 50 students from the College’s Veterinary Nursing and DVM programs.

Students, staff, and visitors were able to enjoy a buffet of Indian inspired dishes and spend the evening interacting with people from a variety of cultures. This year’s Spring Extravaganza also included the opportunity for students to participate in panel discussions involving faculty and other veterinary professionals, asking questions about veterinary medicine, inclusiveness in the profession, and more. This year’s panelists included:

• Dr. Sarah Steinbach, assistant professor of small animal internal medicine, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
• Dr. Andrea Pires dos Santos, assistant professor of veterinary clinical pathology, Department of Comparative Pathobiology
• Dr. Stacy Tinkler, clinical associate professor of large animal internal medicine, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
• Dr. Malathi Raghavan, clinical associate professor and director of outcomes assessment and data management, Department of Veterinary Administration
• Dr. Sanjeev Narayanan, professor and head, Department of Comparative Pathobiology
• Dr. Sophie Lelievre, professor of cancer pharmacology, Department of Basic Medical Sciences
• Dr. Niwako Ogata, associate professor of animal behavior, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
• Dr. Ori Stollar, resident in companion animal behavior, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
• Dr. Larry Adams, professor of small animal internal medicine, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
• Dr. Li-Jen Chang, resident in anesthesiology, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
• Dr. Philip De Shield (PU DVM 2014), veterinarian at the Animal Medical Centre in Belize
• Dr. Kenneth Tu, graduate student, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences

Also joining in the panel discussions were two students from the University of Zurich.

Each year in conjunction with the Spring Extravaganza, a special guest comes to the College and speaks on special topics during the week leading up to the event. This year’s special guest was Dr. Phillip De Shield, who earned his DVM degree from Purdue University in 2014, and now works as a veterinarian at the Animal Medical Centre in Belize.  Dr. De Shield addressed a number of topics including rural veterinary medicine, wildlife veterinary medicine, and what it is like to be a global veterinarian.

The Spring Extravaganza also included a ceremony honoring 28 students who completed the Global Veterinary Medicine Certificate Program. Dr. Kathy Salisbury, associate dean for academic affairs, presented the certificates to the recipients. Created to provide PVM students with a complete cross-cultural experience, the certificate program is designed to improve students’ understanding of global veterinary medicine and awaken a global consciousness.

The Spring Extravaganza ended with recognition of the outgoing 2018-2019 IVSA officers and introduction of the incoming officers. The outgoing officers received watches to thank them for their hard-work during their terms as officeholders. The outgoing officers are: Sarah Bohac, president; Stephanie Morgenstern, treasurer; Caitlin Smith, exchange officer; and Danielle Miller, One Health chair. The new officers for the upcoming 2019-2020 academic year include: Madeleine Bryan, president; Julia O’Rourke, treasurer; and Javier Pino, exchange officer.  Additionally, the following students were introduced as officer-elects:  Tuan Huynh, president-elect; Haley Nowakowski, treasurer-elect, and Maya Patterson, exchange officer-elect.

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

Purdue Veterinary Student Receives Scholarship in AASV Student Poster Competition

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The American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) provided an opportunity for 15 veterinary students to compete for awards in its Veterinary Student Poster Competition, and one of the award recipients is Gabby Fry, of the Purdue DVM Class of 2021. Newport Laboratories sponsored the competition, offering awards totaling $4000, which were presented at the AASV annual meeting this month in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. 

Gabby was among nine students who each received a $200 scholarship.  On the basis of scores received in the original judging of abstracts submitted for the AASV Student Seminar, the top 15 abstracts not selected for oral presentation at the annual meeting were eligible to compete in the poster competition. A panel of three AASV practitioners interviewed the competing students and scored their posters to determine the scholarship awards.  In addition to the poster competition awards, each student poster participant received a $250 travel stipend from Zoetis and the AASV. The awards were announced at the AASV luncheon held on March 11.

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

Spotlight on Students: Meet Kristi Crow

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The Vet Gazette continues its “Spotlight on Students” feature this week by focusing on Kristi Crow, a third-year DVM student who serves as president of SAVMA Purdue. Originally from Brownsburg, Ind., Kristi attended Purdue University to get an undergraduate degree in animal sciences and decided to continue on to obtain her DVM degree at Purdue as well.

From a young age, Kristi loved animals and knew she wanted to be a veterinarian. She decided to pursue veterinary medicine because it combined her passion for helping people and animals into one. Kristi has always had a strong interest in leadership roles and found she is most comfortable where she can work to make an impact. SAVMA Purdue has offered her the opportunity to help the student body, college, and community. She has enjoyed these experiences which enabled her to give back to others and build skills through leadership positions.

Kristi said she has found that the Purdue Veterinary Medicine curriculum provides for a vast amount of hands-on training and animal handling from the first year. She is very appreciative of the opportunity to interact and work with various animals throughout all four years because it has allowed her to strengthen her skill-set and confidence. One of her favorite aspects of her time at the College involves the way that students are encouraged to participate in study abroad opportunities. As part of her Purdue veterinary education, Kristi has traveled to Japan and South Africa, and plans to return to South Africa and also visit Malawi for two blocks during her clinical year.

Kristi’s current veterinary related interests are focused around public health and international medicine. Outside of her veterinary studies, she enjoys spending her time with friends and family, traveling, exercising, and blogging. She is very passionate about sharing her journey through veterinary school and educating the public about the veterinary profession. As someone who has always been involved in leadership activities, she developed a desire to share her experiences with others. Kristi said that interest led her to start her own blog platform that people can visit to read about her and different topics related to being a veterinary student. To read more, click here to check out her blog posts on Merck Manuals Student Stories.

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

AASV Names PVM Alumnus as Meritorious Service Award Recipient

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Dr. David Madsen (PU DVM ’69) was named the 2019 recipient of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians’ Meritorious Service Award earlier this month during the association’s 50th annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.  The award recognizes individuals who have provided outstanding service to the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV).

Born into a Nebraska family that raised purebred Hampshire pigs, Dr. Madsen developed a determination to become a veterinarian after following a local veterinarian on his father’s farm. He earned his DVM degree at Purdue University in 1969 and remembers being the only member of his class with an interest in pigs. That same year he became a charter member of the American Association of Swine Practitioners (now AASV). He worked as a swine veterinarian and practice owner in Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri, before moving to Nebraska to establish SwinePro Associates, LLC, in partnership with Dr. Jack Anderson in 1994. Dr. Madsen also served as the director of health services for Heartland Pork in Iowa, Premium Standard Farms/Murphy Brown in Missouri, and Smithfield in Princeton, Mo. During his career as a swine veterinarian and producer, Dr. Madsen has seen the emergence of many important swine diseases, including atrophic rhinitis, pseudorabies, circovirus, Streptococcus suis, and PRRS.

In 1992, Dr. Madsen assumed the responsibilities of a district director for the AASV Board and then served a term as AASV president in 2001. He also represented the AASV in the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) House of Delegates for 12 years, and was selected to represent all food animal veterinarians on the seven-member committee to write the AVMA Overarching Principles of Animal Welfare. As a member of the AASV Foundation Board, Dr. Madsen was integral in the support of future swine veterinarians. He proposed that the foundation develop a free pre-conference seminar for students and recent graduates by funding the speaker expenses.  He also proposed the phrase, “Ensure Our Future: Leave a Legacy,” adopted as the motto by the AASV Foundation Board.

“AASV has been a large part of my professional, educational, and personal career, providing lifelong learning and introducing me to a large number of outstanding individuals,” Dr. Madsen said upon receiving the Meritorious Service Award. “Although it took me 23 years to become involved with association tasks, my involvement was both rewarding and enlightening, to say nothing of challenging and entertaining. I would trade my experiences through AASV with no other opportunities.”

Dr. Madsen retired in 2014.  He and his wife Sandie now reside in Dillon, Mont., where he serves as swine outreach coordinator for the Montana Board of Livestock, working with 4-H and FFA groups across the state. He also works as a part-time general practitioner in a mixed-practice, and provides surgical services for the local animal shelter.

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