Class of 2019 Interns Arrives at PVM

June 22, 2018

Incoming PVM Class of 2019 Interns: (front row, left to right) Drs. Michael Pabon and Marianthi Gelatos; (middle row, left-right) Wasson Veterinary Pharmacy Resident Mindy Anderson, Drs. Colleen Embersics and Lydia Hoeksema; (back row, left-right) Drs. Dusty Anderson, Cam Kindra, Leigh Ann Howard, and Tanner Slead. (Not pictured: Drs. Sara Ostenkamp and Ahmed Khairoun)

Purdue Veterinary Medicine welcomes the newest class of interns to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and Centaur Equine Specialty Hospital. The interns began Monday, June 11, with an intensive orientation schedule. A group of seven interns are at work in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital as part of the year-long clinical program rotating through medicine and surgery specialties in the Small Animal Hospital. PVM’s clinical intern program is designed to provide advanced training to qualify each intern for an approved residency program leading to board certification in a recognized veterinary specialty. The Centaur Equine Specialty Hospital, a satellite facility of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine located in Shelbyville, Ind., also welcomes an intern.

In addition to the clinical internship program, the Veterinary Teaching Hospital also offers a year-long residency position in veterinary pharmacy, named the Wasson Veterinary Pharmacy Resident in honor of the donors who contributed significant funding to support the position. Mindy Anderson, PharmD, is returning to PVM to fill this position. Before completing her Doctor of Pharmacy degree in Purdue University’s College of Pharmacy, Mindy served as chief instructional technologist in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital teaching veterinary technology and veterinary medicine students, often with her trio of corgis in tow.

Please help extend a warm welcome to these newest members of the Purdue Veterinary Medicine family!

Large Animal Medicine and Surgery Intern | Centaur Equine Specialty Hospital

Dusty Anderson, DVM, Washington State University (2017)

Small Animal Medicine and Surgery Interns | Veterinary Teaching Hospital

Colleen Embersics, DVM, Mississippi State University (2018)
Marianthi Gelatos, DVM, Ross University (2017)
Lydia Hoeksema, DVM, Iowa State University (2018)
Leigh Ann Howard, DVM, Midwestern University (2018)
Cameron “Cam” Kindra, DVM, University of Illinois (2018)
Michael Pabon, DVM, University of Georgia (2018)
Tanner Slead, DVM, Kansas State University (2018)

Wasson Veterinary Pharmacy Resident | Veterinary Teaching Hospital

Melinda “Mindy” Anderson, PharmD, Purdue University (2018)

Also, joining the incoming class soon will be Sara Ostenkamp, DVM, who is completing a cardiology specialty internship, and Ahmed Khairoun, DVM, a large animal medicine and surgery intern in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Writer(s): Allison Carey | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Recent Stories

Indiana FFA Names PVM’s Julia Wickard as One of Five New Board Members

Executive Director of the Purdue Veterinary Alumni Association and Constituent Liaison Julia Wickard is one of five newly named members of the Indiana FFA Foundation board of directors. The appointments took effect July 1.

Alumnus and Oncology Specialist Dr. Christopher Fulkerson Appointed as Associate Dean for Purdue Veterinary Hospitals

Purdue Veterinary Medicine Dean Bret D. Marsh, DVM, has named Dr. Christopher Fulkerson as Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and Chief Veterinary Officer for the Purdue Veterinary Hospitals. The appointment was announced July 1, the same day that Dr. Fulkerson’s promotion to full Clinical Professor of Veterinary Medical Oncology took effect.

“Paws Up” for the ADDL Accessioning and Molecular Teams – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

This week, we express our sincere gratitude to our ADDL Accessioning and Molecular Teams (and cross trained individuals).

PVM Dean Bret Marsh Shares College Update with Swine Producers and Industry Partners at Major Swine Event in Indianapolis

Swine Health was the focus of a significant event recently at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis as swine industry partners and swine producers gathered for the National Junior Summer Spectacular (NJSS) and Summer Type Conference (STC). The event was held at the end of June in the Fall Creek Pavillion and included a Swine Health Briefing that featured swine industry and veterinary medicine leaders including Purdue Veterinary Medicine Dean Bret Marsh, who also had an opportunity to provide an update on the College of Veterinary Medicine.

2026 Annual Recognition Ceremony Honors VCS Residents, Graduate Students, and PVH Interns

On Monday, June 29, 2026, more than 100 faculty and staff from the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital gathered at Thomas Duncan Hall for the 2026 Resident and Intern Recognition Ceremony. This annual event provides a great opportunity to honor and celebrate the contributions of the residents, interns, and graduate students who are completing their programs this summer.

New Administrative Assistant Joins PVM Office of Student Success

The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine welcomes Charity Holden as the new administrative assistant in the Office of Student Success.

“Paws Up” for Scott Fix – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

This week we are highlighting Scott Fix who is the Lead Facilities Manager in the Department of Veterinary Administration.

Remembering Zeus: A Legacy of Loyalty and Love

We continue our series of articles about animals and their owners who’ve found help and healing at the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital by sharing the story of a beloved dog named Zeus. For Amy Fitzsimmons-Blaising, Zeus wasn’t just a dog, he was her spirit animal and best friend. A proud Giant Schnauzer bred in Bedford, Indiana, Zeus had been the heart of Amy’s home for 11 unforgettable years. Then, in October 2024, Zeus’s health challenges began, when he started coughing and showing signs that looked like seizures. After rushing him to a local veterinary urgent care facility, Amy learned he was in congestive heart failure, and she turned to the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital for help.

PVM Scholar Receives Purdue WGHI Pilot Grant Aimed at Advancing Women’s Health

Purdue University’s Women’s Global Health Institute (WGHI) has announced six pilot research grant awards aimed at solving critical problems in women’s health and quality of life, and one of recipients is Purdue Veterinary Medicine faculty member Viju Vijayan Pillai. Dr. Pillai is assistant professor of anatomic pathology in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Comparative Pathobiology.

The universal socket set of vaccines: Innovative technology heralds more effective, more efficient vaccines

You fight fire with fire. And Purdue Veterinary Medicine vaccine expert Suresh Mittal fights viruses with viruses. Using innovative techniques, Dr. Mittal, Distinguished Professor of Virology in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Comparative Pathobiology, develops novel vaccines for viral infections including avian influenza.