As the heat and long days of summer subsided and the start of a new school year approached, the sense of excitement and new beginnings pervaded Lynn Hall over the last couple of weeks with the arrival of Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s new DVM and Veterinary Technology students. The DVM students in the Class of 2029 participated in a week-long onboarding program that started Monday, August 18, while the Veterinary Technology students in the first and second years of the program were welcomed with an Ice Cream Social and orientation program at the start of the fall semester.
“Launch! DVM 2029” is the name of the onboarding program for the new DVM students. The week-long orientation included a variety of presentations, activities, team-building exercises and facility tours. A highlight of the program occurred Monday when Dean Bret Marsh welcomed the new veterinary students and led them in the recitation of the Veterinarian’s Oath as a precursor to the time four years from now when they recite it at graduation. The Monday schedule also included talks about academic and professionalism standards, small group activities, and distribution of supplies and the scrubs that serve as the students’ uniforms.
Other activities during the week included the Boiler Challenge, which involves classmates working together to accomplish a variety of challenging activities on the Purdue Ropes Course, as well as a campus Scavenger Hunt, during which students traversed the Purdue campus looking for various landmarks. Another favorite orientation activity is the Class Mosaic exercise during which class members paint triangular or circular pieces of canvas that then are assembled into a class mosaic. The students also had the opportunity to tour the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital and find out about international learning opportunities.
The DVM Class of 2029 has 89 students, of which 55 are Indiana residents. Other states represented in the class include Alabama, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. Additionally, the class includes students from Puerto Rico and the Netherlands.
Being admitted to the class is a major accomplishment in itself, as the college received 1,958 applications for admission last fall. Out of that pool, 220 students were selected for interviews, and 89 ultimately were admitted.
The Veterinary Technology program also welcomed new students with orientation as the new academic year began. Vet tech students who are just starting out on campus as Purdue freshmen were invited to come to Lynn Hall for an Ice Cream Social on the afternoon of Friday, August 22. In addition to enjoying refreshing Kona Ice, they were able to participate in a College of Veterinary Medicine-focused Scavenger Hunt, and then spin a wheel for prizes. They also had the opportunity to meet the college’s Canine Educators.
For Vet Tech students starting their second year at Purdue, Monday, August 25 marked the first time they actually began taking classes in Lynn Hall, since the prior year was spent completing core courses across campus. So that is why Monday served as their orientation day, with a schedule that featured a variety of orientation activities and presentations, including a welcome by Dean Marsh, an overview of fall semester courses, a luncheon with the Veterinary Technology Team, a group photo, tours, and distribution of their uniforms and equipment.
The Veterinary Technology Class of 2028 has 32 members. A total of 30 are from Indiana, and two are from Illinois.
Congratulations and welcome to all the incoming DVM and Veterinary Technology students!