PVM Wellness Week Promotes Strong Finish to Spring Semester

With finals week looming on the horizon as the end of the spring semester draws nigh, Purdue Veterinary Medicine fostered positive energy and productive mindsets with its Wellness Week. A schedule of daily encouraging and stress-relieving functions during the week of April 21 to 25 helped students, faculty, and staff keep a focus on the importance of wellness.

The week began with a fun, interactive opportunity to spin the “Wellness Wheel” for a chance to claim prizes that creatively conveyed reminders about the value of proactive approaches to health and wellbeing. Another feature of the week was the opportunity to “paws” for a Wellness Walk with the college’s Canine Educators – the team of dogs that are cared for by first- and second-year DVM students as well as second-year veterinary nursing students. The canines are like the students’ first patients, enabling them to gain hands-on experience performing various physical exams and basic skills, all under the supervision of an instructor. The walk promoted light physical activity while giving members of the PVM community a chance to mingle with the beloved canines.

Other Wellness Week functions included a morning bagel and coffee station Thursday, sponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition, that served as a way of helping to “Spread the Wellness” and the cream cheese; and an “Affirmation Station” where anyone could write encouraging messages of support on post it notes and affix them to a display outside the Veterinary Medical Library.

In all these ways, Wellness Week provided meaningful reminders to students, staff and faculty about the importance of prioritizing well-being and supporting one another—especially during the demanding final stretch of the academic year. A special thank you to the college’s Wellness Committee for planning this spring’s Wellness Week.