Stethoscope Celebration Welcomes New DVM and Veterinary Nursing Students to Purdue

Jaden smiles flashing peace signs with her brand new stethoscope draped around her neck
Jadon Hearns, of the DVM Class of 2027, celebrates on the steps of the Purdue Memorial Union with classmates following the Stethoscope Celebration September 5.

An important Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine tradition kicked-off the new school year for first-year veterinary medicine students in the Class of 2027 as well as veterinary nursing students in the Class of 2026 who are attending classes in Lynn Hall this fall for the first time. The annual Stethoscope Celebration was held September 5 in the Purdue Memorial Union Faculty Lounges. In addition to a full-course meal, the event featured remarks by Dean Willie Reed and the event sponsors, and culminated with the giving of complimentary stethoscopes to the students.


Classmates line up on the steps of the Purdue Memorial Union for a group photo joined by Dean Reed, seated in the center of the front row.
The Veterinary Nursing Class of 2026 commemorate the occasion with a class photo joined by Dean Reed.

“This stethoscope-themed celebration has become an important, time-honored tradition for our college,” Dean Willie Reed said as he began the evening event and thanked the event sponsors – Patterson Veterinary, the Purdue Veterinary Alumni Association, and the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association.

The four students stand close together smiling at the camera, wearing their stethoscopes around their necks.
Veterinary Nursing students in the Class of 2026 are all smiles as they join together for snapshots following the celebration.

After the meal was served, a representative of each sponsor was invited to share words of advice with the students. Then Dean Reed returned to the podium. “In many ways, tonight’s event is a picture of the teamwork that is so vital to the success of the veterinary medical profession,” Dean Reed said to the students. “As you progress through your education here, I hope you feel like you really are part of a team, working and learning together with your fellow students, and witnessing the teamwork modeled by our faculty and staff as well as our partner organizations.”

Dean Reed emphasized Purdue Veterinary Medicine is one of only four veterinary colleges in the United States that offers both DVM and Veterinary Nursing degree programs. “You will gain a lot of hands-on experience as part of your coursework and your rotations in the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital. And you will have the opportunity to start using your stethoscopes right away!”

Following the program, the students stepped outside to proudly display their shiny new stethoscopes for group photos and candid photo ops.


DVM students gather in rows on the steps of the Purdue Memorial Union with Dean Reed seated in the middle of the front row
Students in the DVM Class of 2027 are joined by Dean Willie Reed as they gather for a group photo in front of the Purdue Memorial Union at the annual Stethoscope Celebration.

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

Recent Stories

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

Behind the scenes, Alicia Williams has been making PVM a kinder, stronger place.

Purdue Veterinary Medicine Computational Biologist Uses Big Data, AI and Math to Find Patterns in Cancer

With recent advances, cancer research now generates vast amounts of information. The data could help researchers detect patterns in cancer cells and stop their growth, but the sheer volume is just too much for the human mind to digest. Enter Nadia Lanman, research associate professor in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology, whose expertise in computational biology helps researchers at Purdue University distill solutions from the sea of numbers.

Purdue to Host Fourth Annual Antimicrobial Conference in February

With leadership by the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, the Fourth Annual Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) will be held at Purdue University West Lafayette February 25–26, 2026. With multidrug-resistant infections on the rise globally, this event brings together experts and practitioners across the spectrum of human, animal, and environmental health to address one of today’s most urgent public health challenges.

PVM Well-represented by Humans and Animals During Annual Homecoming Celebrations

Every fall, Boilermakers from near and far return to the campus in West Lafayette for the annual ritual known as Homecoming. And Purdue’s Homecoming events also attract plenty of non-alumni who are Purdue fans, patrons, prospective students, or clients of the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital. During this year’s Homecoming weekend October 24-25, Purdue Veterinary Medicine engaged with attendees in multiple ways, with the help of some furry companions.

Purdue University and Akston Biosciences Bring “First Dose of Hope” in New Cancer Immunotherapy Trial for Dogs with Urinary Bladder Cancer

The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, in partnership with Akston Biosciences Corporation, has initiated the enrollment of dogs with urinary bladder cancer in a clinical trial of a pioneering immunotherapy. The strategic partnership between Purdue and Akston was announced in August after the underlying technology was developed at the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research (PICR).

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

Today we share appreciation for Beth Laffoon, MS, RVT, and Holly McCalip, BS, RVT, who are both instructional technologists in the Veterinary Nursing Program.

MMAS Symposium Brings Participants Face to Face with Specialists and Species from Parrots to Pocket Pets

Thanks to Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Exotic Animal Club and dedicated faculty, staff and students, nearly 100 in-person and on-line participants got a chance recently to gain valuable knowledge and insight about the Medicine of Mammalian and Avian Species. The two-day educational event known as the MMAS Symposium is a biennial conference, and the 2024 edition held in Lynn Hall November 9 and 10 featured an impressive program that included 22 lectures and several hands-on labs, organized into two tracks focusing on avian and mammalian species.

Veterinary Boilermakers Take Part in Purdue One Health Alumni Reunion

Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine faculty, staff and students turned out for Purdue University’s first One Health Alumni Reunion, which was held on the West Lafayette campus November 14-16. They joined more than 150 Boilermakers from a variety of medical professions who came together to network and participate in timely discussions with Purdue President Mung Chiang, First Lady Kei Hui and fellow alumni.