Stethoscope Celebration Welcomes New DVM and Veterinary Nursing Students to Purdue

September 15, 2023

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

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