AVMA Launches New Resources to Help Veterinarians and Veterinary Students Find Unique Opportunities

The Student Externship Locator (http://www.avma.org/vcc/student_externships/) is designed to help veterinary students find externships.  This database allows students to view externships by state, special interest, or see what schools and organizations have to offer.  In addition, State Veterinary Association’s "Find a Vet" pages have been included in this site to enable viewers the option of searching by certain areas and then contacting those in the results directly to see if they offer externships.  If you have any questions, comments, or would like to submit an externship for inclusion, please contact Dr. Pat Wohlferth-Bethke at pwohlferth@avma.org.

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Escape Artist

By: Krista Morrow

Washington State University, Class of 2013

Being accepted to veterinary school is a big deal. When I found out I got in, I was bursting with pride, but attempted to remain decently humble at the same time. I was content to let others do the bragging for me. The veterinarians I worked for at the time were more than happy to do so, and often would call me into exam rooms on odd cases. They would let me do an exam myself, informing their clients that I had been accepted into veterinary school, and that they wanted me to see everything I could before I left. What often followed was an exclamation from the client of “That is wonderful! You must be very smart!” It was a bit embarrassing, but I won’t say I didn’t enjoy it.

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Mouse in Hand

By: Michelle Pesce

Cornell University, Class of 2012

Pencil (?) drawing

Upcoming Topics

It's time to come up with some topics for the next go-round of The Vet Gazette, and I'd like to hear from you. What are some of the important issues that should be addressed in our Forum and Life as a Vet Student categories?

The Forum could consist of headline topics from JAVMA, education concerns, animal welfare, drug use in food animals, global concerns for vet med, public health....the list could run on, so I'd like to know what you all think.

Life as a Vet Student is more along the lines of issues in the vet med community like how we can help each other out to make it through the exhausting 4 years that make up the curriculum.

Leave your comments here so I can get an idea of where to head for the next submission deadline coming up in early September. Thanks!

Here's something fun:

Tracking in Vet School

By: Justin Graham

University of Georgia, Class of 2013

All creatures great and small – the classic James Herriot book has exemplified what has been the traditional view of a veterinarian, readily capable of treating all animals from the barnyard to the household.  Over the years as the general public has clung to this romantic idea, the veterinary profession itself has been gradually diverging and become increasingly specialized.  This divergence has raised the debate over whether vet schools should be focusing on the traditional broad-based, comparative medicine curriculum or on a more specialized, tracking curriculum.  Changing times call for changing paradigms and it is time for vet schools to begin embracing the idea of a specialized profession with a career tracking curriculum.

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