A program developed by the Western College of Veterinary Medicine to attract veterinary students into swine medicine is proving to be a win for the students, their educators and the swine veterinary practices that are participating in the program.
The Western College of Veterinary Medicine Pharmhouse Summer Student Swine Experience Program places veterinary students into swine veterinary practices during the summer.
Dr. John Harding, a professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, says the program was created to help overcome the shortage we face in livestock veterinary medicine, particularly in the swine industry.
We set up 12-week summer placements that run from May through to the end of July typically, where 1st year students have the opportunity to work with swine veterinarians. Then, while they’re working with swine veterinarians, they can also get some experience in production units in the various stages of production, so including the breeding barn, the farrowing, the nursery and the finisher and then other parts of the swine sector as well.
It’s very well accepted by both the students that are participating in the project and that’s based on some the exit comments that are received at the end of the program. Also, in talking with swine faculty at the various universities, everybody is excited to be part of this program and then, in addition, the private practitioners who are working with these students most closely during their summer terms are consistently very positive about the program, both in terms of the students and their level of participation and enthusiasm about working with them and what they’re learning. As well it’s a good recruitment tool for them and they like getting involved with student and student training as well.
I think it fits a lot of different aspects in terms of training the next generation of students, exposing them to livestock, and just getting into new enthusiastic young faces. That’s for sure.
~ Dr. John Harding-Western College of Veterinary Medicine
Dr. Harding says a lot of veterinary students come from urban centers and they don’t have a lot of livestock experience and we know that working with livestock early in the curriculum or even before, is one of the main drivers that inspires students to work with livestock in their careers.
