Tag: veterinary medicine Page 5 of 6

Looking to the Future

On January 6, 2016

“We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.” – George Bernard Shaw

Time Magazine Video Unit videotapes Laboratory Technician Cheyenne Coxon in the One Health Institute Laboratory for an upcoming feature on the One Health program.

As I look toward the future of the School, I am struck by the incredible impact our people make in our society, advancing the health of animals, people, and the planet. This past year brought us many accolades as we relished the accomplishments of our students, staff, and faculty. The numerous stories that originated from our dedication ranged from cases of individual animals that were made healthy by the exceptional care provided by our talented clinicians and staff, to major discoveries that will set the stage for research into problems faced by our society.

Whitney Engler (who died in 2015 shortly before graduating) and her dog Rosie.

We also had heartbreak in 2015 with the tragic death of one of our students, and we suffered along with the victims from the Valley and Butte fires. Most of these events could not have been predicted at the beginning of 2015, but we faced them with the courage and dedication that make us a global leader in veterinary medicine and biomedical sciences.

We have many ambitious goals for 2016, including the opening of two major facilities: the Veterinary Medicine Student Services and Administration building and the new South Valley California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory in Tulare.

South Valley California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory in Tulare

Embracing Diversity, Opening Doors

By Michael Lairmore

On December 14, 2015

In Dean's Perspectives

“Our workforce and our entire economy are strongest when we embrace diversity to its fullest, and that means opening doors of opportunity to everyone and recognizing that the American Dream excludes no one.” – Thomas Perez

As our nation continues to struggle to find consensus on issues related to diversity and inclusion, we find the School of Veterinary Medicine fully engaged in strengthening our mission through our diversity of talent, ideas, and skills. Our school embraces diversity and inclusion as essential values of the educational environment and the veterinary profession, and we have linked our success to these values.

We understand that diversity incorporates the assortment of personal experiences, principles, and world views that originate from differences of culture and condition. To fully address our mission to serve society and train the next generation of leaders in science and veterinary medicine, we must foster and attract the best and the brightest individuals who represent the world we seek to influence.

Our Compassion Brings Hope for the Future

By Michael Lairmore

On December 10, 2015

In Dean's Perspectives

“Our human compassion binds us the one to the other – not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.” – Nelson Mandela

The horrific events of mass killings in San Bernardino shocked all of us and made our world feel less safe and more uncertain. These emotions were particularly felt by our faculty, staff, and students who were at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory in San Bernardino, located close to the terror event. In those frantic moments immediately following the shootings, their laboratory was on lockdown and, like others near the tragedy, they faced the fear of not knowing what was happening or if those they loved were safe or knew that they were safe.

A Season of Gratitude

By Michael Lairmore

On November 17, 2015

In Dean's Perspectives

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” – William Arthur Ward

During this Thanksgiving season, it is a good time to reflect on the blessings we have in our lives. Taking the time to be thankful helps to enrich our lives and links us together. As I consider what I am thankful for, many people and programs across our school come to mind. Recently, leaders of the veterinary hospital joined my office to express our gratitude at a dinner held to honor all of the volunteers, staff, faculty, and students who helped during the Valley and Butte fires. These dedicated individuals characterize the compassion inherent in those drawn to help animals and people during a time of crisis.

Our veterinary students have formed a new “Gratitude Committee” as part of their efforts to holistically address wellness and mental health. They are reaching out to those who touch their lives to express their thankfulness for enriching their school experiences. These students understand the emotional power of saying “thank you,” not only on those they acknowledge, but also on those who give thanks.

Walk the Walk of Mentorship

By Michael Lairmore

On November 2, 2015

In Dean's Perspectives

“The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.” – Steven Spielberg

Companion Exotic Animal Medicine & Surgery Service (CAPES) resident Dr. Miranda Sadar (right), accompanied by student Athena Gianopoulos and staff, prep and neuter a pet rabbit at the veterinary hospital.

At the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, we are in the business of mentoring on a daily basis. An important aspect of our educational mission as we train the next generation of leaders in veterinary medicine and science is creating an environment that fosters best practices in mentoring. Faculty, staff, deans, and students all benefit from being mentored and if each of us thought for a minute, we could likely recall a key mentor in our lives that helped guide us at critical junctions in our careers.

There are various types of mentors. A mentor can serve the purpose to inform a mentee about a field of study or become more involved as a career mentor devoted to the professional development of their mentee. A life mentor often provides guidance beyond professional career growth and may discuss wellness and the balance of work-life with those they advise. Peers can be effective mentors and provide more informal guidance.

Students meet with prospective employers at the 2015 Career and Networking Night organized by the Career and Wellness Center.

To be an effective primary mentor for someone requires a synthesis of all of the advice and information, and the ability to map a pathway for the professional and personal growth of the person who is being mentored. Regardless of the type of mentor-mentee relationship, effective mentoring is the joint responsibility of the academic or program unit, the faculty or clinician advisors, and the person who is the mentee. To this end, we have developed the SVM Career, Leadership and Wellness Center, which offers numerous professional and career development services to support the success of our DVM students.

Linking the Past to Our Future

By Michael Lairmore

On October 8, 2015

In Dean's Perspectives

“History is not a burden on the memory but an illumination of the soul.” – Lord Acton

This past weekend our school held its annual “Alumni Weekend,” welcoming back to campus selected veterinary classes from 1952 to 2005. Since the first graduates emerged from Haring Hall in 1952, our school has prepared more than 5,000 men and women for careers in clinical veterinary practice, research, public service and academia. Many of our alumni have become leaders in their community, teachers, researchers and scientists of international stature. The success of our alumni is one of the primary reasons that the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine is internationally recognized as a global leader in veterinary medicine, agricultural, public health, and biomedical research.

A new website has been created to highlight the history of the school and to remind our alumni that they are part of our collective history. This weekend solidified my belief that our alumni are a hidden strength to our current success—a vital link to our past and a foundation for our future.

Dean’s Perspective: Collaboration to Solve Global Health Challenges

By Michael Lairmore

On August 3, 2015

In Dean's Perspectives

Dean Lairmore getting a few moments to chat with Nobel Laureate Peter Doherty.

“I get a lot of credit for work a whole group of people do. The collaborative research happening now is really being driven by young people.” – Peter Doherty, DVM, PhD, Nobel Laureate, at the Merial-NIH National Veterinary Scholar Symposium held at UC Davis, July 30-August 2, 2015

This past weekend, I could not have been more proud of our team in the Office of Research and Graduate Education and the many volunteer faculty, staff, and students from our school, who worked very hard to plan and execute the Merial-NIH National Veterinary Scholars Symposium.

Staff volunteers at the symposium.

The Symposium brought together over 600 veterinary students and their mentors from across the nation. The event was highly organized and provided an outstanding forum to allow students to network with fellow students and scientists from many different disciplines and fields of study. A palpable excitement permeated the conference held in the Mondavi Center for the Arts, the UC Davis Conference Center and the Walter A. Buehler Alumni Center.

Dean’s Perspective: Student Leadership

By Michael Lairmore

On July 22, 2015

In Dean's Perspectives

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” – John F. Kennedy

Dean Lairmore with members of SCAVMA.

A primary goal in our strategic plan is to educate world leaders in veterinary medicine who will contribute to our society in multiple fields, from private practice to public health. During the most recent American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) meeting, I was able to observe the benefits of our leadership training for our veterinary students. The student leaders of our Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association (SCAVMA) came to the AVMA meeting to network with national leaders, meet students from other schools, and promote the values of professionalism and engagement.

While the concept of a national association of Student Chapters of the AVMA was first proposed in 1966, it was the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine SAVMA who elected a committee in 1969 that set the framework for the proposed national student association. Our current students have continued this tradition of involvement at the national level by addressing important issues facing students, such as student debt and mental health and wellness.

Dean’s Perspective: Follow Your Passion

By Michael Lairmore

On May 11, 2015

In Dean's Perspectives

“Follow what you are genuinely passionate about and let that guide you to your destination.” – Diane Sawyer

The class of 2015 UC Davis veterinary students have their White Coat Ceremony at the end of their first week of orientation where they're presented with their white coats and recite the veterinarian's oath.

Full of passion and excitement, the Class of 2015 finished the end of their first week of orientation and received their white coats during a ceremony four years ago.

As we approach the 64^th commencement ceremony of our school, it is appropriate to turn our thoughts to the graduates of the Class of 2015. They came to us with a strong desire to gain the knowledge and skills of a great profession, and a passion to advance the health of animals, people, and the environment. They will be graduating from the premier institution of its kind and will be entering a world of great promise and many challenges. From its beginnings, our school has made its mission to advance veterinary medicine, but also to tackle problems faced by our society. We have a rich history of accomplishments that have benefitted both human and animal health. Our school leads the nation in research funding among all veterinary schools and we have one of the largest endowments to help fund our growing scholarship program for our students and enhance the work of our world-class faculty. Our exceptional staff serves as our foundation and through their commitment and good work, demonstrate daily that they are the glue that supports our mission.

Dean’s Perspective: Value of Human-Animal Bond

By Michael Lairmore

On April 20, 2015

In Dean's Perspectives

“Until one has loved an animal a part of one’s soul remains unawakened”. – Anatole France

We have the privilege to observe the human-animal bond on a daily basis, within the school and throughout our programs beyond campus. The human-animal bond is defined in a number of ways, but revolves around the mutually beneficial relationship between people and animals. It has become increasingly recognized that these bonds have important health benefits essential to both. The veterinarian’s role in the human-animal bond is to maximize the potential of this unique relationship between people and animals.

$A six year old Belgian Malinois service dog from the major California police agency has his fractured upper right and left canine teeth examined by Dentistry Resident Dr. Peter Strom and veterinary student Vivian Kuei of the VMTH Dentistry Service at the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Photo by Don Preisler/UCDavis$

A six year old Belgian Malinois service dog from the major California police agency has his fractured upper right and left canine teeth examined by Dentistry Resident Dr. Peter Strom and veterinary student Vivian Kuei of the VMTH Dentistry Service at the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
Photo by Don Preisler/UCDavis

To enhance one aspect of the human-animal bond, our school has entered into a partnership with the UC Davis Police Department to establish the Faithful Partner Program, a fund to assist with the medical costs of treating canine officers, as well as search and rescue dogs that may be injured in the line of duty. Our hospital has an extensive history of caring for canine officers, having treated 65 police dogs in the past four years, and by offering free annual teeth and eye examinations for military and service dogs.