Applying to Veterinary College: Your Essay or Personal Statement

By Donald F. Smith, DVM, Cornell University

Posted September 11, 2011

The deadline for veterinary college applications for the Class of 2016 is fast approaching. In a previous blog, I addressed some key features of recommendation letters from veterinarians and others whom you have asked to support your application. 

http://veterinarylegacy.blogspot.com/2011/04/letters-of-recommendation-for.html 

I now turn to your essay, that important personal statement that becomes the central point for evaluators as they ascertain your understanding of the breadth and scope of veterinary medicine, and your ability and commitment to become a contributing member of the profession.

As you review the various drafts of your essay and make final changes before the VMCAS deadline, consider the following

• How well have you convinced the faculty reviewing your folder that you have a broad perspective on contemporary veterinary medicine?
• If you have a specific interest in one species or group of species (like cats, horses, wildlife), or in one professional field (like public health, surgery, biomedical research), have you provided a compelling argument that you are flexible to learn about other academic or clinical interests?
• Did you provide an overview of your life experiences leading to your current interest in becoming a veterinarian? Did you articulate an interest in, and aptitude for, science as well as a love and respect for animals?
• Have you described your ability to work with people from different backgrounds and with varying personalities both within and outside the profession?
• Avoid using the current buzz words or phrases such as zoonotic disease, human-animal bond, environmental sustainability, or one health unless you can provide a compelling reason why these are important to you as you pursue veterinary medicine.

Your essay should describe you accurately, without hyperbole. Make sure it is clear, concise, and free of errors.

Best wishes as you submit your final application and as you await those calls, letters and e-mails in a few months.

Dr. Smith welcomes comments at dfs6@cornell.edu.

Strategies for Success for New Veterinary Students

Donald F. Smith and Jennifer K. Morrissey '13 (Cornell University)

Posted August 9, 2011.

When the members of the Veterinary Classes of 2015 arrive on campus during August, they should be aware that they could be facing a challenging market climate for jobs when they graduate in four years. Because of the continuing national economic slowdown, some veterinary practices have been reticent to take on new graduates to replace retiring veterinarians, and are even more hesitant to expand their staff.

But that is only part of the picture. The number of DVMs entering the market is also increasing as most colleges are expanding their class size and more veterinarians from newly-accredited foreign schools compete for slots traditionally held by graduates of the U.S. colleges. Based upon projected enrollment estimates for fall 2011, the number of students starting their DVM education this year is about 2,950, almost 25% higher than a decade ago. More than 300 additional students are enrolling in the Caribbean schools, and most will return to the U.S. to practice.

What advice do we have for veterinary students in this challenging climate?

Keep an eye on the profession as you learn how to become a veterinarian. Don’t become so immersed in your classes that you lose track of the major market forces affecting the veterinary profession. Have two sets of mentors: the faculty who teach you AND those mentors outside academia who piqued your interest in becoming a veterinarian. It is always best to be aware of both the academic and the clinical sides of the issue, and the differing opinions you hear may help you plan your future.

One of the best web sites on the latest issues affecting the profession is http://www.dvm360.com/. The AVMA’s website is also a great source of information at http://www.avma.org/. If you have a particular species of interest, joining the correlating club at your veterinary college can be very informative—often your membership includes subscriptions to helpful industry-related magazines and websites.

Use your summers wisely. The most important learning experience for first- and second-year students is often what they do during the summers. Start now to plan your summer of 2012. Use it to establish contacts, learn new skills including business management, discern the emerging trends in the profession, and if possible, earn money. Avoid the easy and comfortable job, venture into new territories to expand your vision of the profession. Instead of taking a routine job at your college, start looking this fall into the possibility for jobs in good private practices, in corporate veterinary medicine, in public health agencies, or at other veterinary colleges. Peruse your state Veterinary Medical Association’s web site, and also the AVMA’s veterinary career center.

Establish connections. Being successful requires not only professional competence but also making connections and marketing yourself in a proactive, sincere and honest manner. Take advantage of student trips to industry-related conferences and be sure to make your presence known when you attend—scout out different lecturers, introduce yourself to private practitioners, and visit the info booths where clinics may present information about externships or internships.

Help at your college’s reunions or tours so that you have the opportunity to introduce yourself to alumni and visitors. Subscribe and check websites that allow you to network with veterinarians from different areas of the country. These individuals can act as mentors and advise you during your academic career. If a guest practitioner or resident teaches a class or lab in which you have a particular interest, introduce yourself and ask them how they got to where they are today. And if you create a bond with a practitioner or mentor, be sure to send them a thank you note and stay in touch with them.

Be frugal and don’t put off thinking about your accruing educational debt. For the 90% of students who take out loans to finance their veterinary education, the tendency is often to put off thinking about the realities of pay back until closer to graduation:  the number can be so large that it begins to feel ‘unreal’. However, the better you understand the specifics of your debt as you proceed through your four years of education, the more likely you will be frugal because you know the future compounding impact of a dollar saved today on specialty coffee, or a dollar earned through a part-time job.

Enjoy the ride. Despite the realities described above, keep things in perspective. You are embarking on an educational dream of your lifetime and you are on track to fulfill these dreams. Just keep your eyes open to the greater world of veterinary medicine, as you work hard to master the academic courses and professional skills needed to earn your DVM. 

Dr. Smith and Ms. Morrissey invite comments at dfs6@cornell.edu and jkmorrissey@gmail.com, respectively.

Historian Celebrates 250 Years of the Veterinary Profession During the Annual AVMA Meeting.

Posted July 24, 2011
Donald F. Smith, Cornell University

Dr. Fred Born is a Wisconsin veterinarian who is on a mission to research and record some of the important historical records of veterinary medicine. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Fred is a 1962 graduate of Michigan State University who established and was the senior partner in a six-veterinarian mixed animal practice in Fond du Lac (WI), where he concentrated on small animal medicine and surgery. An author of three veterinary textbooks, Fred has received numerous awards including being named the Veterinarian of the Year in 1971 by his state colleagues.



Dr. Fred Born with the display he prepared for the 2011 AVMA meeting.
Photo by the author.



An avid historian, Dr. Born feels that “understanding what has happened in the past gives us an important insight into historical challenges and opportunities as we prepare for the future”. To that end, he developed an exhibit to celebrate this year as the 250^th anniversary of the veterinary profession. The display was presented at the recent AVMA meeting in St. Louis, Missouri and attracted an enthusiastic gathering of veterinarians interested in the history of the profession. A special feature was an extensive collection of late 18^th and 19^th century veterinary instruments, many of which are in mint condition

His tribute to the world’s first veterinary college in Lyon, France which was established in 1761 included a series of collectable post cards as well a life-sized image of the college’s founder, Claude Bourgelet.  The focus on the European legacy delighted the French delegation led by Prof Jean-François Chary.

Dr. Born (right) with Prof. Jean-Francois Chary (center), leader of the French
delegation at the AVMA meeting. Left is Prof. Dr. Stephane Martinot,
Dean Veterinary School Lyon, France.
Photo by the author.

About 10 years ago, Dr. Born and colleagues interviewed past presidents of the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association, including several who had graduated during the Depression. He has concluded that the generation of veterinarians who graduated during the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s has seen unprecedented changes in the profession as well as in societal expectations and life styles.

Under Dr. Born's leadership, members of the American Veterinary Medical History Society are encouraging state associations to promote the collection of interviews with veterinarians who are now in their 80s and 90s, “to record this priceless history for the benefit of the profession and as a legacy of future generations of veterinarians”.

Dr. Fred Born's exhibit to honor the 250th anniversary of the veterinary medical profession.
AVMA meeting, St. Louis, Missouri. Photo courtesy Dr. Born.

Dr. Smith welcomes comments at dfs6@cornell.edu.

A Veterinary Student's Externship at Johns Hopkins Hospital

Guest Blog by Jennifer Morrissey, Cornell Class of 2013

Posted July 23, 2011

Ms. Morrissey scheduled her observing externship at Johns Hopkins Hospital during the summer between her second and third year veterinary college. She has a career interest in anesthesiology.

As I walked into Johns Hopkins Hospital on my first day of a two and a half week externship in anesthesia, to say I was worried is an understatement. Was externing at a human hospital a big mistake? Was I going to learn anything that would be valid in my own veterinary career? But when I reached the office of Andrea Collins, my coordinator for the externship, I was immediately relieved—her office was in the Blalock building.

Alfred Blalock was a surgeon at Johns Hopkins in the 1940s. He and his assistant, Vivien Thomas, perfected a technique colloquially called the blue baby procedure, in which the heart vessels in the affected infants were rerouted to assist oxygenation of the blood in the lungs.

Why was this story so comforting to me? Because the surgery was developed using hundreds of dogs, and finally perfected in a dog named Anna who became so famous that her portrait hands at Johns Hopkins University. A technique similar to the one developed for Anna is still used in veterinary patients today. It is also a procedure that we study in our first-year curriculum at Cornell. The simple name of the building (Blalock) reminded me that, at the end of the day, human and veterinary medicine are one medicine.

I had the pleasure of spending the next two weeks observing and learning from some of the most diligent and instructive residents I could have imagined. Every day was a learning experience with lessons ranging from how to conduct yourself in the O.R., to airway management and, my favorite subjects as an anesthesiology geek, pharmacology and physiology. The principles were all the same. Don’t touch sterile drapes! Know how to make sure your endotracheal tube is, indeed, in the trachea. Which drugs are best for sedating a patient? Beware polarizing blockers in a patient with kidney disease. Maintain fluid volume. When should we use colloids instead of crystalloids?



Veterinary student Jennifer Morrissey recently completed
an externship at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.
Photo courtest of Ms. Morrissey.



As I rotated among a half dozen residents, I was reminded that medicine (whether human or veterinary) medicine is not just a science, it is an art. Some rules, of course, are written in stone. But I had the opportunity to discuss differing opinions among the residents. Should I start a blood transfusion now, or wait to check the hemoglobin level? Which opiate should I administer to this patient? And there were no wrong answers; it was just a difference among artists. 

It was in these artistic details that I came to grasp some of the important differences between human and veterinary medicine. The most striking difference presented itself on the second day of the externship. While chatting with a man to ease his worry over getting an epidural block, he grabbed my hand, looked me in the eye and said, “I’m not going to wake up from this, am I?”

It may seem obvious, but it is truly striking to realize that human medicine patients can talk. I was completely unprepared for this scenario! Cornell has, of course, educated me on how to talk to animal owners and trainers, and how to project serenity while working around patients. The fact that veterinary patients cannot talk is often taken as a challenge for diagnosticians. It also makes the projection of empathy a more physical practice - a petting hand, a soothing tone.

As this man looked at me, I became fully aware of how different it must be to care for other people. How do you soothe without lying? How do you emotionally separate from someone who is so much like yourself, who can understand your words? Over the weeks, I witnessed many more humbling experiences and watched as the residents dealt with each one with grace and kindness. 

I observed many other differences while at Hopkins. The precautions and monitoring of patients is taken to a whole different level in human medicine. There are also certain drug differences that exist between the two fields, ketamine being a major example. Unlike veterinarians, physicians also have to deal with the nasty 90 degree angle of the human trachea when placing an endotracheal tube―in supine position no less! 

But at the end of the day, the warm welcome and tutoring from the residents and attending anesthesiologists made me feel like I was among colleagues. I was extremely disappointed when my externship drew to a close, but I left feeling better prepared for both the art and science of one medicine.

An Interview with the Dean of the Anticipated Veterinary College at Lincoln Memorial University

Posted July 17, 2011

Written by Donald F. Smith, DVM, Cornell University

In a course I give at Cornell on the history of veterinary medicine, I ask students to predict where the next veterinary college will be established. Because most of the 28 current colleges are part of land grant universities in small or moderately-sized cities, we talk about the prospects of building a veterinary college in a large metropolitan area, affiliated with a major medical school and also a school of public health to take advantage of the growing awareness of the need to unite human and animal health.

Some students were surprised, therefore, to read the recent news reports that new veterinary colleges are being considered in small college campuses in rural communities of Magnolia, Arkansas and Harrogate, Tennessee.[1]



Dr. Randy Evans, dean of the proposed
College of Veterinary and Comparative Medicine,
Lincoln Memorial University (Tenn).
Photo provided by Dr. Evans.

To get a better understanding of the anticipated College of Veterinary and Comparative Medicine at Tennessee's Lincoln Memorial University (LMU), I talked to the dean of the new venture, Dr. Randy Evans. A graduate of Auburn University, Evans was program director of two- and four-year veterinary technology programs at LMU for 19 years. He also directs the School of Allied Health Sciences that has programs in medical technology, social work, athletic training and physical therapy. The university has a program in osteopathic medicine.

Lincoln Memorial University is a small, private non-profit university that emphasizes preparing graduates to work in Appalachia and other underserved areas. So when Dr. Evans attended national meetings on veterinary education last year and learned of the emergence of veterinary colleges that use private practices rather than costly university medical centers to teach the practical aspects of clinical medicine, the wheels began to turn back at LMU.

The university also adopted the concept of a six-year combined undergraduate and veterinary degree program, rather than the more typical eight years to complete both curricula. “This will be the first two-plus-four year program in the country”, he told me, “and that will help reduce student debt, which is one of the current impediments to working in rural communities”.

Dr. Evans and his colleagues at LMU are hiring faculty for anticipated opening in fall 2012. An initial visit from the AVMA’s accrediting body is scheduled for this fall. However, many veterinarians are concerned that the recent growth in veterinary enrollment in the 28 established colleges is compromising the ability of new graduates to find meaningful employment at a time when the economic climate remains uncertain. Dr. Evans responds, “We believe that veterinarians can still make a living in Appalachia and other underserved areas if they are willing to roll up their sleeves and work hard”.

Though LMU is located just 50 miles from the Knoxville campus of Tennessee’s current veterinary college, Evans anticipates recruiting students from a national pool because they do not receive direct support from the state.

---

[1] A third veterinary program is being considered at Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona, located in Phoenix metro area.

Dr. Smith invites comments at dfs6@cornell.edu.

Douglas G. Aspros to become first AVMA President from New York State in over 30 years.

Posted July 15, 2011

Donald F. Smith, Cornell University

This historical blog is in recognition of the 150th anniversary 
of the American Veterinary Medical Association (1863-2013).

Earlier today, Dr. Douglas G. Aspros of  White Plains, New York, was selected as the president-elect of the American Veterinary Medical Association at the AVMA’s annual meeting in St. Louis. He will ascend to the presidency in August 2012 which will mark the beginning of the year celebrating the 150th anniversary of the AVMA.

Dr. Douglas G. Aspros and Dee Aspros
 at AVMA meeting, July 15, 2011
Photo by the author

A veterinary practitioner with over 35 years of clinical experience in companion animal medicine, Dr. Aspros is owner-manager of two general practices and one emergency practice in the metro NYC area.

Dr. Aspros has been active in association governance at all levels in veterinary medicine, and has expertise in veterinary educational programs.

Having served on the Westchester County Board of Health for more than 25 years (and president since 1994), he understands the critical role that public health plays in safeguarding human, animal and environmental health.

Dr. Aspros will be the first New York State veterinarian to serve as AVMA president since Dr. Stanley Aldrich in 1980-81, and the first Cornell graduate since Dr. D.L. Proctor of Lexington, KY in 1985-86.

A member of Cornell’s veterinary class of 1975, Dr. Aspros is an intelligent and insightful veterinarian who believes it is critical that the AVMA become a modern, strategic, and effective organization, and one that leads rather than reacts to the problems and opportunities that confront veterinary medicine.

Dr. Smith invites comments at dfs6@cornell.edu.

Veterinarians Networking Face to Face

Posted June 13, 2011

Written by Donald F. Smith, Cornell University

No sooner had the ink dried on 2,600 DVM diplomas for the veterinary students who graduated from U.S. colleges in 2011, than these same colleges started to welcome alumni/ae back to campuses for their five-year reunions. We at Cornell hosted our reunion June 9-11.

As a person who has always been interested in veterinary careers and the progression of student-to-professional, I like to talk to alumni of all ages to discover their secret of a lasting and fulfilling career. Last Saturday evening, I had the privilege to host the dinner for members of Cornell's Class of 1946. Now in their mid to late 80s, they talked with great passion about how their professors and practice mentors decades ago prepared them for a lifetime helping animals. Dr. Roger Batcheldor even credited the memory of his grandfather, an 1896 graduate of Harvard's veterinary college, as his inspiration.

The largest proportion of returning Cornell alumni this year were members of the Class of 1986. Dr. Janet Lipman, a small animal veterinarian and practice owner in New Jersey, echoed the feelings of many of her classmates,

"After 25 years of being scattered across the country, we spent our weekend like dear old friends. We rekindled friendships, sharing many wonderful memories of our time together and exchanging news of our families and careers. Though we have chosen many different career paths, I was especially struck by our continuing passion for veterinary medicine and the joy and satisfaction that my classmates experience as veterinarians. It is a wonderful profession!"

 

Dr. Lisa Freeman '86
Vice President, Northern Illinois University
Photo courtesy of N.I.U.



Also marking her 25^th anniversary, Dr. Lisa Freeman’s career took her into academia where she now leads institutional research and graduate studies as vice president of Northern Illinois University. I interviewed Lisa as part of my blog series, “Careers for Veterinarians”, and she shared story after story about the value of her classmates in advancing and enriching her career. She has this advice for beginning veterinary students,

“I tell veterinary students to look around the room during their first day of classes. Everyone who is sitting next to them is the start of their professional network and these relationships are to be valued. I really believe that and most people in the Class of 1986 agree because we have almost 40 people here at reunion.”

At whatever stage veterinarians are in their career progression, reaching out to network face to face with former classmates is important. And, when some of the networking occurs back on the campus of their alma mater, it creates enthusiasm among the faculty of the college and inspires the current students who see their energy and evidence of their fulfillment in being veterinarians.

Dr. Smith invites comments at dfs6@cornell.edu.

Stephen Laudermilch, DVM 2011 Joins a Rural Practice Steeped in History

Posted May 28, 2011

By Donald F. Smith, Cornell University

CAREERS FOR VETERINARIANS Series

Stephen Laudermilch entered veterinary college in 2007 with the singular goal of returning to his home town to join his father and brother in one of the oldest and most distinguished rural veterinary practices in Pennsylvania. Dating back to 1917, what is now called Rome Veterinary Center is located about 60 miles south of Ithaca, New York, just 15 miles over the Pennsylvania border.



Dr. Stephen Laudermilch (center), with Drs. Ben (L) and Donn Laudermilch (R)



Being from a closely-knit family, the proximity of Ithaca to Rome was one of the reasons why Stephen selected Cornell over the three other northeastern colleges that offered him a seat after only three years undergraduate study.

During his time at Cornell, Stephen would make over 300 trips between Ithaca and Rome to visit family and work in the practice where he will now be a full time associate. “Being able to go back home to practice is a huge asset for me, because the establishment is family-oriented and I know right from the beginning that the level of trust and involvement will be high”.

Stephen’s father, Donn Laudermilch (U Penn ’79) agrees. “Stephen has been doing veterinary calls with me since he was two-years-old. He would sometimes join me before school, and often ride with me on calls that extended way into the night, helping treat cows with calving problems or most metabolic conditions that occur just before or after parturition.”

Stephen was one of about twelve of the 87 students in his class with an interest in food animal programs. However, because he realized that there are no guarantees that the dairy industry in upstate Pennsylvania will remain stable in the future, he took full advantage of Cornell’s excellent small animal teaching program so that he could diversify his practice as appropriate to meet future needs in the community.

The practice is currently 85% dairy cattle, with the remainder being equine and small animal medicine. For the top-producing dairies in the practice area, Stephen his brother, Ben (Virginia-Maryland ’07) and their father, all agree that new techniques they are adopting, like in vitro fertilization, could add tremendous value to the dairy industry.

The veterinary profession faces shortages of well-educated food animal veterinarians seeking to work in rural areas. The Laudermilch family provides an excellent example of how committed veterinarians continue to advance animal health in farming communities and also support the public health needs of society by assuring a safe and abundant source of animal-based protein.

Stephen Laudermilch’s interest in serving people goes beyond rural veterinary practice.  He desires to use his veterinary skills to establish relationships in foreign countries with the human medical profession--two of Stephen's siblings are medical doctors and a third is in training--to help people with both their physical health and their productivity in agriculture. With veterinary medicine as a step-stool, Stephen's goals are to reach people for Christ through veterinary medical missions.

Dr. Smith invites comments at dfs6@cornell.edu