Teaching Excellence Award

Do you know an amazing teacher? Do you have a professor/intern/resident that seems to be different than anyone else? Do they keep your interest and respect your learning at all times? Do you wish that every class and every professor could teach like they do? Do you believe that they should be given some recognition or award for the excellent job that they perform everyday?

The SAVMA Education and Professional Development Committee is looking for nominees that fit the description above, send us their name because we'd like to reward them for being so amazing. The selected teacher will be given complementary registration to AVMA Convention in St. Louis this summer along with travel and lodging expenses and a beautiful stained glass award for display. What better way is there to recognize the greatest teacher you know?

Contact your SAVMA delegate for an application. Make sure to get them in before March 7th, 2011. And I bet you all wish you were back in elementary school learning your ABC's rather than pathophysiology!

"Tubology" Wetlab

By: Alli Biddick

Oklahoma State University, Class of 2012

This Spring, the Oklahoma State University SVECCS Chapter was awarded a grant by SAVMA Education and Professional Development Committee to hold a wetlab for the students entitled "Tubology". We believe that SVECCS provides students with an invaluable opportunity to get practice with hands-on techniques. We strive to teach students how to do practical things in a clinic setting (that they won't get to do in class), with an emphasis on emergency techniques! The wetlab was held on Saturday, November 13, 2010. Thirteen students attended, with the majority being first and second year veterinary students. We had four instructors present: three clinicians in our teaching hospital (Boren Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital) and the head RVT at the teaching hospital.

We had cadavers set up at four different stations. At one station, the students learned how to properly place and suture chest tubes. This is vitally important for animals who present with pneumothorax and are in need of emergency chest evacuation! The next station was set up to allow students to practice inserting urinary catheters into male and female dogs (a technique every veterinarian will learn to love). The third station was all about esophagostomy tubes! This is a very important procedure in critically ill animals who cannot eat on their own. The final station, led by our head RVT, taught the students how to place central lines in the jugular vein of dogs. The students had so much fun learning about the various "tubes" and when they are indicated. The lab was a great hit for all who attended! The students feel they now possess extra knowledge that will help them when they are working this summer, when they are fourth year students, and of course throughout their career! OKSTATE SVECCS would like to thank SAVMA EPDC for helping make this lab possible!!

Best Advice Essay Contest (Again)

Here's the submission from the runner-up in the SAVMA Education, Licensure and Professional Development Committee's Best Advice Essay Contest. This is some good advice to remember as February 14th is coming up soon.

“Don’t date any professors-or clinicians-or residents-or interns-or classmates”

By: Jacqueline Devoto

University of Tennessee, Class of 2013

Prior to beginning veterinary school, I worked at an eight doctor small animal practice in west Tennessee. Like most southern veterinarians—and I can say this because I’m an aspiring-veterinarian from the south—each one thought their way was the right way and wanted to everyone to hear about it. Don’t misunderstand me—they are an amazing team who compliment each other superbly, each with their own, unique style and methodology. However, one piece of advice I received was unanimous across the board, which truly was a miracle in itself; and this is why I find it necessary to share it with you all today.

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SAVMA Symposium Registration Extended!

It's not too late! If you've thought about attending but haven't registered yet, it's not too late! The registration deadline for SAVMA Symposium 2011 at UC Davis has been extended to February 1st. Until then, you can still register for the low low price of $75. That's a cheap price for an amazing Spring Break in beautiful California! After that date, prices go up with registration closing on March 1st. You can register at http://savmasymposium2011.com/registration-2/

Some of the activities planned include a trip to Sacramento for a kickball tourney, dinner, DJ and a performance by CSU's own Bog Spavin! The next night you'll stay in Davis for the famous Farmer's Market (http://www.davisfarmersmarket.org/) and a show by the locally renowned 80's cover band, Tainted Love (http://www.taintedlove.com/). The last night we'll head back up to Old Sacramento for a fancy evening of wine tasting, dinner and art with Dr. Marty Becker (http://www.petconnection.com/about.php) at the Crocker Art Museum (http://www.crockerartmuseum.org/).

Aside from all these exciting nighttime activities there is a whole line-up of lectures, wet labs, athletic and academic competitions and of course, the exhibit hall full of free stuff!

So talk with your classmates and figure out your plans! Check out the SAVMA Symposium Website at http://savmasymposium2011.com/

Best Advice Essay Contest Winner

Earlier this year SAVMA's Education, Licensure and Professional Development Committee held a contest where you sent in the best advice you have received on how to get through vet school. Below we have the entry by the winner of the contest. Just remember the advice she received as the first round of spring midterms comes around the corner.

"Your Career is Not Your Life"

By: Heather Burrowes

Cornell University, Class of 2012

I clearly remember that summer before my senior year of college—peak vet school application season. I was working in overdrive, trying desperately to impress admissions committees in the final stretch before applications were due. By day I spent hours writing essays and collecting transcripts; by night I immersed myself in veterinary life, moonlighting as an assistant at a nearby emergency clinic. I was convinced that there was some magic formula to get into vet school and I was going to ensure that every variable reached its maximum potential before plugging it in to the great VMCAS application machine.

Weeks went by and I finally got around to requesting the all-important Letters of Recommendation from assorted doctors and professors. Signed, sealed and shipped off to the appropriate address, most of the letters were fairly straightforward, except for one.

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