Tracking in Vet School (part 3)

By: Dayle Dillon

University of Illinois, Class of 2013

The University of Illinois has implemented a new curriculum that began with the class of 2013.  The most unique aspects of this curriculum are the exposure to clinics from day one, and the absence of traditional “tracking” during the fourth year of schooling.  Of course there will always be naysayers in any given situation but I feel that the new curriculum will prove to be quite successful as it allows for more instruction to take place in a true clinical environment, faced with situations a veterinarian encounters on a day to day basis. 

When I applied to veterinary school two years ago I did so with the intention of completing my four years, and working towards a specialty in equine medicine.  However, thanks to our new curriculum I was exposed to numerous fields of veterinary medicine that I had never even considered.  The clinical experiences we encounter during our first and second years of study, exposes us to a total of 16 weeks in our teaching hospital before we are asked to be in the clinics full-time.  Each of these rotations lasts for one week and covers some clinical fields deemed necessary (such as emergency medicine or large animal medicine) and those that are assigned to us based on a random lottery.  After completing our first 8 weeks in the clinic last fall, many of my peers found themselves considering multiple career options that had never crossed their minds.  I personally learned how incredible the field of rehabilitative medicine could be by spending one week of my rotations in our rehabilitation ward of our clinic.  In one short week my outlook on school changed entirely as I looked at the possibility of not only treating horses but the possibility of treating small animals from an aspect of rehabilitation following surgery, or other injuries.  That being said I can only imagine the impact that 8 weeks in the clinic will have during my second year of classes.  The other feature of the early introduction to the clinic is the ability to relate cases we have seen in the clinic to what we learn in class.  A student tends to take a greater interest in a common disorder such as Cushings, if he/she encountered a dog in the clinic that perhaps was being prepped for a surgical treatment for such a disease.  Being able to relate our experiences with our peers allows for a greater desire to learn about all of the situations we saw in the clinic.

The class of 2012 will be the last class at the University of Illinois who will be given the opportunity to “track” a specific area of veterinary medicine.  Beginning with the class of 2013 we will receive a more “overall” experience in our 4^th year clinical rotations.  Upon completion of our third year of classroom education we will be asked to complete a “milestone” exam.  Once the students successfully pass the milestone exam we will all begin our final year spent in clinical situations.  For those students in the class of 2013 (and beyond) the fourth year will not be spent tracking a specific field of veterinary medicine but instead asking the students to complete some specific rotations.  Every veterinarian I have spoken with tells me you learn more in your first year out of school than you do in all four years of learning combined in school.  Therefore, I feel that by not tracking during the fourth year we are allowed one last chance for a varied exposure to veterinary medicine.  Many of us still may not be certain of our specific interest during the period of time where you would be asked to declare the area you wish to track.  Not to mention, who knows what sort of jobs may be available to my class and beyond when we graduate.  Although a student may desire to work in exotics, it may be necessary to “pay our dues” in another field of medicine in order to pay the bills until that dream job becomes available.  By having experience in several areas it may allow a new graduate to feel more comfortable should this situation arise.   The great thing about no longer being required to “track” a certain field of interest is the opportunity to complete our fourth year with a “professional development” period.  It was recently brought to my attention that this time can be used not only to pursue a specific career interest, but it can also be used to develop our skills in any area we feel we may be lacking.  In a sense if an individual feels he/she has not received enough exotics exposure he/she could spend additional time in that area during this period.  Or perhaps there is a job waiting for a student when he/she graduates but this specific practice treats a majority of orthopedic cases, the student in question could then spend the professional development period gaining additional exposure and practice in this field. 

After completing 20 years of school (on average) many students have focused on one specific area or interest for many years.  Although I am sure this has worked well for MANY individuals, I cannot help but wonder how many students missed out on opportunities simply because they were never exposed to other areas of medicine, or other trains of thought.  I feel that by implementing a new curriculum the University of Illinois is working hard to give this generation of veterinary students a well-rounded experience that will be beneficial on many levels not only during school but throughout our entire careers.