Vet 2011 student exchange

I hope that all those who had the opportunity to travel to SAVMA Symposium 2012 at Purdue have had a WONDERFUL experience! Thanks to the Boilermakers for all their hospitality. A huge part of the the SAVMA experience is meeting and networking with those from other schools, states, and countries within our wonderful profession. One of our SAVMA Executive Board members had the opportunity to participate in a very unique exchange experience as a part of Vet 2011- read below!

By Claire McPhee
NCSU CVM 2012


I’m in an exam room with a 6 month-old male beagle mix puppy with a one week history
of anorexia and lethargy. He was seen previously by a referring veterinarian as well as
the emergency service but was tempted by canned food and sent home. On observation,
he seems to be a bit ataxic and his skull has a particularly prominent dome-shape. So
what was so special about this case? I saw this puppy during a rotation at the Soins
Intensifs Anesthésiologie & Médecine d'Urgence (or SIAMU for short—the small animal
emergency service) at the veterinary school in Lyon, France.

I participated in an official exchange to Vet-Agro Sup (the name of the veterinary school
complex) for two weeks in November as part of the Vet2011 World Veterinary Year.
Earlier in 2011, 2 French veterinary students came to North Carolina State University
to spend a few weeks in hospital rotations, and in July another French student came to
the AVMA convention and worked with the AVMA Government Relations Division in
Washington DC. There was another American student who went to France in September
as part of the exchange.

My time at Vet-Agro Sup was split between the SIAMU and the ruminant service.
Apart from the obvious language difference, the veterinary care and education are
remarkably similar between France and the United States (at least in my experience).
In the emergency service, students take histories and performed physical examinations
before discussing the case with a resident or attending faculty member.

One major difference is that French students must decide at an early age (14) what
they are interested in doing in life as the high school system is tracked (either literary,
scientific, or economic tracks or different vocational schools). After high school, students
enter a two year preparatory program and pass a major examination to qualify for
veterinary school. Veterinary school is 5 years, with 3 years of coursework, 1 year of
general rotations throughout the hospital and 1 year divided between thesis writing and
rotations focused in area of interest. In the clinics, 4th year students take on treatments,
collecting histories and physical exams, while 5th year students do procedures, laboratory
work and oversee treatments.

If you're wondering what happened to the beagle, he went for an MRI and was found
to have hydrocephalus. The pattern of ventricle dilation was not consistent with most
congenital hydrocephalus and I worked with the neurologist to find some case studies
documenting similar presentations. They were consulting with the owners but hoping to
surgically insert a stent to improve his cerebrospinal fluid outflow. While it was exciting
to be working on a case with a pathology that I had learned about but never seen in
person, it was even more exciting to be successfully doing so in another language.

Throughout my visit, I enjoyed speaking with students and faculty alike, sharing my
experiences from veterinary school in North Carolina and veterinary practices around the
United States. Their interest and enthusiasm was truly gratifying, and I was graciously

hosted by many during my time at Vet-Agro Sup. I am grateful to the AVMA for their
support of these exchanges, and sincerely encourage other veterinary students to pursue
international opportunities now and in the future.

Vet-Agro Sup campus in Marcy L'etoile, France