Wonders of the West

Peter DeLuca from Western University of Health Sciences sent in these amazing photos capturing the wildlife and beauty of Western United States. 

Curious Holstein, Sedona, AZGlacier Point, Yosemite National Park, CAScavenger, Death Valley National Park, CAFrustrated Sea Otter, Morro Bay, CA

NWRA Veterinary Student Paper competition

This 24th annual competition for veterinary student papers is being held in conjunction with the

NWRA Symposium, and is open to all veterinary students. The 2018 Symposium will be held

27 February – 3 March in Anaheim, CA. The conference will provide lectures, hands-on

workshops (free to students who help with the set-up and clean up afterwards!), discussions,

and networking opportunities to learn about current issues and techniques in wildlife medicine

and rehabilitation. This is also a great opportunity to meet veterinarians working with wildlife

and visit some of the facilities of the hosting rehabilitation organization, the California Council

for Wildlife Rehabilitators.

SUBJECT: The paper may cover any topic related to a veterinary aspect of wildlife

rehabilitation and may consist of a review of the literature, a personal case experience, or a

research project. Titles of winning papers are posted at:

http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.nwrawildlife.org/resource/resmgr/ScholarshipsAwardsGrants/20

16_Updated_Scholarship_Winners/Hiestand_Competition_Winners.pdf. Details about the

scholarship can be found at: http://www.nwrawildlife.org/?page=Hiestand_Scholarship.

PRESENTATION: The winning student will be required to give a 25 minute PowerPoint

presentation at the symposium. The first-place paper will also be eligible for publication in the

NWRA Bulletin. Additional information regarding the symposium location, schedule, field trips

and workshops will be available at www.nwrawildlife.org as the symposium draws nearer.

AWARD: The winning student will be awarded free registration to the conference, free attendance to the awards banquet, and a stipend of $500 toward travel and lodging expenses.

ENTRIES: Interested students should submit a 100-250 word abstract by 15 December 2017, and the completed paper by 15 January 2018, to: Dr. Erica A. Miller; Ph.: 302-743-7799; Fx: 302-234-2845; Em: Erica@Jfrink.com.

Author guidelines may be obtained by at: http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.nwrawildlife.org/resource/resmgr/ScholarshipsAwardsGrants/vet_competition_author_guide.pdf.

Any questions regarding the NWRA or the Symposium should be directed to the NWRA Central Office at nwra@nwrawildlife.org or 320-230-9920.

SAVMA Symposium Highlight

Read about another highlight from SAVMA Symposium 2017 from Sheila Villacis from Ross University. Remember, early registration for symposium closes today! Register so you can network just like Sheila.

Going to the symposium for me meant networking but most of all it was a great learning experience. I was able to converse with students from other colleges about their veterinary experience and also talk about some of the same struggles. I was able to relate to students on not just an educational level but also converse about our personal lives. We all spoke to each other as if we have been friends for a long time while enjoying an amazing meal at a restaurant in San Antonio (one of the students knew the area more or less because she currently attends Texas A & M).

One of the most important parts of the trip was attending a lecture on the financial prospects in our veterinary career which gave us an idea of our salary depending on many factors. It helped us understand the trend they foresaw for our salaries based on the economy growth. They even showed a graph between when the economy fell and how that affected us and when it grew and the affect it had on us. Understanding how the economy plays a huge impact on our lives, it is best for us to keep up with the changing of times especially because this affects our clients which in turn affects our patients.

The learning experience part of the trip was attending a lab with other students from different schools. Part of it was practicing some suture patterns but also understanding which were the best suture patterns depending on the area lacerated and what type of laceration occurred, they also told us what type of suture to use. The other half of the lab was working with a live horse and practicing bandaging on their limb (forelimb or hind limb) and the hoof. It was a great experience to communicate with another person which I barely knew to get the job done. That is one thing that will be consistently important in our career as well as personal to be able to communicate with another veterinarian, technician and the owner in order for the patient to receive the gold standard of care especially when it comes to them feeling comfortable when they are in pain.

All in all my trip to the symposium was an amazing experience from talking to other veterinarians, attending a lecture, labs and hearing other student/professor/veterinarian’s experience. This helped me to keep me motivated, to form new friendships and to realize there are different paths in our career and we don’t have to just follow one.

SAVMA Symposium Insight

Michalina Kenig from Ross University shares with us her experience at last year's Symposium held at Texas A&M. We hope you consider attending this coming Symposium at UPenn for an experience just as fulfilling as Michalina's.  

The SAVMA Symposium is a unique experience, it allows for veterinary students from multiple veterinary schools across the United States and the Caribbean join together and have the opportunity to interact and network.

The symposium this past year was held at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine. Never having attended a SAVMA Symposium, nor Texas, I figured this was the ideal year to attend. The days were filled were a variety of guest speakers, wet labs, as well as various day trips.

My most memorable moment from the trip was the Emergency Procedures wet lab that I was fortunate enough to attend. During this wet lab groups of 3 were able to perform a variety of emergency and life-saving procedures on fresh cadavers. These procedures included placing a central line, esophagostomy tube placement, performing a thoracocentesis, intraosseous catheterization, performing a tracheostomy, and placing a urinary catheter. A board certified emergency and critical care specialist demonstrated the procedure for us and then it was our turn to perform the procedure we had just observed. However, when assistance was needed, the specialists were more than willing to help guide us and help us perfect our technique. Within our group, we had different skill sets, therefore we were able to help each other with various aspects of the procedures. For example, one of the other members of the group was not familiar with suturing, therefore I was able to assist her with holding the instruments and proper technique.

Overall, the symposium was a wonderful experience. I would like to thank the SCAVMA board at Ross University for the opportunity to attend this symposium. Also, I would recommend every veterinary student attend in order to learn from experts, network with veterinarians and veterinary students, and create a memorable experience. 

SAVMA Symposium 2018 - Early Registration Closes Friday

Early Registration = $90

Monday, November 6th @ 9AM - Friday, December 1st @ 4PM CST

Normal Registration = $90

Monday, December 11th @ 9AM - Friday, February 2nd @ 4PM CST

Late Registration = $105

Monday, February 5th @ 9AM - Friday, March 2nd @ 4PM CST

 Register at https://www.savmasymposium2018.com/register 

Use the code STUD18 to register as a student

(you must be a current dues paying SAVMA member to register)