On an Island Being the Change You Wish to See in the World

Winner, Experiences
Meghan Ruck, Ross

Ross University’s School of Veterinary Medicine’s Josh Project chapter has a very unique opportunity here in St. Kitts.  We are given the chance to personally visit the children that are receiving care in the Joseph N. France General Hospital’s pediatric ward and impact their lives directly.  Each of our “Josh Kit” donation visits to the hospital comes with its own set of memories and emotions.

When we give each child their “Josh Kit” for the first time, it is truly heart-warming to see their eyes light up and a huge smile flash across their face as they are introduce to their new friend “Josh”, the plush toy Golden Retriever.  It’s a special connection that you make in those moments; one that you feel when they trustingly place their hand in your hand to walk with them down the ward hall to the play/reading room for story time.

I’ve been so blessed to be able to soak up these beautiful moments for over two years now as I’ve done everything in my power in making sure that these opportunities remain possible for our Josh Project chapter, allowing us to continue to impact the lives of the children here in St. Kitts.  My role has been much like that of a symphony conductor, being responsible for communicating, leading, and guiding an orchestra of performers; together we create music.  By successfully unifying many amazing “performers” across the RUSVM and St. Kitts communities, as a partnership, we have been successful every semester in executing our fundraising events (Josh Project Coin Fundraiser, Josh Project Cook Off, RUSVM fleece sale, etc.) that fuel our abilities.

It was these very partnerships that brought us to one of Josh Project’s greatest achievements.

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Royal Ferret

Winner, Creative Corner
Samantha Williams, University of Georgia

Congratulations winners!

Exciting news! Winners for the latest edition of The Vet Gazette will begin running tomorrow. You have a lot to look forward to- from colorful photography of a fish market, to surgeries performed deep within Peru, to miniature sculptures of an entire animal orchestra. We also have several embarrassing pet stories that are sure to bring the LOLs.

Over 100 entries from almost every school were submitted to this edition. How lucky are we? Enjoy!

Partners for Healthy Pets Update: Increasing Your Employment Prospects

Part 3: Presenting Preventive Healthcare Recommendations to Maximize Client Acceptance

As stated in Part  2 of this “Increasing Your Employment Prospects” series, there is a lot of competition for the best jobs, especially if you are limited in geographic locations.

Employers are looking for good clinical skills along with good communications and interpersonal skills. With the quality of education in veterinary colleges today, most of the 1,500 new entrants to the market have these skills. Given that, what else can you bring to a practice that will differentiate yourself from other applicants?

This article, from the Partners for Healthy Pets, is the last in a three part series aimed at introducing you to the tools and resources available at www.partnersforhealthypets.org that you can use to increase your marketable skills and increase your odds of landing that perfect job. All the tools are available at no cost. The tools we will review in this article relate to helping the entire practice team present preventive healthcare recommendations to pet owners in a way that they are most likely to be accepted.

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New tool for managing student debt

Tuition.io is making it easier for students to empower themselves on the intimidating subject of student loans. Their website boasts a helpful personalized organizer and blog with updates on loans. Here's what Tuition.io has to say about their management software: "Not sure who you owe or how much you owe them? Get the whole picture with your loan overview, a simple tool that tells you the basics of your situation with just a glance."

Another Great tool for managing your debt: https://www.bankrate.com/loans/refinance-student-loans/#introduction