New Beginnings

Generations of veterinary students and faculty have joined the Aggie family during the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ (CVMBS) 115-year history. But for the first cohort of 2+2 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) students and the educators at the CVMBS’ Veterinary Education, Research, & Outreach (VERO) program, that family feeling is going to be even more pronounced.

That’s because in addition to ensuring that those 16 veterinary students in Canyon are as much a part of the CVMBS as their peers in College Station, a new cohort of CVMBS faculty members have come on board who both live up to Texas A&M’s reputation in teaching and practicing veterinary medicine and also take very seriously the role they play in creating a sense of family among this small group of Aggies in the Texas Panhandle.

“This is a group of not only great educators but great practitioners,” said Dr. Susan Eades, associate dean for administration, Canyon campus. “These are accomplished veterinarians who have worked in private practice or as clinical faculty at other universities, but they’re also passionate teachers. I really couldn’t be prouder of the quality of this group, and we are excited to know that our students in Canyon are getting the same top-tier Texas A&M veterinary education as our students in College Station.”

SMALLER CLASSES = BIGGER OPPORTUNITIES

Dr. Christine Barron, an instructional assistant professor of anatomy, said being able to build on Texas A&M’s established history of veterinary education while working with a small group of students is an exciting opportunity.

“One thing that sets us apart from other programs is that Texas A&M has an outstanding program, a well-developed curriculum, and a great reputation,” Barron said. “Here at VERO, we have the additional advantage and opportunity of that smaller student-to-faculty ratio. We’re going to know the names of all of our students; that’s going to help with engagement and approachability.”

With smaller classes come opportunities for more oneon-one conversations with faculty members, who are eager to share their knowledge and clinical experiences. Dr. Lisa Lunn, a food animal educator who has experience working with a variety of 2+2 and distributive veterinary programs, is among those.

“Historically, what I found from students when I worked at the University of Alaska Fairbanks is the students who come in with a lot of large animal experience got the chance to really refine the skills they already had,” Lunn said. “For the students who may not have ever touched a cow but think maybe they'd want to do some mixed animal practice, I've got the time to walk them through it slowly and to help build their confidence along with those clinical skills.”

But alongside these opportunities, the smaller class sizes also come with inherent challenges.

“These faculty are getting to know more about each individual student because of that small student-tofaculty ratio,” said Dr. Kristin Chaney, assistant dean for curriculum and assessment for the DVM program. “That is one of the great and beautiful things about this program, but it also does carry with it an extra level of expectation, responsibility, and accountability.”

AN EQUIVALENT EDUCATION

Ensuring that the students at VERO experience an equivalent first two years of their veterinary education will be crucial to successfully bringing everyone together in their third year.

“The courses are the same courses that are being taught in College Station, in relation to course title, objectives, and outcomes,” said Dr. Karen Cornell, CVMBS associate dean for the DVM Professional Program. “But they may occasionally reach those outcomes or objectives using a different approach.

“Respiratory physiology is a great example,” she continued. “At VERO, they might see an example of cattle respiratory physiology to emphasize a specific principle, while the students in College Station might see that principle illustrated in a small animal.”

Dr. Kelli Beavers, a diplomate of both the American College of Veterinary Practitioners (Equine) and the American College of Theriogenology, is among the new faculty members embracing this philosophy of “same but different” as she hopes to help students develop their skills earlier in their education than you might see at a more traditional veterinary program.

“In any veterinary practice, you’re thinking on your feet and you’re really having to evaluate decisions in the moment out on a farm,” she said. “One of the things that attracted me to this job is that we’re going to start helping students develop those skills earlier.

“Right now, veterinary medicine needs to be looking for alternative ideas in training, not just to help better prepare our students and hopefully increase the number of graduates, but to better prepare those graduates to go out into diverse career paths,” she said. “This 2+2 program is so different from the traditional model that it’s worth taking a shot and joining a new program.”

Delainee Braly and Holly Freeman “With the technology our college is equipped with, we can easily share experiences and education opportunities between locations. It actually is also beneficial to our students in College Station to gain perspective from their classmates and faculty at VERO.”

- DR. KAREN CORNELL

SYNERGISM ACROSS CAMPUSES

The CVMBS’ 2+2 program may be located in Canyon, but it is the only 2+2 program that resides in the same state as its “home” veterinary college. A key benefit of this is that VERO faculty will be as much a part of the CVMBS as their students—attending department meetings, joining service committees, and otherwise collaborating with College Station colleagues.

“One of the special things about our 2+2 program, that none of the other 2+2 programs have, is that our faculty are part of our departments at the CVMBS,” Chaney said. “That will really support the collaboration between the two campuses. It's exciting because it is new, but also because there's nothing else like it in the veterinary profession.”

Making sure students and faculty are on the same page will be much easier with virtual learning tools, like Zoom virtual meetings, that became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jayci Padgett

(Photo by Darcy Lively, West Texas A&M University)

“The pandemic reinforced the idea that we might be in two different locations, but we don't have to be disconnected,” Cornell said. “With the technology our college is equipped with, we can easily share experiences and education opportunities between locations. It actually is also beneficial to our students in College Station to gain perspective from their classmates and faculty at VERO.”

While, ultimately, the first cohort of 2+2 students and the faculty at VERO will play an important role in helping shape the future of the 2+2 program, they all will share a bond in being the “first” together.

“We’re going to have a pretty special culture here,” Aicher said. “We’re a small group and we’ve all basically started at the same time. It’s been a bonding experience. We’re all going to be going through this together, and that’s something the students will appreciate and be a part of as well.”

“It's always difficult to be the first one to do anything, yet that's both a challenge and an opportunity,” Cornell said. “These students will have the opportunity to provide feedback on things that are working or not working and help mold the future of the program.” ■ Cade Holden

(Photo by Darcy Lively, West Texas A&M University)