Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine

Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine
Established 1959
Dean Willie M. Reed
Academic staff
 168[1]
Administrative staff
 332[1]
Undergraduates 359[2]
Postgraduates 96[2]
Location West Lafayette, IN, USA
40°25′10″N 86°54′53″W / 40.4195°N 86.9148°W / 40.4195; -86.9148Coordinates: 40°25′10″N 86°54′53″W / 40.4195°N 86.9148°W / 40.4195; -86.9148
Affiliations Purdue University
Website www.vet.purdue.edu/

The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine is one of ten major academic divisions of Purdue University. Accredited by the AVMA, this veterinary school offers the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, associate's and bachelor's degrees in veterinary technology, master’s and Ph.D. degrees, and residency programs leading to specialty board certification. Within the state of Indiana, the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine is the only veterinary school, while the Indiana University School of Medicine is the only medical school. The two schools frequently collaborate on medical research projects.

Departments

The College of Veterinary Science contains the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and three Departments:

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program

A Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, more commonly known as a Vet or Veterinarian, is a professional who practices medicine on animals. They are certified to diagnose, make a prognosis, provide or prescribe medication, do surgery, go into research, and much more. Veterinarians typically start their own private practice, but there are also career opportunities in “public practice, industry, community health, food resource management, wildlife preservation, space exploration, and marine biology”.[3] To be a potential applicant in Purdue University’s Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program, an individual has to complete two to three years of coursework first. However, even to be considered for the program, the applicant must maintain a GPA of 3.00 or higher. The applicant must have experience with animals, experience in research and work, and have leadership and communication skills.[4] The DVM Program is four-year program with a minimum of 18 credits each semester; this four years does not include the pre-veterinary course requirements.

Veterinary Technology Program

The profession of Veterinary Technology has been in existence since the early 1970s. In many aspects, a veterinary technician is comparable to a nurse in human medicine. In addition to the nursing of veterinary patients, the veterinary technician also performs other duties such as anesthesia, dental cleanings, phlebotomy, medication administration, and surgical nursing. A veterinary technician is also educated in performing various diagnostic tests such as radiographs, CBC (complete blood count), serology tests, heartworm tests, and parasite tests. Career opportunities can be found in veterinary clinics, veterinary teaching hospitals, academic institutions, research laboratories, animal shelters, veterinary sales & marketing, pharmaceuticals, public health, government, zoos, wildlife rehabilitation centers, and practice management.

A veterinary technician works as part of the veterinary team. Their role is to assist the DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) in the care of the animal patient. These educated team members also work with veterinary assistants, receptionists, and kennel workers to ensure the health of the patient is first and foremost.

In order to be a veterinary technician, the student must attend a program that is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and earn a degree or certificate in veterinary technology. (Visit the AVMA website for the most up-to-date list of AVMA accredited veterinary technology programs). The education process to become a veterinary technician may take anywhere from 18 months to 3–4 years depending on the program and the curricular requirements of each program.

The Veterinary Technology degree is not a pre-veterinary course of study because the curriculum is specific to veterinary nursing. Students do not take the required pre-requisite courses for a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program.

After graduation from an AVMA accredited program, in order to practice as a credentialed veterinary technician, the student must take the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE). Once this exam is passed, the student may be called a registered, licensed, or certified veterinary technician (RVT, LVT, CVT). This title varies from state to state. In many states it is against the law to be called a veterinary technician unless the student has graduated from an AVMA accredited school and passed the VTNE. Some states may have additional requirements for credentialing.

Purdue offers three options for education as an AVMA accredited veterinary technology program. Two are on-campus curricula and the third is delivered via distance education. Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine offers the only Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Technology degree program in Indiana. Both of the associate degree programs are accredited by the AVMA. Graduates of the program have a 95-100% first-time pass rate on the VTNE and 97-100% of them are employed six months after graduation.

The on-campus Associate in Applied Science curriculum is completed in 3 years and the Bachelor of Science curriculum is completed in 4 years. Upon graduation from the bachelor's degree program, the correct title is Veterinary Technologist. During the completion of the bachelor's degree, the associate degree is obtained and students are eligible to take the VTNE during their senior year. The majority of the Purdue on-campus students earn both their associate and bachelor's degrees.

Students admitted to the on-campus program apply first to Purdue University, either as new beginners or as transfer students. Applicants complete both the Purdue application and a Veterinary Technology Experience Report. The Experience Report asks for references, work and animal health care experience, and poses several questions to gauge the applicant’s knowledge of the profession.

Top applicants are invited to campus for an interview and admitted students are selected from that pool.

New beginners begin the program with a year of science, math and university core requirements. Transfer students begin in the second, or clinical, year with veterinary technology coursework, including clinical rotations. The coursework in the degree is skills-based, practical and designed to give the student maximum exposure to clinical information, along with real-life hands-on experience in Purdue’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Students learn and work side-by-side with DVM students for a team-approach to veterinary medicine. The Purdue advantage is small class sizes, individual attention, and working with people who are specialists in their area of veterinary medicine.

The third education option is the Associate in Applied Science degree in Veterinary Technology via digital education. This option allows for someone who is currently working in a veterinary facility as a veterinary assistant or someone who is looking to change careers, the option of taking a smaller class load while working. The program is flexible but does take longer to complete. Students take didactic (bookwork) courses online. The laboratory or practical portions of the courses are completed as clinical mentorships at a veterinary clinic. The students are responsible for setting up proctors for tests and their own clinical mentorship sites. Most students complete the associate degree in 4–5 years. To apply, students apply to Purdue University for the online Veterinary Technology Program.

Upon completion of education process, veterinary technicians/technologists may pursue specialty certification. There are several specialties in different areas of veterinary technology. These can be viewed by visiting the website for the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America

The Hospital

The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine has both a small and large animal hospitals. In the small animal hospital, there are about fifteen different specialists on staff ranging from anesthesiology to exotic animal medicine.[5] The hospital provides both regular client care and emergency care. Like the small animal hospital, the large animal hospital has serval different specialists on staff as well; about eleven different types of specialists. In addition to the on site care, the large animal hospital has field services for horses, cows, and pigs.[6] This hospital caters to both regular clients and emergency patients.[6] Normal operating hours are Monday thru Friday 8am to 5pm, but there are services available 24 hours a day for emergency situations.

Research

Research in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine benefits animal and human health and is focused on five signature research areas:[7]

P - 12 Outreach

In the goals and values of Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, it is important to them to reach out to the upcoming generations. They provide several programs that minister to kids in kindergarten through high school. For example, the Boiler Vet Camp is the only veterinary camp in Indiana.[8] It provides high school students the opportunity to preview what veterinary medicine is all about. The students participate in presentations, demonstrations, laboratories, and hands on activities.[8]

Location

The College of Veterinary Medicine occupies over a dozen structures in the southeast corner of Purdue's main campus. Major buildings include the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and Lynn Hall of Veterinary Medicine.

History

In 1877, a Department of Veterinary Science was established within Purdue's School of Agriculture (later the College of Agriculture). The Department was reorganized as the School of Veterinary Science and Medicine in 1959. The school's name was changed to the School of Veterinary Medicine in 1974[9] and then again to its present name, the College of Veterinary Medicine, in 2012.[10]

Rankings

In 2011, the U.S. News & World Report ranks Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine graduate program at No. 14 in the United States.[11] The top 15 College of Veterinary Medicine graduate programs include:[11]

References

  1. 1 2 http://www.purdue.edu/DataDigest/pages/faculty/school/vet/faculty/fac_detail.pdf
  2. 1 2 Purdue University Data Digest 2006-07
  3. ↑ "Doctor of Veterinary Medicine - DVM Program." Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2014. <http://www.vet.purdue.edu/dvm/index.php>.
  4. ↑ "College of Veterinary Medicine - Student Services Center." Purdue University. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2014. <http://www.vet.purdue.edu/dvm/files/documents/class-of-2016-statistics.pdf>.
  5. ↑ "Small Animal Hospital." Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2014. <http://www.vet.purdue.edu/vth/small-animal/index.php>.
  6. 1 2 "Large Animal Hospital." Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2014. <http://www.vet.purdue.edu/vth/large-animal/index.php>.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Office of Research." Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2014. <http://www.vet.purdue.edu/orpd/>.
  8. 1 2 "Boiler Vet Camp." Purdue University. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2014. <http://www.vet.purdue.edu/boilervetcamp/>.
  9. ↑ Purdue University Historical Timeline
  10. ↑ "Purdue School of Veterinary Medicine prepares for name change". DVM Newsmagazine. December 21, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
  11. 1 2 Education Grad Schools - Veterinary Medicine. US News and World Reports, 2014. Web. 4 Apr. 2014. <http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-health-schools/veterinarian-rankings>.
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