All Roads Lead to OVC

Posted July 15, 2019

Hi everyone, my name is Werdah Iqbal and I am entering my clinical and final year of veterinary school! I am thrilled to be participating in the 2019 Externship Blog project. Before I delve into the life a fourth-year student, I figured that a good starting point was to share my journey to veterinary school. My journey has been atypical to say the least, but I wouldn’t change a thing!

I was always passionate about science – from physics to biology, learning how things worked together to form complex biological systems kept me on my feet and wanting to learn...

Sharing my passion for veterinary medicine

Posted July 12, 2019

Hello to everyone tuning into the 2019 edition of the Externship Blog Project!

My name is Salomon Schroeter and I am beyond excited to share my externship journey with all of you. Since starting at OVC, I’ve been following the blog and found that reading the stories of upper year students was a great way to stay inspired and excited for what was to come; especially after a few years of long days in lectures, late study nights, and dreaded Monday tests. Finally, I am lucky enough to...

Looking forward to sharing my journey

Posted July 9, 2019

Hello everyone! My name is Courtney, and I am fourth year student studying at the Ontario Veterinary College. I am specializing in food animal medicine, with a big focus on dairy cattle medicine.

The reason why I went into veterinary medicine is because I always felt connected to animals, and always enjoyed working with them. As my education has grown, and the more experiences I have...

The Last Step

Posted July 8, 2019

Hello everyone! My name is Malika Ladak and I am going into my clinical (and final!) year at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). I’m originally from Thornhill, Ontario, and completed my undergraduate degree in Zoology at the University of Guelph. Unlike a lot of other veterinary students who knew they wanted to be a veterinarian from a young age, I decided I wanted to pursue veterinary medicine later on in high school.

Growing up, I really enjoyed learning about animals and biodiversity, going on...

From the classroom to the clinic

Posted July 5, 2019

Diagnostics, clinical skills, problem solving, and working with clients are all critical pieces in a student veterinarian’s education. Hands-on opportunities are invaluable.

Student veterinarians heading into their final year of study at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College move from lectures and labs into a year of intensive clinical and diagnostic training, beginning with an eight-week externship in a rural veterinary practice. It is a defining experience as they move from the classroom to the clinic.

“These externships provide invaluable experiential opportunities,” says OVC Dean Jeff Wichtel. "They provide our student veterinarians with the opportunity to be part of a team providing animal care to...

Pyo what?

Posted November 12, 2018

As a general practitioner, some of the most frequent procedures that are done in the clinic include the ovariohysterectomy (removal of the ovaries and uterus) of the female, and castration (removal of the testicles) of the male. During my time at Hird and Partner’s, I was lucky to have performed a few of these procedures under direct supervision. It was a great way to get obtain more surgical experience before having to perform them on my own in just one short year (is it really that soon?!).

While most clients...

It’s what’s on the inside that counts!

Posted October 22, 2018

Growing up, I’m sure we’ve all heard the expression “it’s what’s on the inside that counts”. Well, veterinary medicine takes this phrase to a whole new level when it comes to diagnostic imaging. With advanced imaging modalities such as CT scans and MRI, we can get a very detailed picture of pretty much any organ or tissue inside an animal. While radiology (X-rays) is probably the most common imaging technique used in general practice, there are some disease processes that require more advanced methods to make a...

Big or small – there’s something for you

Posted October 19, 2018

Before I got into vet school, I never really envisioned myself working with species other than dogs and cats. I had no experience with cattle or horses prior, so you could imagine me struggling in the beginning. It was quite daunting to handle horses and cows, and we have to start with the basics – putting on halters, tying knots and learning safety precautions. Thankfully I have amazing colleagues and mentors who are experienced with large animals and willing to teach. Over time I have become more comfortable working with cows and horses and they certainly have a special place...

Dreamworks’ Shrek is not a substitute for veterinary advice

Posted October 16, 2018

Our discussion this week surrounds a disorder which has become particularly important to me in the past couple of months, as it affects a furry friend who is close to my heart. Arthur is a petite tuxedo cat who came to us as a stray and effortlessly purred, chirped and cuddled his way into our home. While he appeared healthy initially, soon he began to demonstrate a sporadic hacking, wheezing cough which left us puzzled for some time. These spasms lasted several seconds, and unfortunately seemed to be initiated by Arthur’s purring – I was becoming reluctant...

Insights for aspiring cow vets

Posted October 11, 2018

Ikendale Farm Inc., a family owned dairy farm is a familiar fixture located in Walkerton, Ontario. They house 300 milking cows in a clean and modern barn equipped with a 30-stall rotary milking parlor. Their youngest partner, Tyler Kuntz is a third-generation farmer who became more involved with the family farm operation after graduating from the University of Guelph in 2004. Tyler is also highly engaged in the community and loves introducing his passion for dairy production to anyone who wants to learn. Our veterinarians visit Ikendale Farm at least once a week to do herd health checks, and Tyler and his team...