Veterinary career begins for 77 new students
WCVM's Class of 2013
The Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan officially welcomed the newest class of 77 students to its four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program at an evening ceremony on Friday, September 25.
“The continued success of our veterinary program depends on the quality and dedication of our students, and I’m confident that the members of the Class of 2013 will meet our high expectations,” says WCVM Dean Dr. Charles Rhodes. “The students’ academic records as well as their scholastic, athletic and community achievements are very impressive. We’re very fortunate to attract these talented individuals to the WCVM and to the veterinary profession.”
During the veterinary college’s annual “White Coat Ceremony,” every first-year class member accepted a personalized lab coat from the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. Each student also received a stethoscope from the provincial veterinary medical association in the student’s home province.
The Class of 2013 is the largest first-year class in the veterinary college’s 44-year history. WCVM’s newest students represent 48 communities in Western Canada and the North. Based on an interprovincial agreement with Canada’s four western provinces, WCVM accepts an allotted number of applicants from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba for its undergraduate veterinary program. The regional veterinary college also considers applicants from the northern territories.
In preparation for their veterinary education, the majority of WCVM’s first-year students have already volunteered or worked at veterinary clinics, farms, humane societies, zoos, research centres and other animal-related organizations.
The Class of 2013 will have state-of-the-art facilities and a wide range of resources available during their DVM program at the WCVM. The veterinary college recently completed a series of expansion and renovation projects worth $71 million — including additions to its veterinary teaching hospital, diagnostics area and research laboratories.
WCVM is now beginning renovations to its existing diagnostic laboratories and associated areas. Earlier this year, the Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan invested $9.06 million in this final phase of the college’s infrastructure project through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program (KIP).
WCVM is a Canadian centre of expertise for veterinary education, clinical services and research that’s located on the U of S campus. Since 1969, more than 2,500 veterinarians have received their DVM degrees from the regional veterinary college. While most WCVM alumni live and work in Western Canada, former students can be found in more than 600 communities around the world.
