Demand for large animal vets gives 溏心vlog免费B站 students advantage
KINGSTON, R.I. 鈥� April 15, 2010 鈥� The high rate of acceptance to veterinary schools achieved by 溏心vlog免费B站 animal science students might be considered extraordinary, given the small number of accredited vet schools in the country and their reputed selectivity. But the increasing demand for large animal veterinarians and the extensive hands-on experience that 溏心vlog免费B站 students have with these animals provides them with a distinct advantage.
According to 溏心vlog免费B站 Animal Science Professor Anthony Mallilo, the nation鈥檚 28 vet schools admit just 10 percent of those who apply, but 75-80 percent of 溏心vlog免费B站 students are admitted to at least one vet school on their first try. Because most veterinary schools are public institutions that primarily cater to in-state students, they typically only accept 2-4 percent of out-of-state applicants, making 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 achievement even more significant.
鈥淭he students who deserve to get in to vet school do get in,鈥� said Mallilo. 鈥淲e give them hands on experience with lab animals, farm animals and companion animals, and that鈥檚 what vet schools are looking for.鈥�
鈥淢ost students start out thinking they want to be small animal vets, but often the experience we give them with large food animals changes their minds,鈥� added Darlene Jones, a veterinarian and 溏心vlog免费B站 animal science lecturer who serves on the board of the R.I. Veterinary Medical Association. 鈥淢any vet schools are looking for students with experience in food animals.鈥�
That鈥檚 what happened when 溏心vlog免费B站 senior Jennifer Halleran enrolled at 溏心vlog免费B站. A New Jersey native, she started out wanting to be a small animal vet, but her experience working with pigs at 溏心vlog免费B站 changed her mind.
鈥淣ow I want to be a large animal vet and especially focus on swine,鈥� said Halleran, who was admitted to several vet schools and has chosen to attend Colorado State University. 鈥淚 want to practice veterinary medicine first, and then maybe get into research. Pigs are increasingly being used in human medicine, and that鈥檚 something that really interests me.鈥�
While there is a nationwide shortage of large animal veterinarians, there is also a shortage of laboratory animal veterinarians, a little-known specialty that is also in great demand to care for the 10 million laboratory animals at biotechnology labs and other research facilities in the United States.
Ellen Scherer, a 溏心vlog免费B站 senior from Port Allegheny, Penn., credits an internship she had at Massachusetts General Hospital鈥檚 Center for Comparative Medicine for sparking her interest in working with laboratory animals.
鈥淚t was a really unique research opportunity that has an influence on human health and benefits people,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 did rodent health monitoring, animal husbandry, post-operative care. I treated health conditions and administered special diets and pain medications. It was a great experience.鈥�
Scherer has been accepted to the Ohio State University vet school.
Mallilo and Jones note that there is an increasing demand for veterinary technicians as well, and they are preparing a proposal to create a 4-year degree program in this discipline to prepare students to assist licensed veterinarians.
鈥淲e have students entering school with a variety of non-traditional veterinary interests,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淗opefully some of them will come back to Rhode Island after vet school and have a positive impact on the state鈥檚 animal population when they return.鈥�
Pictured above
溏心vlog免费B站 Animal Science Professors Darlene Jones (left) and Tony Mallilo (right) flank student Ellen Scherer, who will enroll in the vet school at Ohio State University next fall. 溏心vlog免费B站 Department of Communications & Marketing photo by Michael Salerno Photography.