New Trust to Invest in Rural Vet Medicine
April 20, 2010 - News Release
Veterinary students interested in practising in rural communities will benefit from a new partnership to provide real-life learning opportunities and on-the-job experience in the dairy and beef industries.
The Bovine Education Trust was established by U of G's Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) and the Ontario Association of Bovine Practitioners (OABP), with start-up funding provided through the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ Veterinary Clinical Education Program.
"The Ontario Government is proud to support a project that helps students get hands-on experience and provides Ontario's livestock industry with much-needed veterinary care," said Carol Mitchell, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
Among other things, the trust will provide summer placements with established rural practitioners, extracurricular learning opportunities and external electives.
“With the generous support of our partners, we’re investing in the future of rural communities by developing the next generation of bovine practitioners,” said Prof. Kerry Lissemore, OVC’s associate dean (academic).
Rural veterinarians working with food animals are the front-line guardians of the food supply who care for animals, identify and treat disease, and educate producers and farm workers, he said. “It’s a practical way to serve the interests of the public, producers and practitioners. It’s also a way for veterinarians and producers to give back to the industry.”
Jamie Hobson, OABP past-president and Bovine Education Trust co-chair, added: “The industry needs this — and so do the students. Our goal is to nurture those student veterinarians who have a passion for food-animal production by providing additional learning opportunities to help them excel at school, so they’ll be ready to launch their careers as skilled veterinarians serving rural communities.”
For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs: Lori Bona Hunt, 519-824-4120, Ext. 53338, or l.hunt@exec.uoguelph.ca, or Deirdre Healey, Ext. 56982 or d.healey@exec.uoguelph.ca.
