Utility and Uniqueness of a Summer Undergraduate Veterinary Internship for Underrepresented Students
- Ariana Sanchez (Iowa State University)
Abstract
In an effort to increase diversity within Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine (ISU CVM) as well as increasing diversity in the veterinary profession, a summer program was designed and implemented to provide undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds necessary experience in animal handling and veterinary medicine settings to meet program admission requirements. In order to provide a high quality, meaningful experience, a goal of over 200 hours of quality veterinary medicine shadowing experience combined with 200 hours of hands-on animal handling experience was used as the base for the summer experience. This session offers a panel discussion with student participants from this program, sharing their experiences and perspectives as students of color in the discipline of Veterinary Medicine.