Vet school keeps students busy

Jason Gulley/Exponent Photographer GOING UNDER THE KNIFE: Gretchen, a dachshund, is prepped and ready for Beth Lewis to perform a spay operation on her.

By Seiji Ohashi
Staff Writer

Six o'clock in the morning on a normal day — typical students roll from their left to right side and rub their nose while still sleeping. Beth Lewis, a graduate student, is at Purdue's small animal hospital, going over her day.

Ten o'clock in the morning that same day — typical students roll again, this time out of bed to hit the snooze button for a few more precious minutes of sleep. Lewis checks the surgery schedule so she can prepare for the patients and run any tests still remaining. She has already finished up all medical records from the last day.

Around noon, typical students decide to skip a lecture to grab some lunch and watch a little television. Lewis is finishing up a spaying and plans to skip lunch to do some lab work for her next patient.

Jason Gulley/Exponent Photographer RUB-A-DUB-DUB: Beth Lewis, left, and Dr. Suliman Al-Ghazlat scrub in before surgery.

Five o'clock in the evening — typical students are done with classes and are finishing all of their schoolwork required for the next day in a few hours. Lewis is generally done with surgery and is doing required paperwork at the hospital.

That evening — typical students spend the night watching more television with friends, then sleeping and performing a multitude of rolls in bed once again. Lewis may still be at the hospital finishing paperwork; occasionally she can be found still performing surgery on an emergency visit that came in earlier in the evening.

The differences between typical student daily life and Lewis' life as a student is obvious, but even more surprising is that Lewis' life as a student is normal for veterinary students in their senior year.

Jason Gulley/Exponent Photographer PASS THE TISSUE PLEASE: Dr. Suliman Al-Ghazlat, right, assists Beth Lewis with Gretchen’s surgery.

Purdue University has the only teaching hospital in Indiana and the only veterinary school in Indiana, said Kevin Doerr, the director of alumni affairs and annual giving in the School of Veterinary Medicine. The veterinary school at Purdue is one of only 27 in the country, said Lewis.

According to Doerr, the School of Veterinary Medicine treats thousands of animals every year while doing clinical research.

"The (veterinary) school is a bit unique because of our outreach," said Doerr.

As a result of the small number of veterinary schools, acceptance into Purdue's School of Veterinary Medicine is rather competitive. Lewis was one of roughly 3,000 applicants for her year. 120 received interviews for the 60 positions available.

Jason Gulley/Exponent Photographer NICE TO MEET YA DOC: Phoebe, a patient in the intensive care unit, says hello to veterinary student Beth Lewis.

During their first year, veterinary students at Purdue study various animals ranging from dogs to horses in their normal healthy states. In their second year the students study different ailments and all sorts of health conditions they may possibly encounter in their patients. In their third year students study more medical conditions as well as perform their first surgery. Lewis' first surgery was the spaying of a cat. Their fourth and final year begins immediately after finishing their third year in May and runs for one full year with only five days off for Christmas. The fourth year consists of 10 five-week-long blocks where students specialize in one area at a time, said Doerr.

"You feel like you're accomplishing something," said Lewis about her fourth year as a veterinary student.

Although she has already filled her requirement of two blocks of surgery, she has taken another as an elective or "Advanced Clerkship," as it is called in the school, because of her interest in it.

"Most students don't do more than the requirement of surgery because it is so time consuming," said Lewis, who spends up to 16 hours a day at the small animal hospital.

Although heavy time requirements and difficulty of the material studied are large obstacles for veterinary students, Lewis believes most people can do it if they manage their stress and by being intelligent with their time.

Lewis graduates in May and will be going to the University of Illinois next fall as an intern. She hopes to be a board-certified surgeon in four years. On average, only 20 to 25 percent of students taking the board exam pass, said Lewis.

Purdue screens TA's for skills

Vet school keeps students busy

Residence hall experiences application increase

PSG faces challenge of inexperienced members

Officer pleads guilty, takes time off work

CAMPUS DESK PHONE:
(765) 743-1111 ext. 253

Campus editor: Kelsey VanArsdall

Assistant Campus editors: Rachael Conley, Matt Lindner

To send a letter to the editor, please email opinions@purdueexponent.org