Introduction
The Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine trains veterinarians to work in a dynamic, modern world. Every professional student receives a broad clinical experience preparing them for the challenges of working with a variety of species in a multitude of settings. With strong emphasis on professionalism, ethics, critical thinking, and communication, Auburn veterinarians are ready to make a difference in today’s world through their ability to provide excellent care to the patients and clients they serve.
The innovative clinical curriculum at Auburn is curated carefully by a committee of faculty and students who work together to respond to feedback from stakeholders, including students, employers, alumni, and the public. It is designed to provide a strong foundation while allowing the flexibility for students to customize their experiences and explore a variety of careers. With the capstone preceptorship experience, students take their skills into the workplace to apply and expand what they have learned in the college’s comprehensive teaching hospital.
The core curriculum consists of fourteen 2- and 3-week–long clinical rotations in foundational topics, including 10 weeks of small animal rotations (internal medicine, daytime emergency, community practice, surgical elective, and shelter medicine), 6 weeks of farm animal medicine (hospital, reproduction, and ambulatory), 6 weeks of equine medicine (medicine, surgery, and elective), and 10 weeks of multispecies rotations (after-hours emergency receiving, diagnostic imaging, anesthesia, and diagnostic pathology). This leaves 16-weeks for students to take elective offerings of their choice, including the opportunity for 2 off-site externships and the ability to conduct research or explore special topics of their choosing.
With 32 unique elective rotations, Auburn students can explore multiple areas of interest or focus their learning on a specific species or discipline. Students benefit by learning from a team of over 80 clinical faculty, representing specialists and generalists, and a robust group of house officers (interns, residents, and graduate students), with whom they partner to solve problems and provide compassionate patient care. Rotations in dentistry, advanced diagnostic imaging, practice management, equine podiatry and dentistry, physical therapy, and raptor medicine are some of the most popular in-house elective offerings. With a satellite specialty hospital in Gulf Shores and through partnerships with 5 regional equine practices, the Greater Birmingham Humane Society, and Midmark, students can elect to travel off-site to develop their clinical skills.
Auburn DVM students in surgery.
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 262, 12; 10.2460/javma.24.09.0630
During the final 8 weeks of their clinical curriculum, after completing all required rotations and documenting proficiency through both direct and indirect assessments, all Auburn veterinary students embed themselves in an approved practice of their choosing, growing their skills in a real-life clinical setting under the license of a practicing clinical veterinarian. Through this preceptorship experience, skilled students gain the confidence to synthesize their acquired knowledge and skills to help patients and clients in a real-world setting, preparing them to enter the workforce upon graduation.
An Auburn veterinary education provides a strong, balanced foundation with enough customization to make it unique. With fundamental basics, Auburn graduates have the skills needed to make themselves marketable and flexible in a changing world.
