"Lighting that spark, making that material interesting for them is so important," says Clark, an associate professor in the college's Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. "My goal is to introduce the material and explain the concepts in a way that makes them want to investigate it further. It's like giving them the keys to the library along with a map."
This spring, Clark's obvious enthusiasm for his job earned him the University of Saskatchewan Provost's College Award for Outstanding Teaching — an honour that annually recognizes one exceptional teacher in each U of S college. Clark will receive his $2,000 award in September during a celebration that's hosted by the university's Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching Effectiveness.
While Clark is grateful for the recognition, he considers himself fortunate to be teaching "incredibly gifted students" in every year of their four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program. "They have a tough curriculum and are in classes for multiple hours every day, but their desire to become veterinarians really drives them to learn and to complete their courses."
Clark believes that his greatest responsibility as a teacher is to encourage an inquiring mind, a desire to learn for oneself. And that conviction has led to his involvement in developing courses to foster that desire.
One example is a third-year elective course called "Clinical Procedures in Bovine Practice" that Clark helped to develop. It focuses on having the students learn and then carry out practical skills – skills they might be asked to use on their first day in practice. Although the instructors are there to help, they encourage the students to get in there and try on their own.
"The goal is to build confidence in their ability to read about a procedure and then do it for the first time. Because veterinary medicine is nothing but a series of firsts when you graduate," explains Clark, who grew up in England and graduated from Cambridge University. "We want them to feel confident and competent."
Clark earned his own veterinary degree in 1996 and then completed a one-year clinical internship at the WCVM. After practising in northern England for a year, Clark returned to Saskatoon in 1998 and completed a large animal residency as well as MVetSc and PhD degrees in veterinary pharmacology. He joined the WCVM faculty in 2002.
In addition to delivering lectures, labs and small group workshops in large animal and general medicine, Clark is one of four large animal medicine faculty at the WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre. As part of this responsibility, Clark supervises fourth-year students during their two-week clinical rotations in large animal medicine.
Clinical supervision requires a very different teaching approach, and Clark finds it particularly challenging to work with students who are often at a wide range of experience and confidence levels.
"Clinical teaching is a very delicate balancing act. You're trying to walk that fine line between smothering them and just providing them a safety net as they learn to ask the right questions, explain to the client what needs to be done and offer recommendations about what to do with their other animals."
Clark emphasizes the importance of the college's medical centre as a means for the students to gain clinical experience while working with real cases. It provides an invaluable opportunity for them to perfect their technical skills while learning how to apply and integrate the knowledge that they have acquired.
Although he's kept busy with his clinical and teaching responsibilities, Clark is currently on the committee of two graduate students and is collaborating on several research projects, including a study investigating stomach ulcers in calves. He also plans to work on establishing a pilot project to provide a flock health program to Saskatchewan sheep producers.
But out of his wide range of responsibilities at the WCVM, teaching is what he enjoys the most.
"It wasn't anything that I planned to do when I graduated — I think I fell into it more than anything," admits Clark, who received the Pfizer Carl J. Norden Distinguished Teacher Award in 2011.
"But I'm really lucky that this veterinary school values good teaching. I'm also lucky to work with so many amazing teachers who put a lot of effort into teaching and do an incredible job. And, of course, I'm very lucky that we have these amazing students who are so much fun to teach."
This spring, Clark's obvious enthusiasm for his job earned him the University of Saskatchewan Provost's College Award for Outstanding Teaching — an honour that annually recognizes one exceptional teacher in each U of S college. Clark will receive his $2,000 award in September during a celebration that's hosted by the university's Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching Effectiveness.
While Clark is grateful for the recognition, he considers himself fortunate to be teaching "incredibly gifted students" in every year of their four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program. "They have a tough curriculum and are in classes for multiple hours every day, but their desire to become veterinarians really drives them to learn and to complete their courses."
Clark believes that his greatest responsibility as a teacher is to encourage an inquiring mind, a desire to learn for oneself. And that conviction has led to his involvement in developing courses to foster that desire.
One example is a third-year elective course called "Clinical Procedures in Bovine Practice" that Clark helped to develop. It focuses on having the students learn and then carry out practical skills – skills they might be asked to use on their first day in practice. Although the instructors are there to help, they encourage the students to get in there and try on their own.
"The goal is to build confidence in their ability to read about a procedure and then do it for the first time. Because veterinary medicine is nothing but a series of firsts when you graduate," explains Clark, who grew up in England and graduated from Cambridge University. "We want them to feel confident and competent."
Clark earned his own veterinary degree in 1996 and then completed a one-year clinical internship at the WCVM. After practising in northern England for a year, Clark returned to Saskatoon in 1998 and completed a large animal residency as well as MVetSc and PhD degrees in veterinary pharmacology. He joined the WCVM faculty in 2002.
In addition to delivering lectures, labs and small group workshops in large animal and general medicine, Clark is one of four large animal medicine faculty at the WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre. As part of this responsibility, Clark supervises fourth-year students during their two-week clinical rotations in large animal medicine.
Clinical supervision requires a very different teaching approach, and Clark finds it particularly challenging to work with students who are often at a wide range of experience and confidence levels.
"Clinical teaching is a very delicate balancing act. You're trying to walk that fine line between smothering them and just providing them a safety net as they learn to ask the right questions, explain to the client what needs to be done and offer recommendations about what to do with their other animals."
Clark emphasizes the importance of the college's medical centre as a means for the students to gain clinical experience while working with real cases. It provides an invaluable opportunity for them to perfect their technical skills while learning how to apply and integrate the knowledge that they have acquired.
Although he's kept busy with his clinical and teaching responsibilities, Clark is currently on the committee of two graduate students and is collaborating on several research projects, including a study investigating stomach ulcers in calves. He also plans to work on establishing a pilot project to provide a flock health program to Saskatchewan sheep producers.
But out of his wide range of responsibilities at the WCVM, teaching is what he enjoys the most.
"It wasn't anything that I planned to do when I graduated — I think I fell into it more than anything," admits Clark, who received the Pfizer Carl J. Norden Distinguished Teacher Award in 2011.
"But I'm really lucky that this veterinary school values good teaching. I'm also lucky to work with so many amazing teachers who put a lot of effort into teaching and do an incredible job. And, of course, I'm very lucky that we have these amazing students who are so much fun to teach."
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