In a celebration of outstanding achievement and dedication to the field of veterinary medicine, a University of Saskatchewan (USask) veterinary student and a faculty member of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) were among the recipients of awards recently presented by the Students of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (SCVMA).
In its 10th year, the University of Saskatchewan's (USask) Images of Research contest once again highlighted the remarkable impact of its researchers, scholars, and artists, with standout submissions from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM).
Samantha Nixon of Winnipeg, Man., was one of 10 North American veterinary students who each received a $5,000 scholarship on Feb. 26 during the American Association of Swine Veterinarians’ (AASV) annual meeting in Nashville, Tenn.
Two Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) veterinary students from Canada’s North have received scholarships from Veterinarians Without Borders-Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Canada (VWB/VSF).
Kree Byrne, a second-year veterinary student at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), is a 2024 recipient of an Indigenous Student Achievement Award in leadership from the University of Saskatchewan (USask).
While growing up in Nanaimo, B.C., Joel Bilyk was surrounded by a variety of pets that included cats, dogs, chickens and Lucy the lamb. His passion for animals was only reinforced during the summers when he helped his grandparents operate their thoroughbred racing stable in Langley, B.C.
Living in a rural area on the Canadian Prairies often means spending your winters at the curling rink, and for Matthew Pauls, he grew up living that exact lifestyle in the tiny Manitoba community of Purves.
Kandis Villebrun has great memories of growing up in Yellowknife, N.W.T., a city with a strong sense of community that offered many opportunities for her to volunteer and participate in sports.
After constantly pestering her parents, Abigail Cunningham was given her first pony: a small Shetland rescue pony named Princess Leah that eventually became the hero of a book she wrote and published when she was 11 years old.
An aspiring veterinarian from a very young age, Christine Yang recalls that her happiest childhood moments involved taking care of the family dog and visiting the Taipei Zoo during her summer trips to Taiwan — the country of her birth.
Ella Parcels always wanted to have her own pets, but when she was young, her parents had a rule that she could only get a pet if she learned how to care for it first.
Alexandra Santos of Winnipeg, Man., still has her Grade 1 worksheet titled “What you want to be when you grow up,” and her answer included a self-portrait of her working as a veterinarian.
Kelsey Leung had always loved animals, and the Vancouver resident realized that an animal-focused career was the right fit for her after taking part in an aquatic field trip during her Bachelor of Science degree program at the University of British Columbia (UBC).
The College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (CGPS) in collaboration with the Office of Vice President Research (OVPR) hosted the USask Graduate Research Showcase on October 6th, 2023. The event welcomed distinguished guests and elected officials to network with some of CGPS’s top research talent to discuss how emerging research at USask works to advance Saskatchewan’s economic and social growth.
While growing up on a cattle ranch near Stoughton, Sask., Rinka Itogawa loved that she and her family were part of a helpful, caring community, and she felt very special working with like-minded people who all pitched in to help friends and neighbours.
After a summer spent immersed in research, University of Saskatchewan (USask) students showcased their project findings at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s (WCVM) annual undergraduate research poster day on September 6.
Drs. Alannah Friedlund, Eveline Juce and Josefina Ghersa are among the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s team of incoming residents and clinical interns whose work focuses on equine health. Visit tehrf.ca to read more profiles of the college’s new team members.
Agnes Truc Nguyen, a master's student based at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), is a 2023 recipient of a new scholarship for international students who are working to make the world a better place.
Dr. Alyssa Vickers (DVM), who graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) this spring, is one of the 2023 recipients of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Award for Proficiency in Primary Care.
During the past few years, two new student-led groups at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) have strived to celebrate diversity through educational awareness and events in a time when discrimination is all too common in society.
When Dr. Courtney Cameron (DVM) walks across the stage at University of Saskatchewan (USask) Spring Convocation on June 7, the new veterinarian will pick up more than her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree.
Thizbe Balzer’s enthusiasm for learning and helping others stands out in the memories of her classmates at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM).
Graduates of the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) aren’t the only scholars celebrating during the University of Saskatchewan (USask) Spring Convocation.
The Government of British Columbia is permanently doubling the number of subsidized seats for B.C. veterinary students attending the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask).
All of Karlynn Dzik’s childhood experiences — the books she read, the videos she watched, the camps she attended — revolved around her desire to study and interact with animals.
The Fall 2022 issue of Horse Health Lines, news publication for the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s (WCVM) Townsend Equine Health Research Fund, is now online.
When Stuart Matthews learned that he’d been accepted to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), he set out to celebrate in a unique way.
Summer research students at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) produced an incredible amount of high-quality science in a very short time frame, says Dr. Lynn Weber, the college’s associate dean of research.
The Government of Saskatchewan has announced updates to its student loan forgiveness plan for veterinarians and registered veterinary technologists (RVTs) who serve livestock stakeholders in rural and remote communities.
Veterinary medicine has always fascinated the public, says Dr. Chris Clark, associate dean academic of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM).
When Madlyn Lung sent an email message to the entire Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) community asking about interest in a Pride club, she was overwhelmed by the response.
The 78 veterinarians graduating from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) this year are facing an unprecedented number of career choices and graduating ready to fill a range of needs in the veterinary profession.
Without my training, I might have ended up another drowning statistic.
While his research focus is on wildlife conservation and reproduction, Steve Yang has become a successful teacher of veterinary anatomy through his work with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s (WCVM) veterinary students.
Members of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s (WCVM) community excelled at the 2022 Life and Health Sciences Research Expo — an annual event at the University of Saskatchewan (USask).
More B.C. veterinary students will attend the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) on the University of Saskatchewan (USask) campus this August, following an investment from the Province of B.C. to double its number of subsidized seats for the first time in more than a decade.
The return to an in-person graduate research poster day at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) was a welcome change after two years of online events.
From building dog houses to organizing anti-racism education for her peers, Charlie Wyatt-Swain has found many ways to serve her community during her time as a veterinary student at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM).
From the time she could talk, Magdelena (Alena) Lessmeister wanted to be a veterinarian. And now that she’s a first-year student at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), Lessmeister is grateful for the combination of events and factors that inspired her to fulfil that goal.
While growing up in Kenya, Armaan Bhatia crossed paths with animals of all shapes and sizes.
Growing up in Hong Kong, Viviana Lee lived with her family in a 500-square-foot apartment that had no room for pets. But working with animals was always part of the plan for Lee, now a first-year veterinary student at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM).
As a boy, Vazul Munjal remembers listening to his veterinarian father describe interesting cases brought to his practice, Alta Vista Animal Hospital, in Vancouver, B.C.
Tara Sweetnam was 12 years old the first time that she watched a veterinarian perform an embryo transfer at her family’s dairy farm near Winkler, Man. As the practitioner transferred fertilized embryos into the reproductive tract of her favourite cow, Sweetnam was awestruck by the process.
Veterinary student Keegan King has always loved being around animals. Even a childhood allergy to horses and cats didn’t deter him from caring for the family dogs or spending time on his grandma’s and uncle’s farms near Viking, Alta.
Tannicka Reeves was 12 years old when she finally convinced her mom that they needed a dog. Little did she know that raising and caring for their new pup Koeda would be a life-changing experience.
As the sun rises, Eric and Miranda Zwiefelhofer gear up for another exciting day of work.
The University of Saskatchewan’s campus-wide events on Sept. 30 marking Canada’s first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation inspired veterinary student Charlie Wyatt-Swain to plan an event at her own college.
Dr. Caitlyn Best is about to add a few more letters to her already lengthy set of professional credentials, becoming the first person to graduate from Canada’s only master’s program in veterinary field epidemiology.
University of Saskatchewan PhD student Jensen Cherewyk has been awarded one of Canada’s most prestigious doctoral scholarships for leading-edge research into an overlooked compound formed by a toxic fungus in forage grasses and cereal grains that threatens human and animal food safety.
Isabell Stamm has been hooked on cattle since she first began milking cows and bucket feeding calves on her family’s mixed dairy and beef cattle farm near Ponoka, Alta.
A Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) research team is gathering information for the development of a new device for cryotherapy (extreme cold therapy) — one of the few treatments available for the painful equine disease known as laminitis.
In August 2020, the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) welcomed its new class of first-year students with the roll-out of a new Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) curriculum.
A series of annual surveys helps the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) take regular inventory of how well the college’s Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program is serving veterinary students and graduates of the program.
Bees, bacteria and bison were all part of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM)’s recent Undergraduate Research Poster Day competition.
Two former Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) researchers are recipients of Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) Individual Fellowships — a highly competitive research award program in the European Union that benefits researchers in Europe as well as globally.
Last summer, I learned to not be such a scientist. As a veterinary student and biologist, I have spent the last decade working in science and trying to make a tiny contribution to what is known about the world.
Mikayla Swirski, a senior veterinary student at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), was among 10 North American veterinary students rewarded for their dedication to equine health during the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ (AAEP) virtual convention in December 2020.
While society is coping with the stress related to a pandemic, honey bees and other pollinators are going through another problem — the stress associated with habitat loss.
Veterinary student Hope Skorlatowski was recognized for her academic achievements during the University of Saskatchewan’s Indigenous Student Awards on Feb. 4.
As universities around the world adapted to COVID-19 restrictions for in-person learning and professors looked for ways to deliver their courses’ content, creativity was key for Dr. Joe Rubin (DVM, PhD).
Growing up on her family’s commercial cow-calf operation in rural Manitoba helped Sarah Jensen gain first-hand experience with the daily challenges facing livestock producers.
Amanda Loeffen had completed one semester in the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) College of Engineering when she suddenly realized that she was in the wrong place working toward the wrong career.
When Caren Lee was in Grade 1, she had three dreams: she wanted to be a singer, a math teacher and a veterinarian.
While growing up in Winnipeg, Man., Kierdree Shebaylo was surrounded by a variety of family pets — a circumstance that she credits for inspiring her love of animals.
First-year veterinary student Kabir Dhadda distinctly remembers the moment he found out that he had been accepted to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM).
Maggie Omer-Canitz has been riding horses for as long as she can remember. Her siblings first sat her on a horse when she was a year old, and she’s been a non-stop horse lover ever since.
A group of graduate students from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) will be part of the University of Saskatchewan's Fall Convocation celebrations in November 2020.
Hope Skorlatowski had always been involved with the dogs on her family’s acreage in Cold Lake, Alta., but once she enrolled in canine agility classes at the age of 11, she began to view dogs differently.
After 25 years, Dr. Gillian Muir is ready and well prepared for her newest role — acting dean of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM).
Kiri Ashley is a child of the North. Born and raised in Yellowknife, N.W.T., and surrounded by a family of biologists, she grew up spending time in the outdoors — camping, fishing, hunting and boating or canoeing.
There is an art to deciphering the meaning behind the dots, squiggles and blobs of a magnified urine or blood sample, and it is a skill that can not only be a struggle to learn, but to teach.
Caring for cattle has been part of Austin Jacobson’s life since he was old enough to help on his family’s cow-calf operation and to assist at his father’s mixed animal veterinary clinic in Ponoka, Alta.
Veterinary researchers at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) have recently unveiled a new field of study that’s focused on reversing and safeguarding against the loss of fertility in young males.
In the middle of a global pandemic, the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) found a virtual way to celebrate the research work of its graduate students.
Emmalyn Elgersma can still pinpoint the actual day in Grade 9 when she knew veterinary medicine was the right career for her.
WCVM student Jennifer Michaud was the first student to complete the Hill's Scholar program at Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), an external rotation available at the college's Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC).
The American Kennel Club’s Breed Identification Guide isn’t a common bestseller in the kids’ book section, but for Kiran Fong, memorizing the guide’s contents was something that occupied her for hours while growing up in Calgary, Alta.
Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) researchers have welcomed female royalty onto campus. But their brush with the upper crust is in a much different class than Meghan Markle or Kate Middleton.
“The best thing about research is that there are so many unanswered questions; there is always something new to learn.”
While growing up in Calgary, Alta., Angela Murray spent a lot of time playing with animals — whether it was her friends’ pets, her own menagerie of animals, or strays she had brought home.
The day begins beautifully. The sun is shining and the vivid blue sky stretches out over the never-ending prairies. I’m at the Native Hoofstock Centre — part of the University of Saskatchewan’s Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence (Goodale Farm). Believe it or not, I’m helping to shift a sedated, 550-kilogram bison cow into a better position to collect her eggs (oocytes).
Horses have always been an integral part of Michelle Streeter’s life. In addition to her mother’s services as a horse trainer and riding instructor, the family’s equestrian facility near Oakbank, Man., also offered a horse-drawn wagon and carriage service.
Tory Yont can think of no better place to grow up than the southern Saskatchewan farming community of Langenburg whose residents supported her in everything that she did.
Cannabis products are rapidly increasing in popularity for treatment of every sort of ailment in people, and many dedicated users say they can help treat your pet, too. But are these claims valid?
Gaining admission to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) is a highly competitive process, but who better to give advice on how to get into — and through — veterinary school than WCVM vet students themselves?
Carina Beeksma of Edmonton, Alta., has worked in the veterinary profession for nearly 10 years, but she didn’t realize she was also working in One Health until she started studying at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) three years ago.
Samantha Steinke’s academic career is the perfect example of how embracing the links between human and animal health can lead to unexpected opportunities.
Savannah Fuller was born and raised in Whitehorse, Yukon, where outdoor recreation is a big part of the lifestyle. She spent her younger years camping, fishing and riding horses, dirt bikes and snowmobiles, and she believes that growing up in the Yukon was a major influence in her life.
Beau Bridgeman has always known that he wanted to be a veterinarian. He grew up on his family’s equine ranching operation in Rivers, Man., where his father raised purebred appaloosa, paint and quarter horses — up to 150 mares and foals each spring. He spent hours helping his dad and then his uncle with the animals on their farms.
Paddocks at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) are full of frisky foals and watchful mothers during the spring foaling and breeding season. While most of these mares and foals are thriving, some foals born on the Canadian Prairies aren’t so lucky.
The Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) honoured outstanding students and faculty at its annual fall awards banquet on Sept. 20.
Milking a water buffalo is just one of the skills that Alyssa Vickers has mastered over the past few years.
Stressed-out ducks have the potential to give University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers a glimpse of the destructive effects of climate change on wetlands — the primary habitat for ducks and other waterfowl.
First-year University of Saskatchewan (USask) veterinary student Madison Audeau was completely obsessed with animals when she was a child, and her mother nurtured that passion by letting her have dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, mice, gerbils, fish, frogs and salamanders.
On Sept. 27 and 28 the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) opened its doors to thousands of visitors during its popular student-run open house.
Jack Krone was working as a summer research student at Prairie Swine Centre (PSC) when he found out in early June that he’d been accepted to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM).
First-year veterinary student Charlene (Charlie) Swain grew up in a family that surrounded themselves with animals, so a job with Fort McMurray’s SPCA seemed like a good fit for her after high school.
