Working in a veterinary college the last two years has meant learning about a whole culture I was previously unfamiliar with. Many people know veterinary medicine the way I did: I have pets, so I go to a vet with those pets. I'm not sure many people know veterinarians go just about everywhere an animal is: farms, government agencies who manage public health and food concerns, campuses and other organizations where animals are used for research purposes, and more.
Learning about veterinary college has, importantly, also opened me up to a whole new realm of jokes. For example, a faculty member shared with me that she took several students to a swine barn where they examined a pig. While there, the faculty member asked her students to name the hairy structure right under the animal's mouth. None of them could. She explained, "it's the hairs on his chinny-chin-chin." I also find that, in faculty meetings, optometrists almost always vote for proposals, whereas equine specialists usually vote against. One of my roles in the veterinary college has been helping them redesign their curriculum. The faculty voted to redesign the courses to be based on organ systems. This vote was not immune to criticism, which made some faculty nervous. Our conversations have been (re)productive in moving the college forward, however hard it has been for some to digest. On the whole, I love having been part of this community. I go horse complimenting them, even if I am sometimes catty.
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AuthorI am a higher education professional and sporadic blogger. I have opinions and tell puns. Archives
May 2020
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