November 16, 2015 begins International Education Week, a nation-wide celebration the worldwide benefits of international education and exchange. Here's a preview from our International Department of where CVM students are headed next year, plus a look at our current international student population.

The Mazunte Project was founded in 2001 by Richard Rodger, DVM, small animal practitioner from North Grafton, Massachusetts and Marcelino Reyes, DVM, practitioner at the Central Mexico Turtle Center in Mazunte.

This project has two main objectives:

1. Perform free dog and cat sterilizations in the Villages along the Oaxaca coast
2. Protect endangered species of sea turtles (Leatherback and Olive Ridley turtles)

The Oaxaca beaches are home to the nesting grounds of sea turtles. By controlling the feral dog population within the area, it reduces a main predator to the species. In addition, Dr. Reyes conducts a camp in which his group harvests the turtle eggs from populated Pacific Coast beaches of Oaxaca City. Once the eggs hatch, the turtles are released at the Palmarito Turtle Camp.

One of our distinguished alumni Dr. Pierre DePorre, DVM, joined the efforts and will now be taking two senior veterinary students on their upcoming trip in January 2016.

This work is not only beneficial to the Oaxaca community, but is helping shape successful future graduates from the MSU DVM program and the other institutions that are involved.

Stay tuned for future updates.

International Programs has just awarded two students who will be going abroad for 2016. The first is a Christopher Kellogg who will be doing an externship in Lubombo, Swaziland at the Savannah Research Center from January 25-February 14, 2016. His main objective is to assist in a multinational research group that is investigating Rickettsia africae's (tick-bite fever) burden within the wildlife reserve. He plans to utilize this experience to help pursue his PhD once he graduates from veterinary school.

The second individual is Andrea Musarra. She will be traveling this summer with the World Vets International Veterinary Medicine Program to Granada, Nicaragua. Her goal is to provide medical treatment and spay/neuter services to the local animal population.

Watch for updates from our students after the trips are completed.

Lauren Kustasz and Taylor Chambers will be going with the Christian Veterinary Fellowship club to Honduras in July. This project incorporates the One Health approach by providing large and small animal medical treatments and surgery, as well as outreach to children’s ministry within the area.