The educational and training mission of the College is to prepare students to be leaders, lifesavers, and world changers so that they can meet the challenges of Michigan, the nation, and the world. It’s a lofty goal, but one that we work toward every day. Each facet of the curriculum addresses at least one aspect of that mission, and several things we do address the complexity of the mission in its entirety.

Many aspects of our curriculum, the research and diagnostics conducted at the College, and the ways in which we reach out to the public all play a part in the health of animals, as well as the health and safety of the public. Important to that is training our students to think creatively and to see the many manifestations of the relationship between humans and animals. Clinical rotations are a cornerstone of their training.

This year, the College’s Veterinary Medical Center reorganized the Primary Care Service in order to provide the best education for our students and a fully integrated continuum of care for our patients. The majority of our students go on to primary care practice, and this new model prepares them well for this. Certainly, whatever path our students follow, rotations in the Primary Care Service provide valuable lessons in diagnostic skills, communication, and the importance of comprehensive care.

Several existing services are now located within the Primary Care Service, including our new Shelter Medicine Program. The College is joining with the Michigan Humane Society (MHS) to launch the program, which will train students in veterinary medicine and surgery, as well as in social issues including pet overpopulation and the relationship between animal cruelty and human violence. MHS serves the animals and people of metro Detroit and is the largest and oldest animal welfare organization in the state. It has a remarkable history of service and we are eager to be playing a role in what I’m sure will be an exceptional future.

To achieve the full potential of our relationship, the College is partnering with MHS in fundraising for the construction of a new facility in downtown Detroit, which will replace the very old existing building. It’s a significant development and the capital investment will be substantial, but this project will have ripple effects that will reach not only students, patients, and clients, but communities in Detroit and beyond.

Much of what we do has broad-reaching effects. This year, researchers in the College were awarded a grant by the USDA to use new technologies and teaching methods to bring research on mastitis out to dairy parlors. The project promises to significantly reduce the use of antibiotics in dairy production and advance food safety. A mile from the Dairy Farm, our researchers and diagnosticians at DCPAH are making important contributions in the fight against bovine tuberculosis, which continues to present a challenge to animal and public health.

As always, it is an honor to be part of an organization that is protecting and improving lives and changing the landscape of veterinary medicine, here in Michigan, across the region, and around the world.