This year is like no other.
Along with the rest of the world, COVID-19 flipped higher education on its head. Veterinary medical and veterinary nursing education looks different right now, and it may be some time before it’s safe for our students to resume regular, in-person learning activities. Starting in March 2020, the College adapted teaching and learning modalities through a blend of in-person and online instructional methods to balance the benefits and risks, and to adhere to federal, state, local, and University guidelines and orders. Likewise, we have implemented numerous protocols to ensure the health and safety of students, staff, faculty, clients, and patients.
Fortunately, advances in educational technology prepared us to successfully implement these adaptations quickly; this allowed our veterinary medical and veterinary nursing students to continue their professional educations with minimal disruption. Faculty and staff put in countless hours to adapt curricular, community, and communication materials and services to digital platforms. Clinical rotations certainly changed when students had to participate in new ways, but learning was sustained or enhanced as clinicians devoted more time to online teaching and increased the depth and breadth of the material covered. Of course, a veterinary medical education is impossible without hands-on experiences, which is why we’ve taken extra steps and care to ensure these are had under conditions safe for everyone. Once the College increased in-person activities in August, our faculty, staff, and graduate students resumed their critical research to advance animal, human, and environmental health.
Just like the College continued our educational and research missions, albeit in modified formats, the MSU Veterinary Medical Center did not stop seeing patients and the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory did not halt testing. Our commitment to animal and public health never gave us the option to shut down, and our frontline workers never did. Our clinical teams quickly adapted to new shifts, work patterns, and equipment changes to protect themselves, our patients, and our clients, and to help preserve the lives of people who were hospitalized for COVID-19. Our Laboratory teams implemented procedures that allowed them to continue testing without putting our clients or section teams at risk, and to help support COVID-19 testing efforts.
The changes we’ve made are a testament of veterinary medicine’s ties to animal, human, and environmental health. Viruses like SARS-CoV-2 aren’t going away; they’re part of a continuous cycle of pathogenic mutation and evolution that threatens life—and way of life—worldwide. The vast majority of these new and changing viruses originate in animals. Veterinarians are critical in monitoring animal populations, identifying potential emerging threats, and discovering cures. Zoonotic diseases help shape the world around us; in turn, they also shape our goals and strategies. In contrast to other zoonotic diseases, COVID-19 commands attention on the global stage; it is just the latest infectious disease spillover that highlights the need for proactive, interdisciplinary responses to issues that dictate animal, human, and environmental health.
We emphasize this intersection through our curricular offerings, from our DVM and Veterinary Nursing Programs to our dual-degree DVM/PhD and other graduate programs that produce leaders in research and teaching, public policy, clinical practice, public health, and health care. By centering One Health objectives at our academic core, the College produces veterinarians and scientists who are ready to do battle against the extrinsic forces that threaten our way of life.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 is not the only thing that veterinary medicine must address. Violent incidents against people of color threaten life and quality of life every day. Veterinary medicine is an especially homogeneous field. Many of our students, faculty, and staff at the College have come forward to share stories, listen to each other, and learn actionable ways to challenge racism. As we continue to facilitate and further develop these opportunities for our own community, we remember that the work we’re doing is in service of a greater goal: the securing of equity, freedom, and equal treatment for all people.
Perspectives Magazine is always a good read with interesting and exciting stories from our College. This edition is different. These aren’t just stories about research projects, new learning opportunities, or College events. This is a snapshot of our College at a historic, monumental moment in time. And while it’s painful and hard, it’s confirmation of who we are, why we’re here, and that we aren’t going anywhere. This year’s magazine also is our first all-digital publication, which allows us to share our stories in more dynamic ways. I hope that by learning about all that’s happened this year—good and bad—you’ll get a taste of what 2020 has pulled from our community—determination, collaboration, and resiliency.
