The Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine now has something in common with the wizarding world of Harry Potter.  

The College unveiled its house system as part of a new wellness initiative. Proposed by the College’s Wellness Working Group this fall, the system divides students into four houses that will engage in friendly competitions throughout the year. The goal is to provide all students a built-in support system and foster relationships between students in different classes.

“Students already have class pride,” says Rachel Baumgardner, a second-year DVM student. “What we want to do is give incoming students another chance to network with other students outside of their class and even their program. The house system gives first-year veterinary medical and veterinary technology students a way to immediately identify with upperclassmen and to find friends and mentors they might not otherwise talk to.”

Baumgardner was a part of the House System Planning Committee, which was established this spring to develop and implement the house system. The Committee was made up of Baumgardner and seven other students, who were led by Dr. Chandra Grabill, assistant dean for Student Wellness and Engagement.
“We wanted to create something that would bring a sense of community and camaraderie to our students, as well as provide them with opportunities for mentorship and leadership,” says Grabill. “Each house will have leadership from each class as well as faculty advisors. We hope that students will be encouraged to engage with their fellow house members, whether they are faculty members or other students.”

The house system is popular in the United Kingdom, and has long been a tradition at Vanderbilt University’s School of Medicine. The College will be the second veterinary school in the United States to implement it.
 
“Vanderbilt was one of the first medical schools to adopt the house system,” says Grabill. “It’s been incredibly effective with their students so far. It’s very much a part of their culture. We’re hoping to emulate that sense of culture and community with our own students.”

The House System Planning Committee began developing the system in January 2017, and the most anticipated part was selecting the house names. The Committee decided that each house would represent a different system of the body: the musculoskeletal system, the cardiovascular system, the nervous system, and the immune system. Names for each house were created by selecting system-specific prefixes and suffixes from a variety of languages, including Latin, Icelandic, and Arabic. Additionally, each house has a color and a Michigan-based animal as its symbol.
“We wanted our houses to be more than just names,” Baumgardner says. “Each house represents part of a whole, just like each organ system is a part of the animal body. Each system functions on its own, but when they come together, they create something more.”

Current veterinary medical and veterinary technology students were sorted into their official houses this April during a sorting ceremony. Some faculty and staff were sorted as well, and more will be sorted in the future. Incoming students will be sorted this fall during orientation.

“The sorting ceremony was a hit,” says Baumgardner. “It was light-hearted and a great way for us to build community and release stress. I think that the house system has a lot of potential to bring students together, and I can’t wait to see the reaction from the incoming students in the fall.”