The Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine's (VMRCVM) Class of 2011 was formally admitted to the college recently following a "White Coat Ceremony" at Virginia Tech in which the 91 new students were issued white laboratory coats and administered the "Veterinary Student's Oath."

Attended by almost 300 family, friends, and others, the matriculation ceremony followed a week-long orientation program filled with events as varied as leadership and communications training on “ropes” courses in Shawsville’s Camp Altamont to behavioral and personality inventories.

During the ceremony, VMRCVM Dean Gerhardt Schurig spoke with the students about the human-quality healthcare people demand for their animals and the profession’s responsibilities in fostering human health.

“Our historic role in public health, though often misunderstood, has become more important than ever,” said Schurig. “Infectious diseases, bioterrorism, food safety, these are all critical areas for veterinary medicine. Much of what is happening in public health today is at the intersection of veterinary medicine and human medicine.”

Dr. Lauren Keating, president of the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association (VVMA), and Dr. Jack O’Mara, president of the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA), participated in the ceremony.

Dr. Ed Jendrek, the MVMA’s Delegate to the American Veterinary Medical Association, presented each of the students with a Littmann stethescope as a gift from the MVMA, the VVMA and Professional Veterinary Products, Ltd. MVMA executive director Ron Sohn also attended the ceremonies.

The ceremony included several highlights, including the introduction of Dr. Larry Giebel, a prominent veterinarian from Gaithersburg, Md., whose three daughters have each attended the VMRCVM. Lauren is a member of the incoming class, Erin earned her DVM in 2004, and Meghan earned her degree in 2005.

The Class of 2011 also boasts another first: for the first time the child of a VMRCVM alumnus has been admitted to the college. Keelan Anderson is the daughter of Dr. Arn Anderson, a member of the Class of 1991.

For only the second time in college history, the child of a VMRCVM faculty member was admitted to the DVM program. Rennie Waldron is the daughter of Dr. Don Waldron, a professor in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences.

Waldron and Geibel, as well as Dr. Max Poffenbarger, a veterinarian who is father of Class of 2011 member Hope Poffenbarger, each assisted in the ceremonial presentation of the white laboratory coat to their child.

Admission to one of the nation’s 28 colleges of veterinary medicine is very competitive. Over 914 individuals from 46 undergraduate institutions applied for admission to the VMRCVM’s Class of 2011 and 200 personal interviews were conducted to select the 90 new students.

Incoming students represented 46 different undergraduate institutions, with 35 students hailing from undergraduate programs at the VMRCVM’s parent institutions, Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland at College Park. Those students majored in 22 different academic disciplines, with 62 of them studying either biology or animal science prior to admission. The Class of 2011 also includes an attorney.

The incoming class also included 23 men, which represents a slight increase in male enrollment over recent years. There are more women in practice today than men, and almost 80 percent of the estimated 10,000 students studying veterinary medicine in America’s 28 colleges of veterinary medicine are female, according to the Association of American Colleges of Veterinary Medicine (AAVMC).

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