Meeting Challenges Together: Transforming Veterinary Education for Students

Friday, October 24, 2025

8:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Sponsored by

Seminar Chair(s)

Sam Morello, DVM, DACVS (Large Animal)

Associate Director, Education and Research
AVMA, Massachusetts

This seminar covers key issues relevant to surgical training that are essential to prepare veterinary students to be successful in the practice of surgery upon graduation. Lectures explore innovations in pre-clinical skills training, how to maximize the clinical learning experience to foster practice-ready veterinarians and develop future surgeons, the use of collaborative partnerships to support the educational program, and strategies for building a sustainable faculty workforce. An interactive panel discussion allows expert speakers and interested learners to discuss complex topics critical for ensuring the future of a high-quality surgical education and maintaining the art of surgery in practice.

Learning Objectives:

List major challenges facing surgical education in veterinary medical education programs today
Identify ways for partnerships to support high-quality surgical education for students
Describe effective strategies to help provide students with the necessary surgical skills to prepare for practice

Presentations:

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM

Pre-clinical Skills: The Building Blocks of Surgical Success
Speaker: Alison Gardner, DVM, MS, DACVS (Large Animal), DACVECC-LA (she/her/hers) – The Ohio State University
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM

Maximizing the Clinical Learning Experience to Foster Practice-Ready Veterinarians
Speaker: Laura L. Nelson, DVM, MS, DACVS (Small Animal) (she/her/hers) – North Carolina State University
10:15 AM - 10:45 AM

Beyond the Teaching Hospital: Partnerships in Surgical Education
Speaker: Jennifer A. Schleining, DVM, MS, DACVS (Large Animal) – Texas A&M University
10:45 AM - 11:15 AM

Building a Sustainable Surgical Faculty
Speaker: Jan Hawkins, DVM, DACVS – North Carolina State University
11:15 AM - 12:00 PM

Panel Discussion: Securing the Future of Surgical Education
Speaker: Alison Gardner, DVM, MS, DACVS (Large Animal), DACVECC-LA (she/her/hers) – The Ohio State University
Speaker: Laura L. Nelson, DVM, MS, DACVS (Small Animal) (she/her/hers) – North Carolina State University
Speaker: Jennifer A. Schleining, DVM, MS, DACVS (Large Animal) – Texas A&M University
Speaker: Jan Hawkins, DVM, DACVS – North Carolina State University