A REPORT CARD FROM THE DEAN

I am pleased to bring you news from the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) in this, the fi040404nal installment of the “Report Card from the Dean” series to appear in The Canadian Veterinary Journal. In January, the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) announced that the OVC would receive $11 million for the development of a state-of-the-art Institute for Animal-Human Links in Health Science Research. When matched by the Ontario Innovation Trust and private gifts, the project total will be approximately $25 million. The application team was lead by Dr. John Leatherland, chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences. The Institute will involve about 40 OVC researchers and will include 2 laboratory complexes, a surgical-diagnostic research laboratory linked to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) facility and specialized animal holding facilities. The focus of the Institute will be comparative medicine and the use of non-rodent species as models for investigations into animal and human health. Another exciting development is the appointment of the OVC's first Canada Research Chair. Dr. Jonathan LaMarre was awarded $100 000 annually for the next 5 years to hold a chair in Comparative Biomedical Sciences, as well as a supporting CFI award. Other OVC researchers have been successful in obtaining CFI New Opportunities Funds. Drs. Dorothee Bienzle and Jeff Caswell received funds towards a laser microdissector and other research equipment. Dr. Caswell is studying bacterial pneumonia in cattle and swine and Dr. Bienzle is studying 2 feline retroviral infections. Dr. Carolyn Kerr received CFI funds to create a leading-edge veterinary respiratory facility and will investigate the pathophysiology of lung disease in horses and cattle. Dr. Roger Moorehead was awarded funds to study signal transduction pathways in normal mammary tissue and mammary tumors, and Dr. James Petrik received support for his work on the cellular and molecular biology of reproduction and reproductive disorders. Last year, the CFI also invested almost $3 million in the creation of the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety (CRIFS). The CRIFS allows collaboration among OVC researchers and researchers from other University of Guelph departments, Health Canada, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Funding for research to improve companion animal health has also increased. The OVC Pet Trust Fund has grown substantially over the last few years and now raises over $700 000 per year in donations and bequests. Two internal competitions are held each year to distribute funds for project support and research equipment. The OVC is continuing to expand its graduate student enrolment. One hundred and fifty-seven graduate students were enrolled in the fall of 2001. Forty-two of these students are in the DVSc program, which offers veterinarians 2 years of discipline training in a clinical specialty and 1 year of research experience. More DVM students are being encouraged to enter graduate programs through vehicles such as the Summer Research Leadership Program. The latter program, which will begin its 3rd year this summer, gives undergraduates the opportunity to increase their exposure to research and careers other than private practice. Students are involved in projects under the supervision of OVC faculty members, make research presentations, and attend seminars and field trips dealing with research and career topics. Ontario Veterinary College DVM students are also experiencing a new curriculum as the faculty continues to evaluate and improve its methods of educating its student veterinarians. In 2000, a curriculum was implemented that is believed will better prepare OVC graduates to meet the needs of their profession and society. The competency-based program strives to match the knowledge, skills and attitudes taught at OVC with society's expectations of the entry-level veterinarian. It is learner-centered and has a greater emphasis on business, communication, and teamwork skills. The program also involves more independent and small group work, and earlier hands-on animal experience. It is progressing well and feedback is continually being collected from students to ensure that the program is meeting their needs. Feedback is also collected through surveys to graduates and their employers approximately 5 to 8 months after graduation. The information from these surveys should provide a meaningful benchmark against which to compare the performance of graduates of the new curriculum. The response rates have been good at about 70%, and the faculty is very grateful for the interest employers and graduates are showing in these surveys. Along with the introduction of the new curriculum in 2000 came the unveiling of a new Learning Commons at the OVC. The Learning Commons replaces the traditional library and is an innovative facility that allows for greater access to computer-assisted learning and encourages small group work. In collaboration with Canada's other veterinary college, the OVC is also developing a Virtual Veterinary Medicine Learning Commons that gives students and faculty from all four schools access to video-rich learning content. The project is funded by the Canadian Network for the Advancement of Research, Industry and Education (CANARIE), a private, nonprofit organization supported by Industry Canada. The Virtual Learning Commons allows the colleges to draw from each other's core strengths and resources to improve teaching and learning. The OVC continues to offer non-DVM undergraduates a unique Bachelor of Science program majoring in Biomedical Science or Biomedical Toxicology. The program has prepared many students for careers in industry and for further education in veterinary medicine, research, and allied health professions. There are currently 375 students enrolled in this program. The Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) is continuing to develop innovative ways of enhancing the clinical skills of DVM students. A new community emergency medicine rotation gives final year students more exposure to the types of emergency cases that they are likely to see after graduation. The rotation is designed to simulate what veterinarians experience in general practice and allows students to share on-call duties with local practitioners. For the past 2 years, 4th year students have also participated in a wellness clinic, supervised by experienced practitioners. The clinic gives students the opportunity, under supervision, to see patients with common problems and undertake routine procedures, such as vaccinations. Ontario Veterinary College students are also providing service to the community through their own initiatives. The OVC Pet Loss Support Hotline began taking calls in 2001 and provides a service to pet owners grieving the death of a pet, support for veterinarians, and an educational opportunity for student volunteers. Another new student initiative, the PetSafe program, offers shelter and care for pets of victims of abuse. These programs are just 2 of the many ways that OVC students demonstrate their compassion and ability to be leaders in the community. A radiation therapy equipment upgrade means that the VTH can now take on more complicated oncology cases. The equipment was purchased from Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto. The unit also gained a computerized treatment-planning program in 2001, which was donated by the London Regional Cancer Centre and allows OVC staff to perform more complex treatments. A nuclear scintigraphy unit was also opened in 2001. The unit is the 3rd facility upgrade to be supported by Pet Trust. The next major project for Pet Trust is an MRI facility. The OVC is now closer to that goal after receiving the above-mentioned CFI award. The OVC is collaborating with the Equine Research Centre to establish the new University of Guelph Equine Health Institute. The goal of the Institute is to improve equine health through advances in research, training, communication, and service. The service component of the Institute will focus on equine performance testing. In February, the OVC was visited by the AVMA/ CVMA accreditation team. The results are expected in October 2002. The OVC is also currently searching for new chairs of the Departments of Clinical Studies and Pathobiology. A challenge we face at OVC, and at all of Canada's veterinary schools, is the need to secure reinvestment in our schools' facilities. The 4 Deans have been meeting with federal officials over the last year to try to obtain this funding. We had hoped to hear promising news in the December 2001 federal budget. Unfortunately, that budget did not specifically identify funds to help rectify our serious infrastructure problems. However, we remain committed to securing the urgently needed funding. The University of Guelph/Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs agreement, which includes funding for the Veterinary Clinical Education Program (VCEP), has been reviewed and renewed. This funding is vital to OVC's ability to provide high quality veterinary clinical education and for protecting and advancing public, animal, and environmental health. It is also important for ensuring that OVC continues to meet international standards. The OVC is in the middle of a major capital campaign, the public phase of which began this spring. We have already secured some major funding from corporate and individual donors and look forward to working with more supporters during the remainder of the campaign. The OVC's recent successes, and the dedication of its faculty and staff to its mandates of excellence in teaching, research, and service make me optimistic about the future of the College and the veterinary profession.

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