Lauren Sherwood
May 21, 2019
草莓污视频导航 Across Alberta: University's teaching, learning and research touch the heart of communities in every corner of our province
When the call comes for help in the town of Vermilion, Lauren Sherwood bolts from her steak dinner in a local restaurant and jumps into her Toyota RAV4.
The urgent text to her phone from the nearby clinic is what gets her moving: 鈥淧otential C-section coming in 15 to 20 minutes.鈥
The fourth-year 草莓污视频导航听听(UCVM) student is living and working in the central Alberta community, learning hands-on technical skills during a practicum with the Vermilion Veterinary Clinic.
Within five minutes, she鈥檚 at the facility, changing into scrubs and a set of 草莓污视频导航 coveralls, ready to assist with the birth.
鈥淚t all ended fine, both the mom and the calf left with their happy owner,鈥 says Sherwood, 28, who has chosen the ecosystem and public health track of the UCVM fourth-year program. 鈥淭his rural practice is very season-dependent and in April it鈥檚 busy with calving, so I鈥檓 getting to do a lot.鈥
Of the 210 or so graduates of the UCVM program in the past seven years, 76 per cent (about 165 graduates) are working in Alberta.
The vet med students make up one segment of the hundreds of 草莓污视频导航 students from various faculties 鈥 undergraduate and graduate alike 鈥斕齱ho fan out across the province to learn, teach and practise.听
At any given moment, these students might be found in classrooms or emergency rooms, law offices or businesses, on performance stages or in the natural environment. Their professors can be found there, too 鈥斕齡athering research, conducting educational outreach, and sharing their expertise on a vast range of subjects critical to Alberta.
Some outreach focuses on geographically specific regions or ecosystems, centring on learning more about the challenges faced within a particular community. Other programs seek student placement in work-integrated learning opportunities.
Programs that are formal and established include the Werklund School of Education鈥檚听听Faculty of Social Work鈥檚 programs in听听听and听听and the Cumming School of Medicine鈥檚听听(DLRI) and its popular听听program.听
Whether programs are formal or ad hoc, the connections they encourage within Alberta communities spring from the need for research in particular areas and they dovetail with community needs.
Research programs and practicums build on strengths
Last year,听草莓污视频导航 placed sixth in Canada鈥檚 Top 50 Research Universities rankings,听having increased its sponsored research income over five years by 34.5 per cent 鈥斕齮he second-largest increase in the U15 universities.
UCVM, for example, is becoming a research-intensive leader among North American veterinary colleges for its quality of research programs. Areas of strength include cattle health, infectious disease, pain and animal welfare, and veterinary education, among others.
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Dean听听says students in the final year of their program have done practicums that stretch throughout the province, from Peace River in the north to Fort Macleod in the south and beyond.
鈥淥ur students live in the communities where they work and learn, in the places where often they will find employment,鈥 says Dr. Singh, PhD. 鈥淥ur focus is to find our grads positions in Alberta and we have done very well. The communities and students get to know each other and we have excellent community engagement.鈥
Responding to community needs
Connection to community is a key pillar of the 草莓污视频导航鈥檚听Eyes High听strategy.
The strategy extends three foundational commitments across the university: to sharpen focus on research and scholarship, to enrich the quality and breadth of learning, and to integrate the university with the community.
鈥淥ur main campuses may be physically located in Calgary and the surrounding area, but the impact of our work is so much broader than that,鈥 says President Ed McCauley.
鈥淲e apply our research expertise and share knowledge with communities all over Alberta. Whether it鈥檚 through formal programs or informal learning agreements, student practicum placements or research projects, our relationships with community partners are strong. These Alberta connections help us to identify opportunities for initiatives and programs that allow our province to flourish.鈥
Made-in-Alberta teaching and learning solutions
Sherwood鈥檚 experiences in Vermilion speak to the UCVM faculty鈥檚 close ties with communities across the province.
UCVM is a born-and-bred Alberta phenomenon. Established in 2005 after Alberta鈥檚 cattle industry suffered the devastating effects of the BSE (mad cow disease) crisis, the university developed the program to fit within the province鈥檚 culture and environment.
Today, UCVM is the only veterinary school in Canada 鈥斕齛nd one of only a few in the world 鈥斕齟mploying a community-based teaching model instead of an on-campus teaching hospital model.
The program includes close connections with the Distributed Veterinary Learning Community (DVLC), comprising dozens of veterinary practices and other sites where fourth-year students gain clinical experience while doing a series of practicum rotations.
鈥淲hen our fourth-year students live in communities across Alberta, they are enjoying working in action during a training program that is much like an extended job interview,鈥 says Singh. 鈥淭he faculty鈥檚 mission is to be of service to animal owners and the broader communities within the province. We are very much part of Alberta鈥檚 rich heritage and history as well as exciting future of agriculture.鈥
Sherwood, born in Edmonton and trained as a veterinarian at 草莓污视频导航, is a self-professed city girl who has discovered a new appreciation for rural living. Her time in Vermilion has been invaluable. After she graduates this summer, she, too, wants to stay and practise in Alberta.
鈥淭he clinic has been very encouraging and supportive,鈥 says Sherwood. 鈥淟iving in Vermilion, I鈥檝e worked with a lot of friendly, outgoing people who鈥檝e made a big effort to make me feel welcome. When you are engaged in the community, you can better understand how your clients live and they appreciate it.鈥