by Marcia Hill Gossard ’99, ’04 Ph.D.| Photo by Henry Moore, Jr.
When the WSU’s Doctor of Veterinary Medicine class of 2019 was thinking about how they wanted to give back, the choice seemed obvious: The Clinical Simulation Center.
“Our class wanted to support such a great program that we are lucky to have at our school,” says 2019 class president, Lida Gehlen. “The simulation center is a great resource that taught us new skills and helped us hone skills that we are now using in our careers.”
The Clinical Simulation Center provides veterinary students with hands-on simulated training from basic suturing to surgical operations and emergency room situations. The program received accreditation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare in 2019 and is the nation’s first accredited program for veterinary care.
“We are really excited and honored to receive the class gift,” says center director Julie Cary. “It was also a boost in morale for our staff for the class to have given back to the program they have worked so hard to build.”
And Cary says that expanding the center relies largely on donor support. The money from this gift will be used to purchase an IV catheter and intubation model for anesthesia simulation, which will make it possible for every veterinary student in the future to participate in the unique clinical anesthesia simulation course developed at WSU.
“It was so amazing to have mentors and guidance when trying procedures and techniques before implementing them into a clinical setting,” says Gehlen. “Putting time and effort in the simulation center helps students become better veterinarians.”
“We have built a culture where we teach each other and help each other to learn and get better,” says Cary. “This gift embodies that culture.”