The last first day: Third-year DVM students begin individualized path
This article is written by Lauren Maghak, a Class of 2026 DVM/MPH student on the corporate/public track. This is part of a series of articles highlighting the student perspective at Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.
For most of the Class of 2026, August 26, 2024, marked the last first day of classes in their career.
“I knew third year would be my favorite year when I got into vet school, and that rings true every day,” said Abby Riley, who is on the equine track excitedly pursing her passion for helping her favorite animal- the horse.
Third year marks a major transition for students at Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. The first two years are spent on core knowledge, the whole class takes the same lectures and follows the same structure. Third year is the time for students to individualize their veterinary education.
“It’s been awesome to choose my own path in a sense and take on what I know is feasible for me,” said Cole Shapiro, a student on the mixed-animal track who has taken a very open approach to veterinary medicine and is willing to treat all domestic species.
Students begin their track-specific classes in their third year.
Students on the equine track, like Riley, will focus mostly on learning horses more in depth.
“I finally get to learn about just horses — something I’ve been waiting to do my entire life,” said Riley. “I feel like I’m learning so much more because I am so engaged in the classes. The professors are incredible and really want us to be the best veterinarians we can be.”
Students on the small animal track will focus on companion animals like dogs and cats.
“I am thrilled to finally be getting the opportunity to focus on the area of veterinary medicine I am most interested in,” said Cathryn Bowling, who is on the small animal track and cannot wait to be able to treat dogs like her French bulldog, Chip, who suffers from neurological conditions.
Students on the food animal track will focus on farm animals such as cows, sheep, goats, pigs, and chickens.
“I love my third-year classes so far and have chosen to take a few outside of my track,” said Madison Cogle, on the food animal track. “I am absolutely loving how applicable a lot of these lectures are specifically to what I want to do in my career.” She is looking forward to giving back to her Appalachian roots and becoming a farm animal vet.
Students on the mixed animal track will take a combination of species related-classes.
“Class conflicts can make scheduling challenging, but fortunately we are also able to audit classes, so we can take them and receive the information, but won’t receive a grade, further expanding our learning material” Shapiro said.
Students on the public/corporate track, like this writer, will focus on aspects of veterinary medicine outside of clinical medicine such as policy.
In addition to their required track courses, students are welcome to take electives that they either have an interest in or that will help round out their education to help prepare for their North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) exam, the licensing exam each student will have to pass before being allowed to practice as a veterinarian.
“Outside of the mandatory track courses, I chose to take electives that were not covered in as much depth within my track curriculum but would be helpful in future clinical practice,” Bowling said. “While it was a bit of an adjustment getting used to less structure within my day-to-day schedule, I also chose to involve myself in at least one class with each of the major species to help prep for our final clinical year and NAVLE.”
“Other than my required courses, I took a few other classes to help fortify material that I didn’t understand as well in previous courses,” Cogle said. “For example, I did not feel incredibly confident during our Sensing and Seeing Course, so I chose to take Small Animal Ophthalmology/Neurology as a chance to review and go deeper on the topics I may not have understood the first time.”
As a student on the public/corporate track, it has been a wonderful experience getting to be more in control of what I’m learning. While foundations are necessary and important, being able to branch out from clinical medicine really rounds out my education.
I feel passionately that veterinarians serve this world in so many more ways than just traditional private practice clinical medicine. It’s a shame to see these positions so often overlooked. Being afforded the opportunity to be exposed to these before graduation opens doors we didn’t even know existed.
Not only are there a plethora of jobs for veterinarians outside of traditional private practice that would make excellent careers right out of school, but there are incredible options for veterinarians who have spent years in private practice and are looking for a change.
Third year has also been a time for me where I pursued more niche aspects of veterinary medicine. I was able to take zoo medicine and small animal rehabilitation as electives and I have greatly enjoyed seeing medicine applied in these less traditional scenarios.
Not every veterinary school requires students to track, said Jackie Pelzer DVM ‘97, assistant dean of student support and admissions for the DVM program. When she was in school, VMCVM didn’t track, so she has seen the program from both sides.
Pelzer is a strong proponent of tracking. “I feel it prevents students from being overwhelmed by information they may never use or that doesn’t pertain to their long-term goals," Pelzer said. “It also allows students to set themselves up for more success in their first job by focusing their studies in their final year of classwork.”
While students at VMCVM begin tracking in their third year, some schools won’t start tracking until fourth year, only allowing them to narrow their focus when it comes time to do their clinical rotations.
“One of the major benefits to tracking while still in classes is the smaller class size, which leads to increased engagement and greater faculty student interactions -- extremely important for making connections, letters of recommendation, or other beneficial outcomes” Pelzer said.
The Class of 2026 seemed to collectively have breathed a sigh of relief on that first Monday morning of classes. The hardest part of school was behind us, and we were one step closer to being welcome into the world of DVMs as the specific type of veterinarian we once only dreamed of being.
“The change from first year to third year was weird, but I love it,” Riley said. “I often don’t have class one or two days a week giving me a break, and we get so many hands-on experiences third year. It’s extremely beneficial for furthering our education and getting to practice what we’ve learned.
“The faculty are so supportive of us. I am so excited to be a part of this amazing profession.”
Whether alumni looking back, or students looking forward, it’s clear everyone is excited for what the future holds.
