Case by case, students learn problem-solving skills under returning professor

When Stefanie DeMonaco walks the halls of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Virginia Tech she is exactly where she wants to be – working directly with students and patients. 

Her return to Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, where she was a resident from 2012 to 2015 and an assistant professor from 2015 to 2023, marks a deepened commitment to clinical teaching, bringing her expertise in small animal internal medicine and passion for innovative education back to Blacksburg.

"Being in the hospital and teaching directly connects me with what matters most," DeMonaco says. "In this clinical track position, I'm focused on hands-on teaching with students in the clinics."

DeMonaco's new position as a clinical associate professor in internal medicine dedicates 65 percent of her time to clinical work, focusing on what she loves most: teaching through real cases and direct student interaction.

"You can see the immediate impact of your teaching," she says. "You're using real-world cases to teach them, and you see things click. It's just very rewarding to have that face-to-face, personal time with students." 

DeMonaco's approach to veterinary education emphasizes critical thinking over memorization. 

"I want to teach them how to think," she says. "Students are used to being given information and telling it back, but when they're in the clinic, they have to apply it to cases. I really focus on problem-solving and clinical reasoning."

Her passion for teaching was inspired by her own education at Kansas State University, particularly through case-based learning sessions led by Kenneth Harkin, professor and section head of small animal internal medicine in the College of Veterinary Medicine. 

"He would present cases to us during our lunchtime, and we had to solve them," DeMonaco recalls. "I liked it, and I was like, 'This is for me.'"

This experience shaped her teaching philosophy, which she recently strengthened through a master's degree in veterinary education. 

"No one teaches you how to be a teacher," she says. "I wanted to use tools that I could to be a better teacher."

The Veterinary Teaching Hospital environment transforms textbook knowledge into practical skills. 

"That's when things really click with them," DeMonaco says. "As a student, things didn't make complete sense until there was a patient in front of me. You're starting to see them really apply their knowledge, and their brains just click."

For students stepping into clinical rotations, DeMonaco offers reassuring guidance: "I encourage them that it's going to take some time. You're not going to come into the clinic and know everything – you need practice and experience. Be kind and patient with yourself."

Returning to VMCVM means rejoining a team that feels like home. 

"I'm excited to be part of the team again," she says. "Internal medicine feels like family. Working with the team again and being back in the hospital with the students – that's what I'm really excited about."

Looking ahead, DeMonaco will contribute to advancing clinical education through new technologies and facilities, including new endoscopy equipment. However, her focus remains on student success through hands-on learning and clinical reasoning. 

"As long as they focus on really working on problem-solving and their clinical reasoning, they're going to be able to take these cases," she said. "We're here right now to guide them through that, so that once they leave us, they can do that on their own."