Welcome to the OVC Class of 2020!
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Welcome to the OVC Class of 2020! Table of Contents Letters of Welcome 3 Orientation (Ready Set Vet) 12 Phase I Courses 15 What You’ll Need for Vet School 19 General Info 21 Extracurriculars 24 Central Veterinary Students’ Association (CVSA) 24 Industry Representatives 25 Class Council 25 OVC Clubs 32 Ruminant Field Services (RFS) 36 Foal Watch 37 Large Animal Emergency Team (LAET) 37 OVC Pet Loss Support Hotline 37 Animal Enrichment Programs 37 Veterinary Experience Program (VEP) 38 Mentor and Support Programs 38 Summer Leadership & Research Program (SLRP) 38 OVC Ambassadors and Tour Guides 38 UofG Intramurals 39 Resources For All 40 The Office of the Dean 40 Central Student Association (CSA) 41 Off-Campus Living 41 Student Financial Services (SFS) and Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) 41 Library Services/Learning Commons 41 IT Resources 41 Health Resources 42 Counselling Services 42 OVC Peer Helpers 43 Resources For Out of Town Students 43 This Is Guelph! 44 Tips From Your Friendly Neighbourhood Krakens 50 Map of OVC 52 2 Letters of Welcome 3 Welcome to the Ontario Veterinary College Class of 2020! We are your Orientation Committee! For several weeks, we have been working all of our Kraken tentacles overtime to make your welcome here unforgettable. Although, we all missed out on our letters from Hogwarts, receiving an acceptance letter from the Ontario Veterinary College is truly magical and just as life changing. You have already been sorted into your practice groups and these lads and ladies will soon become your brothers and sisters. You are now all a part of the OVC community and through thick and thin, we are there for each other. This handbook is your training guide to Rio. Inside you will find letters of welcome from various important people (and trust us when we say that every welcome, and there will be a lot, feels amazing!), course descriptions, tips for success, information about life in Guelph, and many other useful tidbits. This manual will get you to the Olympics but it’s up to you to capture the gold! On your journey you may encounter a few elusive Komodos or even some Owls flying by. We are all here to help you and excited to meet you! And remember, we are friendly Krakens, and will help you steer your ship through the rough stormy waters and stand by you to celebrate the beautiful sunsets. Four years fly by so work hard, be spontaneous, persevere, and HAVE FUN! Welcome to our jungle! Your 2016 Orientation Committee, Orientation Chair and Dean’s Office Liaison - Eric Kwok Curriculum Subcommittee Chair - Latasha Ludwig Materials Subcommittee Chair - Samantha Clarke Social Subcommittee Chair: - Hannah Golightly P2P1 Head Guide - Ashley Harrison Orientation Manual Artwork - Alyssa Brown and Sophia Lee …and many more… 4 ONTARIO VETERINARY COLLEGE Office of the Dean Dear OVC Class of 2020, It’s my pleasure to welcome you to our OVC community and the veterinary profession. We know how hard you have worked to get to this point, and we congratulate you, and also wish to acknowledge your families, mentors, and supporters that have helped you along the way. You are feeling nervous and uncertain at this point, but that will soon be behind you. The College is blessed with a tremendous applicant pool, excellent teachers and staff, and a culture of mentorship; you will find we care deeply about the success and well being of each and every one of you. This profession will provide you with countless opportunities to contribute to the health of animals, humans, and the environment. Further, you’re joining this profession at the Ontario Veterinary College - - a world leader in veterinary health care, learning and research. To a large extent, your time as a veterinary student will be what you make it: try to take full advantage of the many opportunities that present themselves. I am looking forward to getting to know you over the next four years, so please do not hesitate to include me in your class activities -- I really enjoy them. All the best for the next four years! Jeffrey Wichtel Dean GUELPH ONTARIO CANADA N1G 2W1 (519) 824-4120 FAX: (519) 837-3230 5 ONTARIO VETERINARY COLLEGE Office of the Dean Dear Colleague in OVC 2020 – Welcome to the Ontario Veterinary College! We are recognized as one of the premier veterinary colleges in the world, and as a member of the OVC community you will be joining over 10,000 men and women who have attended the College since our founding in 1862. I know that you will find this to be a very supportive environment. One of my responsibilities is to ensure that you have the resources you need to help you thrive as a person, scholar, and citizen. Over the next four years, I encourage you to explore the academic and non- academic opportunities that will be presented to you. Don’t spread yourself too thin, but do stretch yourself. This is a wonderfully diverse program; sample that diversity while you are at OVC. Clubs, sports, social events, and student government are just some of the organizations and activities here for you, and we are part of a University that has a vast menu of extra-curricular activities from which you may choose to participate. The next four years will be exciting and challenging, and on an afternoon in June 2020, all going according to plan, you will graduate as fully-fledged veterinarians. Until then, we are here for you - whatever the need, big or small, that you have not been able to resolve yourself, come and see us. If we can’t help, we will find someone who will. Please don’t hesitate to ask. With my very best wishes, Peter Conlon, BSc(Agr), MSc, DVM, PhD, MEd Associate Dean, Students Director, Hill’s Pet Nutrition Primary Healthcare Centre Ontario Veterinary College GUELPH ONTARIO CANADA N1G 2W1 (519) 824-4120 FAX: (519) 837-3230 6 Greetings from the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Welcome Class of 2020! Congratulations on your excellent career choice. You’re entering a distinguished and highly respected profession. Student veterinarians are full members of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), Canada’s national veterinary association. The CVMA has volunteer veterinarians on over 30 different boards, associations, legislative and policy-making groups in Canada and abroad, helping achieve CVMA’s priorities on behalf of Canadian veterinarians. The CVMA is interested in the voices of student veterinarians, which is why each year, a student veterinarian sits on the CVMA Council. As a Student of the CVMA (SCVMA), you will become familiar with the SCVMA Committee, a committee of student veterinarians from all five Canadian veterinary colleges, who organizes activities and events throughout the year, with CVMA financial support. Through the CVMA, your voice helps direct your profession’s future. Over the next four years, you’ll learn how valuable your voice, as a member of your national professional association, is to your future career. I wish you a successful year! Dr. Troy Bourque CVMA President 7 Ontario Veterinary Medical Association As veterinary students, we know how exhilarating it feels to find yourself in first year at one of the world’s greatest veterinary colleges. We also know how terrifying it can be… after all, this is it. This is where you’ll have to prove yourself and this is where the so called ‘real world’ takes you on an adventure (in all likelihood) for most of your life. We’re here to tell you that you’re not alone. We are privileged to have one of the most dedicated professional associations in North America right here in Ontario. Founded in 1980, the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) represents more than 4,400 Ontario veterinarians in private practice, government, academia, industry and public service. Its mandate is to advance and promote excellence in the veterinary profession in Ontario, and contribute to the betterment of animal health and the protection of human health. But OVMA is more than that. For almost three decades, OVMA has been a mentor and a partner to veterinarians across Ontario. Its groundbreaking economic research and dedicated staff and volunteers have made it possible for veterinarians right across Canada and the US to begin to enjoy professional- level salaries and achieve a work-life balance that makes being a veterinarian even greater than you ever imagined it could be. And the best part is this… OVMA treats student veterinarians as though you are already veterinarians and they offer you free membership throughout the duration of your time here at OVC. Be sure to take advantage of all the free resources and services OVMA will offer you over the coming years (seminars, practice start-up information, Associate Compensation and Benefits Reports, Suggested Fee Guides, a subscription to the award-winning magazine Focus, student veterinary classifieds, just to name a few). And keep your eyes open for news about the Farley Foundation and OVMA’s SafePet Program. As OVMA student reps, we sit on the OVMA Board of Directors and we are happy to be “Your Source. Your Voice.”, ensuring that your thoughts are heard. You’ll hear from us shortly about your free membership. Please visit www.ovma.org in the meantime to learn about the realities of practicing veterinary medicine in Ontario. Natalie Davis, Class of 2018 Stephanie Gerritsen, Class of 2019 [email protected] [email protected] 8 Welcome from the College of Veterinarians of Ontario On behalf of the Council of the College of Veterinarians of Ontario, I am pleased to welcome you to the veterinary profession as a student veterinarian at the Ontario Veterinary College.