International Veterinary Education
Background
The Strategic Plan 1990-2000 for Washington State University
(WSU) College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) emphasized the need to
increase its graduates' awareness of the international dimension of
veterinary medicine. In 1991 the CVM established the International
Veterinary Education (IVE) program to provide students with an
opportunity to gain knowledge and understanding of international
issues in veterinary medicine. The IVE program uses a
multidisciplinary approach to explore the critical and expanding
role that veterinary medicine has assumed within the global
agricultural marketplace. This approach also takes into
consideration the importance of socioeconomic and cultural systems,
and the environment. Through the IVE program students have the
possibility of taking up to two elective courses. The linkages
between courses allow students to acquire an introductory background
in regional animal health issues and promote an in-depth
understanding of specific problems through directed study and
international experience.
Course Offerings
International Veterinary Medicine (VM 501) This
introductory course focuses on international issues concerning
animal health, disease, and production within a socioeconomic and
cultural context. Topics covered include issues relating to
animal-environment interface, women in livestock development, and
wildlife conservation. Instructors involved in teaching the course
represent eight university departments, as well as non-university
guest lecturers. Some lectures may be delivered from other locations
as live web presentations. The one credit course is offered during
the fall semester and can be taken as an elective by first through
third-year students.
Global Studies (VM 504) This course is open
only to students who have successfully completed VM 501. The
externships require students to spend a minimum of one month working
in countries having established exchange agreements with WSU or with
a cooperative state or federal agency. The externships provide an
opportunity for students to obtain practical working experience in
the areas of animal health and well-being, livestock production
(including poultry and aquaculture), public health, and trade within
the cultural environment of another country.
Seminars and Symposia
The IVE program also supports seminars and symposia organized by
the
International Veterinary Student Association (IVSA) -WSU Chapter
which features speakers with international experience who address
topics of importance not usually covered in detail within the
curriculum (e.g., poultry production and diseases). In addition to
lectures, the symposia incorporate "hands on" experience in
production and disease diagnostics.
For more information about the above courses and other IVE
program activities please contact:
Mushtaq A. Memon, BVSc, PhD, Coordinator,
E-mail: memon@vetmed.wsu.edu
College of Veterinary Medicine
Washington State University
Pullman, WA 99164-7010
Phone: (509) 335-9515
Fax: (509) 335-6094
International Organizations Sources of International Information
Looking for information about international organizations, animal
diseases in other countries, travel and customs, health and
vaccinations requirements, names and addresses of veterinary schools
or zoos, or sources of funding? Here are places to look for
information on those topics and more:
Animal Health
OIE – World Organization for Animal Health <
http://www.oie.int/>
The OIE is the intergovernmental organization responsible for
improving animal health worldwide.
Veterinary Information and Databases
NetVet: everything veterinary or animal-related: veterinary school
home pages, publications, and much more.
http://netvet.wustl.edu/
Selected Non-government Organizations involved in animal health
World Vets is a non profit organization dedicated to providing
veterinary services and knowledge to areas in need around the globe.
World Vets work with animal advocacy groups and other non-profits to
coordinate veterinary resources and match volunteers with projects
needing assistance.
http://www.worldvets.org/
Selected Veterinary Websites by Country
Australia:
Australian Veterinary
Association--AVA Online.
http://www.ava.com.au
Belgium
Veterinary Medicine in Belgium.
http://www.ping.be/~ping0522/
Canada (French)
Veterinet.
http://www.veterinet.net/
Germany
Tiermedizin in Deutschland.
(in German)
http://www.tiermedizin.de/public/index.htm
Selected Veterinary Websites
Livestock Breeds of the World:
Photos and descriptions of livestock breeds of the world, from cattle to
camels.
http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/
EpiVetNet : Website for international epidemiology.
http://epiweb.massey.ac.nz
IVSA Home Page: Home
page of the international veterinary student association.
http://www.ivsa.org/
WSU IVSA home page
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/clubs/ivsa/index.aspx
WHO Veterinary Public Health
Program: Issues dealing with global food hygiene and zoonoses.
http://www.who.int/en/
USDA Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service: Import-Export Directory; Regulations
regarding US imports and exports of animals, plants and agricultural
products.
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/
Travel Information
*CDC: Centers for
Disease Control: Includes health information for international
travelers.
http://www.cdc.gov/page.do
CIA Fact Book: Information on every country of the
world.
http://www.theodora.com/wfb/abc_world_fact_book.html
WHO: World Health Organization
http://www.who.int/en/
Monetary exchange rates: A quick conversion table
for converting currencies, such as to $.
http://www.xe.com/ucc/
Virtual Tourist II: More useful information on
countries.
http://www.vtourist.com/vt/
IntelliCast: Current U.S. and world weather.
http://www.intellicast.com
Languages for Travelers: Hear pronunciations of
common words and phrases in more than twenty languages.
http://www.travlang.com/languages/
Newspapers
Yahoo Newspage: Online full text of world
newspapers
http://news.yahoo.com
Worldwide List of Online Newspapers: More online
world newspapers
http://www.onlinenewspapers.com/
Electronic journal indexes
such as VETCD, BEASTCD, CABCD,
which can be found in most veterinary libraries, are invaluable in
locating references on international veterinary diseases, services, etc.
Personal contacts
International associations: Join associations, attend meetings where
you can meet international colleagues in Email: it’s a fast, cheap, and
easy means for communicating with your new international colleagues.
International Organizations Involved in Livestock Production and
Animal Health
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): Since its
inception in 1945, FAO has worked to alleviate poverty and hunger by
promoting agricultural development, improved nutrition and the pursuit
of food security. Sustainability is the byword in FAO activities in land
and water development, plant and animal production, forestry, fisheries,
economic and social policy, investment, nutrition, food standards and
commodities and trade.
http://www.fao.org
The AGRIS and Agrovoc databases are now available at this site.
Click on Documentation Services and proceed.
Animal Production and Health: The Animal Production and Health
Division is entrusted with the promotion of livestock production within
the context of sustainable development and improved food security. Its
objective is to increase productivity of domestic animals by making
better use of available resources. The Division is concerned with the
development of animal health and production technologies and with the
provision of strategy formulation and policy advice to member countries.
It collects and disseminates information on animal health, feed
resources, animal genetic resources and livestock production systems.
The Division also provides an international forum where governments
discuss policies and negotiate international agreements in the area of
animal production and health.
http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/home/en/home.html
International Fund for Agricultural Development: IFAD
was created in response to the appeal made in Resolution XIII of the
1974 World Food Conference for the mobilization of financial resources
for agricultural development projects, primarily for the improvement of
food production in developing countries. The Fund, a specialized agency
of the United Nations, was launched in December 1977 as an international
financial institution with the mandate of assisting exclusively the
rural poor. The initial resources of the Fund amounted to USD 1.02
billion. The projects and programmes financed by the Fund are geared to
enhancing food production systems and to strengthening related policies
and institutions within each country's national policy framework as they
relate to poor rural people. Specific objectives are food security
through increased agricultural production, the improvement of
nutritional levels and the incomes of the poorest rural populations, the
landless, marginal farmers, pastoralists, fish erfolk, indigenous
peoples and, across all groups, poor rural women.
http://www.fao.org
OIE (Office International des Epizooties)
http://www.oie.int
International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)
http://www.ilri.org
The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), founded in
1994, incorporates the resources of the former International Laboratory
for Research on Animal Diseases (ILRAD, Kenya) and the International
Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA, Ethiopia). ILRI, a non-profit-making
research institute, is sponsored by the Consultative Group on
International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). The global mandate of ILRI
is to undertake research to enhance the role of livestock in sustainable
agricultural production systems in Africa, Asia, and the Latin
American/Caribbean region. Six programme areas address Conservation of
Biodiversity, Production Systems Research, Utilisation of Tropical Feed
Resources, Animal Health Improvement, Livestock Policy Analysis and
Strengthening National Agricultural Research Systems.
Special Program for African Agricultural Research (SPAAR)
http://www.worldbank.org/afr/aftsr/index.htm
SPAAR is a regional forum established in 1985 to: (a) enhance the
quality and relevance of agricultural technology development in
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA); (b) improve consultation and collaboration
among stakeholders in agricultural research in SSA; and (c) increase the
exchange of information on research activities.
International Employment Opportunities
International jobs include clinical veterinary medicine, public
health, animal production and health, economics, and research. Most jobs
are with government, service/assistance, educational, or religious
organizations. There are likely to be openings in industry for DVMs with
language skills and an interest in travel. International opportunities
may be found in a variety of ways. Practicing veterinarians can host an
international student through the International Veterinary Student
Association;
http://www.waltham.com/
This may lead to an opportunity to visit that students home
country and learn about veterinary needs there. Contact the IVSA at your
area's veterinary school. Veterinarians who are interested in helping
others through environmental awareness may find a niche in international
work. The Alliance of Veterinarians for the Environment is developing a
career counseling project to help DVMs find work related to conservation
and environmental health.
http://www.aveweb.org A wide
variety of service and church groups may provide opportunities for
short-term international work. Contact those in your area for more
information. Write to veterinary schools and associations in countries
of interest, and ask if there are any courses, internship or volunteer
opportunities. For instance, the University of Pretoria in South Africa
offers an opportunity for training in tropical diseases and parasites
prevalent in Africa. Short courses (one week to one month long) vary
each year; subjects might include veterinary laboratory diagnostics,
African epizootic diseases, or wildlife immobilization.
For a wide variety of new opportunities, do a search of the Web,
using the words veterinarian and volunteer. For more ideas, try
different search words such as "international," "internship,"
"fellowship," "science," "livestock," "conservation," or the name of a
specific country. The Peace Corps
http://www.peacecorps.gov
Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance
http://www.acdivoca.org/
Non-veterinary college programs may also offer opportunities. Look for
international fellowships and internships for graduate students in the
life sciences. When approaching some international assistance groups,
you may be turned away when you ask about positions for veterinarians
(the person you re asking may think of veterinarians as dog doctors).
Instead, start by asking about positions related to agriculture or
livestock management.
Please refer to the following book for additional information:
Tending Animals in the Global Village by David M Sheaman. Lippincott
Williams & Wilkins. 2002
Mushtaq A. Memon, BVSc, PhD, Coordinator,
E-mail: memon@vetmed.wsu.edu
College of Veterinary Medicine
Washington State University
Pullman, WA 99164-7010
Phone: (509) 335-9515
Fax: (509) 335-6094
