Equine Welfare in Practice Clinical Clerkship for 3rd and 4th Year College of Veterinary Medicine Professional Students

Harold C. Schott II, College of Veterinary Medicine

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México 

Universidad Veracruzana 

Since 2017, Dr. Schott has led development of a three-week clinical clerkship for eight 3rd and 4th year College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) professional students in partnership with the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM; Dr. Hernandez Gil) and Universidad Veracruzana (UV; Dr. Estrada Taylor). The initial two weeks of the clerkship are an intense veterinary and cultural experience that starts in Mexico City, where students tour the UNAM campus and veterinary school and the Zocalo. Over the next 10 days they travel to a different rural community each day and provide veterinary care to working equids, integral members of impoverished Mexican families. On returning to MSU, students spend the final week of the clerkship completing medical records and preparing and delivering a seminar for the MSU CVM community. Over the past four years, 32 MSU students, 5 MSU faculty, and 5 MSU alumni veterinarians have participated in the clerkship and given care to over 3,000 working equids. MSU students have worked shoulder to shoulder with UNAM and UV students and veterinarians, developing friendships and an understanding of cultural and educational differences between the U.S. and Mexico. The project is financed by individual and corporate donations.