Top Picture: Naila Telles, a fourth-year Texas Tech Veterinary student from Eagle Pass poses with puppies at the Southwest Texas Vertinary Medical Center where she is serving a one-month internship.
by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian
Top Picture submitted by Dr. Tracy Colvin
July 16th, 2024
If you have had an appointment at Southwest Texas Veterinary Medical Center (SWTVMC) for your pet recently, you may have met Naila Telles, a fourth-year Texas Tech Veterinary Medical Student who is currently working as an intern. Telles, who is from Eagle Pass, is fulfilling her requirement to graduate with her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2025.
According to Dr. Tracy Colvin who practices at SWTVMC, rural veterinary medicine offers different experiences for veterinary interns than what they would typically experience at a veterinary clinic located within a city.
“At SWTVMC veterinary students are exposed to a large variety of species including dogs, cats, horses, small ruminants, cattle, rabbits just to name a few. We also see more infectious diseases, emergencies, and perform more surgeries than an average urban practice.
Most urban veterinary practices limit their case load to dogs and cats. The students will get to experience field calls, herd work, and experience first-hand how they can make a difference serving a rural community,” Colvin said.
Uvalde Hesperian: Can you explain how the program works? How many veterinary interns from TTU will be working at SWTVMC this summer?
Dr. Tracy Colvin: “Fourth year Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) students from the Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine (TTUSVM) will be doing their clinical rotations in multiple clinics throughout the states of Texas and New Mexico.
TTUSVM does not have a teaching hospital like Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine, so clinics in towns around these states have signed up to be a part of the Clinical Learning Network (CLN).
This year we will host three Texas Tech fourth year students for a month long rotation. Naila Telles, our student on rotation this month will be here until late July. Naila grew up in Eagle Pass, TX and hopes to join a mixed animal practice after completing her doctorate.
The TTU SVM program is a four-year doctorate program in which the students spend three years at the Texas Tech Amarillo veterinary school campus to do their coursework and then spend their last year of vet school doing one month long clinical rotations at different veterinary hospitals who are part of the network.
The students are required to complete areas of focus rotations, such as small animal, food animal, equine, mixed animal, and rural veterinary medicine during their clinical year. SWTVMC is a CLN that students can rotate through to complete their rural veterinary medicine and mixed animal veterinary medicine rotations. The DVM class of 2025 is the inaugural class at the TTU SVM.”
Program overview: https://www.depts.ttu.edu/vetschool/academics/dvm-program/dvm-program-overview/index.php
From the website: “The Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine DVM program is an outcome- and competency-based, integrated, core-elective program that serves multiple learning styles and engages community-based learning in the teaching of veterinary medicine. Students will spend their first three years on the Amarillo Campus and at Mariposa Station gaining the skill, knowledge, and competencies to be successful in their clinical year. The fourth year clinical experience is in a community-based Clinical Learning Network (CLN) located primarily in Texas. Students will have a very hands-on education with special focus on primary veterinary care to make them confident and competent to practice veterinary medicine at graduation.”
Clinical learning networks website and map: https://www.depts.ttu.edu/vetschool/academics/clinical-year/clinical-learning-network/index.php
Uvalde Hesperian: What students are eligible for the program?
Dr. Tracy Colvin: “The program is specifically for the fourth year students at Texas Tech, however SWTVMC has historically hosted veterinary extern students enrolled in an accredited veterinary school program from across the country and internationally as well.
I have provided links and more information about the TTUSVM DVM program and how individuals who would like to become veterinarians can apply.”
How to apply: https://www.depts.ttu.edu/vetschool/dvm-admissions/how-to-apply/index.php
Admissions requirements: https://www.depts.ttu.edu/vetschool/dvm-admissions/how-to-apply/requirements/index.php
Uvalde Hesperian: What types of things will your vet students be doing at SWTVMC other than perhaps sitting in on patient visits?
Dr. Tracy Colvin: “Besides working with our veterinarians learning how to create a diagnostic and treatment plan for sick animals, they will be getting vitals on well patients who present for routine preventive care, drawing blood, and giving vaccinations. They will also perform physical exams, and assist with patient treatments, and client communication. Students will be assisting with emergencies and surgeries, reading radiographs, evaluating bloodwork, and gaining other hands on skills with procedures including advanced imaging with the endoscope and ultrasound. They will be researching regional diseases and studying for their national board exam as well.”
