CVM Veterinary Students Host 2020 SCAAEP Wet Lab
More than 200 veterinary students from 23 different veterinary schools across the country visited the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM) on Jan. 18 to participate in the Texas A&M Student Chapter of the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ (SCAAEP) annual wet lab.
The lab provides veterinary students with the opportunity to practice a variety of skills in the field of equine medicine.
“The SCAAEP wet lab provides an environment to learn new skills and network with students, instructors, veterinarians, and veterinary clinics from across the nation,” said 2020 wet lab coordinator Sarah Caty Cochrum. “This collaborative event, unique to the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine, is the only equine, student-run wet lab in the country in which students from all veterinary colleges are invited to participate.”
The day began with a case panel breakfast session and dentistry aging session in the Veterinary & Biomedical Education Complex (VBEC), followed by 21 different lab options in four, one-hour time slots.
After lunch with guest speaker Dr. Chris Ray, “Rock Star Vet,” the students attended a job fair with equine and mixed-animal veterinary clinics from several states.
Labs were offered on a variety of topics, including alternative medicine, field anesthesia, lower limb surgical procedures, laceration repair, and stallion reproduction.
The event was made possible by the support and hard work of the wet lab officer team, 62 clinicians and lab instructors, 35 student volunteers, and 14 sponsors.
“Every year we have a team of 20 students working together to make the wet lab an incredible opportunity for our students,” Cochrum said. “It’s an intensive and collective effort that is made possible through the dedication and passion of the SCAAEP wet lab team. Dr. (Canaan) Whitfield and many other faculty members, in addition to their rigorous schedules, provide extraordinary support for an event of this magnitude.”
The SCAAEP wet lab, which has been an annual event for the past 25 years, typically involves 10 months of planning, budgeting, and gathering supplies by students and faculty members.
“There are hundreds of people who deserve recognition including the many student volunteers, SCAAEP officer team, and especially the faculty and staff of Texas A&M who devoted their Saturday to teach these labs and showcase what an amazing institution we have here,” said Whitfield, the wet lab faculty adviser and an assistant professor of large animal surgery at the CVM.
“The TAMU SCAAEP wet lab 2020 was a great success,” Cochrum said. “It has been an honor to work with my colleagues in coordinating such an exciting event! The student chapter of the AAEP looks forward to hosting another incredible wet lab in 2021.”
