Equine Surgeon Joins Texas A&M’s VERO Campus
Story by Sanjida Akter
Photo by Darcy Lively, West Texas A&M University
Aggie veterinary students in the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ (VMBS) 2+2 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program now have the opportunity to learn from an experienced equine surgeon who has joined the VMBS’ Veterinary Education, Research, & Outreach (VERO) program in Canyon, Texas.
As VERO’s newest surgical educator, Dr. David MacDonald hopes to inspire VERO’s small student cohorts through his passion for horses, his 35 years of veterinary experience, and his practical teaching approach.
From Childhood Dreams To Equine Expertise
Growing up in Canada surrounded by many species of animals, MacDonald developed a strong interest in animals, and from the age of 6, he knew he wanted to be a veterinarian.
To achieve that goal, he attended the University of Guelph in Ontario as a biology major, and biomedical sciences minor, before earning his DVM degree from the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph.
While he was initially interested in small animal practice, a volunteer experience with horse surgeries changed his career path.
“I didn’t grow up with horses; I was interested in small animals and worked at a small animal practice,” he explained. “When I went to university, I had no large animal experience, but to get into vet school, you needed a large animal experience. So I volunteered at the university and helped when they did surgery on horses.
“Basically, I was the ‘gofer’ guy, to go get this or that,” MacDonald said. “I remember one night watching them do surgery on a horse, and I was like, ‘That’s what I want to do.’ That changed my perspective.”
After graduation, MacDonald worked in Alberta for a year before pursuing a residency in large animal surgery at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and spent two years there as a clinical associate. During that time, he also taught veterinary students and became an American College of Veterinary Surgeons board-certified surgeon.
Afterward, he spent a number of years in private practice in both Alberta and Missouri before moving to California, where he worked for 24 years.
Personal Vision And Insights
Now, as a clinical professor in the VMBS’ Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, MacDonald is looking forward to working with preclinical students at VERO, where, through the 2+2 DVM program, Aggie veterinary students spend the first two years of their veterinary education on the West Texas A&M University campus before re-joining their peers in College Station for their third and fourth years of the veterinary curriculum.
“They’re (the VERO faculty are) pretty progressive in terms of what they do, which interests me, but it’s going to be a learning process, because it’s different than what I’ve done,” MacDonald said. “I’ve taught interns in clinical settings, but this is more focused on hands-on and didactic teaching, with some clinical stuff.
“I was in practice for 35 years and have a good feel for the ‘practical,’ so that’s where I would like to try to influence the students, because I think that’s really, really important,” he said.
He said he appreciates his colleagues at VERO and is looking forward to finding ways to work with other faculty members there.
“This is a very collaborative place because there are not a lot of people, so I think that because of that, we help each other out,” he said. “Collaboration and teaching go hand in hand and, while I’m just starting out here at VERO, there seems to be that mentality here to help each other.”
He also looks forward to giving back to the profession that has given so much to him.
“I’m hoping that training new veterinarians is going to be the way that I can give back because this profession has been very, very good to me. I’ve really enjoyed it,” MacDonald said. “The opportunity to share with others what I’ve done that’s been good and what mistakes I’ve made, so maybe they won’t make them, will hopefully be part of my contribution to their future careers.”
In addition, MacDonald looks forward to spending time outdoors in the Texas Panhandle, where he can continue to be active.
“I love riding my bicycle, I like hiking, and I love the mountains,” he said.
While enjoying his time outdoors, he also plans to encourage well-being among his veterinary students.
“I like to encourage my students to set goals, to not be too serious about themselves, to be able to laugh at themselves, to respect other people, and to be kind,” MacDonald said.
“My dad used to tell me, ‘Don’t take yourself too seriously,’” he said. “What we veterinarians do is serious, but it’s not all serious, and what we do is wonderful, so I like to remind my students that they need to enjoy it.”
###
For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216
