Kansas State University

MANHATTAN — The U.S.-China Center for Animal Health in Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine welcomed special guests from the China Scholarship Council as part of a recent inaugural student reunion event.

So far, 12 students from China have been sent to Kansas State University for pre-veterinary studies. Six of those students are now in their first or second year of a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program: four students at the College of Veterinary Medicine and two at the University of Minnesota. Another six students are taking pre-veterinary studies at Kansas State University.

The reunion was a chance for all the students in the program to connect with and learn from each other through sharing their experiences.

"One thing I am learning in American veterinary school is that communication is definitely very important," said Yoaqin Shen, a second-year veterinary student at Kansas State University. "Every professor in our classes always emphasizes that. You need communication more. Sometimes it's even more important than the clinical skills, so your job sometimes is to comfort the animal and to guide the clients to do the right thing."

"I joined the Veterinary Business and Management Association last year and I think it's really helpful for us to learn something about business and management as a veterinary student," said Bo Liu, a member of the second-year veterinary class at Kansas State University.

Dr. Ning Zhang, deputy secretary-general of the China Scholarship Council, and Li Meng, deputy director, Division of American and Oceanian Affairs for the China Scholarship Council, praised the students' hard work and confidence and remarked on the successful growth of the program. Kansas State University's Ralph Richardson, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine; Bob Goodband, the pre-veterinary student academic adviser; and Jishu Shi, director of U.S.-China Center for Animal Health, also congratulated the students on their academic success in the United States.

Yi Ding, a veterinary medicine student in his second year at the University of Minnesota, said, "For me, it's a very enjoyable learning experience here. And I think this higher level of education is very important and necessary because every three or four years there could be a new disease or new pathogen coming out. In this case, our experience may not always be helpful. Only when we have very in-depth understanding about those diseases, can we better control them. So in all, I feel that I'm learning a lot every day here in vet school and I'm very confident that after four-year D.V.M. study here, we'll be prepared for any challenges we'll face in the future in China."

"The South China Agricultural University provided me with a chance to join the pre-veterinary D.V.M. program, and Kansas State University helped me to go through the transit from China to the U.S.," said Aolie Chen, who is in her first year of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine studies. "I'm now exploring veterinary medicine at the University of Minnesota. In the future, I will bring back all I learn here back to South China Agricultural University, back to China, back to the Chinese veterinary medical industry, and I will try my best to make the tightest connection between China and U.S."

The Chinese Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students also are having an impact on their American classmates during their time in the U.S.

Jeffery Laifer, a second-year veterinary student from Alpine, New Jersey, said, "I've learned a lot about Chinese culture through them. I gain a lot from it and the rest of the class gains a lot from it. It's very difficult to do what they're doing. If you were to take me and put me in a Chinese veterinary school, I don't think I would do too well. They're handling it great and I'm very happy to know them."

The U.S.-based Chinese Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program is sponsored by the China Scholarship Council, Kansas State University, Zoetis International Veterinary Collaboration for China, the Chinese Veterinary Medical Association and Banfield Pet Hospital. The U.S.-China Center for Animal Health coordinates and leads the partnership in mobilizing the program.

See a video about the reunion at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsOVUNLmlO4.