Student Receives Scholarship for Excellence in Bovine Medicine
Patrick Brinson, a fourth-year student in the DVM program at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, is a recipient of the $5,000 Zoetis Scholarship for Excellence in Bovine Medicine.
A collaboration between Zoetis and the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) Foundation, the scholarship was presented to Brinson and 14 other recipients at the recent AABP Annual Conference in Milwaukee.
The scholarship included funds for the recipients to attend the conference with paid travel and lodging and Brinson was invited give an oral presentation titled, “Pharmacokinetics and Tissue Elimination of Flunixin in Veal Calves” based on his summer Merial summer research program.
“Patrick has an outstanding background in bovine health and production and wants to work with beef cattle after graduation,” says Geoffrey Smith, a professor of ruminant health and production medicine in the CVM Department of Population Health and Pathobiology who recommended Brinson for the scholarship.
The scholarship is based upon cumulative grade point average, class rank, a biographical account that details the student’s background in the cattle industry and interest in bovine medicine, plans following graduation from veterinary school, and two letters of recommendation.
In addition, applicants answer two essay questions: (1) “You are a new graduate in a mixed large animal practice in rural America. In becoming integrated into the community, you take the opportunity to engage with young professionals from diverse backgrounds. Many of these young professionals question your involvement with modern agriculture and “factory farms,” where the care of animals and food safety is secondary to production and profit (their view). How do you respond to these inquiries?” (2) “Select a challenging issue and provide a solution.”
The scholarship program is part of the Zoetis Commitment to Veterinarians platform, which offers support through training and education, research and development, investing in the future of the veterinary profession, and philanthropy.
“AABP and Zoetis are committed to the next generation of veterinarians,” says M. Gatz Riddell, Jr., AABP executive vice president. “Our continued partnership with Zoetis on this program will continue making a difference for our young veterinary students. Our hope is these students will soon enter the field of veterinary medicine and become leaders in our industry.”
