- Arkansas State University held the first White Coat Ceremony for its inaugural College of Veterinary Medicine class.
- The event marked the students’ formal entry into veterinary education and the profession.
- Arkansas Veterinary Medical Association President Dr. Sarah Shedenhelm delivered the keynote address.
- The new veterinary school gives Arkansas students an in-state option for earning a veterinary degree.
- The college’s new facility is scheduled for dedication Aug. 11, with classes beginning Aug. 12.
Arkansas State University has welcomed the inaugural class of its College of Veterinary Medicine with the school’s first White Coat Ceremony, marking a major milestone for veterinary education in Arkansas.
Students, faculty, family members and friends gathered at the university’s Fowler Center for the ceremony, which A-State expects to become an annual tradition.
The event represents the ceremonial entry of students into the veterinary profession. During the ceremony, each student was presented with a white coat by a veterinarian as members of the college faculty looked on.
Dr. Heidi Banse, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, welcomed the class, while Dr. Will McLean, interim provost and executive vice chancellor, also addressed attendees.
A new era for veterinary education in Arkansas
Dr. Sarah Shedenhelm, president of the Arkansas Veterinary Medical Association and a veterinarian at Baxter County Animal Clinic in Mountain Home, delivered the keynote address.
Shedenhelm told students that their arrival represented more than the beginning of veterinary school, describing it as the start of “a new era for veterinary medicine in Arkansas.”
The milestone carries personal significance for Shedenhelm, who began her education at ASU-Mountain Home before transferring to Arkansas State to study animal science. Like generations of aspiring Arkansas veterinarians before her, she ultimately had to leave the state to earn a veterinary degree.
For decades, Arkansas students interested in becoming veterinarians have had to pursue their veterinary education outside the state. The opening of A-State’s College of Veterinary Medicine creates a new opportunity for future students to complete that education closer to home.
Classes set to begin
Members of the inaugural class arrived on campus for orientation during the first week of August.
The university is scheduled to dedicate the College of Veterinary Medicine’s new facility on Aug. 11, followed by the start of classes on Aug. 12. Veterinary students will begin coursework one week before the start of A-State’s regular semester.
The opening of the college establishes the first veterinary school in Arkansas and adds a new source of veterinary education and workforce development for the state.
Information sourced from Arkansas State University’s press release.
