The $500,000 gift will establish a fully integrated diagnostic training environment within the university’s Richard A. Gillespie College of Veterinary Medicine.
Lincoln Memorial University has received a $500,000 gift from the Yarbrough Family Foundation to establish a Veterinary Ultrasonography Education Initiative within the Richard A. Gillespie College of Veterinary Medicine. The initiative will provide the 13 ultrasound imaging systems to the veterinary medicine program to provide students with more hands-on experiences during their veterinary medicine education.
According to an article on Lincoln Memorial University’s website, university president Dr. Jason McConnell was quoted as saying of the initiative, "This initiative represents far more than the purchase of ultrasound equipment. It is an investment in innovation, experiential learning and the technologies shaping the veterinary profession. Veterinary medicine continues to evolve, and our educational model must evolve with it. By integrating ultrasonography throughout the curriculum, we are ensuring our students graduate with the skills, confidence and practical experience employers increasingly expect from today's veterinarians."
The gift, which will purchase advanced ultrasound imaging equipment, will provide students with the ability to practice their hands-on skills before they enter into clinical experiences so they can build expertise and confidence in a low-stakes situation. Typically, students in veterinary school receive very little hands-on ultrasound imaging experience despite the reliance on ultrasound imaging in real-world diagnostics.
Dr. Stacy Anderson, who serves as the executive dean of LMU-CVM, said, "This initiative reflects where veterinary education is headed. Ultrasonography is rapidly becoming a fundamental clinical skill across all areas of veterinary practice. By embedding it throughout our curriculum, we are preparing graduates who are confident, competent and ready to use point-of-care diagnostic technologies from their first day in practice."
The university’s Richard A. Gillespie College of Veterinary Medicine is the largest veterinary school in the country, and putting this equipment in the hands of its students will ensure a better prepared next generation of doctors of veterinary medicine.
For more information about Lincoln Memorial University, visit the school’s website.