International opportunities for veterinary medicine students

Abstract

The purpose of internationalizing curricula within our academic institutions is two-fold. First, globalization will eventually impact everyone in our profession, and imparting an understanding of other cultures, economies, and veterinary systems to our graduates will help us grow, perhaps in ways that are not yet even apparent. This awareness of globalization requires a cultural shift within the colleges, creating an environment where students are interested in issues outside of the classroom, campus, county, and country. The second purpose of internationalizing curricula is that there will be increasing international opportunities in defined fields of veterinary medicine, specifically, development, public health, ecology, food safety, trade, and animal production, and consequently, there is a need to provide in-depth training to allow graduates to function in these areas. Fortunately, these two purposes seem to complement each other. That is, as specific students are encouraged and facilitated in career paths and intensive training involving international experiences, the culture within the college seems to edge more towards a global outlook. And, as the environment is more encouraging for international subjects, increasing numbers of students migrate toward international career interests. It is probably true that not every college of veterinary medicine needs to become a center for international studies. Although the demand for veterinarians with specific training to function in an international environment will continue to grow, it is unlikely to supplant more traditional veterinary careers any time soon. However, it is hoped that all of our veterinary academies will move more toward a globalized education, providing our new graduates with the information needed to help our profession prosper in an increasingly interconnected world.