Hailey Gentile, a veterinary medicine student who just returned from an externship in Oman, presented on her experiences Wednesday afternoon.
“The middle east doesn’t have many veterinarians,” Gentile said. “That would be a great place if you want to go somewhere as a veterinarian.”
Gentile, who is graduating this May, is the first student to travel to Oman as part of study abroad said Candace Chenoweth, Education Abroad director.
The work and study that Gentile did in Oman was very different from American veterinary medicine, she said. She spent time working with camels, dogs, and other animals. Gentile presented on the differences in how veterinary medicine is practiced in Oman.
“They don’t use all the diagnostic tests we use here,” she said. “They just don’t have the staff for it.”
The presentation not only provides others with a chance to learn about the experience, it also allows the student a chance to step back and really reflect, Chenoweth said.
Associate Professor Mushtag Memon encouraged Gentile to travel to Oman after completing a Fulbright Fellowship at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman.
“I think all the faculty who go out and do work overseas should look for opportunities for students,” he said.
Memon, who is also the International Veterinary Education coordinator, said he believes that internationalization is important for students at Washington State University.
The College of Veterinary Medicine has a long tradition of international research, Memon said. Now the focus is on education abroad for vet students.
The WSU College of Veterinary Medicine offers a certificate in Global Veterinary Medicine to students who complete certain courses and spend time participating in an overseas externship, like Gentile.
It is part of a larger plan relating to the internationalization of WSU, Memon said. Along with the certificate program through the College of Veterinary Medicine, WSU offers a Global Studies minor and there is a faculty senate committee regarding internationalization, he said.
