Time commitment: As a first year veterinary medicine student, I have about 20 hours of scheduled time on campus, ranging from Problem-Based Learning sessions (PBL), anatomy lab, rotations, etc each week. I am in a study group, which meets each week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to about 7:30 p.m. Most of my free time is spent studying and researching issues that are developed throughout the week during my PBL sessions.

WesternU distinctive: I love our PBL approach. Instead of sitting through lectures and spending four hours at a time sitting in a dark room reviewing radiographs for three months, (and getting totally immersed in every single parasite known to man) we are presented with cases.

We receive disclosures each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday regarding our “patient.” We then come up with all the facts from the case, our problems, ideas, and plans for diagnosis and treatment. We also come up with learning issues; things we need to know to be able to diagnose the patient and treat effectively.

This teaching method puts the responsibility on us. We are responsible with coming up with learning issues and finding the resources we need to learn the information. Things stick so much better this way. I can relate the basic sciences to an actual case and this makes the knowledge much more memorable.

Beyond the classroom: I have become active with the Western University Feral Cat Coalition. On campus and in the immediate surrounding area there are well over 50 cats that live off faculty members and students. These cats are unadoptable. We have been working to trap them, test, vaccinate, spay and neuter, and then re-release them to their established homes. This practice keeps the number of feral cats down and ensures that they are properly vaccinated.

The cats are allowed to live out their lives in their colonies and are kept from reproducing and expanding their numbers. I think that our work has served the community by keeping the feral cat population down, and also by giving these cats a hub where they can expect food and water. I feel like my experience has given me the opportunity to make a difference, even while busy studying for exams.

WesternU distinctive: The entire PBL process is very engaging and requires you to be an active participant in your education. I like it because working in small groups has been a very interesting way to learn and I feel like we really take a lot away from each other.

Academic environment: During my first two years of school, I was in a study group with friends that met every week. I have also been able to schedule personal time with faculty when I felt like I needed extra help in specific areas.

Beyond the classroom: I am currently a member of the SCAAEP and SCAVMA. During my sophomore year, I was the president of the SCAAEP and organized many programs throughout the year. One activity involved working with L.A. Animal Services to do low-cost micro chipping of horses in L.A. County. I have also volunteered for a feline trap-neuter-release and participated in countless other events. There is never a lack of things to do.

Favorite WesternU professor: Dr. Wael Khamas is my favorite faculty member. He always has a smile on his face and is so excited about his work. He's very dedicated to teaching students, and when they don’t do well, he asks himself what he did wrong, instead of blaming the students. He's also very willing to take time out of his day to offer help to students who need it and never makes you feel bad about asking for it.

Most memorable clinical experience: Working at the Hill's Wellness Center as a student doctor and working up a case on a Chihuahua alone with the client. It was a real confidence boost to know that I can run through collecting a history and performing a physical exam by myself.

Time commitment: The curriculum here is very intense, but because it is a professional graduate program, it's what you should expect. While it’s tough, I have been able balance class, studying, and personal time while here at WesternU. Believe it or not, you can still have a personal life.

“On one of my rotations, we went to an organization in Los Angeles called LA PAWS. This organization provides veterinary care for animals of senior citizens and people with terminal illnesses who are in a lower income bracket. We met some wonderful, grateful people and animals that day and it was such a nice experience to get out of our own little world and actually use what we had been learning to help others.”

"The third and fourth years of our curriculum enhance our students' learning in a clinical setting; a feature unique to our program. These unique learning opportunities in their third and fourth years, produce students that are well prepared following their graduation."

Professional interests: Development of computer based instructional technology in anatomy and radiology to facilitate the incorporation of clinical based materials in the curriculum.

Read more about me...

Research interests: I am collaborating with UC Davis to do a pharmacokinetic study on koi and with Sea World to research the cause of metastatic calcification in elasmobranches. Several colleagues and I are also investigating cataract development in sea lions.

Beyond the classroom: I help with the Zoo, Wildlife, Exotic, & Aquatic Animal Medicine Club. I’ve enjoyed sharing my field with students in lectures and laboratories, as well as on field trips to places like the Long Beach Aquarium. I’m also working with the California Science Center to establish and provide health care for their aquarium and other animal exhibits.

For the Veterinary Christian Association, we spayed/neutered and vaccinated dogs for impoverished people living in the City of Hope (Tent City). They really appreciated that we would take our time to help them care for their beloved pets—the creatures who give them the love that we so often fail to show them.

Interprofessional collaboration: Often veterinarians work with other specialists in the human medical field for assisting in clinical diagnosis and research. Creating contacts early on in one's career will allow for more fruitful collaborations.

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Read more about my research...
- Effect of Four Different Suture Materials on the Surgical Wound Healing of Loggerhead Sea Turtles, Caretta caretta
- Stabilisation of scoliosis in two koi
- Gill metaplasia in a goldfish, Carassius auratus auratus
- Lymphoid follicular cloacal inflammation associated with a novel herpesvirus in juvenile alligators (Alligator mississippiensis)

Dr. Barr joined the CVM faculty in December 2003 as an Associate Professor of Veterinary Virology and Immunology. Some of her accomplishments include: 

• Served as chairperson for the Admissions and Scholastic Standing Committee, and as a member on the Curriculum, Student Affairs, and Research Advisory Committees.
• Honored with an Outstanding Educator Award in the Merrill Presidential Scholar program at Cornell
• Served as an infectious disease consultant to the US Cheetah Species Survival Plan
• Worked to enhance the interest of girls in science as a workshop leader in the Expanding Your Horizons program for 6th to 10th grade girls

Read more about me...

Time commitment: Time commitments vary, but my experience has involved a minimum of 10- to 12-hour days, five days a week. A recent rotation (Core Surgery) was about 70 hours/week. In addition, we have daily case logs and on our core rotations (Internal Medicine and Surgery) we have daily SOAPs and surgery reports due.

I was an active class officer and have been involved with our school's chapter of the AVMA (president, class representative).

WesternU distinctive: I do like the variety of clinical settings we get to practice in and how we are able to structure our fourth-year curriculum.

Academic environment: I have organized a variety of study groups, mainly an anatomy study group outside of class who met independently to review concepts.

Career impact: I think I have learned how to function independently yet also be a good team player. There always is more than one way to achieve the same goal and other people's opinions are valuable even if you don’t agree with them. I think our program has focused heavily on interpersonal skills and that will help all of us go far.

WesternU distinctive: For me, the most unique thing about the veterinary medicine curriculum was getting to plan my own fourth year. I had the opportunity to be a part of EIGHT different equine hospitals across the country. This not only allowed me to network with some of the top professionals in the industry, but it gave me the chance to see how the "best of the best" practice veterinary medicine.

Most memorable clinical experience: My first case of equine hypoxic-ischemic encephalomyelopathy. It was a clydesdale foal and it was my job to give her the tools to survive. Though I did not get much rest for three days, the reward of seeing the foal being able to finally nurse on her own was well worth my sleep deprivation. Then seeing the foal running on the pasture with her mare was unlike any feeling I have ever experienced. I am definitely in the right profession!

Value of a WesternU education: The most valuable aspect of my education was getting to be out in private practice for third and, especially, fourth year. I met a lot of students from other schools during externships and came to the conclusion that my school provided me with the opportunity to see a huge case load compared to other schools.

Best advice: Be prepared to work harder in a PBL curriculum compared to a traditional curriculum, but also be ready to reap greater benefits!

Benefits of being a charter class member: Being a pioneer is the path less chosen. It was not easy. Be prepared to experience many ups as well as many downs with a new curriculum.

"Upon hearing about the curriculum at WesternU, I was intrigued by the amount of animal experience that was offered during the first two years of veterinary medicine. That was a huge factor for me coming to this school because I knew that other veterinary schools did not offer that. I was also intrigued by the curriculum and the emphasis that this school has on life long learning. I think that this is a very important aspect of veterinary medicine in order to keep up with current changes in medicine that will improve the well-being and health of animals as well as the happiness of their families. Unlike other veterinary schools the Western University students have the opportunity to interact with faculty members on a daily basis. Through PBL, we are learning to work with different people possessing different backgrounds and points of view. This will help us in the future when we are practicing veterinarians. I look forward to experiencing different aspects of the field through our third-year rotations."

WesternU distinctive: I LOVED the problem based learning because I retained more knowledge and it is sort of like solving a mystery, which is often what you are doing in practice. I also love the reverence for life philosophy because I believe no harm should come to animals for the benefit of an education.

Most memorable clinical experience: There are many, but my most memorable clinical experience was a beef animal rotation (I am a small animal practitioner) and I had the opportunity to hand raise a calf that would have been raised for veal. It was wonderful.

Why WesternU: Problem based learning, reverence for life philosophy, location, and Dr. Shirley Johnston.

Value of a WesternU education: Redundant, but problem based learning, the veterinary issues course, and the emphasis on communication.

Best advice: I loved my experience at Western U. If you want to be a part of a challenging, compassionate, interesting, and excellent program, consider making the CVM a part of your journey in life.

WesternU distinctive: I loved Problem Based Learning (PBL). I enjoyed learning how to figure things out for myself. I feel like I can approach problems from a many different aspects and come to a similar conclusion. I don't tend to think in a linear fashion and so this type of training worked well for the way that I process my thoughts.

Most memorable clinical experience: I performed the surgery on a dairy cow with a left displaced abomasum. Though not a large animal person I enjoyed the opportunity to reach shoulder deep into the side of a cow. I realized at that time that all animals are very similar. The understanding that I gained from surgery on a cow translated into understanding soft tissue in a dog.

Most valuable aspect of a WesternU education: I liked being able to experience different hospitals. It helped me decide what I wanted in an internship. Ultimately, I have ended up exactly where I wanted to be. I started a residency in small animal medicine in August 2008.

Campus Life: It was easy to get involved with campus and national organizations. I was on committees at both levels all four years. It was fun to represent the "new" school at national meetings.

"The innovative and logical approach to learning offered in the DVM program at WesternU will give me the technical knowledge plus a level of experience and confidence than I do not feel I could get from a traditional curriculum. Problem Based Learning integrates the various subject content areas into real-life case studies that make learning more exciting and meaningful. Numerous clinical experiences have also provided the opportunity to immediately start using the things I've learned I read of WesternU's commitment to the principles of reverence for life, Problem Based Learning, and of life long learning as a professional objective, and it was as if someone had just articulated all of my long held, unspoken beliefs about education and veterinary medicine. With the excellent reputation held by other professional colleges at WesternU, I knew I wanted to be a part of this college of veterinary medicine. The curriculum at WesternU has allowed me to immerse myself in the study of veterinary medicine and participate in clinical experiences that I never thought possible for first year students."