Food animal scholar chosen for all-expense paid trip
to attend Western Veterinary Conference
Dr. Leslie Charles, a first year food animal reproduction and medicine intern, was one of a small group of applicants selected by the Western Veterinary Conference to attend the meeting for a full week with all expenses paid.
“Dr. Charles was one of only four applicants chosen from throughout the United States to receive the food animal scholarship,” said Dr. Owen Rae, chief of the FARMS service.
The most interesting and educational aspect of the conference was the wealth of food animal lectures provided for the attendees,” Charles said. “Out of all the conferences I’ve attended, this one by far has the most diverse group of lecturers with interesting and informative presentations.”
A 2010 graduate of the UF CVM, Charles said she applied to the FARMS internship program because she felt she had the interest, but not necessarily the experience, to go directly into food animal practice. She wanted to work with dairy cattle.
“Because I knew the clinicians and the caseload here, I felt it was beneficial to apply for the FARMS internship program,” Charles said. “I have been able to work with clinicians I was already comfortable with, and the majority of our caseload is dairy cattle.”
She said she hopes to become an associate veterinarian at a predominantly dairy mixed animal practice, where she can practice both food animal and small animal medicine and surgery.