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Coating ceremony marks students’ transition into clinical rotations

Sophomore student Rebecca Long is assisted by her coat presenter, Dr. Chris Sanchez. (Photo by Sarah Carey)

Members of the UF College of Veterinary Medicine’s Class of 2017 celebrated completion of their first two years of veterinary school and their upcoming transition into clinical rotations at the Professional Coating Ceremony, held May 8 at the Phillips Center.

“This ceremony marks an important transition for our sophomore students as they move from their pre-clinical classroom and laboratory training and undertake the initial phase of their clinical training in our large and small animal hospitals and other clinical settings,” Dean James Lloyd told a packed house full of students, their families, faculty, staff and other guests in his welcoming remarks. “Students embrace this event with a sense of great pride over their personal accomplishments and great anticipation of their future professional interactions with clients and patients.”

In recognition of this achievement, all students received a white clinic lab coat embroidered with his or her name and class year.

Sophomore student Kate Peper’s father assisted in her coating. (Photo by Sarah Carey)

In addition to the coat presentations, made by faculty or other professional mentors, students heard remarks from Hunter Shrank, president of the Class of 2015, Cynthia Kathir, president of the Class of 2018, and Dr. Richard Sutliff (UF CVM Class of 1999), president-elect of the Florida Veterinary Medical Association.

Sutliff introduced this year’s FVMA Champion of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Diane Kitchen of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Division of Animal Industry, and presented two Champion of Veterinary Medicine Scholarships to students Kelsey Arellano and Matthew Parisi.

Other sophomore scholarship award winners included:

• Kevin Anderson Team VetMed Scholarship Award: Alexis Muniz, Emily Menzen, Jordan Sthay
• UF Sophomore Veterinary Pathology Scholarship Award: Jere Stern and Kirstin Cook
• Pet Memorial Scholarship: Andrea Voss and Jaclyn Melicharek
• Lakeland Winter Haven Kennel Club Scholarship: Amanda Fisk
• Martha B. Carter Scholarship: Chris Alling
• SCAVMA Activities Award: Jennifer Gray, Ashton Story and Nita Vasudevan
• SCAVMA Hill’s Student Scholarship: Claire Page

To view more photos from the coating ceremony, visit our album on Facebook.