A message from our dean

Dr. Dana Zimmel

Greetings,

How can it be that we are already approaching the end of February? January came and went, and here we are, already looking toward the spring events that make this time of year so exciting.

We have completed our interviews of prospective members of the Class of 2027 and will be extending invitations to candidates during the first week of March. After the successful inauguration of this event last year, we will be bringing back “D.V.M. Preview Days” on March 20-22, during which c/o 2027 candidates will be invited to visit and tour our campus to learn more about what we have to offer here at UFCVM.

We are grateful for the hard work and effort put forth by the college’s admissions committee, admissions and recruitment team at UF and veterinary students, who all played a vital role in the success of this year’s admissions process.

Planning for the college’s Research and Phi Zeta Celebration, set for April 13-14, is well underway, along with plans for our traditional May events, including the May 12 sophomore professional coating ceremony for third-year students transitioning into their clinical rotations, and of course, commencement for the Class of 2023 on May 27.

We were pleased to learn recently that the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Council on Education has renewed the college’s accreditation, following a site visit conducted in October and submission of our self-study document. As I’ve said before, I’m indebted to all of those members of our college community who assisted with these monumental efforts.

Currently the college is undergoing several administrative searches. We are seeking chairs for the departments of physiological sciences and small animal clinical sciences, now capably being led by interim chairs Dr. Nancy Denslow and Dr. Caryn Plummer, respectively.

Due to the recent departure of Dr. Gareth Buckley, we are also seeking to fill a new position for a chief medical officer/assistant dean of clinical services for the UF Small Animal Hospital.

I’d like to give my huge thanks to Dr. Buckley for his nearly 13 years of service to the college, the department of small animal clinical sciences and the emergency and critical care service, which he was instrumental in forming when he first joined our faculty. He subsequently played a key role in the opening of the UF Pet Emergency Treatment Service when it opened in 2012 and more recently, in the opening of the small animal side of our new UF Veterinary Hospital at World Equestrian Center. He was the heart and soul of the patient quality and safety program at our hospital and also in programs aimed at intern and resident well-being. We will miss him a lot!

Speaking of the new UF Veterinary Hospital at WEC, both our small and large animal hospital components are staying very busy, with the Winter Spectacular show series— which brings thousands of horses from all over the world to WEC — now in full swing. I continue to be amazed at the talent and drive I see in all of the faculty and staff working at this incredible new facility and am excited knowing that it will only continue to grow.

I hope everyone is trying to stay rested (which I know is always a challenge) and well as we approach the spring.

— Dana

Dana N. Zimmel, D.V.M., D.A.C.V.I.M.
Professor and Dean