Vet students contribute to RUMA’s One Health conference
Students from the Harper & Keele Veterinary School (HKVS) are contributing to the RUMA conference this month (Nov 2023). Covering a range of One Health topics relating to the responsible use of medicines in agriculture, the RUMA conference is being delivered via a series of weekly online webinars.
Several Vet School students have provided video presentations which are now being showcased via this link on the RUMA Agri website and across its social channels, all of which complement the topics that are being covered at the RUMA conference. This follows a student poster presentation event at HKVS which took place earlier this year, the culmination of the second-year Animal Health Sciences module.
As part of the module students researched the role of a vet in a specific issue, choosing topics ranging from antimicrobial resistance to public health and food safety, narrowing their research to focus on a specific species, drug, or illness. They compiled their findings into a poster, evaluating the role, and impact of the veterinary surgeon within their chosen area. Vet School staff and industry colleagues were invited to hear oral presentations of the posters, with marks awarded for design, content, and communication.
The day concluded with several talks from industry colleagues highlighting their different career journeys and experiences, including Claire White, Senior Veterinary Adviser at the NFU and RUMA Board Member, Claire said: “As a vet now working in a non-clinical role, it was exciting to see how well the year group had understood the breadth and diversity of veterinary roles in wider society. I can only see this as a positive in terms of their development, and that of the profession, particularly when it comes to understanding the significance of responsible medicine use and the role of vets in encouraging a one health approach.”
Chris Lloyd, RUMA Agriculture Secretary General, added: “RUMA Agri and its members were impressed to hear about the HKVS poster assignment and the relevance of many of the titles to RUMA’s objectives. Given the intended topics of the RUMA conference this November, there is a direct relevance with the HKVS project titles which will be of interest to attendees and supporters of RUMA’s work, who will also be equally keen to understand the thoughts of the next generation of veterinarians. We are therefore delighted to be able to showcase a selection of these posters on the RUMA Agri website, and we thank the students and HKVS for agreeing to share this great work.”
Elly Vesty, Lecturer in Animal Health Sciences, Harper & Keele Veterinary School, said: “The Animal Health Sciences poster event provided students with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of some of the big issues that they, as vets, will have a role in. These students are the future of veterinary medicine, and it is essential that they have a solid understanding of the scientific evidence behind their clinical decision-making. I am immensely proud of the awareness and critical insight that they all demonstrated in their presentations and that this has been recognised by their invitation to present at the RUMA conference.”
Meg Berenguer Gaffney, a current student at the Harper & Keele Veterinary School, said: “The poster topic that I chose was the use of antibiotics in companion animal medicine, specifically, the risk to public health that this brings. It really allowed me to understand the future problems that will arise due to our closeness with our pets if we do not draw attention to and educate owners on appropriate use. I loved poster day and how relaxed the experience was, it’s also exciting to think my topic is important enough to be chosen to be part of the conference!”
The RUMA Agriculture conference is free to attend, but pre-booking is required. To find out more and reserve your place visit the RUMA website.