The Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association (WVMA) hosted its annual Blue Coat Ceremony on Sunday, April 14, at Union South Varsity Hall in Madison, Wis. During the ceremony, third-year veterinary students from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine were presented their “blue coats,” signifying the end of classes and the beginning of clinics.
Family and friends watched as the class of 2020 was recognized during the ceremony. Speakers at the event included WVMA President Alan Holter, DVM; University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine Dean Mark Markel, DVM, PhD, DACVS; Professors Michael Collins, DVM, PhD,DACVM, and Karen Young, VMD, PhD; and veterinary student Madeline Gluck. A reception followed the ceremony.
“Watching these students walk across the stage to put on their blue coat, they are transitioning from students learning in classrooms to students applying their knowledge,” says Holter. “Leaders and thinkers will emerge from this group and they will benefit our profession and the WVMA.”
Each year, third-year veterinary students look forward to the Blue Coat Ceremony and know the significance of reaching this point in their veterinary school education.
“We entered vet school our first year so excited and proud, ready to start learning everything we could about veterinary medicine. As we progressed through our schooling, I think that joy and excitement got a little lost at times – all the exams, all the labs – school starts to wear you down. But Blue Coat rekindles that fire, that spark of joy and passion for the field we have chosen to devote our lives to,” says Danielle Schuld, WVMA student member. “It reminds us what we have worked so hard for and gives us a chance to share that excitement with our family and friends that have supported us. The sense of pride, accomplishment and raw emotion was felt by everyone at the ceremony – the students, the families and the
faculty. Thank you to the WVMA for helping us celebrate this pivotal moment in our academic careers. We’ve finally made it!”
Blue Coat Ceremony sponsors include the Wisconsin VCA Family of Hospitals, the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine and the WVMA.