A commitment to train a new generation of veterinary scientists for practice and research has led a number of internationally experienced clinical veterinary specialists to Charles Sturt University (CSU).
Professor of Small Animal Surgery Bruce Christie, Associate Professor of Equine Medicine and Surgery, Bryan Hilbert, Associate Professor of Equine Surgery, Ken Jacobs, senior lecturer in Veterinary Anaesthesia, Dr Leigh Ladd and senior lecturer in Veterinary Reproduction, Dr Scott Norman represent the first clinical appointments for the Bachelor of Veterinary Science at CSU’s Wagga Wagga Campus.“This group of specialists brings an extensive and exciting range of clinical expertise to CSU,” said Director of Veterinary Science at CSU, Professor Kym Abbott.
The construction of the Clinical Training Centre at CSU enters its final stages The Centre is due to open in early 2008 and will house the equine, small animal and reproduction hospitals as well as teaching laboratories.
With his sights firmly set on 2010 when the first group of CSU veterinary science students are due to graduate, Professor Christie brought his extensive experience in performing and teaching surgery to the University in 2007. As well as being involved in significant research into the development of vascular grafts, Professor Christie has been developing educational media for undergraduate and postgraduate training in veterinary surgery and has conducted seminars in surgery for practitioners in Israel and Germany. He also continues to work as a small animal surgeon.
“I am still passionate about learning and teaching veterinary surgery after 41 years of performing and teaching in six different veterinary schools in Australia, the USA, Israel, Malaysia and the West Indies,” said Professor Christie.
“I was keen to be involved in what CSU is doing by embarking on an innovative program of problem based learning with the focus on the learner rather than the tutor.
“I want to see minimally invasive surgery become a strength of CSU graduates,” he said.
With CSU a leader in distance education (DE), Professor Christie has an interest in DE in small animal surgery and aspires to create a virtual Veterinary School as a step towards global access with equity in veterinary learning.
A desire to repeat his experiences of the 1970s in establishing a new veterinary school in Western Australia led Dr Bryan Hilbert to CSU in 2007.
“WA was an exciting and extremely rewarding time in my career and the opportunity to repeat this experience was very attractive. I hope to be one of the team that successfully launches the veterinary teaching program at CSU, especially in equine medicine and surgery,” said Dr Hilbert.
His task at CSU is no mean feat as Dr Hilbert joins CSU to establish and lead its new Equine Surgical and Medical Teaching Hospital on the Wagga Wagga Campus.
An interest in all facets of equine surgery, Dr Hilbert is particularly interested in equine lameness and related surgery, abdominal surgery and surgery of the upper respiratory tract in performance horses.
Dr Hilbert was a Professor in Large Animal Surgery at the University of Minnesota, USA in the mid 1980s, foundation staff member of the Murdoch University program in Western Australia in late 1970s and he ran his own equine surgical referral hospital in Western Australia for two decades. Dr Hilbert has also worked as a lecturer and equine surgeon at universities in the USA and Ireland as well as in private practice in Germany and at the Singapore Turf Club.
Associate Professor Jacobs hails from the ACT where has been a partner in the Canberra Veterinary Hospital for many years. His teaching and research interests include wound healing and lameness in horses and equine surgery. Since joining CSU, Professor Jacobs has been part of the team involved in the design of the Clinical Training Centre on the Wagga Wagga Campus. “The new CSU facilities and Problem Based Learing (PBL) progam will offer the students an opportunity to become outstanding equine practitioners as well as excellent all round veterinarians,” said Professor Jacobs.
“With the new facilities CSU veterinary students will be able to undertake hands on practical experience. This will be enhanced by the informationa technology services in the new faciities allowing students to observe closely equine procedures performed by CSU veterinarians.
“I am delighted to be involved with such an innovative and practical program”.
An ability to move between anaesthetics for humans and animals has been the backdrop for the career of Dr Leigh Ladd. He has had 14 years experience in anaesthetic and surgical research as the Senior Scientist in the Departments of Anaesthesia and Pain Management and Cardiology at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney. He has tutored and lectured in veterinary anaesthesia at the University of Queensland and the University of Sydney.
Dr Ladd’s research includes work into adult stem cells, cardiothoracic surgery, cardiac device development, hyperperfusion and the characterisation and reduction of anaesthetic toxicity.
A philosopher and ethicist, Dr Ladd has served for a decade on NSW’s largest Animal Care and Ethics Committee. He also consults in anaesthesia and cardiothoracic surgery for human surgical training and research.
“My great passion for teaching and CSU’s commitment to research led me to risk terminating valuable research work in Sydney and committ to this institution without reservation,” said Dr Ladd.
“I am excited about the prospect of combining new teaching methods with old to produce outstanding graduates,” said Dr Ladd.
“I believe we have a perfect opportunity here to bring modern high standards of healthcare into veterinary teaching to equip graduates for very high standards in rural work.
“The standard of veterinary care in rural Australia is remarkably high and we intend that our graduates will contribute substantially to the continuation of that trend.
“I confidently expect our team to equip graduates to move easily between the demands of extensive production medicine, esoteric companion animal medicine, and everything in between.”
Following a successful teaching career in the veterinary program at the University of Queensland Dr Scott Norman moved to CSU in Wagga Wagga in 2007. He has worked in clinical practice in Queensland, including as a Registrar at the Pastoral Veterinary Centre in Goondiwindi.
Dr Norman undertook his residency training in Theriogenology at the University of Florida in the USA between 1986 and 1988. He is a Diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists and completed his PhD in 2002 in bovine reproduction. Dr Norman is an active bovine and equine practitioner with particular interests in reproduction.
“I was attracted to the veterinary science programme at CSU due to its focus on providing veterinarians to service the rural industries,” said Dr Norman.
He is also excited about the prospect of being involved in the development of the curriculum and facilities from the ground up.
“It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be involved in the development of a new veterinary school - one not to be missed.
“I feel I can bring a suitable mix of clinical and academic experience to the position with the goal of producing practical veterinarians while maintaining the ‘science’ in veterinary science.”
See the veterinary science website for more information about CSU’s Veterinary Science program.
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