Fifty-three first-year veterinary science students at Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Wagga Wagga Campus were each presented with a free stethoscope last week. The stethoscopes, valued at $159 each, were donated by the manufacturer, Welch Allyn Australia, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of medical diagnostic instruments, and the veterinary wholesale company Lyppard. In presenting the stethoscopes, Welch Allyn’s distribution sales manager, Andrew Petersen and Lyppard’s Andrea Baker said their companies wanted to demonstrate support for CSU’s new Veterinary Science program and its first-year students. CSU is the first regional university in Australia to train veterinary science students. The inaugural intake of 45 students successfully completed their first year of studies in 2005.