Mikayla and Natalie are now newly graduated veterinarians. But before completing their studies, they wanted to experience veterinary medicine in a country on the other side of the globe.
– I wanted to learn how a country like Norway handles different treatment methods within veterinary medicine, to gain a broader perspective for I start working back home in Australia, says Mikayla Markham, an exchange student for Australia.
Together with Natalie Melis, Mikayla Markham was an exchange student from Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales in Australia. The university is located about a five-hour drive southwest from Sydney.
Natalie and Mikayla spent six weeks in Norway. They followed the practical teaching of the Norwegian veterinary students at the Animal Hospital for small animals, horses, and production animals.
Curious about the differences
– I was curious about the differences in the way veterinary medicine is practiced in Norway compared to Australia, Natalie explains.
– Norway is known for its restrictive use of antibiotics and good biosecurity. In Australia, I think we have good biosecurity, but what I saw in Norway is even better, says Mikalya.
Designed to perform advanced diagnostics and treatment
The new veterinary building in Ås is designed to be able to accommodate very sick animals, and to perform advanced diagnostics and treatment on patients who need it. Both students have found this to be highly educational.
– Back home we didn't get as many patients that require specialist treatment. This was especially evident at the Equine Clinic, Natalie explains.
In the area around Charles Sturt University (CSU), there are several reputable private horse clinics with a good reputation that are highly regarded within the horse community. Consequently, the most critically ill horses do not come to the university for treatment.
– At NMBU, I got to see procedures and usage of advanced technology that we do not have the opportunity to observe back home. For example, NMBU regularly uses CT scans, something we don’t not do at our university, she says.
Exciting to be able to follow the animals progression
Mikayla explains that at CSU, they have a large farm with production animals where veterinary students get to practice practical skills and animal handling, but she believes that the veterinary education in Norway has an advantage with it’s stationary production animal clinic.
– We could closely follow the progression of the animal. This is not possible if the teaching is based on mobile practice, i.e., traveling to the farms. It becomes difficult to know if the measures you have initiated have had any effect on the treated animal. At the Veterinary Faculty, we could closely follow the animals, whether they recovered or were euthanized and sent to the pathologist, says Mikayla.
Pathology demonstrations
At the Veterinary Faculty at NMBU, there are pathology demonstrations several times a week of the patients who have been euthanized for various reasons. The pathologists review the clinicians' diagnoses and treatments and compare them to the pathological findings they observe. The newly graduated veterinarians highlight this as incredibly educational.
– The integration between clinic and pathology is a very good idea. When you meet the animal as a patient and treat it, it can sometimes be challenging to see the whole picture. But when you afterwards can see the pathology, having previously seen the clinical signs, you will understand more of the entire disease or injury, says Natalie.
Educational to teach
Since both Natalie and Mikayla were final year students during their exchange, they have at times had more expertice than the Norwegian students they studied with in Norway. Both believe this has been educational.
– It was a highlight for me when we were going to perform ovariohysterectomy on a cat. Even though it was only a year and a half since I performed my first castration, I was able to talk through the procedure and contribute to the learning of the other students. It was incredibly beneficial for me to walk through what was going to happen, and then step back and let someone else do it, Natalie explains.
Friends for life
Both students have made good friends during their stay in Norway. The language has not been a problem. The Norwegian students have translated when necessary. Both have made friends for life.