August 6, 1999
MEDIA CONTACT: Charlie Powell, 509/335-7073, cpowell@vetmed.wsu.edu
WSU HOSTS NIHON UNIVERSITY VETERINARY STUDENTS
         PULLMAN, Wash. -- Japanese veterinary students from Nihon University are busy learning additional procedures and techniques thanks to a unique summer seminar series now in its twelfth year at Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine.
         Thirty-eight students and four faculty members from NU's College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine have come to the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital for a two-week intensive curriculum filled with lectures, clinical laboratories, and examinations in both equine and small animal medicine. The goal of the program is to allow the NU students to acquire additional clinical experience in the fields of cardiology, neurology, radiology and orthopedics.
        "The program provides intensive hands-on clinical training experiences as well as the opportunity to learn something about American culture at WSU through academic and social interaction," explained professor and interim chair of the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Warwick Bayly. "In turn, we learn a great deal from them, too."
         In prior years, the students from NU only participated in the academic aspects of the seminar. Now the program is designed to meet the changing needs of the Japanese veterinary students and includes much more hands-on clinical training.
         "WSU's curriculum emphasizes clinical training, and this summer series coordinates well with the more theoretical experience the Japanese students have had up to this point in their education," said Bayly.
        In one session this week, 13 students worked to learn the critical stabilization techniques for repairing fractured bones. James D. Lincoln, hospital director and associate professor of small animal surgery, supervised the lab.
        Lincoln has been at WSU for the more than 20 years and has been affiliated with the Japanese summer seminar program for a decade. His role this week was mainly as an observer assisting the students during the laboratory with their techniques.
        "We try to share as many different fracture stabilization techniques in this lab with the students as we can," said Lincoln. "Working in the laboratory teaches the students not only essential skills, but also how important it is to learn to work together."
        The laboratory exercise was performed on plastic bones because they are more humane than using live animals, less expensive, and easier to use in a laboratory setting.
        Niho Nagashima, one of the NU students, said, "The procedures and techniques that I have learned during my time here at WSU are invaluable. They are going to help me care for animals for a long time and will be very helpful to my career."
        WSU's College of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital provides Japanese translators to assist professors and students alike who have difficulty understanding the language. The Nihon students earn credit for successful completion of the seminar towards their DVM degree.
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