Donald F. Smith, DVM
Austin O. Hooey Dean Emeritus
Cornell University
College of Veterinary Medicine
November 2010

Donald F. Smith, DVM
Austin O. Hooey Dean Emeritus
Cornell University
College of Veterinary Medicine
November 2010

Donald F. Smith, DVM
Austin O. Hooey Dean Emeritus
Cornell University
College of Veterinary Medicine
November 2010

Greetings from Cornell University
 Thank you for the invitation to speak at yourprestigious university
 I extend greetings from Cornell President Dr.
David Skorton
 Also greetings from veterinary college’s DeanDr. Michael Kotlikoff

Cornell University, Ithaca CampusFounded in 1865
by Ezra Cornell
and A.D. White
Combines public state
support (4 colleges)
and private (10 colleges)

Undergraduate students = 14,000
Graduate and Professional students = 6,700
Faculty = 2,900
Staff = 11,300

Cornell University and Veterinary

Medicine

Ezra Cornell:
Ithaca farmer, legislator,
benefactor

James Law:
Scottish veterinarian and firstveterinary faculty at Cornell

Cornell University Medical College
Medical College moved to
New York City in 1920s

Biomedical Sciences remainedon Ithaca campus

Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine 2010

2010

19781957
19741996

2007
1957 - Teaching, Research, Hospital
1974 - Research, Lab Animals
1978 - Diagnostic Laboratory
1996 – Teaching, Hospital, Research2007 – Lab Animals
2010 – Diagnostic Laboratory

Cornell’s Veterinary College Mission

1. Teaching  DVM (60% from New York State)
 PhD/MS Clinical residencies
2. Clinical Programs and Diagnostic Medicine
3. Research (Basic and Clinical Sciences)Departments in College of Veterinary
Medicine
BiomedicalSciences

Microbiology
andImmunology

Baker Institute

ClinicalSciences

Population
MedicineandDiagnosticSciences

Hospital
For Animals

New York
DiagnosticCenter

MolecularMedicine

Cornell University
College of Veterinary Medicine
Students 90 DVM students per year
 70 clinical interns and residents
 150 graduate students
Faculty 120 tenure track (professors)
 120 other (instructors, lecturers, research only)
Staff
 700: teaching, research, clinical, administrativeCollege of Veterinary Medicine
Annual Budget - $133 million






23%: New York State public support
11%: Tuition (including graduate students)
34%: Research grants and contracts
23%: Hospital, Diagnostic Laboratory
9%: Gifts and endowment earnings (endowment is $145million)

Class size – 90
Women – 80%
New York State – 60%

Class photoThe DVM Curriculum before 1990
 Year I – anatomy (dissection, microscopic),embryology, biochemistry, physiology
 Year II – physiology (cont’d), pathology,pharmacology, microbiology and immunology,
general medicine and surgery, epidemiology
 Year III – clinical disciplines, applied anatomy,nutrition Year IV – clinical rotations

The New Curriculum at Cornell
University (the beginning) Robert D. Phemister was dean of college
during 1985 – 1995.
 As a student at Cornell (Class of 1960), he feltthat the faculty was excellent, but that thecurriculum could be improved.
 Our graduates were high quality, but he feltthat the way in which we teach the curriculum
could be improved.

Goals for the New Curriculum Create opportunity for active student learning.
 Provide flexibility for students to take somecourses in their area of interest.
 Examine live animals in Years I and II (before
they reached the clinical years).
 Allow more faculty (especially researchfaculty) to be involved in teaching process

The New Curriculum at Cornell(Administrative Concerns)
 The curriculum was fragmented bydepartmental jurisdiction.
 There was not enough flexibility to allow
update and change.
 Student concerns (complaints) weresometimes not addressed.
 There was no centralized authority.

The New Curriculum at Cornell(Concerns about the Style ofLearning) Most of the courses were required withminimal time available for elective courses.
 The course timetable was rigid.
 Lectures were numerous and filled with facts.
 There were many exams.
 Students did not examine live animals until
third year.

Foundation and Distribution Courses
 Foundation Courses: comprise 70% of thecurriculum, taken by all students in the samesequence. Long, integrated courses.
 Distribution Courses: comprise 30% of thecurriculum, organized in sets, allow “structuredchoice”. Short, specific courses.

Foundation Courses
 The Animal Body (12 cr)
 Cell Biology and Genetics (8 cr)
 Neuroanatomy (2 cr)

 Function and Dysfunction (16 cr)
 Host, Agent, and Defense (12 cr)
 Parasitology (2.5 cr)

 Animal Health and Disease (20 cr)
 Clinical Rotations (37 cr)
 Veterinary Practice (7.5 cr)

FallIIIIIISpring

The Animal BodyCell Biology& Genetics

Physical Examination

Animal Care

Funct &Dysf’n

Host, Agent& DefenseCont.

Public Health

Animal Health & Disease

Distribution
Courses

Function &Dysfunction
Communication

Distribution
CoursesAn. Health& Disease
Procedures

Distributions
Clinics

Distributions
Clinics

Distributions

Distributions
Clinics

Clinical ProceduresIV

Clinical Rotations

Clinics

Foundation Courses I - IV First three semesters (one and one-half years)
 Basic Science curriculum, taught withreferences to clinical cases
 Emphasize small group learning,supplemented by lectures and laboratories(especially in courses I, II, IV) Failure rate or dropout rate is approx 3-4 % Only one other U.S. college has a curriculum
similar to this.

Foundation Courses I - IV
 Course I – anatomy, histology, embryology;
neuroanatomy; also a little physiology,
radiology and medicine
 Course II – cell biology and some genetics
 Course III – physiology, basic pathology,
pharmacology
 Course IV – bacteriology, virology,immunology, epidemiology; also parasitology
in a parallel course

FallIIIIIIIVSpring

The Animal Body

CellBiology &Genetics

Function &Dysfunction

Physical Examination

Animal Care

Communication

Funct &Dysf’n

Host, Agent& Defense

Comm.

Public HealthMon

TuesWedThurFri

Tutorial
SessionTutorial
SessionTutorial
SessionLectureTutorial
Session

8:00

Comparative Host, Agent
Gross
Anatomy& Defense
AnatomyLaboratory

12:00

Gross
AnatomyLaboratory

Radiology
Laboratory

LectureLaboratory

LecturePhysicalExamination

5:00

Tutorial
SessionPhysicalExamination

Case
Presentation

A Tutorial Group•Small room
•One professor•7-8 students

The Cases in Course I
1. Thoracic Cavity – two cases: lungs and heart2. Head and Neck – three cases:
larynx/pharynx, ear and skull, eye and skull
3. Abdominal cavity – four cases:
stomach/spleen, intestines/liver/pancreas,
urinary, reproductive
4. Limbs – two cases: fore limb, rear limb

The First Case:
A Dog with Pneumothorax (sixdays)
1. Three tutorial sessions (6.5 hours)
2. Eight lectures (8 hours)
3. Three dissection laboratories (6 hours)
4. Three histology laboratories (6 hours)
5. One radiology laboratory (two hours)
6. One clinical examination lab (two hours)

Tutorial Sessions for Pneumothorax
Case
Session One (Pages 1-5)
 History, physical exam, PCV/TP,radiographs, chest tube
Session Two (pages 6-10)
 Second day update, more radiographs, CBCand blood chemistry
Session Three (pages 11-15)
 Third day update, final radiographs, remove
chest tube

Learning Issues for Pneumothorax Case Gross anatomy of thorax and thoracic body wall
 Spatial relationship of lungs and other major
structures in thoracic cavity (complemented bysecond case: heart) Histology of respiratory system
 Radiography of thoracic cavity (pneumothorax)
 Physical examination of thoracic cavity (lungs)
 Development of pulmonary system Introduction to clinical medicine

FallSpringI

An. Health& Disease

IIProcedures

IIIAnimal Health & Disease
Clinical ProceduresIVFoundation Course V Semesters four and five (second half of year II
and first half of year III) Clinical Science curriculum Many lectures, supplemented by laboratories
 Failure rate or dropout rate is unusual Similar curriculum to other colleges in U.S.

FallSpring

IIIIIIIV

Clinics

Clinics

Clinics

Clinics

Clinical Rotations

Clinical Rotations (two weeks)
 Ambulatory and Production Medicine
 Community Practice Service
 Small Animal Medicine
 Small Animal Soft Tissue Surgery
 Large Animal Medicine
 Large Animal Soft Tissue Surgery

Clinical Rotations, continued
 Anesthesiology
 Pathology
 Radiology/Imaging
 Small Animal Emergency& Critical Care
 Dermatology
 Ophthalmology

Pathways for Clinical Interest(12 credits) Small Animal
 Equine Food Animal
 Exotic Pets (Small Animal) General (Mixed) Animal
 Zoo and Wildlife

FallSpringI

Distribution
CoursesII

Distribution
CoursesIIIDistributions

Distributions

Distributions

Distributions

IV

Distribution Courses
 These comprise approximately 30% of

the curriculum and are scheduled in thespring semester of each year.
 There are approximately 100 courses
from which to chose, some of which arearranged in “sets”, with requirements
for a specific number of credits per set.
 Other courses are elective.

Examples of Distribution Courses
 Dissection of the Horse / Ruminant, etc.
 Electrolyte and Fluid Therapy
 Veterinary Clinical Pathology
 Swine Infectious Diseases and Management
 Diseases of Birds
 History of Veterinary Medicine
 Small Animal Dentistry Dairy Production Management

Positive Results of the Curriculum Most students prefer the new curriculum andsome chose Cornell because of it.
 Students can research information better.
 Students are better able to communicate witheach other and with faculty and veterinarians.
 More faculty (especially research faculty) areinvolved in teaching.
 There is no difference in academic grades.

Early Introduction to ClinicalEnvironment

Concerns about the Curriculum
 It takes more time for faculty to teach.
 It is not as efficient to teach facts or specificknowledge.
 Foundation Courses are hard to update.
 Students in last years of old curriculum feelbadly; students in first years of newcurriculum feel like they are being
experimented on.
 It is expensive and controversial.

Thank you very much for theopportunity
to meet you and to speak with you.

Please contact me
if you wish more information
 Donald F. Smith, DVM, DACVS,
Dean emeritus and professor of surgery
 dfs6@cornell.edu 607-253-3605
 T1 002 Veterinary Research Tower, Collegeof Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University,Ithaca, NY 14853
 www.veterinarylegacy.blogspot.com