Opening of a new £3million building at the University of Cambridge Veterinary School

New and refurbished areas have provided Cambridge Veterinary School, with a new Clinical Skills Centre; nine new Consultation Rooms and an upgrade to include a Student Teaching Consultation Room; a new Pharmacy; relocation of accommodation for clinicians and veterinary interns; and relocation of the Clinical Pathology Laboratory and the University of Cambridge Veterinary School Trust Office to within the Hospital.

Professor James Wood, Head of Department of Veterinary Medicine,  says ‘This building project has enhanced both the teaching and the Hospital environment, and creates far better on site facilities for the education of student and the treatment of animals in our care. The new Clinical Skills Teaching Laboratory will provide our students with modern, state-of-the-art facilities to practise and improve their proficiencies in the wide range of practical skills needed by new graduates. The support of our benefactors and donors with this initiative is invaluable and is greatly appreciated by us all.’

The Pauline Brown Clinical Skills Centre is a dedicated instructional room with dozens of interactive models and simulators for training and self-study. As such, it will play a crucial role in the students’ learning experience by allowing them to practise essential technical skills over a wide range of disciplines in a low-stress environment, and enable them to become proficient with procedures and equipment before using these on animal patients. Modern Clinical Skills Teaching Laboratories have a very positive effect on veterinary students’ clinical performance – including, on graduation, increased confidence and competence during their first few weeks and months in their new jobs.

The Camvet Campaign
It was thanks to two very generous bequests that the Trust and the Department of Veterinary Medicine already had substantial funding available for the building work, and so the focus of the Trust’s Camvet Campaign has been to raise the £330,000 needed to equip the Pauline Brown Clinical Skills Centre and kit out the new Consultation Rooms in the Marguerite Price Consulting Wing. The Trust has had a wonderful response from supporters and, with well over half the money raised so far, is taking great pleasure in ticking items off the equipment Wish List, but there is still a way to go.

To donate to the Camvet Campaign or for more information call the Trust office on 01223 337630.

Pictured  L - R are Head of Department Professor James Wood, The Chancellor and The Dean Professor Mike Herrtage with Veterinary Medicine students