No nets, no balls, no satin jerseys with this March Madness. At New Bolton Center it means discounts on care for agricultural animals

[February 28, 2010; Kennett Square, PA] – Like its on-the-court counterpart, March Madness at Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center means teamwork, action and gratifying results. But that’s where the comparison ends. This March Madness has no connection to basketballs or jerseys. On the Kennett Square campus, March Madness means opportunities for students and discounts for animal owners.

For two weeks, fourth-year veterinary students with a particular interest in pursuing a career with agricultural animals, or in a mixed practice, play a major role in handling appropriate cases from admission to discharge. In turn, owners of those animals receive a discounted fee for the services. The Food Animal Medicine and Surgery rotation has been nicknamed March Madness and it has been an annual tradition since 1989.

The students participating in the program are only two months away from completing their veterinary training and, according to Ray Sweeney, VMD, chief of the Section of Medicine at New Bolton Center, they are highly trained and very skilled. “These students consistently provide excellent care for the patients referred. In every case, they work under the close supervision of Dr. Fecteau or me.” There are two two-week rotations, and each includes eight students.

Owners of food and fiber animals including cows, pigs, sheep, goats, llamas and alpacas have through Friday, March 26, 2010 to take advantage of this program. The first eight LDA cases, or left displaced abomasums, a common condition in dairy cattle requiring a surgical correction, will be treated at no charge. Generous discounts are offered on other types of cases, both medical and surgical.

“The University of Pennsylvania is the only institution training veterinarians in the state of Pennsylvania. March Madness is just one of the ways that our Department commits Penn’s resources to training future food animal veterinarians and supporting agriculture in Pennsylvania,” says Dr. Sweeney.

“This program is a way for students to handle a case, from admission to discharge, as the primary clinician,” says Marie-Eve Fecteau, DVM, a Food Animal Department veterinarian who has been involved with the program for six years. “I am constantly impressed with how well they handle the challenge.”

The program is made possible by special funding designated through the School of Veterinary Medicine. Veterinarians or producers who have interest in sending cases can contact Dr. Sweeney, 610-925-6132, rsweeney@vet.upenn.edu or Dr. Fecteau 610-925-6208, mfecteau@vet.upenn.edu.