April 28, 2005

By Charlotte R. Hendrix

 

Proposals written by veterinary students advanced to the next round of judging in the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary's Award for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (Secretary's Award), a national writing competition based on Healthy People 2010 and Healthier US initiatives. Reviewers from the Federation of Associations of Schools of the Health Professions selected one single disciplinary (SD) paper from North Carolina State University and two interdisciplinary (ID) papers from Auburn University and Western University.

 

In the SD category, When Children Become Mothers was one of nine papers selected from the health professions and the only paper written by a veterinary student in that category. When Children Become Mothers , by Sophia Chiang, aims to combat teenage pregnancy by establishing a mobile free information clinic in a North Carolina county with a high teenage pregnancy rate. Veterinary medical students would join medical students and Teach for America corps members in the area as volunteers to run the clinic.

 

Two papers with veterinary medical student contributors moved ahead in the ID category. A student from Auburn University 's College of Veterinary Medicine joined forces with a University of Alabama-Birmingham School of Dentistry student to develop Straight from the Horse's Mouth . Megan Morgan and Mitch Potter propose a program to teach people living in the country how to care for their teeth as well as horseback riding safety. Western University of Health Sciences paired a student studying veterinary medicine with a student studying osteopathic medicine to develop The Prevention Plot for You and "Spot".  Nina Nardi and Robert Berberian proposed a plan for a central facility, the Prevention Convention Center (PCC).  The PCC would serve as a place for residents in underserved communities to get vaccinations for themselves and their pets as well as learn about birth control and other health concerns.

 

A final decision on the top three proposals in both the SD and ID categories is expected from DHHS on May 11, 2005.