MSD Animal Health/World Veterinary Association (WVA) Veterinary Student Scholarship Program 2017

And the selected students are……

Over 400 applications from across four world regions were received for the second annual collaborative MSD Animal Health/WVA Veterinary Student Scholarship Program. This year again, the high standard of applications received is a testament to the drive and quality of the soon-to-be new generation of veterinarians across the world. MSD Animal Health and World Veterinary Association are delighted to give back to the global veterinary community by encouraging and enhancing the learning experiences of 41 veterinary students from 27 countries and to provide a scholarship of 5,000 US Dollars to recognize their efforts and academic achievements to date, and to help them progress even further in their veterinary careers.

6th May 2018, Barcelona, Spain. During the opening ceremony of the 34th World Veterinary Congress held in Barcelona, Spain, the WVA and MSD Animal Health announced the results of the 2nd Veterinary Student Scholarship Program and the names of the 41 selected veterinary students from 27 countries. 

The MSD Animal Health and WVA Veterinary Student Scholarship Program is designed to help students to continue their studies by offering direct financial support. The scholarships are awarded directly to the successful candidates, aiding them with their scholastic development. The review of applications considered financial need, academic achievement, engagement of the students with their future career path, leadership potential, and letters of support from their respective veterinary colleges. 

The scholarship program was open to second and third year veterinary students who, having completed their first year or two of study, are starting to develop and hone their veterinary interests. Over the application period, the WVA heard from dedicated students across a breadth of veterinary fields; specialization interests included work with a range of species and specialty areas. Many applicants had also taken steps to begin to familiarize themselves for their chosen career paths, including participating in research projects, gaining work experience with local animal charities and veterinary clinics, and volunteering within their local communities to improve conditions for the animals around them. 

“The future of the veterinary profession are the veterinary students”, said Dr Johnson Chiang, the WVA President. “By investing and promoting excellent students, the WVA and MSD Animal Health, are promoting and developing further the veterinary profession to ensure that humans, animals, and the environment prosper together.”  

“We know that the cost of veterinary education can be a challenge but want to encourage talented students to pursue their dreams,” said Dr. Norman Stewart, MSD Animal Health. “We’re honored to support these recipients, as the work they do throughout their careers will have an important impact on the animal health industry, helping to advance the well-being of both companion and large animals.” 

MSD Animal Health and World Veterinarian Association wish to thank all the students who applied and made the scholarship program a great success. 

About World Veterinary Association 

The WVA represents around 500.000 veterinarians around the world through its 95-member associations and is a broad global veterinary community that offers advocacy, support, and education with a variety of partners for focused global veterinary issues. The WVA mission is to assure and promote animal health and welfare and public health globally, through developing and advancing veterinary medicine, the veterinary profession as well as public and private veterinary services. Visit www.worldvet.org, WVA Facebook page and on Twitter. 

About MSD Animal Health

For more than a century, MSD, a leading global biopharmaceutical company, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases. MSD Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA, is the global animal health business unit of MSD. Through its commitment to the Science of Healthier Animals™, MSD Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest range of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services. MSD Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. MSD Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.msd-animal-health.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.