CVM Helps Prepare Veterinary Students for Real-World Finance Management
Veterinary students learn financial preparation for the future
- AZ - Glendale
As a supplement to their education, veterinary students discovered more about concepts of personal finance, such as investments, budgeting, and the intricacies of student loans.
As students progress through their third year at the Midwestern University College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), they are on the precipice of achieving long-held aspirations to become exemplary healthcare providers. Pursuing these goals demands unwavering dedication spanning countless hours, days, weeks, and years of focus on learning the skills and intricacies of medical knowledge, research, and patient care. Yet despite this rigorous training, crucial life skills often receive insufficient attention.
Recognizing this gap, CVM leadership has proactively responded by introducing a third-year class tailored to personal finance. Now in its fourth iteration, the class has undergone a comprehensive overhaul to equip students with the tools necessary to navigate the financial complexities awaiting them upon graduation.
Delivered collaboratively by CVM Dean Carla Gartrell, D.V.M., J.D., and Mark Acierno, M.B.A., D.V.M., DACVIM, Associate Dean and Professor, the course delves into essential personal finance concepts. These include understanding investments, tackling the mathematical intricacies of retirement planning, navigating the complexities of student loans, strategic home planning and mortgages, and mastering the art of budgeting. Dr. Gartrell further imparts specialized insights into employment contracts and negotiations.
While programs such as this one are taught in other healthcare disciplines, Midwestern University’s financial preparation course is somewhat unique in veterinary education; indeed, other programs have contacted CVM for help in developing similar curricula.
“The College of Veterinary Medicine educates aspiring professionals so that they are at the forefront of their discipline,” Dr. Acierno says. “Midwestern University provides extensive resources to help our students stay on the cutting edge of theory, skills, knowledge, and technology. This course is a testament to our commitment to enabling students to make informed decisions about their finances, comprehend the nuances of wealth management, and become prudent stewards of their financial resources. We firmly believe that this investment in financial acumen is as valuable to their careers as any other professional skill they acquire."
