Veterinary Science student Emma McMillan is celebrating two milestones at her graduation ceremony at the University of Queensland’s Gatton Campus tomorrow.
Mc McMillan is graduating as the valedictorian of her year, and she and her fellow-students are the first veterinary science cohort to complete their studies entirely at the Gatton Campus.
It is the culmination of a five-year journey for the students, who were the first to use the purpose-built $100 million facilities in the School of Veterinary Science.
Ms McMillan was initially apprehensive about moving from Brisbane, but quickly realised the Gatton Campus offered the best facilities available for veterinary teaching.
“We have such great equipment and, more importantly, access to many different teaching facilities for production animals, wildlife and an exceptional equine and small animal hospital,” she said.
“The labs, lecture theatres, teaching spaces and clinics were designed and equipped to support our applied learning and are all co-located on campus.
Ms McMillan hopes to work as a specialist reptile and avian veterinarian.
“It was fantastic to access the facilities and cases involving wildlife here at Gatton, and to build my knowledge and skills alongside the specialists working on campus,” she said.
UQ’s School of Veterinary Science opened in 1936, and is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association), the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in the UK.
“Having global employment opportunities through accreditation really does add value to the degree as it means there are fewer hurdles for graduates wanting to work internationally,” Ms McMillan said.
The graduation ceremony will be held at 2pm on Thursday (18th December) at UQ’s Gatton Campus.
Media: Jackie Mergard, 3365 3634, 0435 090 802, or j.mergard@uq.edu.au.