The SOAR program provides a research exposure to select first or second year veterinary students during the summer sessions between the professional curriculum in veterinary medicine.
The specific aim of the SOAR program is to foster an exposure to a research environment that might influence these students to consider research careers as an alternative to veterinary practice. The motivation for the SOAR program lies in a need within the biomedical research community to recruit more veterinarians, particularly those with inquisitive minds, self-motivation and perseverance. Veterinary researchers provide insight into all facets of biomedical research and are particularly suited for such collaborations due to the broad background in animal physiology and disease processes. Unfortunately, the number of students considering such careers remains below the needs of the field. The SOAR program hopes to promote consideration research career possibilities by appealing directly to the broad interests of the veterinary student body. The SOAR program allows any first or second year veterinary student in good academic standing to submit a proposal on a research topic that they would like to study during the summer term, aided in the writing and implementation by a faculty mentor. The research topic must be of the student's initiative and cannot be part of a funded research program of the faculty mentor. The broad areas proposed to the students for consideration are: clinical medicine, basic research topics in virology, bacteriology, microbiology, parasitology, epidemiology and public health, zoonotic diseases, animal welfare, and wildlife or zoo animal medicine topics. By allowing such a broad range of areas for exploration, the SOAR program can appeal to students who might otherwise not seek such exposure due to a preconception of the field. Each student must seek the collaboration of a faculty mentor who will serve as an intellectual partner in guidance of the student; the student will be the principal investigator in his or her research project. Through this exposure, the SOAR program allows the student a very realistic view of the broad areas of veterinary research as well as the hurdles and pitfalls that can occur during the implementation phase of a study. Those students selected to participate in the SOAR program begin background work on their proposals during the autumn and winter quarter and seek the advice of their faculty mentor. Proposals are submitted at the end of the winter quarter at which time they are reviewed by a panel of faculty mentors from previous years for the SOAR program. Successful candidates are informed of their selection at the start of the spring quarter so that additional preparations can be set in place to facilitate commencement on the project beginning immediately following final exams for the spring quarter. All SOAR participants meet weekly for progress reports and discussions of research topics during the SOAR program. All participants give an oral presentation at the conclusion of the summer session to the assembled participants and their faculty mentors, then present their work during the annual Veterinary Medicine Research Day the following spring quarter.
