Emergency and critical care workshops held by the School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) from 1 to 5 June in Hong Kong and Guangzhou have enhanced the treatment skills of local and mainland veterinarians.

 

The workshops hosted by Dr Gretchen Lee Schoeffler, Section Chief of Emergency and Critical Care Education and Training at Cornell University Companion Animal Hospital, introduced the latest technologies and discussed actual cases that helped participants acquire practical skills.

 

The workshops covered essential topics in emergency and critical care for dogs and cats, such as oxygenation assessment, traumatic brain injury and venous blood gas analysis. In addition, Dr Schoeffler explained about symptom assessment, clinical diagnosis, medical equipment usage, prescriptions and follow-up treatment.

 

Nearly 150 practicing veterinarians and students taking part in the courses held at CityU and South China Agricultural University (SCAU) learned about the latest treatment methods and new trends in veterinary science.

 

CityU’s SVM works closely with Cornell University, a global leader in veterinary science, to develop collaborations with institutes in cities and provinces on the mainland.

 

Dr Howard Wong Kai-hay, Executive Director of Professional Veterinary Education and Development in the SVM, said CityU not only offered continuing education programmes for local veterinarians but also invited overseas specialists to teach courses in the mainland. The objective was to help boost the professional knowledge and treatment skills of veterinarians in the mainland to international standards.

 

He stressed that CityU’s SVM would provide timely and appropriate professional training to suit the needs of local and mainland veterinarians for an overall upgrade in professional standards in the industry.

 

Professor Liang Zisen, Secretary of the Party Committee of the College of Veterinary Medicine, SCAU, added that this was a rare opportunity for students to learn about the latest technology from an international expert. He encouraged students to cherish the programme because it would broaden their vision and upgrade their treatment skills.

 

Importantly, discussions between senior management at CityU’s SVM and SCAU proved to be a good starting point for collaboration between the two universities. Professor Liu Yahong, Vice-President of SCAU, and Professor Michael Reichel, Acting Dean of SVM, agreed to explore collaborations in areas, such as enhancement of food safety standards and promotion of aquaculture in Hong Kong, Guangzhou and other cities in mainland China.

 

“CityU is one of the top universities in Hong Kong; it has a solid foundation in research and internationalisation. In addition, zoonotic diseases, food safety, aquaculture and animal welfare are four strategic themes in the SVM. From our discussion, we know that SCAU plays an active role in promoting aquaculture and tackling zoonotic diseases, and it puts lots of effort into enhancing internationalisation. With their geographic advantage and similar vision, SVM and SCAU definitely have many collaboration opportunities,” Professor Reichel said. 

 

Biography of Dr Gretchen Lee Schoeffler

 

Dr Schoeffler received her Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Veterinary Science from Texas A&M University and completed residency in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine at Tufts University. Prior to joining Cornell University, she headed the Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center at the University of Connecticut and supervised interns.

 

As a specialist in emergency and critical care, Dr Schoeffler has extensive experience in treating critical cases, including those with severe multisystemic trauma, respiratory distress, acute renal and liver failure, coagulopathy and sepsis. Her specific interests include hematologic diseases, such as immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia and complete blood counts.