Honam University Department of Companion Animal Industry Successfully Completes Overseas Clinical Internship at Hong Kong Animal Hospital

(From left) Myung Eunbi, student of Companion Animal Industry Department at Honam University, Dr. Kurt, Chief Veterinarian at Pet-Central Hong Kong. Provided by Honam University

Honam University announced on February 1 that Myung Eunbi, a sophomore in the Department of Companion Animal Industry, completed an overseas clinical internship at the local animal hospital "Pet-Central" in Hong Kong from January 24 to 31.

Pet-Central in Hong Kong is one of the top-tier animal hospital networks in the city, employing over 30 veterinarians and 70 veterinary nurses across four hospitals throughout Hong Kong, and offering integrated general, specialized, and emergency care.

This overseas clinical internship was conducted in a rotation system across three Pet-Central animal hospitals. Myung Eunbi practiced the full range of companion animal clinical care, including surgery, internal medicine, dentistry, and oncology/anticancer treatment. In particular, participating directly in real clinical care and experiencing various diseases and treatment cases greatly contributed to improving her practical skills.

The internship training was led by specialists in each clinical field. Dr. Kurt Verkest, an oncology specialist, Dr. Belinda Lum, a surgery specialist, and Dr. Nivi, an internal medicine specialist, supervised the entire internship process. Around 20 veterinary nurses also participated in the training, allowing students to experience collaborative structures in a multidisciplinary clinical environment.

During the surgical practice, Myung Eunbi experienced anesthesia, surgical assistance, and recovery management. In the internal medicine program, she strengthened her clinical reasoning by establishing diagnoses and treatment plans. In the dentistry and oncology/anticancer treatment sessions, she experienced the entire clinical process, focusing on various oral diseases such as scaling and major companion animal cancer cases such as uterine diseases.

This overseas clinical internship was made possible as a result of international educational cooperation efforts by the department that have been ongoing since last year. In May of last year, all students of the Department of Companion Animal Industry at Honam University participated in a field trip to Hong Kong, where they visited the College of Veterinary Medicine at City University of Hong Kong and Pet-Central animal hospital. Since then, the department has been discussing clinical education cooperation. This process was materialized through the internship, which is being recognized as an exemplary model of international clinical education that proceeds through "pre-departure training, educational consultation, and advanced practice."

Myung Eunbi, who participated in the internship, said, "I was impressed by how veterinarians and veterinary nurses from various countries each took charge of their own areas of expertise. Experiencing the collaborative structure among professionals has greatly broadened my perspective on clinical practice."

Dr. Kurt, who oversaw the training, also commented, "This is an educational program that allows students to systematically understand clinical practice by participating in actual care. We plan to expand cooperation with Honam University by actively inviting students to clinical education workshops and academic conferences."

Lee Moonyoung, head of the Department of Companion Animal Industry, stated, "This overseas clinical internship is a tangible result of our international cooperation-based education model. We will continue to expand overseas clinical programs to further strengthen our students' clinical competencies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.