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Meet Dr. barbara alexiou: director of advanced veterinary education
Dr. Alexiou says her MPH degree gave her a chance to work in the lab and explore other opportunities that our diploma has to offer. The possibilities are endless. Before moving to Manhattan, she also worked in a continuing education company. “It was great to bring together boarded specialist expertise to share their knowledge and see general practitioners grow in confidence through the courses,” she says.
Objectives and Goals “Part of my job is overseeing the veterinary certificates with Kate Drew [student programs coordinator in Clinical Sciences],” Dr. Alexiou says. “My job is to ensure that the certificates remain aligned with the objectives and continue Dr. Barbara Alexiou oversees the mentorship and veterinary certificate programs. to improve and expand each program and follow-up on each student during their journey.” Educational and professional background In October, Dr. Alexiou presented a research poster on our Dr. Barbara Alexiou brings an international perspective to certificates at the Veterinary Educators Symposium hosted by K-State, where she serves in a newly created position to help Texas Tech University in Amarillo. guide veterinary students in their educational pursuits as well As this is a unique opportunity in veterinary education, as veterinarians through Continuing Education opportunities. she says, “I examined the perceptions about the veterinary “I am enjoying the exciting challenges of contributing to certificate program through a survey that I started when I the development of top-tier veterinary education programs,” began this position — to better understand it. According to Dr. Alexiou says. the survey respondents, 87% would recommend it to other Dr. Alexiou earned her DVM degree in 2016 at the students. There is still room for improvements, but we are University of Liege, Belgium. She worked for three years getting better and better.” in a small animal practice. Following that experience she In addition to the certificate, Dr. Alexiou oversees the also worked part time in a lab at the University of Brussels college’s elective mentorship program. In this program, [ULB] while completing a Master of Public Health degree in students are able to pick their own mentors and spend at least epidemiology and biostatistics in 2020. a week or more in practice with them. “I wanted to be a veterinarian because of all the things “Mentorships provide a great opportunity to see other you can do in the same day, from surgery on Great Danes to types of veterinary practices and help students see what their internal medicine on small exotics — all the opportunities,” future careers might look like — it’s an incredible experience,” Dr. Alexiou says. “I ultimately felt overwhelmed for the same Dr. Alexiou says. “We received such good feedback from the reasons that made me love veterinary medicine.” mentors and how impressed they are by our students and this opportunity. We are trying to communicate more with the mentors and our students. I give them guidance on what we 12 | wildcatveterinarian
