My name is Alison Ng, and I’m currently a second-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) student at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). This summer, I had the privilege of joining OVC’s Clinical Nutrition Service as the Nestlé Purina Summer Student. My activities for the summer included attending rounds in the morning, shadowing procedures, participating in consultations, and working on my research project.
The highlight of my summer was attending client consultations with the Clinical Nutrition faculty. I had the opportunity to interact with clients, help formulate diet plans and deepen my understanding of various disease processes and their relationship to nutrition. I really value the opportunity to further develop the communication skills I’ve learned in the DVM program. Furthermore, many of the patients seen by the service have multiple conditions, each with unique nutritional needs. Helping these patients emphasized the importance of considering the bigger picture when making clinical decisions to treat the patient and not just the disease. Even when patients share the same disease, their nutritional support must be customized to fit their individual preferences and requirements.
In the Companion Animal Hospital, I got the chance to learn from interns, residents, and faculty across several departments. These interactions provided valuable insights into the diverse career paths available within veterinary medicine and a glimpse into what my future in this field may look like. Additionally, I had the chance to learn about many diseases and disorders I had never heard of before such as ectopic ureters and cricopharyngeal achalasia. Being introduced to these topics in a clinical setting helped to build a complete picture of the causes, diagnostic tests, treatments, and outcomes of these disorders.
Under the supervision of the Clinical Nutrition team and as part of the Summer Career Opportunities and Research Exploration (SCORE) program at OVC, I conducted a research project examining the nutritional status of hospitalized patients and the barriers to providing nutritional support. This project allowed me to engage in all phases of research, from developing a research question and hypothesis to writing a proposal, collecting and analyzing data, and ultimately presenting my findings. I discovered that research is not a linear path but an iterative process that requires continuous reflection and refinement. The final presentation gave me the chance to step out of my comfort zone and hone my public speaking skills.
The summer also included several on- and off-campus field trips. These tours offered a behind-the-scenes look at the many factors involved in pet food manufacturing. At the Canadian Veterinary Urolith Centre, I was fascinated to learn about the connection between diet and bladder stone formation and how specific recipes have been formulated to prevent stone development. The tours of the Royal Canin Plant and Mars Global Laboratory Services provided insight into the rigorous health and safety testing of pet foods as well as the role that different kibble shapes play.
Overall, my summer experience has introduced me to many facets of veterinary medicine that I had not previously encountered. It has inspired me to remain open-minded and explore the various paths available to me in the future. One of the most significant lessons I’ve taken away from this experience is to stay curious, as there is always more to discover.
I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the OVC Clinical Nutrition Service, including Dr. Adronie Verbrugghe, Dr. Sarah Abood, Dr. Manuela Fischer, Shoshana Verton-Shaw, and Alicia Lorch, for their warm welcome and exceptional teaching. Thank you to the rest of the OVC Nutrition team and the other summer students for making this summer unforgettable. Lastly, thank you to Nestlé Purina for providing the funding and support for this position.
Written by: Alison Ng, BScH, OVC Class of 2027
Reviewed by:
Dr. Sarah K. Abood, DVM, PhD, Associate Professor, Nestlé Purina Professorship in Companion Animal Nutrition
Dr. Adronie Verbrugghe, DVM, PhD, Dip ECVCN, Associate Professor and Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Endowed Chair in Canine and Feline Clinical Nutrition