OVC Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Class of 2025 Prepares to Enter Clinical Year

The Amethyst Orcas celebrated their White Coat Ceremony on March 23

On March 23rd, 2024, family and friends gathered to welcome the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) Class of 2025, the Amethyst Orcas, to their clinical year during a White Coat Ceremony held at U of G’s Rozanski Hall.

The White Coat Ceremony celebrates the transition a student veterinarian makes from pre-clinical learning to the applied in their final year, working with veterinarians in managing clinical patients both within OVC and at external placements with our community partner practices.

Along with OVC faculty and staff, representatives from the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association, the College of Veterinarians of Ontario, the OVC Alumni Association, and the Canadian Veterinary Medicine Association (CVMA) were on hand to congratulate the students. Students entered a packed Rozanski Hall while Anthony Abrahams Ogg, Professor Emeritus, played the bagpipes. 

The event speakers included: Dr. Jeffrey Wichtel, Dean of OVC; Dr. Joanne Hewson, Associate Dean, Students and Academic; Dr. Wade Wright, President, College of Veterinarians of Ontario; Dr. Heather Fretz, President Elect, Ontario Veterinary Medical Association; Dr. Jim Fairles, Past President of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association; Dr. Paul Woods, President, OVC Alumni Association; Dr. Michele Guerin, Associate Professor and Phase 4 Leader. 

Dr. Hewson, Master of Ceremonies then announced each student name and then they were ‘coated’ by Dr. Wichtel and Dr. Guerin. 

The event was livestreamed for those friends and family members who were not able to attend the ceremony in person. A recording of the event is available on OVC’s YouTube channel.

Please join us in celebrating the OVC 2025 Amethyst Orcas and congratulating them as they begin their clinical year!