FVE-MSD Scholarship for MVB Student Ava O'Donoghue Patterson
Congratulations to MVB student Ava O'Donoghue Patterson (pictured), who has been awarded an MSD Animal Health & Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) Scholarship; Ava is one of 36 awardees from across Europe to receive a scholarship. The awardees will each receive $5,000 (USD) to help them focus on and enhance their academic experience and early career. 
The Scholarship programme is a collaboration between FVE and MSD Animal Health with FVE President Rens van Dobbenburgh stating that 'FVE aims to empower and move forward the career of veterinary students in Europe, preparing them for the future job market. Outcomes from the FVE veterinary survey, supported by MSD Animal Health Europe, highlight the need for this. FVE cherishes the collaboration with MSD Animal Health, as all these opportunities represent an investment in the future of the veterinary profession.' Animal health, animal welfare and public health are at the core of the veterinary profession and MSD Animal Health and FVE are committed to continuing to strengthen their partnership and empower future veterinarians.
Ava is very proud and extremely grateful to have been chosen for this award, as not only does the bursary allow her to seek additional veterinary experience abroad, but it will also ease the financial burden of attending college in Dublin. Ava's proposed research is in a very specific area of Veterinary Medicine called 'Animal Therapy.' This niche aspect of Veterinary deals with using assistance dogs to benefit children with ASD as well as geriatrics and cancer patients. Ava plans to use the bursary to partake in a summer internship abroad, potentially in UCLA where they have a research programme specifically for Animal Therapy.
Ava also has a keen interest in doing charity work - after travelling to Kolkata in transition year she knew that she always wanted to be able to give back as much as she could. Ava is hoping to use some of the funds to travel back to India and partake in a neutering programme for street dogs. She sees this as an incredible opportunity to practice her surgical skills, whilst also being very much a humbling experience in which she can make a difference to the welfare of animals in need.