Latest news with #AtlanticVeterinaryCollege
CBC
19-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Veterinary college grad overcomes adversity on the road to new career
Switching careers after more than a decade was a daunting undertaking for Melissa Walsh. Her career change from social work to veterinary medicine involved four years of classes, labs, clinical rotations — and more. "As an older student, I was … basically everyone's mom, age-wise," Walsh told CBC Mainstreet host Steve Bruce. "There was a little hesitation, but at the same time it sounded like a great adventure and I wanted to try it." Jumping back into a rigorous educational environment after not being in school for many years was challenging, Walsh said. But academics weren't the only thing she had to overcome. Walsh faced a series of serious health issues that affected her life in significant ways. "There were definitely moments I wasn't sure I was going to be able to finish the program, but there [were] also moments I wasn't sure I was going to make it… to live," she said. Walsh graduated from the Atlantic Veterinary College earlier this month. Show of resilience During her second year in the program, Walsh broke her ankle and foot. She said she spent about nine months on a scooter trying to participate in anatomy labs and other classes. In her fourth year, Walsh developed an intestinal infection which led to other complications. "Because I got sick, I couldn't take my normal medications, and I ended up getting blood clots in my lungs," she said, adding that one of her lungs collapsed. Walsh said that resulted in her having to drop a rotation because she physically could not get out of bed. After meeting with the dean, Walsh said she was able to rebuild her schedule and take on rotations that were not as physically challenging. "I think I was more worried a lot of the time about school," she said. "But the school was like, 'No, your health is more important.'" 'I try and find the good' The experience of completing a challenging degree amid physical health issues took a mental toll, Walsh said. "It was hard. It was really hard," she said. "But I guess I would just say… it's kind of just my personality. I'm just a fighter, I guess." Even in moments where it wasn't easy, Walsh said she looked on the bright side. "I try and always have a positive outlook, so I try and find the good," she said. "It was kind of hard to find it at that point, but the school was amazing and my classmates were amazing and we persevered." With her background in social work, Walsh said she's learned how to take care of herself. "Having a healthy mindset is what can help you get through these things," she said, noting that she also has a good support system to lean on. Having now earned her degree, Walsh said she feels mostly joy. "I think over the last four years, I've definitely grown in confidence," she said. "I used to be a complete wallflower. Like, you wouldn't even know I was there. And now I'm … talking on the radio."
CBC
11-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
P.E.I. vet college admits mistake for asking artist to remove painting based on U.S. politics
Social Sharing The Atlantic Veterinary College has apologized to its former artist-in-residence who quit after being asked to take down a painting he says was censored by the Charlottetown institution due to its political message. In a statement, the college acknowledged that asking Christopher Griffin to choose between removing his painting, The Crossing, or leaving his residency "was a mistake." "The decision did not reflect our institutional values, and we regret the hurt and frustration it caused. Art plays an essential role in education and public life — it challenges us, encourages dialogue, and fosters understanding," the statement reads. "We fell short of our responsibility to protect that role." Painting received 3 complaints Griffin, who moved to Prince Edward Island from Ottawa in 2023, became the regional college's first-ever artist-in-residence last November. The unpaid position gave him the opportunity to brighten up some of the UPEI-based college's community spaces. While animals are a recurring theme in his work, Griffin said his focus shifted starting in January when Donald Trump was sworn in as U.S. president for the second time and launched a trade war with many countries, including Canada. 'Expressions of concern' lead Charlottetown college officials to tell artist his painting must go 1 day ago Duration 2:58 Christopher Griffin had been enjoying his stint as artist-in-residence at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown. Then a painting he created in reaction to Donald Trump's recent statements and actions about Canada caused a stir. Administration officials asked him to remove 'The Crossing' (detail shown) from the walls of the college, where about a third of faculty and students are American, because of three 'expressions of concern.' CBC's Wayne Thibodeau reports. One of his recent works, The Crossing, shows a boat full of lemmings carrying a crumpled and discoloured U.S. flag across an icy northern Canadian waterway. The college said it received three complaints about the painting, including two from American faculty members. The AVC's dean, Dominique Griffon, told CBC News on Wednesday that Griffin had recently started creating more "politically charged" art, which did not align with the original vision for the artist-in-residence program. So Griffin was asked to remove The Crossing immediately, according to a statement he posted on Facebook. He refused. Griffon said it was the artist's decision to instead leave the residency. Many students, faculty and Islanders turned to social media to express disappointment with the administration asking Griffin to remove the artwork. A thank-you card at the college signed by students and staff includes messages of support for the artist. Artist accepted apologies The college said it has offered a direct apology to Griffin and offered to reinstall the painting in a prominent campus location. The university has also invited Griffin to come and speak about his work. "We are also reviewing our internal processes to ensure future decisions uphold our commitments to free expression and inclusive discourse," the statement reads. "We remain committed to creating space for meaningful conversations — even, and especially, when they are uncomfortable." In an Instagram post, Griffin said he has accepted apologies from both AVC and UPEI, and agreed to participate in a roundtable discussion at the university where he will speak about his work. "A huge silver lining is that this event has revealed the deep passion Canadians feel for our country and the values we hold sacred, including the freedom of expression," Griffin wrote. "Canada finds herself in troubled times, but my faith in our people has never been greater. We are strong together."
CBC
10-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
'Expressions of concern' lead Charlottetown college officials to tell artist his painting must go
Christopher Griffin had been enjoying his stint as artist-in-residence at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown. Then a painting he created in reaction to Donald Trump's recent statements and actions about Canada caused a stir. Administration officials asked him to remove 'The Crossing' (detail shown) from the walls of the college, where about a third of faculty and students are American, because of three 'expressions of concern.' CBC's Wayne Thibodeau reports.
CBC
09-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
P.E.I. artist quits post after vet college asks him to remove politically charged painting
The now former artist-in-residence at the Atlantic Veterinary College has quit his position, saying the Charlottetown institution was trying to censor one of his paintings. Christopher Griffin became the regional college's first-ever artist-in-residence last November. The unpaid position gave him the opportunity to brighten up some of the UPEI-based college's community spaces. He spruced up the students' Polar Bear Lounge with a new mural and created about three or four pieces a week for nearly six months, hanging many of them on the college's walls. Most featured animals, a recurring theme in his work. But Griffin said the focus of his work began to change after Jan. 20, when Donald Trump was sworn in as U.S. president for the second time. The Republican politician has since launched a trade war against numerous countries, including Canada, and has continually mused about annexing this country as the "51st state." "When my country was threatened by the government of the United States of America… I felt like I had to do something. I had to react," Griffin told CBC News on Wednesday. "My role as an artist is to communicate, so I came up with the concept of creating a body of work based on our national anthem." One of the paintings in Griffin's series, called O Canada and depicting an elephant standing under a tiny Canadian flag, hung at the AVC for two months without any concerns. The complaints came with the hanging of a painting called The Crossing, showing a boat full of lemmings carrying a crumpled and discoloured U.S. flag across an icy northern Canadian waterway. It's a take on the famous 1851 work Washington Crossing the Delaware by German-American artist Emanuel Leutze, depicting General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River with the Continental Army in 1776 during the American Revolutionary War. "I realized, once I put the American flag in, that there would be some commentary, which I welcomed. For me, this was not an anti-American painting, and I took great pains to not make it so," Griffin said. "I chose lemmings because they have the mythology of producing mass suicide by jumping over a cliff or jumping into water. "It seemed to me that the government of the United States was self-inflicting wounds, so to me it seemed like a very straightforward metaphor." 'Not the best venue,' says dean College officials said they received three complaints about The Crossing, two of them from American faculty members. About a third of the vet college's faculty and staff are from the United States. The AVC's dean, Dominique Griffon, said the artist-in-residence program was envisioned as a way to offer students and staff a serene space, given the daily stresses of learning and practising veterinary medicine. She said Griffin's work initially fit that vision perfectly. "Unbeknownst to me... a few months ago, Chris changed the focus of his work toward more politically charged work," Griffon said. "We're not disputing the value in engaging in this difficult conversation; it's just that the veterinary school is not the best venue for that debate." The dean said the college wanted him to continue displaying most of his paintings, to which he retained ownership rights, but to keep the more controversial ones elsewhere. So Griffin was asked to remove The Crossing — immediately, according to a statement he posted on Facebook. He refused. Griffon said it was the artist's decision to instead leave the residency. 'Not a primary school' Some students and faculty turned to social media to express disappointment with the administration asking Griffin to remove the artwork. A thank-you card at the college signed by students and staff includes messages of support for the artist. For now, his paintings will stay in his downtown Charlottetown art gallery, from which he regularly runs online auctions of his work to benefit food banks and other charities. He said he is confident the work he did at the vet college will find a new home soon. As for the AVC, Griffin says he doesn't wish any ill will on either the university or its administration. But he doesn't believe his art contributed to an unsafe learning environment. "It's not a primary school, it's a university," he said. "If a painting of lemmings in a boat causes them to feel unsafe, they're going to have a tough time."
CBC
13-03-2025
- General
- CBC
It now takes more than good grades to get a chance to become a great veterinarian at this P.E.I. college
Students at Atlantic Veterinary College still need good grades to become great vets, but from now on, the school says life experience will play a larger role in the people it selects to study there. Up until now, academic achievement held the most weight in the application process for the Charlottetown-based college, accounting for 60 per cent of a potential student's score. If their grades were high enough, applicants would qualify for an interview that counts for another 20 per cent, with the remaining marks coming from a behavioural aptitude test. "Essentially, the entire decision on whether or not an applicant would get an interview came down to their academic score," said Dr. Anne Marie Carey, the AVC's dean of academic and student affairs as well as a member of the college's class of 2006. "But there's a lot more to being a successful veterinarian. So yes, we want to select a successful vet student, but we also want to select someone who's going to be a successful veterinarian." Starting this fall, the college is lowering the percentage that academics weighs for admission to 40 per cent, and will add a test worth 20 per cent that will gauge things like a candidate's compassion, empathy, teamwork and integrity. If they score well on both of those, applicants will get an interview that's worth 30 per cent and write a personal essay for the remaining 10 points. "Because we only interview based on [grades], there are people who would likely make exceptional veterinarians that we're just not even getting to meet and see," Carey said. "My hope is, by introducing this earlier in our process, we'll get to see a different range of applicants and people will have an opportunity to really shine." WATCH | Atlantic Vet College amping up the importance of life experience: Atlantic Vet College amping up the importance of life experience to find more great future vets 5 hours ago Duration 2:14 The Charlottetown-based Atlantic Veterinary College has changed its admission criteria. Grades are still a big priority, but everyone knows they don't tell the full story. The school is now focusing more on life experience during the admission process. CBC's Sheehan Desjardins explains. 'People are more than their grades' Current vets-in-training seem to like the changes. Danielle Harmon, a second-year student at the college on the UPEI campus, said she always strived for academic perfection throughout her schooling, but has since come to realize that grades aren't everything. "I feel like people are more than their grades, and so looking at a more holistic view and non-academic aspects of an applicant is very beneficial," she said. Being a veterinarian is a very personable job. You are talking to people… although you are treating their pets. — Danielle Harmon "Being a veterinarian is a very personable job. You are talking to people… although you are treating their pets. And so looking at someone as a whole is the right move." Harmon's classmate, Sam Berube, agrees. He said the admission changes will lead to a more diverse group of students who can bring different perspectives to the table. "I really am excited to see it draw in more people who have a varied and diverse life experience," Berube said. "One of my favourite things about AVC is the community and that, when you get a lot of us in a room together, we usually all have different pieces of knowledge that fill in the gaps." WATCH | High-tech new lab at vet college will help protect scientists testing for animal diseases: High-tech new lab at vet college will help protect scientists testing for animal diseases 2 days ago Duration 2:22 The Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown has a new Foreign Animal Disease Testing Laboratory. It was built to create a level of biocontainment — to allow for safe testing of samples for diseases such as the avian flu. Come along with CBC News as we get a tour of the facility. Carey said the AVC's new process is the same one being adopted by a number of other academic specialties, such as medical and nursing schools and pharmacy programs. UPEI's Senate has adopted the vet college's changes, and they'll be officially in place for the 2025-26 application cycle. "Academics tells a portion of your story… but there's a lot that's missing from that picture," Carey said. "I'm certain there are candidates who can still handle the rigour of this program — who may not have been among our top-ranked academic candidates — that are still going to shine as vet students and veterinarians."
