Staff Reports

Ellen Jarvis, daughter of Tony and Bonnie Jarvis of Columbus, graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree May 16.

Jarvis, a 2012 graduate of Brownstown Central High School, and her fellow graduates in the Class of 2020 were educated under an innovative veterinary curriculum pioneered at Illinois, according to a news release from the university.

The curriculum focuses on integrating the clinical skills and basic sciences relevant to veterinary practice throughout the four-year doctoral degree program.

Students in the program, unlike those in other veterinary curricula, spend 15 weeks during the first two years of study embedded in veterinary practice areas and practicing clinical skills in an extensive learning center equipped with models and simulations.

In March, when on-campus experiences were replaced with virtual ones due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Class of 2020 had already completed its clinical rotations. Students completed the spring semester taking professional development courses, primarily through online learning.

Jarvis, who lives in Columbus, also is a graduate of Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 2016. She will be working as a mixed animal veterinarian at Spring Mill Veterinary Services in Mitchell. She is engaged to Chad Burcham of Salem.

The college is one of only 30 veterinary schools in the United States.