Sea turtle externship expands veterinary education
Article by: Allison Burk
Originally Published
Charlie’s Angels Student Fund makes unique domestic internships possible
When Christine Ruffin, a fourth-year student at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, completed her four-week clinical externship helping sea turtle rehabilitation in Juno Beach, Florida, the impact was immediate.
Ruffin spent late May through late June this year at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center, a nonprofit hospital dedicated to sick and injured sea turtles. She learned how to perform a wide range of procedures, from administering medications and performing blood draws to doing
diagnostic necropsies and assisting in surgeries.
“I’ve had a lot of experience handling cats and dogs but not sea turtles. This externship provided me with many opportunities to learn how to handle, care for and treat them.” - Christine Ruffin
Embracing a global mindset domestically
Thanks to funding from the Charlie’s Angels Student Fund as part of the college’s Global Engagement Program, Ruffin’s immersive experience illustrates what the program is all about — expanding a student’s veterinary competencies through immersive experiences they would not have been able to have during their four-year veterinary medicine education.
Ed and Ellen Klopfer established the Charlie’s Angels Student Fund in honor and memory of their dog Charlie, a 15-year-old Havanese, and in respect of the care Charlie received at The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center. Sadly, Ellen recently passed away, peacefully surrounded by her loved ones. Her family expressed that it was her wish for people to contribute to the Charlie’s Angels Fund in lieu of flowers, as she was very passionate about supporting veterinary students to help expand their experiential learning. There have been 25 Charlie’s Angels Student Fund scholarships awarded since 2022.
The Global Engagement Program also reflects the Ohio State Global One Health Initiative, which brings together multiple disciplines working internationally and domestically to address the spread of disease, promote health, and emphasize the connection among humans, animals, and the environment.
“For us, ‘global’ means engaged experiences anywhere,” says Rebecca Garabed, VMD, MPVM, PhD, program leader and professor of veterinary preventive medicine at Ohio State. “Charlie’s Angels scholarships recognize that students need to see real-world situations to learn to be
better all-around practitioners, and for Charlie’s Angels funds, we focus specifically on domestic experiences,” she says.
She says the fund’s creation happened at a good time, especially after COVID. “Students who would have gone abroad were not sure about going abroad anymore and were looking for more engaged opportunities locally.”
Rewarding experiences with lasting impact
Ruffin’s days were busy, as the center was staffed by one chief veterinary officer and two veterinary technicians. She assisted with surgeries, administered oral and ocular medication to sea turtles and provided volunteer education. Ruffin says that one of the most rewarding aspects of the
externship was being involved with the center’s volunteers.
Often leading the volunteer meetings, Ruffin provided updates on the patients and their medication and educated them on sea turtle conservation and medicine. The team also did in-house blood work, and she pointed out that the red and white blood cells of sea turtles are very different than those in mammals, which made it interesting to interpret.
“It was amazing to look back and know I did something to help conserve these animals. I saved the life of a sea turtle. Not many people get that opportunity.” - Christine Ruffin
It’s an experience Ruffin says she will never forget.
Garabed says Ruffin’s experience illustrates how the Charlie’s Angels Student Fund supports students who want to experience different veterinary practices, such as rural and multilingual practices and careers in academic and wildlife medicine, which can be expensive because they involve travel.
“The Charlie’s Angels Student Fund is a great resource that continues to help us build our engagement program in a new way,” she says.
Ruffin says she is incredibly thankful for the Klopfers’ Charlie’s Angels Scholarship. “I would not have been able to have this experience without their support.”
The Global Engagement Program at Ohio State’s College of Veterinary Medicine supports the health of animals, people and the ecosystem as part of our ambition to Be The Model® comprehensive college of veterinary medicine in the world.
Donate to the Charlie's Angel Fund
Ed and Ellen Klopfer established the Charlie’s Angels Student Fund in honor and memory of their dog Charlie, a 15-year-old Havanese.