Arnold Stokhof and Mel van Zantvliet

One is now 77, started studying Veterinary Medicine in 1961 and immersed himself in UU's student society. The other just turned 19 and spent most of his first year studying online from home due to the COVID pandemic. A conversation between two generations of veterinary medicine students.

Today's veterinary medicine students have a very different academic profile compared to previous generations. How was that in your day?

Stokhof: 'We didn't have intake quotas in my day, and most people mainly associated the programme with farm animals. That attracted a lot of boys; about ten of the 95 first-year students were women.’ 

Van Zantvliet: 'That's very different these days. About 10% of the total number of students (around 220) are male and the majority are interested in companion animals. However, the programme is more focused on vets' role in promoting a healthy living environment and improving the climate, which is definitely a good thing.’

Stokhof: 'That's great to hear. Financial interests tend to be too dominant and it would be nice if our veterinary expertise could contribute to better public policies. Still, that's definitely quite a challenge.'

'We didn't have intake quotas in my day, and most people mainly associated the programme with farm animals

What's your take on our changing relationship with animals since the 1960s?

Stokhof: 'The livestock industry really changed over the course of my studies. The number of animals per farm grew and the industry started placing less value on animals as individuals. That had a huge impact on veterinary care for farm animals:  The medical aspects became less important than commercial considerations. That shift made the prospects of working as a farm veterinarian far less appealing as far as I was concerned. I was also becoming more interested in the field of companion animal medicine. A lot of people started getting pets in those days, and they were willing to spend a lot more on their dog or cat as their standard of living improved.'

Van Zantvliet: 'I find it hard to understand why people have such different attitudes to different kinds of animals: we'll spoil our dogs, but we don't think twice about eating a cow. As a vet, I think it must be quite hard to be responsible for the animal's welfare when the client gets to decide what treatments you can actually give. I'm only in my second year, but I've noticed that the programme really focuses on the business aspects of the profession. I'm also interested in the ethical and philosophical side of things. The Animals, vets and society learning pathway explores those aspects and  offers a very different perspective on our role as veterinarians.’

I find it hard to understand why people have such different attitudes to different kinds of animals: we'll spoil our dogs, but we don't think twice about eating a cow

Arnold, what advice would you give Mel as a future veterinarian?

Stokhof: 'Make sure your decisions are always based on scientific evidence. I'm relieved to hear that the COVID vaccination rate among students is high. That may be a testament to their faith in science. Still, you shouldn't have blind faith in science either; after all, scientific facts can be falsified and there's always the possibility of finding contradictory evidence. The non-academic experiences you have during your studies are also a lot of fun and really crucial to your development. For example, I had a lot of fun taking part in the Peerdepiet horse race. I hope you finally get to enjoy your studies after that difficult first year of online lectures and being cooped up at home.’

This is an article from Vetscience issue 12 (in Dutch).