Dr. Jessica Ward has held the Phyllis M. Clark Professor of Veterinary Cardiology for the past five years.
During that time, Ward has used funding from the endowed faculty position to supplement a variety of projects in the College of Veterinary Medicine, primarily in the cardiology section of the Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital.
One of the more unique programs has had a direct impact on all Iowa State veterinary students. The Clark Professorship purchased ultrasound machines and transducers which are vital to sustaining a new element of the veterinary curriculum.
Diagnostic ultrasound instruction was added to the college’s curriculum for second-year student starting in 2020. The basic ultrasound instructional program includes direct training in the form of lectures and hands-on laboratories in the second-year Principles of Surgery course.
“Diagnostic ultrasound is an important imaging modality in veterinary medicine,” Ward said. “Surveys of veterinarians suggest that ultrasound is a desired clinical competence, and new graduates are expected to practice basic ultrasound skills.”
The initiative was supported by a multidisciplinary team of faculty from services in cardiology, emergency and critical care, clinical skills, and surgery and community outreach. The focus of the training was on basic image acquisition, image optimization, and regional sonographic anatomy of the canine abdomen.
The initial investment in 2020 of four ultrasound machines was funded by an ISU Excellence Grant and support from Hill’s Pet Nutrition and Iowa State’s SAVMA chapter. A year later it was clear the program needed to expand in terms of equipment and scope.
That year, the team utilized Clark Professorship funding to purchase two new ultrasound units, including transducers geared specifically toward large animal imaging. Ultrasound units purchased with Clark Professorship funding are not only utilized in the laboratories but are also available in the college’s Clinical Skills Laboratory where students can practice on the units outside of class as well as for fourth-year rotations.
“Our goal is to give the second-year students the basics of the technology,” Ward said. “Once students are equipped with those skills they can practice in their third year and take it to the next level during their fourth-year clinical rotations.”
Student surveys indicate not only satisfaction with their training but an increased skill level in ultrasound competencies. Due to the innovative nature of this new curriculum development, the team published a description of program implementation, as well as initial outcomes of the program in an article in the Journal of Veterinary Medical Education.
“When students graduate, they are equipped with skills in a modality that is now considered a standard of care across veterinary disciplines,” Ward said. “We are honored to share the implementation of our program with other veterinary schools who might be looking to start similar programs.”
Thanks in part to the Phyllis M. Clark Professorship in Veterinary Cardiology.
May 2025