Clubs and Organizations

The Illinois Student Chapter of the American Association of FelinePractitioners (AAFP) supports its members in improving the health and wellbeing of cats through specialized evidence-based medicine. Committed to the highest standards of practice, our club hosts an array of lectures covering diverse aspects of feline health and medicine. In addition, we offer hands-on experiences through events such as low-stress feline handling labs, our annual spay/neuter Make A Difference Day, and educational field trips to the Exotic Feline Rescue Center.

The Illinois Student Chapter of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine provides students the opportunity to further develop their clinical knowledge in small animal internal medicine, large animal internal medicine, cardiology and cardiac surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, medical oncology, and nutrition. Our club works with University of Illinois clinicians and clinicians from outside the university to expose students to various viewpoints on the advancements in veterinary medicine and how to treat animal diseases. Every year our club offers a variety of different activities based on student interests, this has included lunch lectures and hands-on opportunities including ultrasound labs, fine needle aspirate (FNA) labs, neurology examination labs, and endoscopy and arthroscopy labs. Membership is open to all Illinois DVM students, regardless of their primary area of professional interest, as internal medicine knowledge is used daily by specialists, general practitioners, researchers, and many other career paths.

The Student Chapter of the American Holistic Veterinary Medicine Association at the University of Illinois strives to provide students with information and opportunities to explore and pursue holistic modalities for an integrative approach to animal wellness. Holistic Veterinary Medicine is a form of healing that considers the whole patient – body, mind, and spirit – in its approach to achieving optimum health and eliminating the root cause of disease. Holistic Veterinary Medicine chooses the best combination of conventional, alternative, and complementary therapies for each patient.

The Animal Welfare Club (AWC) is a student organization aimed at giving veterinary students an opportunity to explore their views on various welfare issues so they can be prepared to face difficult ethical dilemmas often faced by veterinarians. We host lectures on topics like forensic pathology, shelter medicine welfare, lab animal welfare and more. Welfare is important in every field of veterinary medicine, so we also host topic-specific (shelter, companion, equine, food animal, etc.) discussion events which provide a place for students in each field to discuss their views and ask doctors questions about how they approach making difficult welfare-related decisions. Everyone comes to vet school with different views and opinions and this club is meant to be a place to explore those views and prepare for a career where we’re bound to face difficult welfare issues!

The University of Illinois Chapter of the Association of Asian Veterinary Medical Professionals (AAVMP) aims to inspire, support, and increase the voice and visibility of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) students in the veterinary profession and advocate for greater general diversity in the veterinary profession To this end, we hold events intended to celebrate underrepresented populations in our veterinary school, such as annual Diwali and Chinese New Year celebrations. We also organize lectures to educate the wider school population about issues that minorities face, such as micro-aggressions and cultural fairs. Lastly, we organize social events such as movie nights, dumpling making nights, and potlucks in order to foster community among our club members.

Welcome to Shelter Medicine Club! We represent the Illinois student chapter of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV). As a club, we host lunch lectures discussing a variety of topics related to shelter medicine and animal welfare. With shelter medicine continuously evolving as a discipline, our club aspires to bring the most relevant topics to the student body, along with exciting opportunities like summer externships for veterinary students. Additionally, we plan volunteer events where we help provide veterinary services for those in need. In the past we have done Sterilization Saturday at the school, Preventative Care Day at Moore’s Rescue Ranch, drive-through clinics, clinical skill labs at local shelters, and the Dog Wellness Fair with the Anti-Cruelty Society.

Christian Veterinary Mission Fellowship (CVMF) is a national organization sending missionaries around the world, hosting community conferences/events, and supporting student fellowship groups across the country. University of Illinois CVMF has a goal to establish a culture of God’s love by serving our college, university, community, nation and world through community service, worship, ministering, and showing God’s kingdom through the daily vigor of veterinary life. We accomplish this by hosting weekly Bible studies and prayer meetings, holding community outreach events, and sending students on mission trips over breaks. We would love to have you join our community!

Omega Tau Sigma is a veterinary professional fraternity aimed at forming well-rounded veterinarians based on education, philanthropy, networking, and respect. We offer ample opportunities to help our community, provide various study materials and practice reviews to help with the difficult courseload of school, and plan social activities to allow you to connect with other students. The great thing about our club is that there is always room to change things and focus on what everyone wants done for the year.

The Pathology Club is a group of students interested in clinical, anatomic, and toxicological pathology. The Pathology Club has hosted lectures about forensics, cytology, pathology residency, neoplasia, biopsy, and ocular pathology. A variety of wet labs and the necropsy on-call program engages club members with hands-on experiences.

Our organization strives to allow students to gain clinical experience in the real world. The club invites different veterinarians to give lunch lectures that walk through their own cases step-by-step. We also host wet labs and have lots of other hands-on activities.

Surgery Club’s mission is to help educate veterinary students about a myriad of surgical techniques, create a safe, stress-free setting to practice surgical skills and host lectures and wet labs that cover a variety of veterinary surgery topics. We have lunch lectures and wet labs covering topics such as wound management, resection and anastomosis, toe amputation, splenectomies, cystotomies, surgical techniques in ophthalmology, GDV/ pexy and more.

We are the Student Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society Club (SVECCS) at the University of Illinois. We offer various experience opportunities for those interested in practicing in the ER field through lunch lectures, ER rounds, volunteer programs and wet labs. Some of the wet labs we’ve performed in the past include CPR class, how to perform a splenectomy, and common small animal toxicities. Even if you are not interested in ER or unsure, it is a great way to get your feet wet and get acquainted with the ER department as well as the Veterinarians who run it!

The Unleashed Vet Med Running and Walking club is a group of students that encourage physical wellness through movement. Unleashed is a space where the veterinary school community can connect through weekly runs and walks, local races, and activities like yoga, boxing, and fitness classes. Join us to meet friends and reach your goals!

VOICE is a student-run organization that seeks to increase awareness, respect, and sensitivity to differences among all individuals and communities in the field of veterinary medicine. We aim to celebrate diversity within our profession, to encourage campus environments that embrace diversity and promote the success of all students, and to emphasize the importance of cross-cultural awareness in veterinary medicine in order to meet the needs of our diversifying clientele. Lastly, in order to ensure a more diverse future for veterinary medicine, VOICE chapters provide leadership and mentorship to youth, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, who are interested in careers as veterinarians.

As a club, the U. of I. VOICE chapter hosts educational lectures and workshops, participates in pre-veterinary and community outreach, and works with other clubs and committees at the college to facilitate positive change.

Veterinary Student Outreach Program (VSOP) is a volunteer club of veterinary medicine students that love participating in community outreach and educating the public. Our favorite event, known in the community as Teddy Bear Hospital, provides physical exam and history taking lessons, gowning/gloving/scrubbing lessons, suturing and bandaging, CPR lessons and preventative care to audiences of all ages. We aim to inspire future generations of veterinary medicine!