Dr. Bonnie Price, associate dean of clinical relations and an associate professor of practice at the college, said the goal of the students’ clinical year is to help them apply their classroom knowledge to real-world medical settings. Unlike most traditional veterinary degree programs in the U.S. – which are four years long – the U of A curriculum spans three years. Simmons and his third-year colleagues work through 13 different academic blocks over the course of their final year, which includes studying for the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination, working in clinics and general practice in Arizona, and completing rotations in specialty subjects, such as surgery or internal medicine. Students working in Florence also gain extensive experience in population management of large animals – a practice they may not encounter in a more traditional clinical setting. Price said the partnership with the Florence facility also gives students insight into the power of the human-animal bond, particularly in the rehabilitation process for incarcerated individuals. “This partnership directly aligns with the U of A’s dedication to student success, and our land-grant mission,” Price said. “In the West, we deal with feral horse and burro populations like we manage stray dogs and cats – and veterinarians play an important role in these efforts. Our students are already required to complete a rotation with the Arizona Humane Society in Phoenix, and this partnership helps them see how veterinarians manage feral populations across species, and how they can contribute to community health.” ■
2025 Graduate, Jason Simmons Credit: Logan Burtch-Buus
facility. Unlike in a controlled classroom setting – where students might practice a single procedure on a handful of animals – Simmons and his classmates were tasked with treating dozens of animals every day. Simmons said working in such a fast-paced environment required him to quickly adapt, refine his techniques and build confidence in his clinical skills. That confidence quickly paid off in a rotation with the Arizona Humane Society, where he assisted with spay and neuter surgeries on shelter animals. “When you’re working with the volume of animals we did in Florence, I was able to use my clinical skills over and over until I became really good at them,” Simmons said. “Even though the anatomy is a little different, the work I did on horses and burros is very translational to small animals.”
24 FALL 2025 VETMED.ARIZONA.EDU
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