Association of Veterinary Medicine Students (USVM)

According to the margins and principles of the originally founded association in 2017 today’s Association of Veterinary Medicine Students (USVM) was founded. The first election meeting of the Association of Veterinary Medicine Students was held on March 1st 2017, whereby members were briefed on the goals of the new association. The last election was held on 10th June 2019 where Damjan Džakula, Elizabeta Pongrac, Magdalena Bogović and Ante Vidošević were elected to the presidency of association. In addition to the aforementioned members of the presidency, it is made up of one representative from each section, Karlo Jerabek as a representative of SportVEF, Nikola Čudina- Debate Club and Morana Šćuric as a representative of IVSA Croatia. The presidency meets regularly once a month, with sessions attended by all USVM members every two months.
The aim of the association is to unite all students of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, to promote the faculty itself and to present the activities of veterinary medicine to the general public. The Association consists of three sections that are active in the faculty during the academic year: IVSA Croatia, Veterinary Debate Club and SportVEF.

IVSA Croatia is part of a global IVSA association that connects students around the world and through symposia, congresses and education, elevates veterinary medicine to a higher level among future veterinary doctors. IVSA Croatia is a section that connects students and enables students of our faculty to exchange worldwide. From July 22nd 2019 to August 1st 2019 in cooperation with the USVM, the section organized the 68th IVSA Congress, which was attended by 150 delegates from all over the world, thus presenting the Veterinary Faculty of Zagreb in the best way and introducing delegates to Croatia but also to faculty itself.

The SportVEF section unites students gifted not only intellectually, but also for sport activities. The section includes futsal teams, volleyball teams, table tennis etc. SportVEF attends Humanijada every year, which brings together students from the biomedical area of ​​Croatia, where they traditionally win gold medals.

Veterinary Debate club is the youngest section of the USVM, but the most interesting to many. The section brings together students who like to argue under controlled conditions and present their arguments to others. In addition to the love of discussion, the section teaches future veterinary doctors how to represent their views in unpredictable situations in future. The section president is a student Nikola Čudina. The members of the section participated in the international debate tournament “Zagreb Open 2019” where they held their first debate competition in English.

In addition to the listed activities of the various sections, the USVM organizes many others, such as the general knowledge quiz, which is formed in the type of quiz league through both academic semesters, which brings together students not only from our faculty but from the entire University.

Likewise in the academic year 2018/2019 the association introduces a mentoring system that provides first-year students with assistance from senior students assigned to them for help. Each year, the association organizes a Student day, which aims to get students and faculty workers out of the classrooms, exercise rooms and clinics and allow them one day to socialize, rest and do some sport by organizing sports competitions, selecting the best faculty staff, grilling, socializing and partying.

The members of the association organized an educational and social event called “Meet the Breeds ” on May 2th 2019 at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Zagreb which was also held for the first time in Croatia. The event featured 17 breed clubs by the Croatian Kennel Club, with interactive workshops involving dog trackers, guide dogs for the blind and a dog dancing show. In addition, a workshop for children was organized and sweets prepared by veterinary students were sold.

Main goal of the USVM is to connect faculty students not only on a professional and collegiate level, but to create long-lasting friendships, thus forming a strong bond between future veterinarians who need collaboration with colleagues in the future to improve patients’ health.

Skip to content