Gerard, Mat, BVSc, PhD, Clinical Assistant Professor - Cohort 2004

North Carolina State University

Clinical Assistant Professor, Equine Surgery
College Of Veterinary Medicine
North Carolina State University

Dr Mat Gerard is a 1992 graduate of the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Australia. Following graduation he performed relief work in a private practice before commencing a large animal internship in mid 1993 at Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Canada. A three year large animal surgical residency followed at North Carolina State University, from mid 1994 to mid 1997, culminating in board certification in the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1999. Dr Gerard returned to Australia to pursue post-graduate research and in 2001 he received his PhD in exercise physiology, from the University of Sydney. In 2002, Dr Gerard joined the clinical faculty at NCSU and has a particular interest in head and neck surgery of the horse.

As part of his clinical commitment, Dr Gerard is enthusiastic in exploring the art of effective instruction and has begun to focus more time on the teaching of communication skills to rotating fourth year veterinary students. He has improved his own understanding and appreciation of these skills by participating in the Bayer Animal Health Communication Project. As a consequence of this Project, Dr Gerard and a colleague have developed and teach an intensive one week selective course in communication skills to preclinical veterinary students and will also present topics on communication skills in lecture and seminar format as part of a newly designed third year veterinary student course in Veterinary Ethics, Jurisprudence, and Professional Development. Presentations to teaching hospital residents and interns are also scheduled as part of their programs. Dr Gerard plans to continue to expand his own communication skills training and methods of incorporating this skills training into the veterinary student curriculum at NCSU.