Are you a prospective new student? Do you aspire to become a veterinarian? If so, here are the details about studying in the Veterinary Medicine program at UGM. As of 2024, 13 universities in Indonesia are offering veterinary medicine education.
Besides Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), similar education is offered at Syiah Kuala University in Aceh, Padjadjaran University in Bandung, Brawijaya University in Malang, Udayana University in Bali, and Hasanuddin University in Makassar.
The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (FKH UGM) has taught veterinary medicine in Indonesia since Sept. 20, 1946, or 77 years ago. To date, FKH UGM has produced 6,215 veterinarians.
Throughout Indonesia, the total number of registered veterinarians with the Indonesian Veterinary Association (PDHI) is approximately 13,500, meaning nearly half of them are graduates of FKH UGM.
Professor Teguh Budipitojo, the Dean of FKH UGM, stated that undergraduate veterinary education aims to educate competent, outstanding veterinarians with the capabilities to compete globally.
“We are committed to providing superior and innovative higher education, hoping to produce veterinarians who are outstanding, independent, dignified, imbued with Pancasila values, and dedicated to the nation’s interests and prosperity,” said the dean on Friday (Apr. 5).
In its 77 years, FKH UGM has always sought to make the best contributions to improving the quality of veterinary medicine education and animal health in Indonesia. Furthermore, in 2019, the program obtained international accreditation from ASIIN to enhance academic quality internationally.
In support of students’ competencies, FKH UGM has Professor Soeparwi Animal Hospital, which students utilize for clinical education in reproductive health, services, laboratory diagnostics, small animal internal medicine, radiology surgery, and hospital management.
Moreover, FKH UGM has a teaching farm facility in Playen, Gunungkidul, with stables for horses, bird aviaries, and chicken coops.
“Additionally, for learning outside the classroom, FKH UGM has built green livestock gazebos, coworking spaces, and student organization secretariat rooms,” he explained.
Asked about the competition level to enter the undergraduate Veterinary Medicine program, the dean mentioned that in 2023, there were 2,890 applicants for 230 available seats, with 216 applicants registering.
“This means an average of 12.6 applicants vied for one seat,” said the dean.
Based on data from 2023, there were 216 first-year undergraduate Veterinary Medicine students, with 19 coming from Malaysia. Regarding the study period, the program takes 48 months, and the Professional Veterinary Medicine Education is completed in 18 months.
Bramasta Cahyo (21), an undergraduate student at FKH UGM, has aspired to study there since high school. This Surakarta native said that becoming a veterinarian would allow him to work more in the field.
Bram stated that he wasn’t particularly fond of office work. Additionally, he aimed to open his veterinary clinic.
“In my mind, I envision becoming a clinical veterinarian and owning my clinic,” he said.
When registering for the FKH UGM entrance exam, Bram imagined spending more time studying in classrooms and laboratories. However, he found the reality to be different.
The calm and lush campus atmosphere and facilities for large and small animals, such as reptiles and primates, made him comfortable spending more time there.
“The environment is very different from what I imagined. There are many trees here and many cows, goats, and other pets. It’s similar to the countryside,” Bram said.
Bram mentioned that the teaching system at FKH UGM uses the Student-Teacher Aesthetic Role-sharing (STAR) learning approach.
FKH UGM employs a problem-based learning (PBL) education strategy developed toward the STAR or student-centered learning plus (SCL+) approach. This learning system proportionally combines Teacher-Centered Learning (TCL) and Student-Centered Learning (SCL).
When asked about his strategy for learning the Latin names of large and small animal anatomy, Bram has his tricks. He prefers to study more in the early morning hours.
“Studying in the middle of the night is quieter for me, so it’s nice for doing assignments and studying,” he said.
Besides studying early in the morning, Bram enjoys studying during leisure time or walking. Even during practical sessions, Bram focuses more on learning and memorizing the Latin names of various animal anatomies.
“Honestly, practical sessions help me understand the subjects. Personally, without practice, it’s a bit challenging to memorize material long-term,” Bram said.
Bram admitted that he’s not a student solely focused on studying or academics. In his current semester, Bram participates in the Veterinary Science Community (VSC) student organization at FKH UGM. He has been appointed as the head of this community, which focuses on research and scientific studies.
“I have quite a high research interest,” he said.
In addition to managing time for studying and organizing, Bram is also a part-time student worker at the UGM Central Office, handling social media channels. He actively assists in creating video content for the university’s Instagram and TikTok accounts.
“I’m interested in developing my interests and talents. I see opportunities in social media, which can also broaden insights and experiences,” he concluded.
Author: Gusti Grehenson
Photographer: Firsto