DeMars named clinical associate professor

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Paul DeMars’ job just got a little better.

For more than 15 years, he has been an adjunct associate professor and receiving clinician at Oklahoma State University’s Veterinary Medical Hospital. DeMars of Guthrie, Oklahoma, was recently promoted to a clinical associate professor in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at the hospital.

“There really won’t be any change in my job,” DeMars said. “I have always been treated like a full faculty member of the department. While we may be a small group of faculty, staff and students and the challenges seem huge at times, I appreciate everyone I work and interact with. I love my job and this just makes it official.”

In addition to seeing small animal patients for wellness visits and sick calls, DeMars teaches fourth-year veterinary students who are honing their clinical skills.

DeMars said that what he likes most about teaching is watching the “lightbulb” come on when a student grasps a concept or fact.

“While many aspects of my job can become routine and less exciting, guiding a new student through those things keeps it fresh and alive. I encourage students to read more articles and book chapters. Seek to understand, not memorize. Be able to explain why something is correct,” he added.

DeMars earned his DVM degree from OSU in 1994. He is one of 11 clinical track faculty members at OSU’s Veterinary Medical Hospital. The hospital is open to the public for regular veterinary medical wellness care and for specialty cases referred by other veterinarians.

The case load provides excellent teaching opportunities exposing future veterinarians to a wide variety of veterinary medical conditions that they may encounter once they are practicing veterinarians.