Published: May 03, 2008 10:42 pm            

That’s Dr. Whitley

• Everything falls into place for Veterinary Medicine graduate

At 5:30 p.m. on Saturday with the hooding of Oklahoma State University Veterinary Medicine graduates in Gallagher-Iba Arena, it will be official. From then on, the name Derick Whitley will be preceded by Dr.

“It’s going to take some time to get used to that,” Whitley said. “It doesn’t seem real right now. I still feel the same.”

Whitley found the direction in his life about eight months ago when it “all came together really well.” He met the love of his life, and now fiancé, Callie Morrison, around the time that a mixed animal clinic was opened to serve the Sulphur/ Davis area, which is close to his hometown of Ada.

Morrison is set to graduate from Murray State University next weekend, and the couple will work together at Hilltop Animal Health located in Davis. Morrison, who will be a veterinary technician at the clinic, also has family from that area.

“It’s been a dream of mine to get back to that area and be close to my family in Ada,” said Whitley, in a release. “I enjoy rural veterinary practice where you get to go on field calls and meet good people. I’m ready to start working and making some money.”

While most fourth-year veterinary students spend a lot of their time looking for job, Whitley was fortunate enough to already have one in place. Dr. Cade Coppenbarger, OSU class of 2004, owns and operates Hilltop Animal Health and heard about Whitley — and his accomplishments.

Whitley was the 2008 recipient of the Dean Clarence H. McElroy Award, which was established in 1954 in honor of the Veterinary College’s first dean, Dr. Clarence H. McElroy. The award is to recognize the most outstanding senior veterinary student.

“This is the most prestigious award bestowed upon graduates of the College of Veterinary Medicine,” explains Dr. Michael Lorenz, professor and dean of the Veterinary College as well as the 1969 McElroy Award recipient, in the release. “Derick is a role model for other students.”

In fact, other fourth-year students, as well as veterinary medicine faculty voted on the award winners.

“It was something that I thought I had a chance to win because I put the effort into school,” Whitley said, who carried a 4.0 gpa through the first three years of graduate school, until actual classwork was completed.

There is no classwork for fourth-year students, as they go through a clinical rotation of three weeks at a time.

Whitley, the son of Brett and Nancy Whitley, also received the Alfred M. Bradley Memorial Scholarship for his high academic standing and interest in large animal medicine in a rural area. He also was the recipient of the Lester and Lucille Johnson Scholarship for his character, professional potential, proficiency in food animal and/or equine medicine and surgery with a 3.0 gpa or higher.

With all his academics behind him, Whitley can look forward to a long career in veterinary medicine, and being called doctor.

“My fiancé is going to call me doctor,” Whitley joked.

        

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