Pioneering Veterinarian Raymond Prata '65 to be Honored by HS Alma Mater

November 17, 2017

Raymond Prata, "a pioneer in veterinary surgery" and 1965 graduate of DePauw University, will be inducted into the Danville (Illinois) High School Wall of Fame.  Dr. Prata, who retired last year, will "be honored for demonstrating achievement or service above and beyond the responsibilities of their employment," reports the Danville Commercial-News. The award will be presented at the high school's annual Salute to Veterans concert in the spring.

After earning his DePauw diploma, Prata received master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Illinois, then completed an internship and surgical residency at the Animal Medical Center in New York City, a three-month-long external orthopedic rotation at the Hospital for Joint Surgery, and a one-year externship in neurosurgery at New York University.

The newspaper notes, "In 1975, he became a diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. During his 15 years at the Animal Medical Center, he led a neuro- and orthopedic surgical service that trained more then 280 interns and 120 surgical residents. During his three years as the head of surgery, Prata shadowed spinal surgeons working on humans, then adapted those techniques for cats and dogs -- something that had never been done before and revolutionized veterinarian spinal surgeries. He later did the same with knee surgeries."

Dr. Prata was named Outstanding Practitioner for the Northeast Region by the American Animal Hospital Association in 1985 and has served as chairman of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons Neurological Conference and chairman of the Surgical Residency Review Board. He has authored more than 40 publications in neurosurgery and orthopedics.

Read more at the newspaper's website.

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