Athens, Ga. – Three Bernese mountain dogs and several University of Georgia students join College of Veterinary Medicine professor Paige Carmichael on her monthly visits to local elementary and middle schools to teach students, particularly minority students, about veterinary medicine as a career.
“I hope our visit to any school will accomplish one of three things – either pique a child’s interest in science, pique a child’s interest in veterinary medicine, or at the very least, help teach children – especially children of color – ‘the proper way to interact with dogs,Ҕ said Carmichael, a pathology professor at the veterinary medicine college.
The original intent of the program, she recalled, was “to address the lack of minority students in veterinary medicine.” But a recent grant from UGA’s Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach has allowed her to expand the program to involve all elementary school children and add new activities to enrich the educational experience.
Her dogs are involved in research, which is of special interest to children learning about genetics. “They are basically a science project,” explained Carmichael.
The dogs are bred to have a specific genetic condition called Carbohydrate Deficient Glycoprotein Syndrome, a condition similar to a disorder that also occurs in children. Carmichael is engaged in research that may lead to a better understanding of this disease.
Carmichael believes a multifaceted approach is needed to attract the best and brightest to veterinary medicine and is hoping to be invited to every school in the Athens area.
“The time to interest children is not when they are in high school – it’s too late by then. If you ask students in vet school right now when they decided they wanted to be a veterinarian, 80 percent will give an age of ten or less. For me it was eight,” she added.
Carmichael is working with local artists and early childhood development experts to produce a coloring book about all the different things veterinarians do. She will leave them with the children to take home in order to reinforce her messages.
During a one- or two-hour presentation at a school, Carmichael spends most of the time teaching animal safety skills and talking about careers in veterinary medicine.
“We tell them all the different areas veterinarians can be involved in besides taking care of dogs and cats – areas like working with cancer or developing vaccines,” she said. At the end of each program, Carmichael asks who wants to be a veterinarian. “Four or five students usually raise their hands,” she reported.
Carmichael and her team of veterinary students introduce the children to the 100-pound dogs by showing them pictures of the dogs when they were puppies and playing with small children. Carmichael also brings along skulls of different animals and X-ray pictures of animals, birds and reptiles.
After the presentation, students break into three groups: some look at the X-rays, some examine the skulls and others play with the dogs and get to ask questions about them.
“In one class, a group of children who were afraid of the dogs at first collected bits of the dogs’ fur to take home and show their parents that they had actually touched and hugged a big 4-foot-tall dog. It was a really wonderful experience, both for the children and for us,” said Carmichael.
In addition to being useful, “they are beautiful dogs who are extremely friendly and really love children. That’s what gave me the idea to start the school visits,” she said.
“These dogs remain puppies throughout their entire lives. They just have a puppy mentality. They get so excited when they are going out on a school visit, and they know they have to be on their best behavior.”
To schedule a school visit from now through June 30, contact Paige Carmichael at kpc@vet.uga.edu.
