Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine’s annual open house will be held April 5 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Exotic animal displays, horseback-riding demonstrations, a parade of dog breeds and veterinary hospital tours are just some of the activities available to young and old alike.
The event, sponsored by UGA’s veterinary students, will focus on veterinary medicine as a rewarding career field and will demonstrate the wide variety of opportunities available to veterinary medicine graduates, such as maintaining a healthy food supply and researching and controlling infectious diseases.
“I am very excited about this year’s open house, not only because of the new events we have planned, but also for the opportunity to educate the public about the value and breadth of veterinary medicine and the amazing work that goes on at the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine,” said Will Basinger, a veterinary medicine student and chair of this year’s open house committee.
For the younger crowd, there is teddy bear surgery, where children may assist as veterinary students repair their favorite stuffed playmates. Other tentatively scheduled activities include reading to dogs, milking demonstrations, police dog demonstrations, question-and-answer sessions with current veterinary students and scientific exhibits showcasing different types of animals.
Tours of the UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital, which serves both small and large animals, will be available all day. Veterinary students will sell lunch items, baked goods, refreshments and merchandise.
Admission is free and open to the public. Parking will be available at the softball complex on Milledge Avenue with shuttles running to the college throughout the day. Maps will be available to ease navigation through the exhibits.
For assistance with sign language interpretation or handicap accessibility, email ugacvm.2016@gmail.com or call Dr. Cheri Roberts at 706/542-8303.
The College of Veterinary Medicine’s open house has been held annually for more than 30 years and is hosted by the first-year veterinary students with help from the second-year class. For more information and updates closer to the event, see www.vet.uga.edu/openhouse or follow the open house on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/bektpg8.
UGA College of Veterinary Medicine
The UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, founded in 1946, is dedicated to training future veterinarians, conducting research related to animal and human diseases and providing veterinary services for animals and their owners. Research efforts are aimed at enhancing the quality of life for animals and people, improving the productivity of poultry and livestock and preserving a healthy interface between wildlife and people in the environment they share. The college enrolls 102 students each fall out of more than 800 who apply. For more information, see www.vet.uga.edu.
The current UGA College of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital, built in 1979, serves more than 20,000 patients per year in one of the smallest teaching hospitals in the U.S. The college is currently working to raise $33 million toward building a new veterinary medical learning center, which will include a new teaching hospital as well as classrooms and laboratories that will allow for the education of more veterinarians. For more information, see www.vet.uga.edu/vmlc.
