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Kenya Crawford, a junior, speaks with (left to right) Alyssa Eidbo, a senior at Westminster, counselor Kimbrell Teegarden and Ansley Spratlin, a senior at Westminster.

Aspiring vets visit campus

Future Dogs learn old tricks

By: TOM MARINE

Posted: 9/20/07

Nearly 180 high school students from around the state gathered at the University on Wednesday for the third annual "Vet School for a Day" program.

Compared to the 40 students that attended the inaugural event, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Paige Carmichael said she would like to think the increasing attendance represents a growing interest in the field of veterinary medicine.

The five hour program, sponsored by The David Forehand Foundation, featured a tour of the college and teaching hospital as well as a chance for prospective students to meet veterinary students and professors.

The event concluded with a series of presentations from faculty members to demonstrate the different areas of specialization.

Tracy Giese, public relations director for the college, contacted The Red & Black about the event.

"Our goal is to raise the awareness among interested high school students throughout the state about the multiple career opportunities in veterinary medicine," Dean Sheila Allen wrote in an e-mail. "Veterinarians serve many roles in society in addition to the traditional practitioner such as infectious disease prevention and research, public health, and food safety."

Several high school students said they enjoyed being able to see the animals and witnessing veterinarians work with them.

"I liked that cows actually make that moo sound," Ja'Cari Thomas, a high school junior from Atlanta, said. "I'm a city girl, and I've never experienced that before."

Thomas also said the program's organization needs to improve so the tour groups don't continually bump into each other in the hospital hallways.

"They should split us up into our desired section of specialization," Thomas said.

Carmichael said she did not support separating the students based on interest areas because they might find something new at the college.

"We want them to experience everything," she said. "We wouldn't want to narrow anyone's focus in veterinary medicine. Instead, we want to show them everything we have to offer."

Carmichael added she would like to bring high school students to the vet school during the summer for a longer and more in-depth program. By doing so, she said the college can take people with an interest in veterinary medicine and help develop that interest.

"I wish I had experienced something like this when I was in school," Carmichael said.

Regarding the current level of interest in veterinary medicine, Carmichael said she has seen a shift toward small and exotic animal medicine.

Ninety-six students were accepted out of the 543 that applied to the college last year. Of the number enrolled, students averaged 1173 on the GRE and had a cumulative GPA of 3.53, according to a program handout.

"If we don't start graduating more veterinarians to take the place of those that are retiring, then we are going to be in big trouble," Carmichael said. "That is why we want to keep their focus open to all fields at the vet school."

Allen wrote in her e-mail that veterinarians are in high demand, particularly when space limits the number of students accepted into the college.

"There is a shortage of veterinarians nationwide, particularly in states such as Georgia in which the population is growing rapidly, yet the enrollment in the College of Veterinary Medicine is constant," Allen said. "The shortage of veterinarians is acute in these fields."