Athens, Ga.
– The University of Georgia
College of Veterinary Medicine will welcome 150 students, along with their
parents and advisers, to the fifth annual Vet School
for a Day event on Wednesday, Sept. 23. This program brings select Georgia high
school students to the university’s campus to learn more about careers in
veterinary medicine. The keynote speaker for the event is Dr. Carla Case
McCorvey, an alumna of the veterinary college and owner of Case Veterinary
Hospital in Savannah, Ga.
The program, held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will include a
tour of the teaching hospital, a panel discussion by faculty veterinarians in a
variety of specialties, and the opportunity for the high school students to
meet veterinary student leaders. The event is sponsored by the David Forehand
Foundation, a foundation created in memory of alumnus Dr. David Forehand (DVM,
class of 1976).
“Vet School for a Day has grown
from just a small gathering of high school students to a larger group
representing all areas of Georgia,” said Paige Carmichael, associate dean for
academic affairs. “Through this program, we hope to encourage students
interested in science to pursue one of the variety of careers available in
veterinary medicine, especially in underserved areas such as food animal
medicine.”
The discussion panel will include Carmichael and professors:
Sharon Crowell-Davis, anatomy and radiology; Margie Lee, avian medicine; Eric
Mueller and Michelle Barton, large animal medicine; associate professor Steve
Divers, exotics; and veterinary technician Lynn Reece.
“The UGA College of Veterinary Medicine actively recruits a
diverse group of the very best and brightest students into the study of
veterinary medicine,” said Dr. Sheila W. Allen, dean of the veterinary college.
“With the growing threat of global infectious diseases and bioterrorism, there
is now an even greater need for scientists trained in underserved areas such as
public health, food safety and biomedical research.”
Students
also will learn about the high standards for admission to the college, and what
they need to study to be prepared for veterinary school.
The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine,
founded in 1946, is dedicated to training future veterinarians, providing
services to animal owners and veterinarians, and conducting investigations to
improve the health of animals as well as people. The college benefits pets and
their owners, food-producing animals, and wildlife by offering the highest
quality hospital and diagnostic laboratory services. Equipped with the most
technologically advanced facilities located on a university campus, the college
is dedicated to safeguarding public health by studying emerging infectious
diseases that affect both animal and human health. The college enrolls 102
students each fall out of more than 550 who apply. It has more than 145 faculty
members.
More information on the College of Veterinary
Medicine is available at http://www.vet.uga.edu/.
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