Veterinary college's 'Vet School' to feature tours, lessons for community members
The Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech is hosting a summer Four-Day Vet School for community members to experience the breadth and sophistication of 21st century veterinary medical education.
The program starts with an introductory session May 7 and ends with graduation on June 11. Veterinary college faculty members will teach about medical and surgical procedures available for animals, as well as cutting-edge clinical and biomedical research.
A session on May 7 will feature an introduction from Dean Cyril Clarke and a tour of the college’s state-of-the-art teaching, research, and clinical facilities from 6 to 8 p.m.
Each of the four classes will last from 6 to 9 p.m. and focus on different areas of veterinary medicine:
- May 14: Dr. Bonnie Smith, associate professor of anatomy in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathology will give an anatomy lesson on “The leg bone’s connected to the…” Brad Klein, associate professor of neurobiology, will speak about “The Brain: A University in Your Head.” Dr. Nammalwar Sriranganathan, professor of bacteriology, will give an immunology talk on “The ‘Fight’ Within Vaccines and Herd Health.”
- May 21: Following a tour of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg, Dr. Valerie Ragan, director of the Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary Medicine, will speak about “Human, animal, and environmental health: We are all in this together!” Dr. Bess Pierce, associate professor of population health sciences and director of the Center for Animal Human Relationships, will answer “Why do people and animals need each other?’
- May 28: Dr. X.J. Meng, University Distinguished Professor of Molecular Virology, will speak about “Ebola, SARS, and MERS: Emerging Viral Zoonoses and the Animals Transmitting Them.” Dr. Phil Sponenberg, professor of pathology and genetics, will discuss “Genetics, Disease, and a Sustainable Future.” Sandra James-Yi, clinical assistant professor of toxicology, will present on “Toxicology and Everyday Living.”
- June 4: Dr. Marti Larson, professor of radiology in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, will give a diagnostic imaging presentation on “Imaging in the Dark.” Dr. Chris Byron, associate professor of large animal surgery in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, will offer an equine surgery presentation on “Adventures in large animal surgery.” Dr. Shawna Klahn, assistant professor of oncology, will speak about “Cancer treatment in dogs and cats.”
A graduation will be held on June 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. Dr. Peter Eyre, dean emeritus, will present certificates of completion to the graduates.
Enrollment is open to individuals over age16. Tuition is $149 per person for the full series of classes and includes dinner each evening. Registration is due by April 24.
Enrollment is limited, and partial enrollment is not available. The Four-Day Vet School is not available for academic credit or for Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program admission.
More information and registration is available on the Virginia Tech Alumni Association website.
Written by Michael Sutphin.
