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Open House 2024
April 5 @ 9:00 am - 4:00 pm EDT
Download our Program Descarga neustro programa
What is open house?
Each year the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine organizes an Open House event to welcome all ages and members of the community to explore the world of veterinary medicine and see what the University of Georgia’s Veterinary College has to offer!
Check out our FAQ section for answers to all of your questions!
Rain contingency plan: If the Georgia weather forecast predicts rain the day of open house, a few event locations and schedules will be changed. We will update this website the day before with changes if rain occurs so, please check back in the day before coming! Also, follow our social media accounts for live updates!
Cost of event
This event is free and includes many events and exhibits on the CVM Classic Campus! These activities range from tours of the veterinary hospital to zoo and exotic animal displays! Donations at various activities can provide additional experiences, but all events will have free options. An extensive list of Open House activities can be found below along with menus for ticketed items (tickets will be purchased at the welcome desk – cash will only be accepted at welcome desks, merchandise, and concessions; every other event with add-ons are tickets only)
Food and drinks will be available for purchase.
**We can only accept cash, check, and Zelle payments.
**Zelle is only for transactions over $10 and will be sent to our class account: [email protected]
Registration
No registration for Open House necessary! Just drop by between the hours of the event!
** Teddy Bear Surgery and group tours of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital require registration on the day of the event (first-come, first-serve). You can register for these events at either welcome desk, one desk is located near the lameness paddock, and one is located on the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) front lawn.
Parking
Parking is free for guests at the Soccer/Softball Complex and the Park and Ride lot.
- Shuttles will be running from 8:45 am to 4:15 pm. Shuttles will also be available for guests touring the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. These will run from 10:30 to 2:30 pm. There are limited paid parking spots in Carlton Street Deck and South Deck, both of which are within walking distance to the event.
- Addresses for parking:
- Soccer/Softball Complex lot, 2330 S Milledge Ave, Athens, GA
- UGA Park & Ride Lot (E23), N Oconee Access Rd, Athens, GA 30605
- ** Strollers must be collapsed and stored appropriately while using the shuttles. Strollers may not be in the bus aisles.
Accessibility
Access provided for people with disabilities through the Accessibility and Inclusion Committee. If you have any accessibility needs, please contact [email protected] by March 24th so that we can work with you to make accommodations.
Event Photography Notice
Please be aware that photographers/videographers representing the University of Georgia will be circulating through the event taking photographs and videos (“Recordings”) for possible use by the University System of Georgia and the University of Georgia in publications, media, or other technology now known or hereafter developed. These Recordings may capture your likeness, image and voice, and by choosing to attend this event you grant us, on your behalf and on behalf of any dependent minors who accompany you, the right to use these Recordings as described above for any lawful purpose.
You understand you will not be compensated for use of the Recordings, and all rights to the Recordings will remain the property of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, by and on the behalf of the University of Georgia. If you do not wish to be photographed or video recorded, please let our photographers/videographers know.
*While some Recordings captured will be utilized by UGA CVM in media & publications, participants will not have access to view or download all of the Recordings from the event. Thank you for your understanding.
**Signage reflecting this acknowledgement will be on-site at Open House.
Schedule of events
We are excited to present UGA’s Veterinary College and all that we offer! These events are developing as we get closer to open house, so keep checking back for more!
Lameness Paddock Demonstrations
Several demonstrations and live animal shows will be happening at the lameness paddock throughout the day.
- 9:00 am – 1:00 pm – Georgia Mobile Dairy Classroom
- 9:00 am – 10:00 am – Athena Vaulting
- 10:00 am – 11:00 am – Herding Dog Demo
- 11:00 am – 12:00 pm – ACCPD K9 Demo
- 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm – Parade of Dog Breeds
- 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Falconry Demo
- 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Northeastern Georgia Free Spirits Drill Team
- 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Yard games
Veterinary Student Q&A Panel
An interactive conversation with a combination of current first and second year veterinary students. Get a taste of what life as a veterinary student is like and get the chance to ask any questions you may have about veterinary school, careers in veterinary medicine, or anything else you’d like to know!
| Time | What | Who |
|---|---|---|
| 9:15-10 am | Using Blood Hematology to Help Assess Health and Disease in Domestic Veterinary Species | Dr. Gogal |
| 10:15-11 am | Student Q&A Panel | Madison McClung, Reed Wixon, Matt Holton, Emma Hunt, Abby Williams |
| 11:15-12 pm | Admissions presentation | Parker Moore |
| 12:15-1 pm | Student Q&A Panel | Dawson Clark, Lauren Ward, Ashley Lavender, Molly Loucy, Raegan Daunch |
| 1:15-2 pm | Becoming a DVM: The UGA Curriculum | Dr. Clouser and Dr. Wheat |
| 2:15-3 pm | Student Q&A Panel | Megan Spires, Jamie Williams, Zoe Walker, Dylan Dent, Karli Williams |
| 3:15-4 pm | Admissions presentation | Parker Moore |
Dog Petting Booth
Who doesn’t want some puppy love every once and a while? Stop by the Dog Petting Booth to make some new four-legged friends.
Reading to Dogs
Sit down for story time with a furry friend! A variety of books will be available to read to/with the dogs, and you can make a personalized bookmark with your favorite pup on it!
Anatomy Booth
The University of Georgia has one of the most advanced anatomy labs in the country. Come see where veterinary students spend their first-year learning anatomy! This event will include interactive models, preserved specimens, and more!
Endoscopy and Ultrasound
Endoscopy will be an interactive booth where laparoscopic equipment will be available at stations for you to try and grab goodies from beneath a hidden cover. Time to see how good your “toy claw machine” skills are– Veterinary Medicine style!
Ultrasound will feature live demos of our ultrasound equipment. With the assistance of one of own veterinary medicine students, you will be able to visualize organs and other structures on some of our student’s dogs!
Zoo and Exotics Display
Take a walk through a wild safari! Interact with and learn about many different interesting species of animals.
- Bear Hollow Zoo from 10 am – 12 pm
- Live Animal Exotics Photo Booth from 10 am – 2 pm
Raffle and photo booth prices:
- Raffling off 2 paintings at 12:30 pm and again at 3:30 pm.
- Photo with an animal (10 am-2 pm) – 5 tickets
- Photo at photo booth – 1 ticket
- Animal paintings – 3 tickets for a small, 5 tickets for a large painting (see photos below)
*No animals were harmed in the making of these paintings.
Teddy Bear Surgery
Teddy Bear Surgery is a hands-on experience that allows children to be “anesthesiologists” and “surgeons.” They get to participate in a physical exam for their bear and then gown up in surgical gear to “anesthetize” a teddy bear. Once “sterile,” children watch second year students suture their bears’ “wounds” closed while holding the mask to keep their animal “anesthetized”.
** Registration for this event is first-come, first-served. Registration is free and will be at the welcome desks on the CVM front lawn and near the lameness paddock. Check-in at Teddy Bear Surgery at the time of your appointment slot.
** This station will only be accepting tickets this year for add-ons. Tickets can be purchased at the welcome desk.
Tours of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital
See our new state-of-the-art veterinary hospital and get a behind-the-scenes tour led by our Student Ambassadors!
We have limited spots for tours, so those interested will need to sign up for a time slot at the welcome desk upon arrival to the event. This will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.
**Because it is a functioning hospital, tours are limited to 3 groups of 10 at a time and guests must be age 11+.
Participants that have signed up will take the bus to the VTH for their tour and when the tour is over, the bus will run back to the CVM. See the below bus schedule and plan accordingly if you also would like to schedule a Teddy Bear surgery appointment time.
| Leave Paddock | Tour Time (arrive at VTH) | Leave VTH |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 AM | 10:30 AM | 10:35 AM |
| 10:45 AM | 11 AM | 11:05 AM |
| 11:15 AM | 11:30 AM | 11:35 AM |
| 11:45 AM | 12:00 PM | 12:05 PM |
| 12:15 PM | 12:30 PM | 12:35 PM |
| 12:45 PM | 1:00 PM | 1:05 PM |
| 1:15 PM | 1:30 PM | 1:35 PM |
| 1:45 PM | 2:00 PM | 2:35 PM |
If you are unable to tour, there is a virtual tour available through the link below!
Parasitology Display
A display of the different types of “creepy crawlers” our pets can get! Two highlights of this display are the “build your own tick” craft area and the “tick racing” event where we get to watch ticks race each other!
- Tick races – 9:30 am, 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, 3 pm
Merchandise Booth
The merchandise booth will have some awesome UGA College of Veterinary Medicine apparel. Those range from shirts, sweatshirts, hats, etc. We will be accepting cash/check/Zelle payments only.
Club Fair
The club fair will showcase all the wonderful clubs that the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine has to offer. Each club will have a poster up for display and members walking around giving brief presentations.
- Shelter Med – Enrichment toy presentation @ 10 am
- Zoo Med – Snake vs. lizard presentation @ 1 pm
- SVECC – CPR demonstration @ 2 pm
FAQs
What is Open House?
Each year, the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine organizes an Open House event to welcome all ages and members of the community to explore the world of veterinary medicine and see what our college has to offer! This event is completely run by our first- and second-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students, and any donations go toward helping our students pay for their veterinary licensing exam.
How do I register to attend?
There is no registration required to attend this event!
Who can attend Open House?
Open House has fun activities and demonstrations for all ages! Please note that the Veterinary Teaching Hospital Tours have limited spots available, and only people who are 6th grade and above may attend (everything else is available to all ages).
Is Open House a free event?
UGA CVM Open House is a free event open to the public, though there are optional paid experiences. Concessions and merchandise will also be available for purchase.
