So You Want to be a Vet?

If you love animals and want to know more about them and careers that involved them than this week of Robeson County 4-H Summer Fun is just what you are looking for. Animal Science Day Camp started today with a trip to Raleigh. Our 17 youth along with a teen volunteer and Michelle Shooter, Extension Livestock Agent and Miss Shea Ann our 4-H Agent loaded up and headed north. We began the day at the North Carolina Natural Science Museum. There we saw animals from the beginning of time to present day. We also got to see frogs being fed, baby turtles and lots of stuff that lit up, made noise and in general was just sort of cool. The special exhibit on the oceans involved an art form that was studied in Arts and Crafts day camp, Batik. It was really neat.

After a brief lunch in the courtyard of the museum we headed to North Carolina State University for a little education on what it takes to become a veterinarian. We had a tour of the Vet Med School and saw some really cool things.

When you walk into the main part of the school we saw some really neat skeletons. Everything from a whale to a gorilla and even a tiger. As we were learning about the different animal structures we found out that a giraffe (yes there was one of those too) has seven vertebrae in its neck just like humans. We learned what and how different whales eat their food. We also saw a horse going for an x-ray. Did you know a dairy cow produces 100 pounds of milk a day? For those of you who are wondering that is 11 gallons. Did you wonder who helps injured turtles? Yes, they have a turtle clinic at the Vet Med school. Now if you are wondering interesting factoids are not all we learned. We also found out what we need to do to get accepted into Vet Med School. It takes a lot of work and really good grades to begin with. Then after you have majored in some kind of science in college, and have volunteered with a vet, not to mention other things like 4-H animal science projects you can apply to the school. More than 700 apply each year and only 80 are chosen. Now that is tough competition.

This was our first day of our new adventure. Stay tuned as we saddle up for a new learning opportunity tomorrow.