(June 15, 2010   Stillwater, OK) – The Oklahoma State University (OSU) Center for Veterinary Health Sciences welcomed 36 attendees to the 2010 OSU Grandparent University.  OSU alumni and their grandchildren, ages 7 to 11, came to the veterinary center to learn more about the world of veterinary medicine.

“We participate in Grandparents University to enhance the understanding these young people and their grandparents have of veterinary medicine, of what kinds of careers a veterinarian can pursue, and of the important role veterinary medicine plays in global health,” explains Carolynn MacAllister, DVM, Director of Continuing Education.

Attendees performed a sonogram on a stuffed dog in Theriogenology, surgically repaired lacerations on stuffed animals in Teddy Bear Surgery and learned about heart health in Cardiology.  Participants also spent time in Anatomy where they identified specific bones and looked at radiographs to determine the patient’s problem.  In the Parasitology and Microbiology Laboratories, grandparents and grandchildren looked through microscopes at various parasites, examined cultures of swabs from everyday things such as a sneeze, a water faucet and a soccer ball, and conducted a hand washing exercise to emphasize the importance of thoroughly washing away germs and bacteria.

According to Kenzie from Indiana “looking through the microscopes was the best part” while Charlotte, a grandmother from Chickasha, said her favorite was “doing an ultrasound to discover the number of puppies inside the stuffed dog.”

Faculty/staff members presenting information included: Natalie Clawson, Registered Veterinary Technician, and Drs. Kathryn Cass, Food Animal Medicine and Surgery Intern; Susan Little, Krull-Ewing Endowed Professor of Veterinary Parasitology; Carolynn MacAllister, Associate Professor Veterinary Clinical Sciences; Chelsea Makloski, Assistant Professor of Theriogenology; Becky Morton, Professor Emeritus, Veterinary Pathobiology; and Larry Stein, Associate Professor of Gross Anatomy.

Participants traveled from near and far to attend the three-day event.  Veterinary center visitors represented Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.  This is the fifth year that the veterinary center has hosted Grandparent University attendees.

The Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health Sciences is one of 28 veterinary colleges in the United States and is fully accredited by the Council on Education of the American Veterinary Medical Association.  The center’s Boren Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital is open to the public and provides routine and specialized care for small and large animals.  It also offers 24-hour emergency care and is certified by the American Animal Hospital Association.  For more information, visit www.cvhs.okstate.edu or call (405) 744-7000.

###