The Veterinary & Animal Sciences Department is offering Summer Pre-College courses for rising junior and senior high school students in Pre-Veterinary Medicine, Equine Science, and Veterinary Technology.
The Pre-Veterinary Medicine Program will be held June 26 - July 2 and is an immersion experience for rising junior and senior high school students seeking to learn about (1) the field of veterinary medicine, (2) the steps involved in successfully completing a pre-veterinary undergraduate program and becoming a competitive candidate for applying to veterinary school, and (3) the time and financial commitments involved in choosing this career path.
This one-week class will be held at the UMass Amherst Campus and the UMass Hadley Farm and includes an overview of the veterinary profession and the academic preparation and animal experience required for becoming a competitive applicant to veterinary school. Students will complete hands-on rotations in basic comparative anatomy and physiology, animal handling and restraint, and overviews of veterinary pharmacology, clinical pathology, parasitology, biosecurity, diagnostic imaging, obstetrics, and wound management.
The schedule for the program consists of short lectures and discussions on the UMass main campus in addition to hands-on modules at the University’s Hadley and South Deerfield Farms. During hands-on modules, students will interact with Polled Dorset sheep, Boer goats, Belted Galloway cattle, and horses. There will also be off-campus field trips and academic games.
The Equine Science program is a two-week - July 24 - Aug 6, intensive program for motivated young adults seeking to explore what it takes to succeed in the horse industry, and in doing so, challenge themselves to become better horsemen and future leaders in the equine profession.
Each day, students will join a small group of their peers for hands-on practicums and workshops at the UMass Amherst Hadley Farm Equine Center. UMass faculty, visiting equine professionals, and of course, the horses themselves will all play a role in the learning experience. The program will begin with instruction on horse behavior and safety training. Students will explore topics in equine reproduction, stable management, nutrition basics, and farrier science.
In addition, each student will adopt one of the farm’s horses for the duration of the program and work intensively with that horse on a variety of equine care, ground-work training, and management topics. The equine science summer pre-college experience concludes with presentation of student case studies. The purpose of this final assignment is to tie together all of the knowledge and skills students have gained and synthesize it into a reflective project that looks at the scientific and practical applications of caring for horses. Students will focus on their adopted horse from the different perspectives of stable manager, veterinarian, and trainer.
The Veterinary Technology two-week program for high school students allows you to work with UMass faculty and learn about the profession of veterinary technician. This course is offered at the UMass Mt. Ida campus in Newton, Massachusetts with commuter and residential options available.
Week 1: July 10 - July 16, 2022
Week 2: July 17 - 23, 2022
The Veterinary Technology Summer Pre-College program invites rising junior and senior high school students to work with faculty from the UMass Veterinary Technology Program to discover various aspects of the Veterinary profession and the role of the veterinary technician within the larger context of veterinary medicine and animal care.
This hands-on course offers two sequential one-week options.
In week 1 (Section 1), students will receive an introduction to the world of the veterinary technician and career options available within the profession, learn to use appropriate medical terminology, study basic animal anatomy and physiology through guided dissection, and discuss normal behaviors and behavioral concerns of domestic animals.
In week 2 (Section 2), students will consider the different breeds of domestic animal species, examine companion animal diseases and their prevention, study common animal parasites and their control, explore handling, husbandry and diseases of Large Animal species, and investigate the production and clinical uses of X-rays, radiographs, and other forms of diagnostic imaging.
Your time on campus will include hands on skills practice in the exam room, radiology suite, microscopy lab and on the UMass Hadley farm.
Schedule: Monday - Friday, 9am - 4pm with a break for lunch.
Each lesson module is taught by faculty in the UMass Veterinary Technology program. Students will have guided dissection practice, learn appropriate use of microscope and veterinary clinical laboratory techniques, field trips including a trip to the UMass Hadley farm for large animal handling.
Veterinary and Animal Sciences