Protect OHIO Partnership Showcases Large Animal Veterinary Careers
Originally Published
This summer, The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Protect OHIO initiative partnered with Ohio Farm Bureau to plan and deliver two ExploreAg sessions focused on careers in large animal veterinary medicine. Through hands-on learning experiences, the programs introduced high school students to career opportunities in the field.
ExploreAg is Ohio Farm Bureau’s signature agriculture literacy and workforce development program where students learn about agriculture and STEM fields through hands-on experiences. A total of 62 students participated in the two ExploreAg sessions planned and delivered in partnership with Protect OHIO, which were held at Ohio State's College of Veterinary Medicine campus in June and the Dairy Learning Center at MVP Dairy in Celina, Ohio in July.
In June, students toured The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center, learned about veterinary school admissions pathways and participated in hands-on activities focused on biosecurity best practices, food animal medicine, equine clinical skills and disease prevention. Through experiences such as learning about rumen cannulated cattle, practicing injection techniques and learning about equine medicine through demonstrations, students gained insight into the responsibilities of large animal veterinarians directly from current students, faculty and staff.
At MVP Dairy in July, students gained a firsthand look at dairy production and the veterinarian’s role on a working farm and in a milking parlor. Hands-on activity rotations focused on biosecurity, newborn calf care, animal identification, observing the state-of-the-art milking carousel, health record management and injection techniques, highlighting the collaborative role veterinarians play in supporting animal health and farm success.
Through these ExploreAg events, Protect OHIO and Ohio Farm Bureau helped students explore educational pathways and career opportunities in large animal veterinary medicine while connecting them with veterinary professionals and real-world experiences. These efforts support Protect OHIO's mission to strengthen Ohio's rural veterinary workforce by inspiring the next generation of large animal veterinarians.
