‘Vet Camp’ held at All Creatures

“I wanted to learn everything there is to know about veterinary science.”

Those words, spoken by 15-year-old Ryan Knox, encompass why the All Creatures Animal Hospital in Amelia holds veterinarian camps for high school age kids every year.

The vet camps, which have in fact become so popular for local students that they have started holding two this year, have attracted more than 75 teenagers in the nine years that the program has been offered (23 students this year alone).

“Vet Camp is a program designed to introduce highly interested high schoolers, sophomores, juniors, and seniors, into the veterinary field,” said program coordinator Steven Grogan. “Students get to participate in every aspect of the daily operations at the All Creatures Animal Hospital.”

Participating students get the chance to assist in surgical procedures, read specimens and cultures, perform lab testing, make appointments, and understand client relations (they are quizzed), and to also rotate through the different zones of the hospital, such as reception, out-patient, inpatient, grooming, surgery, and boarding.

"It's a very hands-on approach," Grogan said. "The kids are interested in learning more about what we do here at the hospital; the goal is to educate, whether they eventually go into the field or not."

Christine Cornell, 19, of Goshen, who has attended the vet camp for the last two years, said that she was unsure about becoming a vet or a vet tech until attending the camp.

"I have learned so much here," she said. "This camp has been a fun and rewarding experience - it has reassured me that this is what I want to do."

Grogan, who is currently a senior at St. Xavier High School and is in his second year coordinating the vet camp program, said that he wants every student to have an enriching experience that stays with them forever.

"My ultimate goal is to introduce students to this field with an intense look and give them awareness," he said. "I hope the program continues to be successful for all involved."

For more information on the vet camp or to apply, visit www.allcreatures.com.